Thread: Best Router for Leigh Jig?

I have the festool 1400. It's a bit pricey, but they have an 8mm collet for it and the guides clip right in....

I haven't used my leigh jig much so I can't comment on a 'road test' , but I too have a triton (that now stays in the table) and the festool is a LOT lighter and easier to see what you're doing.

Cheers
Gab

I agree - TRA-001 is a bit big and heavy for that sort of work. I keep my TRA-001B in the router table permanently, and have a DeWalt 621 for handheld work.

Home - Products - Powertools - Woodworking - Routers - 1100 W - Variable Speed Plunge Router (¼" - ½") - DEWALT

Fixed base or "D" handled routers are generally the best types for use on jigs; I use an old Makita 3601 for nearly all my jig work. The baseplate has a threaded centre hole; I'm pretty sure it's the same thread size as the standard US style that the Leigh was designed with. If you tell me what thread size the Leigh guide bush is I'll tell you whether or not it will fit.

It's a 1/2" collet BTW.

To some extent it depends on what you are dovetailing. If you are working with thin boards then any soft-start, well balanced router will do the job. The smaller Festool would be ideal.

If you want to cut dovetails in thick and or dense timbers then you need a heavy duty, soft-start, well-balanced router. For heavy work and thick boards I use a Festool OF2200 on my Leigh D4R jig and have not had any problems - it is a delight to use and cuts well. My router table has a Triton permanently in place, but I wouldn't dream of using it handheld, good bit of gear though it is. (Awkward sentence construction there but I think it conveys what I mean - I'm not trashing the Triton).

I found the same problem with the TRA001 and - to some extent - the MOF001. I bought the smallest Triton, the JOF001, for the Leigh and I'm really delighted with it. Here's my review of it, if it helps: The Triton 1010W Router - JOF001

Ray

Like the others I've gone down the same path. I have a Triton TRA001 that I found a bit big to use on the jig. I now have it mounted in the table where it will stay.
I bought a Festool OF2200 for the jig. I have to admit I bought it last november and I'm yet to use it! It's just too new and pretty to get dusty..... Plus my shed is that dirty I can't find a work surface to do any woodworking anyway! The big shed cleanup starts tonight!

Thank you all for your advice.
I have a Makita router that has the correct size collet for the Leigh dovetail and straight cutting bits but no adapter is available for the guide bush. I'll have an adapter made and use this router specifically for the Leigh Jig.
I have a TRA 001 permanently mounted in my router table and it is great for this job but it is not so user friendly for the dovetail jig.
As for Festool equipment I just cannot justify the added expense for tools that seem to do no better than the "standard" tools. I may be totally wrong but perhaps it is my Scottish background.
Good woodworking to all,
Jim