2013: How Many Routers do you own?

[LCHIEN]

FInal tally assuming those with more than 7 had an average of 10...
351 routers, 100 respondents, so an average of 3.51 routers per woodworker.

[jabe]

I have 4; 1 DeWalt plunge, 1 DeWalt Laminate trim router kit, 1 PC 690 & 1 Rockwell. The Rockwell is over 50 + yrs. old and still working, it was my late father-in-law's, he was a carpenter. I'll be passing it onto my oldest grandson it'll make great grandpa happy. I gave my son my favorite B & D 1-1/2 hp cyclone router couple of years ago and it was about 30+ yrs old.

[wardprobst]

I was too lazy to go out to the shop again but I counted eight in my head, there are probably more...
DP

[LCHIEN]

Shoot - that reminds me, I forgot to count my Dremel, for which I have the router base and bits...

that's OK, see original post for the rules, - sorry, no dremels, gotta draw the line somewhere.
Do not count shapers
Do not count Network routers, hubs and switches
Do not count Dremel tools with a base or RotoZip tools
__________________

[LCHIEN]

that there is a pregnant woman laying on her back.

its not the upper section of a well-endowed woman lying on her back?

[Bill in Buena Park]

Then the one that your rules don't allow...

Shoot - that reminds me, I forgot to count my Dremel, for which I have the router base and bits...

[vaking]

it's a really lovely gaussian distribution - statistician's dream - except for those six outlier guys...

This site consists mostly of hobbyist woodworkers. For a hobbyist having more than 8 routers would be an outlier. However, professional woodworkers operate differently. Professional woodworkers often spend time developing some setup, then try to turn that setup into a revenew stream. Once setup works - professional would try to avoid making adjustments and will be ready to dedicate a router to a working setup. For a professional woodworker distribution will be different then for amateur. I believe the 6 people who have more than 8 routers are outliers because they do/did woodworking not just as a hobby.

[greenacres2]

I've spent the last 2 weekends at speedways--saw a few pregnant women that did have that shape. Saw a much higher number of non-pregnant men who looked very similar (though we'd need more responses in the middle ranges to get a closer resemblance!!)

earl

[durango dude]

that there is a pregnant woman laying on her back.

[LCHIEN]

it's a really lovely gaussian distribution - statistician's dream - except for those six outlier guys...

[cwsmith]

Let me see, I got my first router as a Christmas present way back in the early 70's, IIRC. It was a Craftsman, 315-71480 which was made by Ryobi. It is a relatively small 6.5 amp, single speed with a micrometer like height adjustment, 1/4" collet, and an incandescent bulb mounted on the side to illuminate the base.

Nice tool I thought, but I had never used a router before and I didn't have much need as we were renting back then. So I lent it to my father, who apparently didn't know how to use it either but decided it might be good for trimming Formica counter tops. In any case, I got it back a few years later with the base plate all scraped up, and the "chromium" two-piece bits all burned and chipped. It went into storage and I only pulled it out of the case earlier this year, replace the baseplate and now use it exclusively for dovetailing with the HF dovetail jig.

So, in 2003 I got the Ryobi R161 "combo" with their small router table. That got me quite interested and I found myself using that little table quite a bit. The R161 is also a single speed, 1/4" collet.

The following year I bought the Ryobi 3-base combo which has a fixed, plunge, and D-handle base. It was more powerful, came with several accessories, and a 1/2-inch collet with a 1/4-inch adapter. I really like this set, but the doggone motor housing swelled up after a year and it proved to be a bear to use in either of the fixed bases. I do like it for it's plunge-base though.

I also have the Ridgid 2-base router, receiving it shortly after it was introduced. While I like the unit overall, the plunge base is a bit clumsy for my hands and I prefer the Ryobi 1802 for that purpose. The Ridgid fixed base is ideal for table use and I keep it, almost excluesively in a Rockler table top.

Oh, I also have the first version of the Ridgid trim router. I use it very rarely for trimming corners, routing our hinge placements, etc. It is NOT a comfortable tool to use, IMHO. The adjustment is crude at best and mine works stickily, inspite of disassembly, cleaning, and attempts to loosen it up. The large opening in the side of the base, with no shield, seems to be an accident waiting to remove a finger if I'm not careful. I usually tape some stiff plastic around that part of the base to assure against slipping a finger in there during operation.

So for me, that adds up to five routers with a few extra bases.

CWS

[durango dude]

Good question -

a median is just what you think it might be - it's the actual middle. (just like the median on a highway).

So - if I give you the numbers 4,5,6 ---- the median (mid-point) is 5 (the same as the average in this case)

The nice thing about medians is that they don't get swayed by weird numbers.

Now --- if I give you the numbers 4,5, and 20 --- the median is still 5 -- even though the average just skyrocketed to 9.67. Market researchers and statisticians like the median and modal values --- they represent "normal" experiences. The "more than 8" router guys are what we call "outliers." We try not to let outliers influence the analysis too much.

A modal response is the most common response. "most woodworkers have 3 routers" would be a statement about the mode of a distribution.

The gini coefficient is an obscure measure of the distribution of resources.
It's what economists use when they talk about income inequality.

[gsmittle]

Fear not - the median and modal responses are both 3 ----

I'm thinking of calculating a router geni coefficient, though ---- it's scandalous that 9 percent of the population has 24 percent of the routers. This kind of equality is morally wrong.....

I'm calling on Congress to initiate hearings on the equity of router distribution, and am asking them to help resolve the problem of router inequality.

No clue what the median and modal mean (no need to explain, I won't understand anyway ). What I do understand is that we are the router 99%.

g.

[durango dude]

Dang! I'm 1.15 routers short! Honey, I need to go shopping!

g.

Fear not - the median and modal responses are both 3 ----

I'm thinking of calculating a router geni coefficient, though ---- it's scandalous that 9 percent of the population has 24 percent of the routers. This kind of equality is morally wrong.....

I'm calling on Congress to initiate hearings on the equity of router distribution, and am asking them to help resolve the problem of router inequality.

[gsmittle]

Still has a few days to run before closing.
Surprised how many have more than 8 routers... I could have added a few mroe categories.
assuming that those who said more than 8 have an average of 10...
so far, 61 respondents owned 253 routers for an average of 4.15 routers per person.

Dang! I'm 1.15 routers short! Honey, I need to go shopping!

g.