Router question?

[Sinner]

i have no clue when it comes to power tools...I want to buy a router, but I'm not sure what to look for...
Is this one any good? 
What should I look for??

http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=hd_canada_gift&bc=hd_canada_gift&clist=018980323807:01898032388c:12efae00140300:&pc=940350

[Sinner]

Sorry, I was in the wrong thread, could someone move this for me...this is the second time I've done this...I'm such a boob sometimes...

[MrTroy]

I have one of those routers. I hear nothing but bad things about it. I mainly used it to trim laminate. But for actual cutting of wood, it's really bad. Ryobi feels like "My First Power Tool" in a way like it's cheap plastic. I personally haven't really used power tools much myself, so I feel fine using Ryobi stuff though.

I hope I confused you.

[Sinner]

Hmmm...well, it's good stuff to know...there a place here that has tools on sale for 50% off...I'm going to check them out on the weekend...I guess I'll try and stay away from any Ryobi stuff...
From talking to people (OK it was 2 guys), I've been told I should get a plunger action router, not fixed base...
I guess I should maybe look at one with a metal casing, instead of plastic?

[Knievel]

If you can afford it grab the dual-base Porter Cable setup at Depot, you'll be happy you did. The fixed base model has been the router of choice for years and adding the plunge-base to the kit makes it all the more versatile...speaking as a carpenter.

[AlanS17]

My router looks identical to the one in Kid Kye's picture, but I've never had a problem with it.

Here's a newbie router tip, though... DO IT OUTSIDE! Ever seen powdered wood before? :-) And another, wear the mask.

[markrvp]

Ryobi feels like "My First Power Tool"

Kind of like the Fisher Price carpentry set 

[AlanS17]

It's infinitely better than the Craftsman I tried using.

[rdagger]

It is a little low on horsepower and amps, but it will be fine for laminate and T-molding. 

[AlanS17]

If you don't get a powerful enough router, you stand to do more harm than good. You need the power to get a smooth, clean cut. If it stutters it'll bounce around. (Does that make sense?)

[markrvp]

Knievel recommended a good setup.  That Porter Cable set has been an industry leader for awhile now.  I noticed the last time I was at Home Depot that they weren't even carrying the 2 HP Porter Cable plunge router anymore.  I guess there wasn't much demand for it over the set Knievel recommended.

[Steve Kaz]

I bought a Craftsman plunge router on sale at Sears for $60-$70 and it worked great.

[Dire Radiant]

I think the point here is that if you're not a professional then you don't need professional grade tools. There really isn't anything wrong with plastic housings for routers unless you're taking it to a job site where it's going to get knocked about and using it every day. For someone who keeps it at home and uses it a couple of times a year, plastic will be just fine.

[DrewKaree]

i have no clue when it comes to power tools...I want to buy a router, but I'm not sure what to look for...
Is this one any good? 
What should I look for??

http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=hd_canada_gift&bc=hd_canada_gift&clist=018980323807:01898032388c:12efae00140300:&pc=940350

Your link doesn't work.

Check out this link:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,36441.0.html

Porter Cable is one of the better manufacturers.  Ryobi isn't a bad manufacturer of routers, but their lower price is due to materials used, different design of the motor used, etc.  For what you'll use it for, Ryobi makes a 1.5 hp router that will work just fine for your needs.  Porter Cable will also make one that will work just fine for your needs.  The difference is in materials used to make the tool.  That Porter Cable router will cost quite a bit more than the Ryobi, but it WILL look like it SHOULD cost quite a bit more.  That "a bit more" is up to you to decide if it's worth paying.

Since your link didn't work, I don't know for certain what you were looking at, but I've got Ryobi's 18V laminate trimmer that's the cat's ass.  You'd never use it for building a cab, but for doing the trimwork if you laminated your cab, I love the cordless trimmer vs hassling with a cable.

Getting at least a 1 hp router will work.  More hp will obviously work better.

[nostrebor]

I have both the Ryobi $99 plunge router and the 3 base kit from Ryobi (Christmas gift). These are decent "starter" routers. Mine do a fine job, and this is my most used woodworking tool after the table saw. The 3 base kit is noted for having "sticking problems" with the motor-base interface, but there are fixes.

With all that said, theay are "stepping stone" routers. If you can swing the PC 2 base kit, or the Bosch 2 base kit, do it. They are nicer to use and you can get better results. Multiple bases are nice because eventually you might want to mount a base in a router table. This makes it easier to switch from table to hand-held routing.

If the woodworking bug gets you, you WILL own at least 3 routers before it's over. I have 4 I have finally settled on the PC. Nice router.

[Crazy Cooter]

I've got Ryobi's 18V laminate trimmer that's the cat's ass.

Taken out of context, you wouldn't know if it was good or bad.  Now had you thrown a couple  's in there, we'd all know.

Plastic is fine for home use.  If you're doing both laminate and MDF, get the smallest "big" router, the biggest "small" router, or buy a big and a small router.  You need some grunt for wood and ease of use for laminate.

[Zero_Hour]

I just picked up the Porter Cable set up this past weekend. It was 199.99 at the depot, But I've seen it as low as 169.99 online (shipping would negate most of that savings i bet) - I've been using them for 2 years in my cabinet making classes, and they just work great. The Guy who runs the shop says that the 10 or so routers he has (all Porters) have been in the shop for closer to 5 years now, with almost daily use for about 2/3 of the year. No failures. For me, that was the dealmaker. I figure the durability of the construction alone justifies the price.

[teetu]

I'm going to buy my first router tomorrow actually. After a little searching I decided on the porter cable 9690 fixed base router.  Lowes sells it for $90, which seems like a very good price.  Maybe I'm missing something, because everyone else seems like they are selling it for a lot more.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=77344-546-9690LR&lpage=none

I'm going to be dealing primarily with MDF, so it seems powerful enough.  A big selling point for me was that it takes 1/4 and 1/2 bits.

[dema]

I have that Ryobi model. It works fine and gets the job done. I thought of paying up for a better model, but I am a tool newbie, so I just went with it. For the money you'll be fine with that one.

[Lilwolf]

I think spending nothing on a power tool is ok... but ONLY if your willing to upgrade it when you realize you use it all the time.

I bought a table saw... never use it... the crappy one is good enought for the once every 5 months I need to strip down a piece of wood.

But my router... I use ALL the time and its great.

But even more... The Miter saw is used almost daily...

Basically... you don't know the type of tools you will use often.  And sometimes spending 30 bucks on a tool to see if its useful before spending 200 will save you in spending 200 on a tool used once making that book shelf cost more then if you bought one premade

[Steve Kaz]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but don't you need a plunge router to cut the slots for T-molding?

i've never used a fixed base router, so i'm curious...

[AlanS17]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but don't you need a plunge router to cut the slots for T-molding?

i've never used a fixed base router, so i'm curious...

Even fixed-base routers are height-adjustable. You can use one with a slot-cutter just fine.

[Avery]

Something to remember if you think you are underpowered - you can make more than one shallow pass (cutting things a little wide) and then a final cleanup pass cutting the full thickness.  To do this, though, you need to be able to trust whatever you are using as a guide.

The other thing - SPRING FOR THE CARBIDE CUTTERS!  They cost more, but well worth it.

[markrvp]

For those on a tight budget, but wanting better tools, you can try pawn shops. 

I used to shoot TV commercials for a pawn shop and found that construction workers sometimes have to pawn tools during slow times to make ends meet.

[DrewKaree]

For those on a tight budget, but wanting better tools, you can try pawn shops. 

I used to shoot TV commercials for a pawn shop and found that construction workers sometimes have to pawn tools during slow times to make ends meet.

Or the thieves who break into construction worker's trucks need to pawn those stolen tools during anytime because they don't want to do honest work for money!

[Sinner]

Well, I've decided to go with a plunge router with variable speed...the best price I've found so far is $159.99CDN for a Ryobi, 2 HP, 11amp (might be 9amp, but I'm pretty sure it was 11)...

Does it matter about a 1/2" or 1/4" shaft??

I figure father's day is coming and that stuff will go on sale soon...I don't do a lot of projects, so I'm hoping a cheap one will do...

[Avery]

Well, I've decided to go with a plunge router with variable speed...the best price I've found so far is $159.99CDN for a Ryobi, 2 HP, 11amp (might be 9amp, but I'm pretty sure it was 11)...

Does it matter about a 1/2" or 1/4" shaft??

I figure father's day is coming and that stuff will go on sale soon...I don't do a lot of projects, so I'm hoping a cheap one will do...

I dunno that I'd call that a cheap one.   Craftsman has one they sellf for $60 US, which, if your are just going to do an arcade cabinet or two, would be enough tool for you.  (Heck, for just an arcade cabinet or two a cheap Harbor Freight router would be enough if you cut everything to just oversized first and only cleaned up with the router.)

That being said, the only time I've regretted buying a quality tool is when I didn't use it enough to make it worth having, so don't let me convince you not to aim a bit higher if you think you might be using it again. 

As for the 1/4 vs 1/2 - 1/2 bits tend to be more durable.  I've bent the shaft of a 1/4 inch shank large radius roundover bit (and had to do a mess of reworking on what I was doing).  A lot of routers have interchangeable collets so you can use both types.

[Sinner]

Awesome...I guess I'll see about going with 1/2", if I can't find one that's interchangable...I found a unit here...it's made in China, and is a Habor Freight router, but has a different name...Chicago Tools or something weird...but the website on the box is Harbor Freight...it was $60CDN...I decided not to go with it, because it was an unkown brand name to me...seems like it would be a disposible machine...if it ever broke, I would just replace it...
Anyway, I decided I wanted something that I could hang on to for a while, and have a warranty, etc...

[Avery]

Yeah, Chicago Tools, Pitsburg Forge, Central Pneumatic are all Harbor Freight brands and in general, are OK if you are going to use them occasionally for light duty work.  Anything more serious and they are, as you said, pretty much disposable.

[Sinner]

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it...I'm going to shop around and see who has the best price, and if it comes right down to it, I'll pick up the Ryobi when it's on sale...

[Steve Kaz]

My $60 Craftsman worked great (as i said earlier in the thread) and it has a 2HP motor.  I was impressed with it, but i haven't used many other routers.  It uses 1/4 shank bits

[DrewKaree]

¹/₂" shank bits

larger selection of bits
more material being put into the cut
generally less effort to cut with

And as pointed out, less likely to be able to bend the bit.

[nostrebor]

Avoid the harbor freight routers. They have a reputation for not holding their height adjustments, and the collets are know for not holding bits well. Basically, nothing will stay where you put it.

[Kev-in DFW]

Also, make sure you avoid the Router/Table combo from Ryobi at Home Depot.  I had that setup and on about the third use, the collar came completely apart which made it impossible to adjust depth settings. 

A couple of months ago I picked up a DeWalt combo at Sears with a fixed and plunge base.  It was on clearance for $99.00.  I see them on eBay regulary for about $150.00.  I absolutely love it and it it has both the 1/4" and 1/2" collets.

Good Luck,

Kev~