Need to buy a router....help

[cboy]

So I already ordered a 1/16" Slot cutter and a 1" long pattern/flush cutter

but i have no router to use them in.

they are both 1/4" bits so i know i need a 1/4" Collet

i'm looking for a router hopefully under 100.00. Suggestions? Ive been looking on sears.com and amazon.com but it seems lots of them are either 1) way over 100.00 2) not plunge 3) not variable speeds.....

suggestions are appreciated

[Octo]

Check out your local pawn shops or Craigslist.org. If you don't plan on using your router to make a living, try this from Harbor Freight. There's a cheaper one, but I don't think it has variable speed settings.

[cboy]

i guess what im asking is will i need these features?

plunge, variable speed?

im making a bartop and bottom mounting the joysticks and doing tmolding..... i might do a roundover for the monitor bezel

[MrMojoZ]

I could live without the plunge base on my router if I needed to.

[Octo]

You don't "need" the plunge feature, but it does make life easier, especially when routing stuff like recesses for joysticks. I would definitely get one with variable speeds though. I picked up a decent B&D router for about $40 at the pawn shop, almost brand new.

[cboy]

thanks for the replies! 

[SG Jaycurl]

I borrowed a "Tool Shop" brand router from a co-worker. It was a fixed-base, router, yet it still worked pretty well.

I think that it was less than $100, but it still had some nicer features than the $140 Milwaukee router that I bought.

[Chadwick]

I recommend a laminate router.  It will come with 1/4" collet, and is easier to handle and control as you only need one hand to operate it.  It will be more than sufficient for any arcade related routing you'll ever do.

[cboy]

will that let me do slot cutting, flush trimming and possibly a roundover as well? hmmmm that might work if so

[Chadwick]

Yes, you can do all of those operations.  The DeWalt has several different bases available for different operations as well.  There is nothing a full size router will do that this will not (for arcade work), except maybe plunge, but it is very easy to "hand plunge" with one of these.