Router Poll 7: Importance Of Router In Your Shop?

[LarryG]

This is the seventh and last (I think) of the various router polls I've been conducting over the last couple-few months. After this one closes, I'm going to try to analyze the results of all seven polls and see if there's anything there worthy of being distilled down into a separate, router-specific FAQ.

The question for this one is simple: How important is a router in your shop, for your particular brand of woodworking?

Check the box that most closely matches your personal situation, and as always, thanks for participating!

[BigguyZ]

The vast majority of my recent WW projects, if they truly count as WW, are speakers. Without a router I couldn't do the roundovers on the edges, or make clean cutouts for the drivers. I also couldn't rabbet the cutouts to flush mount the drivers....

Before I got a TS, I used a flush trim bit and a straight edge to do any cuts in the MDF I used...

Love the router.

[allen]

I probably voted in the wrong box. I have five routers and voted that I used them a moderate amount but when I really think about it, even if for only a small job on a project, I must say that I use them for one thing or another on nearly every thing that I do.

[gsmittle]

So far I have only one router, but I'm saving up for a dedicated table router.

g.

[John Hunter]

I have 5 routers and can not think of a project other than things turned on my lathe that I have not used them on.

[vaking]

Larry,
I think this poll is not very well worded. Results are already apparent - 90% own multiple routers and the only variant is if you use them on every project or moderate amount. Given that moderate amount is very subjective - I think a better question would have been how to compare the importance of routers vs other tools in your shop. What do you value higher than routers?
As for this being the last poll - may I suggest one more question?
I would be interested to know how much money people put into routers (all combined) vs money they put into bits (also combined). I suspect people always approach the purchase of routers very cautiously (stingy) but bits end up costing more.

[RodKirby]

My tools order-of-importance:

1. Table Saw
2. Router
3. Drill Press
4. "Others"

[Knottscott]

Larry,
...I think a better question would have been how to compare the importance of routers vs other tools in your shop. What do you value higher than routers?
...

When it comes to "must haves"....I'd go with the TS #1, and a router #2. I've had as many as 5 at one time, but have whittled down to 3....two of which do the bulk of the work....MW5625 and a Freud FT1700. I've got about $350 into the 3 current ones. I had ~ $625 into the 5 and sold 2 for a loss of ~ $125, so you could say I"ve got ~ $500 into routers. Lord knows how much my bits cost ....I almost don't want to know!

[cabinetman]

For a general answer, I value the TS as #1 shop tool. Number two would be a router, #3 hand power tools - drills, screw gun, staplers, nailers, sanders, jig saw, etc, (not in any particular order), Number four would be a drill press, and lets not forget the tools that can't be ranked, like a dust collector, compressor, band saw, jointer, planer, biscuit jointer, and spray equipment.

Ity's hard to put a number on a tool because like the saying goes - "Different strokes for different folks."



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[drumpriest]

Hard list to create.

1. Table Saw (obviously)
2. Router
3. Sliding compound miter saw.
4. Band Saw
5. Jointer
6. OSS
7. hand power tools (jigsaw, sanders)
8. Drill Press (yeah, that low for me)
9. Planer (also that low for me)

This is subject to change, of course, havn't played with the Scroll saw enough to know how much I'll use it. I suspect quite a bit though.

[mater]

I own multiple routers but only use 3 of them regularly. Somehow I wound up with 10 of them. I guess I thought the more routers I have the better woodworker I would be.

[Wood_workur]

have one.. didn't know its value until after I got it. And btw, It isn't terribly good, but it helps SO much, I don't see how I couldn't work without it.

[LarryG]

Ity's hard to put a number on a tool because like the saying goes - "Different strokes for different folks."

Exactly. Also, comparisons to other tools usually reduce to how much each tool is used, relative to all the others. The table saw might well be the most-used tool in most shops, but so what? Rankings based on usage time are utterly meaningless when you have a particular job to do. If you have 100 screws to drive, 95 of which are Phillips and five of which are Torx, having a Torx screwdriver assumes 100% importance for those five screws.

[sbs]

I would be interested to know how much money people put into routers (all combined) vs money they put into bits (also combined). I suspect people always approach the purchase of routers very cautiously (stingy) but bits end up costing more.

Not justs bits, but jigs, tables, fences, etc. also.

One thing I find unique about the router is the ratio of accessory cost to tool cost. I've spent 300% as much on router accessories as on the router kit itself. Most of my tools the ratio is more like 10%

The total cost for my router and accessories is as much as the rest of my stationary woodworking tools put together (TS, DP, MS).

This is the main reason I delayed on purchasing a router - because the total cost with the accessories I wanted seemed pretty high relative to other tools.

Of course, the amount of cool stuff I can do with it is also pretty high relative to other tools.

[lcm1947]

I own two and planning on buying another but can't decide which one. I don't use them a lot but when I need one I need one so wouldn't dream of not having them.