D-Handle Routers Reviews

I recently recieved the D-handle base in the mail, I was expecting a used one for the low price and complimentary shipping, however, to my surprise received a brand-new sealed in box item! Thanks Amazon! Regarding the extra cord length, I simply unbolted the top plastic housing and cord retention clip, removed the three easily accessible hot/neutral/ground connectors. Next, cut the old cord ~ 16" from the male end, expose the three wires ~2" being careful not to cut into each wire's insulation. Then, rethread through the cord-relief rubber, bolt down the cord clip and reconnect the wires with new connectors. Lastly, reinstall the top housing. I found a 12' black extention cord that matches the male connector in case I need to switch bases.

With the added D handle for the porter cable router- normal 2 handed routing is now easier to control with 1 handed routing leaving your other hand to aid in stabilizing the lumber being routed. The D handle is well worth the extra if you do a lot of freehand or offhand style routing.

very usefull should be the base sold with the router ! Great price and Quick Shipping too !

I have several routers (Proter Cable, Hatachi, Bosch, DeWalt and Ryobi) ranging in Hp from 1 1/2 - 3 1/4. Each of these routers have outstanding features, but the one I would rate over all is the Milwaukee D and the Body comfort models.

When it comes to control these two routers give the feeling of complete control over what you are doing. The startup is smooth and the power is above average.

I would recommend both of these routers highly.

Well done Milwaukee...

best router I have ever used! Porter cable, look out!

I had been looking for a "D" handle router and was in the process of deciding on the Bosch or the Makita when I came across Milwaukee's router. Both of the previous two have good reputations, and I'm sure I would have been happy with either, but what caught my eye was the features on the Milwaukee... and it didn't hurt that it was several dollars cheaper. My primary reason for wanting the "D" handle is that I prefer having that motor switch right at my fingertips.

One feature I like, is that the base is tightened down to the motor, or loosened, with a metal lever that snaps open and closed. This is easier than twisting a knob, and once closed, you have a positive lock. (yes, I have failed to tighten a knob securely enough on another router and had the base come loose while operating it). Removal of the base is done by pressing a button and sliding the motor out of the base. "Coarse" adjustments are made the same way. A knob is provided on the top side for making fine adjustments. Though the adhustment is not a fine as on my plunge router, I find it to work very well. The collets require 2 wrenches to install bits, and the wrenches provided are the forged type rather than stamped metal, a definite plus.

All in all this router is a pleasure to use, and my past experience with Milwaukee service has been very good.

This is the third router I've purchased, and about the sixth I've seriously used, and it is an excellent tool. It has plenty of power, and is still light and agile enough to make it the first router I try to use for every project. I bought it in part to replace a 1.5 hp router I had given away, and I can't tell that it weighs any more than the 1.5 hp model. It is a bit bigger around, and is at the limits of what I can "one-hand."

I have owned this router for about 3 years and it shows no significant signs of wear. I made the mistake of leaving it out in an unheated garage one winter and the motor body oxidized, making the depth adjustment unbearably stiff. I buffed it with steel wool and the depth adjustment again worked smoothly until it reoxidized (apparently ther is a coating on the original motor housing). I repeated the steel wool treatment followed it by a wiping of clear shellac and so far so good. Despite my mucking around, I've never had any perceptible problem with the motor being off-center in the base.

I found the trigger lock button too short to make it ergonomically useful, so I replaced the plastic button with a slightly longer machine screw the head of which I turned down in a drill press.

I bought this because I really wanted to try a D-handle router, and if this is your object I'm confident you won't be disappointed. My only regret is that it did not come in a kit with a plunge base as the 1617 does. In fact, if I were just breaking into woodworking and wanted to buy only one router to fulfill all of my forseeable wants I would get the 1617 with the fixed and the plunge bases; it is simply too cost effective to pass over.

I got this little gem earlier this year to replace an old Craftsman antique that still "works." I didn't get a chance to use it 'til last week making some cabinet doors. It's like the difference between driving an old used car (it gets you there) and a new BMW (it also gets you there, but the experience is rather different). I am impressed with the 1618 and its oodles of power and smoothness. I specifically wanted a D handle and am glad I specified this particular unit. I recommend it.

This is a quality built router. I've used it for many different applications. One nice feature is that the base edge (all 360 degrees) is dimensionally constant in relation to the bit. This produces accurate work when you use a fence or a "clamp & tool" guide. Of all the routers I have used, this one ranks among the top in quality. It has plenty of power unless you are using shaper sized router bits. Then you may opt for a larger model. The microfine depth adjustment is another great feature along with the resettable indicator ring. I would buy this router again and have no complaints.

If you are going to be doing any serious wiring around your house buy one of these drills, don't argue with me, don't cavil and whine that's it's too expensive, just buy the drill. Now Drilling between joists, or up into wall cavities, tasks which are a complete pain in the neck with a standard drill are almost effortless with the 3002. I had to run a bundle of wires through 12 floor joists, with this drill it took me about 15 minutes to drill all of the holes I needed and run the wires. Like every other Milwaukee product the drill is very well built and durable and if taken care of will last forever.

I use this drill at work on a daily bases and it has never let me down. The extra long handle is great when your dilling overhead. This model has a higher rpm than the standard right angle dill kit. The higher rpm's make drilling wood a lot easier. I only wish Milwaukee would have put the Quik-Lok cord on this model. No tool is perfect but this one comes close.

I had spent 6 years procrastinating, using my 18v cordless drill to drill for my wiring jobs. I borrowed my plumbers right angle drill (a beat-up Old Milwaukee)and on my way home that night I stopped at my local home improvement store and bought one. Wow what a time saver. The Old Milmaukee FEELS heavy duty. Great torque. Im sure I'll be passing this one down some day. And this is from a Dewalt user...

This is a very good drill well built and durable.

I purchesed this router to cut aluminum doors for new locks. Using a special carbide router bit the locking nut continued to loosen and apparantly the collet was defective. I called customer service and they shipped me a new one...so the real test will come next time it is used. The router itself is very smooth and balanced and with the D handle very easy to control...until the nut loosened anyway. Now if the new collet and nut hold up the next time I use it I'm sure all will be well.

I'm a home woodworker and wanted to by a new D-handle router with the latest features. When DeWalt's new line of routers came out, I sprung for the 2-1/4 variable speed model. I'm not a router expert, but loved it from the get-go. It's very comfortable and managable, easy to hold and route with one hand. The detachable cords are a great feature. I just love the variable speed, makes me feel like a pro using this router! Now, I'm also a mechanical engineer and I can be fairly critical with a tool purchase. This DeWalt router does come with a case. And it should, it's a beautiful tool, and I like to keep it that way. The collet lock button is in the most awkward location, hard to get at with even my slender fingers. I think it could have been oriented in a more open direction. And there are no clear plastic side shields to snap in place to limit the extent of sawdust that this router can kick out. My old Sears router has this feature. Would these things have prevented me from buying the router had I done a hands-on before buying? Probably not. I still think DeWalt makes great tools. They just don't take it to 100% to give the woodworker all the creature features. But for all I know, maybe some of these issues exist with other brands of routers at the same category/ price. Knowing things like this ahead of time will at least prepare you for some of the unexpected things that you can probably still accept and claim it as a good purchase as I did.

I've owned this DEWALT DW618D router for about 5 months, and I have to say I love it. I've used it on several projects and it works very well. The 2 1/2 HP is plenty strong, and the D Handle fits very comfortable in my hand. At first I was disappointed It didn't come with a case. But now I'm glad, usually the case is to big and takes up to much room..

I bought the 1618EVS at the Chantilly VA tool show in March of 2003, and had problems with the router motor sticking in the base from the very first usage. Even with the clamp completely loose, the grey/white oxidation on the motor casing causes so much friction that installing/raising/lowering the router is a painful experience. Nothing I've tried so far removes the oxidation. I will be trying to return this, soon. Too, bad, because I love my other Bosch tools. (1619 router is awesome, as is 1587 jigsaw)

In addition to this router, I also own a Porter Cable 890 router so in my evaluation of this Bosch 1618EVS I compare the Bosch router against the PC.

There's much to like with this router. It's powerful and the soft start and variable speed works very well. I like the control the D-handle gives me. I feel much safer starting a router with both hands on the handles than having to let go of one handle to click a toggle switch on the top of the motor.

The two major things I don't like about this router are:

1. It's difficult to take the motor out of the base and to put it back in again. When I received the router, it was obvious that something about the base just doesn't work well. And if you're like me and take the motor out to change bits, this gets to be a hassle. If you loosen the clamp bolt sufficiently to allow the motor to come out/go in easily, the base doesn't clamp tightly enough and the depth of your cut changes as you're cutting.

After fiddling with the motor and base a while, I found that a small amount of lubrication between the motor and base works wonders - the motor becomes easy to put in and take out. I need to see if this lubrication becomes a dust magnet and whether it holds up (how often I have to re-lubricate)

2. The other thing I'm not happy about (but this isn't as serious as the first) is the way the fine adjustment works. On my PC, the fine adjustment is continuous. That is, I can crank the router completely up or down using the fine adjustment. The PC has a lever for coarse adjustments, but using it is up to you. The Bosch has only a limited amount of fine adjustment. Once you use up the fine adjustment, you have to go back to the coarse adjustment and make a major adjustment up or down, then run the fine adjustment to the other end of the adjustment screw. You don't hit this all the time, but, when you do, it's a pain in the butt.

So why did I buy this router? The PC 890 series does not come with a D-handle with a power switch. The PC switch can be activated either on the top of the motor or lower down on the motor so you can switch it on and off without letting go of the handles - but I just wanted a D-handle router for non-router table use.

Would I buy it again? I can't say yet - I need some more time with the router to see if the motor/base problem comes back.

I also want to add a SAFETY pitch. Soft start routers cost a bit more than fixed speed routers but the startup is significantly safer. If you buy a fixed speed router (non-soft start), you'll be fighting the startup torque every time you use it. It only takes one time - one little bit of inattention on your part - and the router will jerk out of your hands on startup. It WILL happen to most woodworkers at least once in their careers. And for what you spend at the emergency room, you could have bought several soft start routers.

I purchased this router on a recommendation of a fellow woodworker. Overall I am really satisfied with the router. Do plan on adding a tiny bit of lube between the base and motor for smoother adjustments (thus only 4 stars). Other than that, the soft start is great. Power is smooth and delivered. And the D-Handle is a must have for safety reasons. Even with one hand the router feels much safer than the knob versions out there. The weight of the unit isn't too bad, so this one can be held for durations without issues...
This router is has a variable speed knob on the top making it yet even more useful.
I own several Bosch tools and I haven't had any problems with them. They continue to work, job after job.

I have had my Makita variable speed R1101 router in the shop for repair three different times in the space of 2 years. First the varible speed switch went out. Major bucks to repair! Second the router shaft began to wobble. This was repaired at no cost, however it still had some vibration and a slight wobble. Third the "new" varible speed switch crashed again. This time the shop removed the variable speed switch at no charge. Finally after a few months the wobble returned with a vengence. This tool would not even make a good boat anchor!

I have five of these in my shop and, I fabricate corian.I use these only for edgeing the corian.They can not take the same abuse as a PC,but they are quiet. Not a production router.

This D handle router is very easy to operate and adjust. The ablity to route with one hand if necessary makes this a great little router, also it has the power to help you pull through the routing. This router is worth it and you won't be dis-satisfied.

i haved used at least 5 of these routers and they work great right out of the box but the base becomes warped very quickly making it difficult to router properly especialy with flush cuting bits i have 6 years of full time wood working experiance and the last time i used one i messed up flush cuting because the base was not flat i would by the Bosch 1618B if u plan on using the router more than a few times because of the superior base

This router is great for a first or only router because of its versatility. You can buy a plunge base if you need it, but i dont really care for it too much but it is cheaper than a new diecent router.The dhandle is a great feature it gives you alot more contol than just the two knobs found on most routers.1 1/2 hp is pleanty of power for most applications.The collet i dont mind but use real wrenches,the ones in the kit are cheap and tend to cut your fingers especially if the bit is in there really tight.The 690 series is the most popular router, many other accesories are avalible, which make it even more versitle.If this is your 1st router of your 50th, you have to have one.

This is a wonderful router. We have made blind, taporing, dovetail socket routs, and parts to match. With this router we wiz right through the ladder rails and rungs with no complaints from this router. I just wish that the bits would keep up with the router. The "D" handle is just the perfect size, and the locking trigger is perfect for all of the routing that we do. The only complaint that i would have with this, and this is with every router I have ever come to research, and use, is that you can not hook up a vacume source anywhere on the router. Luckily i work in a wood shop with my father, and he is definatly from the "old school" and we designed a great design for that. Thanks Porter Cable, Daniel Kroeker Juniata, Nebraska GO HUSKERS!!

OK, I used it once. But that first and only time I discovered the centerline of the tool (motor/collet/bit) was not square with the base. This makes any router nearly useless except for the roughest of work. And so it sits on the shelf while I use my three Porter Cable routers on a daily basis.

Very reliable. Has the feel of being almost too well made for mere at home projects. Very easy to change bits. Easy to hold with one hand. Smooth, balanced motor feel. Good value and would only replace with the newer Makita VS d-handle model. Would rate superior to my Porter Cable D-handle (that I donated to a volunteer house rehab group) and miles ahead of my old Craftsman that I passed on to my daughter and her cowboy woodworker.

I am a woodworking professional, and have owned/used one of these for 10/12 years. This model Makita follows numerous smaller (1-2 hp)handheld routers that I have owned over the years, and is the finest of the lot, hands down. It is unsurpassed for quick, 'down and dirty',
one handed on the job routing tasks, smooth enough for all day shop use, and has the overall build quality to last for years. When mine finally dies,
I will give it proper last rites ,and run right out and buy another.