Thread: Best Router for a Complete Newbie!

Originally Posted by Inzy1

Hi All,

I did post this thread in Hand Powered Tools then I discovered this forum.... Pulling together a few tools to get the workshop up and running. Would love a router however have never used one and really have a basic understanding of there full capabilities. Of course like anybody, something flash and expensive would be nice but with no experience it would be hard to justify the expense. Taking that into consideration what brand / style / cost would suit ? Any special considerations I need to keep in mind? Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.

Try and pick up a second hand Makita if I was you.

SB

Look for one which takes 1/2" shank bits. There is always an adapter which will allow you to use 1/4" bits, but you can't go the other way. A good plunge depth is also very desirable, up to 60mm if you can.
Depending on whether you are going to mount it in a table or use it handheld will determine how big you should go. It is not very comfortable trying to maneuver a big heavy unit around holding it by hand. Soft start is also very desirable. Variable speed is not that critical unless you are going to be using very large bits.

I'd advise the OP to go the smaller router is easier to learn and use option. A heavy and big 1/2 router would be faster and more powerful and is an excellent choice once you have got the hang of using it. It is also a more suitable router to mount on a router table. But for a newbie, it is more of a beast than a tool and could be too intimidating. A trimmer router like the http://www.totaltools.com.au/makita-.../#.VaN9dPnHRNY would be light. It has a transparent plastic base which allows you to see your work piece. It is easy to adjust and it is great for trimming laminate or doing cut outs for hinges. It is of course much slower than an 1/2" but then speed shouldn't be a criteria when you start. A trimmer router is usually cheaper and the accessories are cheaper as well.

I like my little Aldi 1/4" for light work and my AEG 1/2" for the bigger things.

Go for a Triton

Originally Posted by justonething

I'd advise the OP to go the smaller router is easier to learn and use option. A heavy and big 1/2 router would be faster and more powerful and is an excellent choice once you have got the hang of using it. It is also a more suitable router to mount on a router table. But for a newbie, it is more of a beast than a tool and could be too intimidating. A trimmer router like the http://www.totaltools.com.au/makita-.../#.VaN9dPnHRNY would be light. It has a transparent plastic base which allows you to see your work piece. It is easy to adjust and it is great for trimming laminate or doing cut outs for hinges. It is of course much slower than an 1/2" but then speed shouldn't be a criteria when you start. A trimmer router is usually cheaper and the accessories are cheaper as well.

I'd argue that for quite a few applications a small trimmer is actually faster than a large router. For small chamfers, rebates and edge radius bits the trimmer is my go-to tool; easier to control and spins faster so you can feed faster and still get a good finish.

I'd go Makita or Hitachi for a decent entry-mid range router.

Elan has it right.
I use a small 1/4" Makita trimmer much, much more than a larger router. I have several of them set up for different tasks. I use them many times each day. I do the same with the larger 1/2" Hitachi and Makitas but use them much less. I also love my Festool 1/4" for dust free on site work.

Go the 1/4" trimmer for starters. When you get into it more and have a bit more experience, you can get a 1/2" router. You will still go for the 1/4" whenever you can though.

Always be careful, they bite.

Regards

Pete.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I'd argue that for quite a few applications a small trimmer is actually faster than a large router. For small chamfers, rebates and edge radius bits the trimmer is my go-to tool; easier to control and spins faster so you can feed faster and still get a good finish.

I'd go Makita or Hitachi for a decent entry-mid range router.

We can argue about finer points of what are faster/slower, but I think we agree that a laminate router is a good entry into one's routing career.

Originally Posted by justonething

We can argue about finer points of what are faster/slower, but I think we agree that a laminate router is a good entry into one's routing career.

Sorry, I don't agree at all. A trimmer is just that - a tool for trimming, it's not a tool for routing. Routers can trim, trimmers can't rout.

What the OP should buy will depend upon what he wants, or wishes to do, both now and in the future. No doubt some of the intended work will require that the cutter is lowered (plunged) into the workpiece, so a plunge router is the most versatile tool. It can be used as a fixed or plunge router, whereas a fixed router cannot be (safely) used as a plunge router.

Soft start is nice, but not essential, because once you've tried the initial start-up torque effect, you're aware of it and can compensate accordingly. However, a soft start makes for a more pleasant experience. Variable speed is - IMO - a more important feature if the user will use large-diameter cutters at some point, but this only really applies to ½" routers, as ¼" routers and large bits are not really viable.

My recommendation would be to look at plunge routers which have both ½" and ¼" collet chucks (try to avoid the use of sleeves or reducers, they can cause slippage), soft start and variable speed. There are several models and price ranges in which to look, but remember that a cheap tool will quickly need replacing, is manufactured to lower standards and will result in a poorer overall experience than a quality brand.

You may find - as a newbie to routing - that some of the contents of this page may help.

Regards,

Ray

Nice article Ray. Thanks for posting the link
Peter

+1 for the 1/4 Makita, I picked up mine at Bunnings, Great little machine and don't be put off, with variable speed 700W it has plenty of power for ever the largest of routing jobs, you just have to take your time and do lighter/shallower cuts.

Your bigger investment and consideration should be in the bits you buy to put in it. Cheap 1/4" bits can be useless and bend/deflect when you try to cut with them, also the get blunt really fast. (same goes for cheap 1/2" bits). don't buy one of those assorted bit packs, rather source decent individual decent bits that you need.... be well worth it in the long run....

http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-70...outer_p6240215 Also available from Sydney tools, ebay e.t.c, comes in a nice aluminium case.... I also made a clear plastic circle cutting base for it and it happily cuts 3/4" plywood circles in 3 or 4 passes with a 1/8" bit....

There are multiple bases available, I have the fixed and the plunge base and can do pretty much everything the big 1/2 inch routers can do, Just a bit slower and for 90% of hobbyist handheld woodwork, you just don't need a big router.... Well... I don't anyway.... If I need to cut large dado's or other serious joinery, I find the table saw way more practical, accurate and safe..

I have a bigger router fixed in a router table also for when I need to do repetitive, precision and heavy work, but a 1/4" router is a very good place to start. The bigger routers can be intimidating for a beginner and possibly dangerous in my opinion, if you haven't learned the basics yet. You will find that even if you do buy a big 1/2" router first, you will end up needing a smaller "trim" router at some stage anyway.... Either way, it depends on what you need to do with it right away. Hope this helps...

The 1/4" router will put too many restrictions on what you will want to do once you have decided what you wish to produce I would suggest the Makita 1/2" router or the cheaper Maktec 1/2" router. What is important is that the router should be able to take template Guides not only the one supplied with the router but a large guide 40mm in diameter. Most people purchase a router and set it in the table mode I have been teaching Newbies like yourself for some months now and they have been introduced to routing with the Template Guides in the plunge mode and never once in the Table mode producing a number of articles that can only be produced from start to finish in the plunge mode. Very few articles have been produced on how the template guides can increase the routers potential by 80%. Give greater consideration to purchasing a router 1/2" where template guides can be used.

if you have never used a router, likely you have never needed a router. Buying a tool to fill an empty spot within the shed will often have too much money being spent in the first place buying a huge machine, or not enough machine filling the empty place. I suggest buying a router when you need a router. it makes selecting an appropriate tool easier because now you have a minimum baseline for the specs of the machine. for example "it must be able to spin a 50mm diameter x 100mm long bit at 8000rpm using a 1/2" collet" so for this extreme example, your gonna be needing a pretty hefty piece of equipment 3hp, quality build and possibly even a router table. if you bought a smaller machine, your gonna be caught short.

though if you really must race out and buy a machine, the machine I use handheld is the "Triton MOF001". mostly I use that for creating 1/4" -> 1/2" mortises, and for edge forming bits such as 3/4" roundovers and ogees. I use the bigger Triton TRA001 in the router table which I rarely use the full capabilities of the grunt that thing has, but given there is only a minor difference in price, I just went overboard with it so I am never caught short on the odd occasion that I might want to mould my own architraves or skirts.

I use trimmers for trimming laminate, best tool there is for it. and also for 1/8" roundovers because many trimmers spin at 30,000rpm which as Elan says, allows you to race around the edge at an incredible rate of knots while still giving a good finish.

Originally Posted by Template Tom

The 1/4" router will put too many restrictions on what you will want to do once you have decided what you wish to produce I would suggest the Makita 1/2" router or the cheaper Maktec 1/2" router. What is important is that the router should be able to take template Guides not only the one supplied with the router but a large guide 40mm in diameter. Most people purchase a router and set it in the table mode I have been teaching Newbies like yourself for some months now and they have been introduced to routing with the Template Guides in the plunge mode and never once in the Table mode producing a number of articles that can only be produced from start to finish in the plunge mode. Very few articles have been produced on how the template guides can increase the routers potential by 80%. Give greater consideration to purchasing a router 1/2" where template guides can be used.

80% huh? Where are you getting that number from?

I don't think I've ever used a template guide, or seen one used, in 7.5 years making furniture; we've always just run a bearing off the template. It also makes for easier templates as I don't have to worry about compensating for the guide ring size, just cut the shape I want and go.