2013: How Many Routers do you own?

[twistsol]

Wow, everything was good until you dropped the sommerfield bit... you suck my friend

I'd be heartbroken if I dropped one of my Sommerfeld bits.

[twistsol]

I voted more than 8. I think I have an addiction.

1- Festool 1010
1- Festool mfk 700
2- Festool 1400
1- Festool 2200
3- Dewalt 618 combos
2- Dewalt 621
1- Dewalt pk611
1- Porter Cable 891
2- Porter Cable 7518 (router tables)

I've been considering the Festool 1050 and the shelf pin drilling setup. In your opinion are the Festool routers good enough to justify the price?

[jussi]

I voted more than 8. I think I have an addiction.

1- Festool 1010
1- Festool mfk 700
2- Festool 1400
1- Festool 2200
3- Dewalt 618 combos
2- Dewalt 621
1- Dewalt pk611
1- Porter Cable 891
2- Porter Cable 7518 (router tables)

[woodturner]

Well, since we seem to be providing inventories now ;-)

Two Stanley #71
Two Stanley #271
One Craftsman router from the 1980's
One Ryobi RE600
One Freud FT3000VCE
Four Bosch 1617EVS
Two DeWalt DWP611
Two PC 693

or at least that's the list I recall from memory.

Remember, it's only a "collection" if you don't use them

[MBG]

Craftsman 26620 (Bosch 1617EVSK clone)
Milwaukee 5625-20
DeWalt DWP611PK
Bosch MRV23EVSK

[pelligrini]

I have my old POS craftsman 1/4" collett fixed base router I started with (somewhere), but it hardly ever gets used. My Dwalt three base 618 handles most everything. The Motor also goes into a Jessem lift built into my tablesaw.

My vote should have been three since I forgot about my Bosch Colt. I usually forget I have it most of the time when working in the shop too.

[greenacres2]

I am at 5, having sold 2 in the last few months. And...2 of the 5 are sort of listed on CL right now--i'll get serious about selling them in a few weeks.
1. Bosch 1617 EVSPK
2. Bosch 1617 fixed (table mounted)
3. Bosch PR20 EVS (and a plunge base)
4. PC 690 (for sale)
5. Hitachi M12V2 (for sale)--butt ugly, but a beast of a router.

The Bosch 1617 is a very nice router Loring. For table mount, the fixed base can be adjusted from above the table though it is necessary to unclamp/clamp the base from below to do so. Sub-base plate is a 4 screw attachment, but when removed there is a separate set of 3 mounting screw holes in the PC690 pattern--meaning that anything pre-drilled for the 690 is a direct fit. The straight up/down adjustment is another handy feature in the table--all controls stay in the same location. Plunge base is smooth and accurate. Maple handles are more than pretty--on a sweaty day the grip is much better than plastic. Dust collection fittings are well-designed and effective. The edge guide is well engineered, and the micro adjust on it is great to have.

Once I bought my first 1617 (already had the 690 and M12V2), I took the direction of trying to standardize the routers/attachments which is why I ended up with their trim router instead of Dewalt's. in the trim kit world--that Dewalt kit with the clear base and light already included would have been a better value, but then there would have been a different edge guide, etc. The new Bosch (m23??) sounds like it has some nice features and i'd like to try one--probably will when the used/refurb market makes that possible!!
earl

[LCHIEN]

I put 5, but I have a PC router mounted on a cnc machine. Does that count?

I also have two that don't work. Do they count?

well, OK
and No

[LCHIEN]

...
Will likely pick up a PC 693LRPK within the next year. Will give the fixed base a Veritas base.
....

changing the topic a bit, I would really look at the Bosch 1617evspk as an alternative to the venerable 693LRPK.
Don't get me wrong, the PC 693LR is a fine router. Its just that the design is a little dated.

The Bosch is a much later design that the PC which dates back quite a while. I think the biggest feature of the Bosch is that the motor goes straight up and down (except for a small jog at the end to keep it from falling out if you accidentally hold the clutch open) - setting the height has a three position coarse adjust and a fine dial. Going straight up and down also keeps the controls in the same place when used in a table. The PC has the older method - the motor rotates in a screw thread in the base which means that the wire and the motor all twist up when adjusting the height. Twisting the wire is an inconvenience but if you are guiding the base along a fence if the baseplate is not perfectly centered this will change the part of the baseplate touching the fence and move the bit over some. Using it in a table you will laways be searching for the switch after a height adjustment.

The Bosch also has a soft start variable speed dial that holds the set RPM under varying load conditions. The PC has only single fixed speed which greatly reduces the versatility of the router when using larger bits. That can be a huige advantage, and the soft start is definately nice compared to the jerk you get when starting a fixed speed motor.

The current Bosch fixed base, when mounted to a table also allows above the table fine adjustment of height. The router sub base also has two sets of screw holes - one with chamfered holes for flat head screws for factory centering of the sub base to the router motor axis, and another set of countersunk holes for pan head screws allowing you to center the base precisely (using a cone centering tool) if needed. These accoutrements are the kind of detail the Bosch router has that the PC does not.

The Bosch is also the beauty contest winner - hardwood (maple) handles on the fixed base and lightweight alloy body; Bosch blue vs. PC black.
Before the Bosch came out the 69x had a thumbscrew release for locking the height, after the bosch came out with the cam lever the PC came out with the "LR" models which copied the cam lever lock but that's been the only improvement.

BTW, the Bosch uses the same mounting pattern as the PC routers, so all PC accessories, template guides and base attachments will pretty much fit. In fact, the Bosch also sports a bayonet locking template guide which is faster and more convenient and just as accurate as the threaded template guides, if you prefer to use them.

I really think you should do yourself a favor and look at the Bosch 1617EVSPK which is also cheaper at Amazon, anyway. Bosch is $200 at Amazon for the dual base kit and the PC is $210.

[durango dude]

Sears/craftsman 11 amp fixed base (it was my first)

Ryobi R-500 plunge base (I actually like it more than my Craftsman)

Will likely pick up a PC 693LRPK within the next year. Will give the fixed base a Veritas base.

I figure it's good enough for Norm Abrams - it's good enough for me.

[Turaj]

Five for me but the last one came free from a friend of my brother and I have yet to use it.

[chopnhack]

Finally, I have a smaller triton mounter in my sommerfeld table.

Wow, everything was good until you dropped the sommerfield bit... you suck my friend

[twistsol]

I'm at six routers

My first router a Ryobi RE-175 is still going strong. It's only 1/4" so I keep a flush trim bit in it pretty much all the time

I bought a porter cable 693 multi base kit and picked up just a 690 motor on eBay. I'm counting that as two since I have two motors and three bases. These are in a nice case so they're my portable routers and I use the plunge base for my sign making kit.

I have the big triton router on the table attached to my bt3100, and also have an older hitachi tr-12 from a garage sale. Both of these are attached to Rockler aluminum plates so I can swap them in and out with ease and both have had router raizers installed

Finally, I have a smaller triton mounter in my sommerfeld table.

[chopnhack]

Solo with my old Hitach M12V. I have looked at the colt models lately as I would love to have something smaller for free hand work and maybe table mount the beast.

[Stytooner]

I put 5, but I have a PC router mounted on a cnc machine. Does that count?

I also have two that don't work. Do they count?