Best dedicated router table motor

[tablesawtom]

Just a note. I used Porter Cable 7518 because to my knowledge they were the only variable speed routers available at the time. So I have had them for a long time. They still work so I continue to use them. In My opinion a 3 1/4 HP router is an overkill for most work in the shop. 

Tom

[kurt18947]

Just a note. I used Porter Cable 7518 because to my knowledge they were the only variable speed routers available at the time. So I have had them for a long time. They still work so I continue to use them. In My opinion a 3 1/4 HP router is an overkill for most work in the shop. 

Tom

For hand held work I'd agree with you, 3 1/4 HP is probably overkill and I'd find one too heavy & awkward. For table use/panel raising I don't have a problem with 3 HP+. Corian installer manual recommends 3 HP+

[tablesawtom]

Kurt, I agree with you about the big routers.  And I do happen to have some Corian, but only because I bought it at an auction when the cabinet shop here in town went out of business. Otherwise in the 50 years of woodworking as a hobby I never considered buying any Corian. Now I am speaking from the hobbyist stand point, It cuts fine even with a palm router if you take your time. And all of my pictures showed them in two of my router tables . I never said anything about hand held. And since I have 2 in tables I certainly don't have a problem. And for raise panels, a 2 HP router with variable speed will do the job, it my take a coupe of more passes but it will get the job done.

I am retired and live on a modest income. It is low enough that I do not even have any taxable income. Even with my part time job my income is not high enough to file a return according to my tax man. I am sure that there are lots of hobby woodworkers out there that with house payments, car payments Etc., Etc. that what does come in, it all gets budgeted. And the woodworker in the family is lucky to get what littles left over. 

Another point is most hobby woodworkers feel lucky to be able to spend 4 hours a week actually working at the hobby.

The last time I bought a 7518 it was about $225. I do not know what they cost today or even if it is still available. But there is quite a difference in cost between a big dog and a Bosch 1617 EVS. So if your income is such, that the bill fold would be strained, a smaller router like the 2 1/4 HP Bosch will work fine. 

Again Kurt you are correct about the big routers and if your income is such that you can afford to buy one, go for it. But I am sure that there are a lot of people out there who have only so much and want to get something that will work for them and will last a while. And I want to go on record that it is okay to use a smaller router. One does not need a ten ton truck is you are haling 500 pounds of fire wood once a week. 

Tom

[Stwood_]

All (over 20) my routers are the older vintage routers before dewaltie got there hands on the PC tools.
I bought 4 (75372) 7500 series 2-1/2hp D-handle routers before those were pulled from production.
They've been an excellent heavy router for the big bits. Currently have 2 of them in a dual router table (1 of 2) with rail and stiles bits.
I've rebuilt several of my routers. Easy to replace bearings and brushes, which are still available.
Broken trim routers and the 690 (multiple variations there) routers can be bought cheap on Ebay, then repaired.
One thing I've never bought is the electronic multi speed routers. Heard to many horror stories when everyone was first coming out with them. I did buy a refurb C-man router with the electronics thinking I would table it, just to see what they would do. Second time I started it the board went out. Had low and high, nothing between. That went back to the sears refurb store.

[tablesawtom]

If a person is planning on doing any raised panel work with a router then the RPM of the bit needs to be slowed down. There are many other bits of different diameters that should be run at a slower RPM also. There are charts that have the remanded RPM for different diameter bits. And I am sure someone on this forum can post one.

The only way I know of controlling the RPM on a router is electronically. The speed of a shaper could be changed by changing to belt to a different pully diameter, no so with a router. The router in the table has basically replaced the shaper in the home shop, Note: I wrote home shop not professional shop. 

Stwood mentioned replacing bearings and such and rightly so, One of the major things that cause bearing problems, on a table mounted router, is having the fence set back slightly from the bearing on a bearing mounted bit. It is very easy to apply more force into the fence  and that put sideways pressure on the bearings. This is only one reason of the many reasons for bearing failure. Stwood if you can repair routers then I take my hat off to you but not every one can or should even try to repair a router. Lemons happen in every field of manufacturing. Please do not judge every speed control from your experience with one that was rebuilt from a defective one  in the first place .

Stwood, I want you to know that I do agree with every thing you had to say in a post above. I know I can think of 12 full sized routers off from the top of my head and I have 3 battery trim routers and 6 of them with cords. I wanted one with a plunge base and it was almost cheap to buy the whole set than it would have been just buy the base. And one on my CNC so it cuts the other down to 4 that I just use by hand.

Yes, I happen to like the Bosch 1617 EVS router but I am also sure that any of the other manufactures also produce a router, are just as good or maybe better. It may come down the what router lift is available for a certain price. In other words buying the router to fit a particular lift and not the other way around. I also believe that in 95 percent of the hobby home shops do not need a 3 1/2 HP router in their router table. In fact most operations preformed on a router table require no more than a single speed router with no more than a 1 HP router. A 1 HP router is hard to find these days. 

I have a Porter Cable dove tail fixture. I also have a PC 690 router with the dovetail bit properly set the the correct depth. Cutting dovetails is the only thing it does. The jig is mounted to a board and it comes out of the drawer. It is clamped to the bench using bench dogs and my tail vise. The wood goes into the jig and the router comes off the pegboard wall and is plugged into the electrical drop above the work bench and I start cutting dovetails.
Just a note is the electrical drop is a 12 gage wire retractable cord real type. A reason for more than one router. And I do a lot of drawers.

Tom

PS, Multi speed routers have been around for 30 years or so now. Horror stories in the beginning yes, now not so much.

[Stwood_]

The key with big bits and big routers with no speed control is to 'not' make those cuts in one pass.
I've got some 2" table edge profile bits that I will do 3, sometimes 4 passes, the last cut being more of a cleanup cut

[tablesawtom]

Yes, I know it can be done with light passes. That is how I did my first raised panel. I did not like doing it at that speed so I bought a router that could turn at the recommended speed.  I had a General 350 table saw. I sold it for about half of what I paid for it and bought a Saw Stop 3 HP saw. I bought the Saw Stop only because of safety reasons.( the Saw Stop is a great saw, but other than the safety features the General was a great saw. I have insurance on my vehicles, for my own protection. I bought my saw stop for my own protection. I have several routers that the speed can be controlled on for my own protection. Variable speed is a safety issue with me

So, since the title of this post is Best dedicated router table motor, I though I should be able to offer my opinion just like everyone else. But evidently I can not, especially when It happens to be in contention with what certain other people on this forum think. Variable speed on a router is a safety issue with me, I can not in good conscience recommend something I am not comfortable recommending. 

And so we are back to square one. So personally I thought I would recommend a Bosch 1617 EVS,  2 .25 HP router. Or equivalent from any other manufacturer. Amazon has it on sale for $129 with free delivery until the  27th. 2 .25 HP is strong enough for the hobby home shop router table. I did find a 3.25 Triton fixed base motor for 299.99 at Acme that is also a variable speed router. or a Jessem for 549.99.  So it is just economics. $129 verses $299.99. I personally do not care for plunge base routers in a router table so I didn't research them. I didn't say there was anything wrong with putting a plunge base router in a router table, I said I didn't prefer them. And again the title of this post is Best dedicated router table motor.  

Tom

[Stwood_]

No problem here with your recommendations Tom. I understand your concerns.
I go other directions. I recommended what I use, which is a standard, no frills PC 7500 router motor. I used them when I was in business, and still do as that's what I have and am comfortable with.

[tablesawtom]

No problem here with your recommendations Tom. I understand your concerns.
I go other directions. I recommended what I use, which is a standard, no frills PC 7500 router motor. I used them when I was in business, and still do as that's what I have and am comfortable with.

I am comfortable with everything you have written. I guess I am exactly the same way. 

Tom