Routers Reviews

Though not the most expensive you can find, for the price I know I will get my use out of these chisels. This will be the lifetime set I will surely take care of. And now I am planning to get the gouges to match (and make a case for each.)

I was hit with a late minute Christmas List and knowing my Son, who takes pride in his wood working tools.
I was in the market for a "good" Woodworkers Chisel Set when I came across this set which was highly recommended to purchase if I saw it. And not to mention the price$$$...
Thank you so much! It will make my Son's Christmas when he receives this gift...

The freud set compares well with the Marples and the Footprint sets that I have. Although the Freud set is Chrome Vanadium steel, compared to the Sheffield steel of my other chisels, they sharpened very well out of the box, and they seem to hold an edge as well as the other sets. For a ten piece set, the price was outstanding, and the set also came very nicely boxed. I haven't cut any dovetails yet, but I like the low profile for the outside edge, it should make cutting the pins very smooth. I highly recommend this set.

I have used this product previously for acrylic manufacturing and found the pivot point holes to be very accurate. It is very helpful to use a drill press instead of a hand drill for the holes. Extra pins are almost essential as tool is useless without it. Item is semi-consumable because of softness and thickness of the plastic it is made from, but very good accuracy for my needs.

I did receive wrong item from Amazon vendor so I am commenting on an item I bought locally.

The circle jig comes with a 1.5" pin to be inserted into the work piece and into the jig. The jig being attached to the router then rotates around the pin giving you a perfect circle. The only problem I ran into is if you have stock less than 1.5" thick and you wish route part way into the wood and the jig pivoting point you need to use is under the router base, a hole must be drilled completely through the stock. Would be nice if they supplied an additional 1" or .5" pin. (I made one out of the shank of a 'new' eighth in. drill bit - holes in the jig are very tight tolerances, no slop.)

Installed easily and worked well. I used an 8D finish nail with the head cut off for the pivot instead of drilling and using the provided dowel. I wanted the cut-out for a project but didn't compensate for cutter diameter and was undersize at first attempt. Ooops.
An aluminum version would be better.

Does what it says. Fairly easy set up and use. Flexibility allows use with both fixed and plunge bases and the turnlock base is universal. Comes with only 1 3/8" bit. I think it should come with the 1/4" bit also, but they are cheap. I like mine very much. Worth the money.

My first experience when I opened the box was one of amazement at all the pieces that had to be assembled. Once I got through the time consuming process of figuring how it went together and then actually assembling it, it was time for use. It only took a few minutes to get it clamped to a piece of wood and start routing. I have no complaints about the product now that it is assembled and ready for use. I would recommend this to others looking for a template.

I also reviewed the SpiroCrafter by Milescraft. Both products do as advertised. This time the larger turnlock base plate was required. It gave better support across the letter mounting rails. The bit included only works for the larger letters, but it is pretty cheap, and too large for the smaller letter set and bushing. The letter templates were actually thicker and sturdier than I expected. My first practice piece worked fine with no mistakes, and I am a novice. Your maximum letter width would probably be 7/16". A 3/8" bit is included. The other problem with the bit was it's lenght. With my PC 891 plunge base, I had to extend the bit quite a ways out of the collet since the bit is so short (about 1"). This set has to be a much easier way of making signs than the Vermont make that does one letter at a time. I am now looking at a 7/16" Freud dish carving bit that has a flatter bottom. You could also use a straight bit, but I like the rounded edges, but some letters, like a 'N' will have some ridges in the middle so you have to play with the router movement to clear the extra material. I'm sure I could have used a small chisel. No big deal either way, but a flatter bottom bit would have worked better. If you are considering this for outdoor signs, I think the 2 1/2" high letters and 3/8 thickness would be rather small to view from any distance away.

Somewhere on the Amazon website I read that this guide would fit the 890... It will once I drill and tap a couple of new holes... Caveat Emptor!

Am really pleased with edge guide. Have already used it to rout flutes in 40 pieces. Guide was simple to use. Very satisfied with product.

I purchased this to use with a Porter-Cable 7539 Router, it fits perfectly, and should fit any of the listed routers perfectly as well. I had used a friend's craftsman router with the stock edge guide for it, it worked ok, but after using this one there's no comparison. This edge guide is incredibly light weight and considering how long is it is doesn't unbalance the router at all. (Admittedly I'm using a really heavy router). It's also very accurate and is easily adjustable. Even the micro adjuster works really well.

This is a good router table. It is very stable and well designed. The only thing I wasn't totally impressed by was the fence. The wood portions of the fence tend to slip a little.

I bought this kit at a home improvement store ... it's been a great tool for the projects I've used it for, and has come in handy for some other applications that before I would have had a hard time doing. The router has plenty of power, and is very stable, both on the table and off.

This is a great combo. Very easy to remove the motor head from the table to change out bits or to put into the D-Handle base to use by hand. Very solid construction and well made. A trick to keep from getting black marks on the wood from the aluminum table is to rub a bit of car wax on the table before use. If not, the black marks sand out easily.

As earlier stated by Alan, the spindle opening had a burr that had to be removed before stock could be shaped, especially with a power feeder. The wood fence attachments need more than two holes bored in them to be able to properly adjust them to all size shaper cutters. The documentation was not up to par. If you spend close to $2,500 for a machine, the documentation should be first rate. For example, I couldn't find any specifications that showed how much of an increment the adjustable fence moves with one revolution (1/32"), nor could I find that information on the height adjustment. Finally, I'm disappointed with the shaper plate. The largest plate has a lip that holds the next smaller plate, and there is no way to use that large plate with a 4" cutter, especially the larger cope and stick cutters. You wind up having to take the ring out completely, or fashion one of your own. Having said all of this, I would still buy this machine. If you have enough confidence to tackle the minor inconveniences mentioned in this and other reviews, I don't think you can find a more solid machine.

First the cons: ... The fence is fastened to the table duringshipping and the paint was obviously wet when it was shipped as therewas a fair amount of dried paint on the table in the shape of the fence outline. The table also had a slight burr around the spindle opening that had to be removed before wood would slide easily across it. It takes 4 srews/nuts to hold the wooden fence to the metal part - they sent one. No hex key wrenches were included although you need several to adjust the fence. The manual content and orginizaion was so-so. Also, a miter guage would have been nice.

The Pros: once the above problems were corrected and the belt adjusted properly, the machine worked like a charm. The 5 hp motor muscles through cuts with ease and the dust collection works quite well. There is virtually no vibration and it runs more quiter than I'd expected. If you don't mind doing some of the finish work on the tool, it's a nice piece of equipment.

I purchased this not on-line. It is a very good unit and has performed to every expectation I had. Just remember to get a power feed for most work and the fence is tricky to setup the first time.

However I like it much better than the other units because the quality of cut requires no finish sanding and this machine can cut all day long.

This fence adjusts easily, mounts and dismounts easily and quickly, connects to the dust collector conveniently, and in general works as expected. The only thing I wish were different is that the baltic birch face is not protected, as another reviewer commented. My solution was to cover it with UHMW plastic and double-sided tape. Laminate would work also, but the UHMW solution is quick, inexpensive, durable and easily replaceable.

I am interested in this item, but haveone question; are the fences individually adjustable?

This is a fine piece of equipment that will outlive you.

The bit is enclosed in a box that can easily be attached to a vacuum. Drill 2 holes to attach it to any existing router table(I mean uh,.. any existing router table that you are able and/or willing to drill holes in). All of the parts and hardware are high quality, heavy duty and accommodate large fingers and hands. The voidless 13 ply fences are easily adjustable.

I bought mine years ago, so my information might be dated, but the only thing I can think of that would make this a better tool out of the box is plastic laminate on the face of the fences. I did this myself long before the first job I used it for was completed. It just seems natural to me that Rousseau would protect that sweet plywood and at the same time give this tool a look and feel that is similar to the rest of their product line.

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The router base plate is great. Unfortunately, the t-nuts which ride in the grove in the straight edge jam with sawdust. Getting a cut started was a pain as each t-nut had to be rotated to line up with the groove in the straight edge. Also, the far t-nut comes out of the track at the end of an 8 foot cut and rotates so you need to stop everything and hand feed it back in the groove.

To get around this I cut a thin strip off the far edge oft the base. It was very slightly less than the width and thickness of the groove. I then drilled and tapped it to accept the bolts which went into the t-nuts. What an improvement. The sawdust was just pushed out of the way. No more feeding t-nuts back into the groove at the end of a cut.

This unit fits snugly into the Slot on the fence without any play or looseness. That makes it a very accurate piece of equipment. It does not have any predrilled holes, so you can custom drill it to your specifications. Placing it closest to the fence area will give the greatest flexibility and use. You also can drill it for different routers without any problems. It basically is a large thick piece of white smooth plastic, custom formed to fit the fence guide.
Knowing the precise distance the bit takes from the fence to the innermost edge of the router bit is an advantage. One way is to do this is make measurements prior to drilling. That way you know the distance. Another method is to make up a guide block that you size to the distance. When routing an edge you simply place your guide block along the fence edge and line it up with your pencil line for the work edge.
This is a very simple device, and fortunately is one the works well for what it is designed for. Engineered to simplicity.

After many years of using multitudes of clamping straight edges, custom bases for routers and a variety of fabricated jigs to achieve totally accurate joinery at last a product that works! No chatter or run-out. Combined with the FTS series clamping straight edge this is a joy to work with and well worth the price.

Realmente la calidad de estas "Router Bits" es excepcional. El balanceo es perfecto y el filo es inmejorable. Recomiendo esta marca pues la relaci�n precio/prestaciones es muy buena.

This is exactly as advertised - the ideal starter set. I bought this set along with my Porter-Cable "Ultimate Router Workshop." The bits are very sharp, sail through wood, and leave a smooth finish.

I ordered this item in feburary. I still to date haven't seen it. I made the mistake of paying for it up front. They have cancled the order for the extensive delay and want me to go to the back of the line. Bottom line - Stay Away From Amazon.Com

Her is another Quality Tool from Bosch that I have added to my Arsenal of Fine Tools! I love the way it feels in your hand, quite comfortably & ease of use is 5-Stars!! The only reason I gave 4 of 5 Stars overall is if you are using this palm router for more than a few constant minutes, (i.e. routing out a sign, etc.) the base starts to Heat up, and wearing a Garden Glove at this point is a must!! Otherwise Very Happy with Results this Router produces!

This is another fine tool by Bosch.I use it to rout out hinges in doors and it performes very well.The variable speed is also a great feature.