Thread: Which Router for beginner on a budget ?

Originally Posted by UPO

Morning All - advice please on the choice when buying a router

Budget requires heading to the likes of this pair:

Ryobi 1250W ERT1250PG - about $130 Bunnings of course

Bosch 1200W POF1200 AE Green - about $130 and various suppliers

General TOTAL beginner use so no real idea of how much usage of how heavy the usage may be.

I expect a router table will be in the not too distant future so also need to consider a robust, compatible table availability & cost.

All advise & suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Richard

I can't comment authoritatively about either of your preferred choices, but I can perhaps offer a few general suggestions.

Router tables need power. Lots of power. Plus a good plunge depth. I'd suggest neither of your choices are suitable.

Maybe you should be looking for second hand routers. You really require a 1/2" shanked machine (which can be colletted or sleeved down to 1/4" as the occasional need arises) . The extra weight/mass is a good thing when hand holding a router, as the mass steadies the cut. Plus more power. Lots more. I'd recommend an absolute minimum of about 1800w, with 2300w or even 2600w being better again.

These tools are expensive when new, but can be bargains second hand. My last 2 router purchases were DeWalt's DW626, which at 2300w is one of the most powerful machines available, & I also consider one of the best machines ever made due to the extensive accessory range available for them from 3rd party vendors. I have extolled the virtues of DeWalt's range of routers extensively elsewhere on the forum, but remember that I'm decidedly biased towards this brand of router.

Just as I'm personally convinced that DeWalt is the definitive choice in routers, I feel sure that others have different opinions and choices.

The one salient point in all this is that my last 2 purchases both were less than $150 ea. I can say with absolute conviction and authority that these machines are in every way superior to your abovementioned choices. A 2300w router, with superior ergonomics and with access to the world's biggest range of dedicated and aftermarket accessories, at a sixth of their normal retail price of $1000 odd.

What's not to like?

Still, in reply to the question... both the routers mentioned are pretty much equal in specs, except for one thing: weight.

The Ryobi is 3.0kg, the Bosch 5.2kg. I know which I'd prefer to use for 'general' hand-held and which I'd prefer to use under-table. I suspect the Bosch would be more durable but - without actually eye-balling them in person - that's just speculation on my part.

Personally I rather the Hitachi TR12's as an all 'round work-horse router but, sadly, they're now discontinued.

Have a look around for a maktec. Router, they are around the 150-170$ mark but are made by Makita and take a bit of abuse. I had an earlier version of the green Bosch as my first router and it was fine, but when I started to use it seriously it soon fell to pieces.

Other option is to keep an eye on gumtree for a used Makita out Hitachi which seem to come along regularly.

I bought a basic 1/4" Bosch router in about 1990 and learnt how to use it without to much instruction. (There was no internet and I did not read any books on how to use). It did not have dust extraction, variable speed or work light. The plunge depth was OK, but in practice you ended up a bit short of required depth. I have replaced the collet and have worn out the depth lock mechanism and had the parts replaced. It is nice and light and you can see what you are doing.

More recently I spent a fortune on a Festool OF 1010. It has variable speed and dust extraction. A very good plunge depth adjustment (so long as I can work out how to use it). 1/4" and 8mm collets are available for it. (Maximum is 8mm.) It is bigger than my Bosch, I can not see what I am doing with all covers on, the dust extraction works to a point.

I do not have a router table at home and have managed without although I have been able to use one in the past and it does have benefits depending on what you are doing.

What to Buy? Consider what you are likely to use it for and what size bits you will need. 1/2" are considered more sturdy and can do more than 1/4" but also cost more. You will have plenty of arguments about what brand to buy. I would avoid temptation of the cheap house brands (909, Ozito, Aldi brands and maybe Ryobi) only because they may be a lottery although I am sure there are many happy users of these. Perhaps cadas suggestion of Maktec is not too bad http://justtools.com.au/maktec-makit...e-router-mt362 at about $140 (plus shipping).
Please note this is not a recommendation as I have had no hands on experience with this tool.

I would recommend spending some money on basic safety gear eye protection, hearing protection, dust mask, clamps to hold down the work if using free hand, maybe a face shield and a vacuum cleaner to clean up afterwards.

Let us know what you decide on and how you find using it. It will help the next person.

Many thanks for the input.

I shouild have posted the basic specs for the Ryobi & Bosch - See below now. Also aware of the Maktec but know nothing other than my Makita circular saw is still good after about 30 years

Ryobi Specs

• Depth stop rod for setting the precise depth of cut
• Micro depth control knob adjusts the fine depth
• Pre select speed via regulator dial for ultimate control
• Livetool Indicator™ glows blue when plugged into the power supply
• On/off trigger lock off button for safety
• Gripzone™ overmold technology for improved comfort with a positive grip
• Spindle lock for easy one wrench cutter changes
• Dust port can be connect to a dust extraction system
• Clear safety chip shield for user protection
• 6.35 & 12.7mm collet capacity for a variety of different cutters
• Rubber protectors over the posts prevent the build up of dust
• Power input: 1250 Watts
  No-load speed: 14000-31500 rpm
  Collet capacity: 6.35 & 12.7 mm
  Plunge depth: 55 mm
  Weight: 3.0 kg

Bosch basics:

Power input	1,200 W
Toolholder (supplied)	6 mm
Toolholder (supplied)	6 mm
Toolholder (supplied)	6 mm
No-load speed	11.000 – 28.000 rpm
Maximum router cage stroke	55 mm
Machine weight	3.4 kg

Functions

• Speed preselection
• Spindle lock
• Bosch SDS for template guide
• Softgrip
• Bosch Electronic

Do these specs suggest 1/4 inch shank capability only ?


Certainly interested in the suggestion of buying second hand ( pre loved ) but knowing nothing about the machine makes me quite reluctant - are there any recognised dealers about ?

Have a Bosch green CSMS and that does seem OK - also Ryobi garden gear that also does well so level pegging - have most of the safe kit items - no face shield though.

Thanks again
Richard

I will agree with Skew in endorsing the Hitachi TR12 as an overall work horse. What I will add here is that I may suggest you start off with a Laminex Trimmer. (I will get howled down I am sure) A Makita trimmer takes 6mm bits only, but why I am suggesting it is that they can be used one handed. They are very powerful for their size and they can do a lot especially edge work on timber jobs. You can easily get the "feel" of this router and you can see what you are doing. It won't "plunge" but it will do rebates, trenches, edge treatments.....As I said I would start with a trimmer and see what it can do then as your experience grows and the scope of your ability grows you will then see that you need a ½" router to do heavier work. I have a TR12 for 2 handed bench work and a Triton TRA001 for router table work. The Triton is BIG, heavy very powerful and a little cumbersome when used by hand but revels in Router Table situations.
Try to buy quality branded stuff be it new or second hand.
Routers have a Gyroscopic feel to them in your hands and this can be a little daunting to a novice to get used too.
Routers are a wonderful tool and open up a huge range of work that you can employ them to do. But beware.....they can bite!!! both timber and flesh. Their speed and power need to be appreciated to use them properly

Originally Posted by UPO

Do these specs suggest 1/4 inch shank capability only ?

From the specs you quoted, the third from the bottom states:

• 6.35 & 12.7mm collet capacity for a variety of different cutters

Therefore, according to its own specs, it accepts both ½" (12.7mm) and ¼" (6.35mm) cutters.

However, I think it's a little underpowered for all-round use but - depending on the sort of tasks you envisage for it - this may not matter. Power is important in routers when, for example, making cuts with large bits in hard wood, but it can be accomplished by taking many light cuts (if possible). Variable speed is essential when using a variety of cutter sizes. Inverted (table) use is where power becomes a real factor, as you can easily place unacceptable strain on the tool by a too ambitious feed rate, overloading the tool and causing it to stall. This would be fatal to most lightly-powered routers.

As you are new to routing, it may be appropriate to offer you http://www.raygirling.com/routtips.htm a page of operational and safety tips. Any further questions, let me know.

Ray

As per Chambezio here is a tr 12 perhaps there might be some room for the seller to move at $175 Downwards.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/capal...ter/1057634469

there are others near Brisbane but sum look like they have had a harder life than this one.

I guess you need to work out whether you want the certainty that warranty brings or are comfortable without it.

no affiliation to seller

Many thanks for the good input.

I note that the Hitachi TR12 is a single speed unit - is this an issue for a total router novice ? Also seems robust ( good ) but is the higher weight a good thing for better stability in use or is the higher weight unit more difficult to use / control ?

That $175 Gumtree unit certainly looks attractive and it seems to be a low use unit - some face (?) plate scratching but not much. Also not too far away.

Also a couple of experienced friends suggested I go the trimmer path to start with - is it that much more difficult to go to say the Hitachi TR12 ?

Thanks

Richard

Originally Posted by UPO

I note that the Hitachi TR12 is a single speed unit - is this an issue for a total router novice ? Also seems robust ( good ) but is the higher weight a good thing for better stability in use or is the higher weight unit more difficult to use / control ?

I find mine is heavy enough to "smooth out minor catches," so to speak, but light enough that I can use it all day when I have to. Of course both of these depend on personal preference... it can become quite a weight after a day spent doing intricate pieces, such as rounding over fretwork. Lift it on, lift it off. Lift it on, lift it off. Mind you, this is why I also have a trimmer! (Don't need a V8 to mow the lawn, y'know? )

Also a couple of experienced friends suggested I go the trimmer path to start with - is it that much more difficult to go to say the Hitachi TR12 ?

Nope. Either way you'll need to learn how to operate a router safely. A larger router is just bulkier to handle and blocks your visibility that bit more... and can conceivably make a bigger mess of the job if things go wrong.

IMO every workshop should have both. The appropriate tool for the appropriate job.

A trimmer would be a cheaper start and easier to get the feel of routing with; I can see why they'd suggest that path.

Originally Posted by UPO

I note that the Hitachi TR12 is a single speed unit - is this an issue for a total router novice ? Also seems robust ( good ) but is the higher weight a good thing for better stability in use or is the higher weight unit more difficult to use / control ?

That $175 Gumtree unit certainly looks attractive and it seems to be a low use unit - some face (?) plate scratching but not much. Also not too far away.

Also a couple of experienced friends suggested I go the trimmer path to start with - is it that much more difficult to go to say the Hitachi TR12 ?

A single speed unit is less "future-proof" because you may eventually find it limiting with the cutters it will safely handle. The weight should not be a problem, but the Hitachi collet can be, due to its design. I note that the link you provide goes to just such a collet on Amazon and I would stay away from that collet altogether due to its poor design and slippage problems.

The trimmer is an altogether different tool, designed for one purpose and can hardly be considered in the same breath as a true router and I'm surprised that anyone would recommend one in place of a router. OK, it rotates, it accepts cutters, but there the similarity ends. Its lighter weight and very limited cutter range will soon mean that you'll grow out of it and set it aside in favour of a "proper" router. Trimmers have their place, but alongside a router, not instead of one.

Have a look at Triton's MOF001 and JOF001 models, both of which I've owned and used since they came out. I would think it better to save up and buy a better machine than rush into a purchase you may later regret, but that's just me - sincerely believing that there is nothing more expensive than cheap tools, as you will quickly want to replace them.

I reviewed Triton's routers a while ago and - if it's of interest - you can find these reviews on my pages at: http://www.raygirling.co.uk/triton14.htm for the MOF001 and there's a link at the foot of the page for the JOF001.

Any further questions, let me know.

Ray

Many thanks for the comments and links.

I have decided to postpone the router purchase for a short time while I save up a few more bottle tops then dive in the deep end by buying a Triton TRA001 At the moment there are a couple of well established online sellers / Ebay shops offering this unit at a very attractive delivery included price when compared with some of the well known shopfront sellers.

After absorbing the comments and doing quite a few searches on the forum, the large number of positive comments about the Triton TRA001 suggest that is the way to go.

I have just finished building a torsion box work bench based on this design and using up the chipboard sheets I have had for some time - I made the top without the well and increased the length to 2m and have used a masonite overlay for a replaceable top surface. Good fun building it but a pain with more or less converting the measurements to metric and more or less matching timber sizes.
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/bl...workbench.aspx

Thanks for the assistance

Richard

Have 2 Hitachi routers, TR12 and M12VE, both are good but not the cheapest. Re the Maktec, be aware that this is the QANTAS JETSTAR idea with the Maktec being the JETSTAR, it is Makita's home handyman version which works fine but will not take the amount of work as a Makita.

Whichever machine you choose, go for the half inch collet, drop an O ring down into the collet as this prevents the bit bottoming out and jamming as you tighten the collet. Bits are a whole new ballgame, buy quality bits and avoid cheap boxes of bits, some of which you may never use, ask yourself, with a bit spinning at 20000 rpm handheld at approx waist level or below, or in a table at approx waist high and above - if it breaks or a bit of the el cheapo tungsten flies off where is it going to end up. Cheap bits in the end are not really a bargain and most can't be sharpened, the quality of the tungsten is not a patch on a quality bit. Buy your bits as you need them.

One point no one else picked up on, going back to the earlier post with the specs for the two routers you were originally considering, the Bosch was listed with 6mm collet.

The world is divided into two measurement systems (imperial and metric) as you know. Japan and the European mainland tend to use metric shank sizes, 6mm, 8mm, and 12mm. Aus, US, use imperial shank sizes 1/4in (6.35mm) and 1/2in (12.7mm). To my understanding, UK nominally uses imperial but people bring Euro sourced machine in personally, so there may be a mixture of metric and imperial sizes in use.

Collets are precision high tolerance devices, and attempting to mix metric collets and imperial shanks or vice versa does not work. Either the bit will not fit into the collet, or the collet will not grip the shank fully, with the possibility of the bit working its way out of the collet and throwing itself across the room at high speed, and chewing up anything soft in its path including flesh.

I suspect the Bosch unit is actually fitted with an imperial 1/4in collet for the Aus market without them producing an Aus specific box specifying 230V and 1/4 in collet on the info panel, but I would like to make sure before putting up my money. The same situation could apply to other European brand routers. Every so often someone comes up with a bargain unit then discovers that locally sourced bits won't work with the bargain.