Best Wood Router Buyer’s Guide

A great wood router is an important piece of machinery when it comes to woodworking, especially if you have to work manually or do it frequently. If you like making shapes in wood or metal, plunge cutting, and creating designs, then you are likely familiar with a router. But sure enough, the market is full of a great many products and it gets really tough to choose the best wood router if you are an architect who likes to work with his hands.

Below are some of the best wood routers on the market today, tested and reviewed by our in-house experts. If you have any recommendations for wood routers, please leave a comment below so we can review your choice.

The Best Wood Routers

Bosch Variable Speed Router Kit 1617EVSPK

If we are talking about the most efficient wood routers for architects, the Bosch name comes on top. The 1617EVSPK is a mid-range router if we are talking about technicalities, but its performing capabilities are such that it can handle any type of woodwork. This router boasts of a 2.25 HP/12 amp motor and is fitted with aluminum housing. This is a router that will meet the needs of any woodworker, no matter what their skill level is.

Features

• It is capable of handling most tasks because it has variable speed dial
• The wood router offers more versatility with both fixed and plunge bases
• Offers even more versatility with its collect capacity of ¼ inch, ⅜ inch, and 2-inch sub-base opening
• Uses the Bosch precision centering to keep the bit on intended cutline when using templates, jigs, or dovetail fixtures

Advantages

• Has a soft-start and maintains speed under load
• Has wood handles for comfortable control and an aluminum body that is long-lasting and lightweight
• Offers microfine adjustments with an overall accuracy to 1/64 of an inch and a range of 1 inch. It is also compatible with the template guide adapter

Drawbacks

• Some customers have complained of metal edges having burrs and poor finishing
• Some customers have complained that the bushings have a tendency to get clogged with sawdust

Last update on 2024-01-11 / As an Amazon Associate, Archareer earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

DEWALT DWP611PK 1.25 HP Router Combo Kit

While buying any tool, the most important factor to look out for is a tool’s usability. The Dewalt DWP611PK is one of Amazon’s Choice products on the website, and is hence, one of the best sellers in the category. The Dewalt features an ergonomic design with a powerful motor to accomplish the toughest of woodworks. It performs admirably and has easy controls without compromising on the quality. Customers would be pleased with its fantastic design, and versatility because it comes with both a fixed and plunge base. Don’t let the compact size fool you!

Features

• Torque minimized because of the soft-start feature
• Quick base removal thanks to spring-loaded release tabs
• Increased visibility and stability because of the D-shaped fixed base
• Better management of the tool because of the variable speed control feature and a range of 16,000-27,000rpm

Advantages

• Extremely ergonomic design and silent operation
• Can handle both soft and hardwoods with equal ease
• Long-term durability because of the aluminum motor housing
• The rubber handles are over-molded so that they provide a secure and comfortable grip

Drawbacks

• Some customers have praised the fact that the product is great for small projects, but have complained that it gets hot after running for a certain period and can melt parts
• Some customers have complained that the motor gets bogged down and delivers inconsistent speeds at times

Last update on 2024-01-11 / As an Amazon Associate, Archareer earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

PORTER-CABLE 690LR 11-Amp Fixed-Base Router

This unit by Porter is quite powerful and is designed to deliver accurate and precise cuts and offers an astounding power of 27,500 rpm with a single-speed motor. The collects are included to accept both ¼-inch and ½-inch shank bits, and this alone makes it quite a versatile product. The functions are made easy by the presence of an under-table stop, ergonomic design, and easy bit removal.

Features

• The aluminum motor housing and base are precision machined
• The motor will not rotate out of the base, thanks to the under-table stop
• Coarse height adjustments and motor removal are made easy by the cam lock feature
• Features a steel ball-bearing construction and a dust-sealed switch to ensure durability

Advantages

• Delivers consistent performance
• The brushes can be accessed externally
• Very easy to handle because of the over-molded grips
• Because of the fixed base, it is compatible with other routers

Drawbacks

• Some customers have complained of the lack of a case
• Some customers have complained that operating the power switch is awkward

Last update on 2024-01-11 / As an Amazon Associate, Archareer earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

DEWALT DW618B3 12 Amp Router

The Dewalt DW618B3 comes with a unique D-handle that incorporates trigger switch with a lock-on feature, so the user has a lot of contact with the working area. The fact that it is both a fixed and plunge base router makes it very useful and versatile will impress a lot of customers. Its powerful motor can make quick work of the toughest hardwood at the user-set desired speed.

Features

• Soft-start reduces start-up torque
• Accepts standard template guide bushings
• A tool-free steel motor cam lock enables quick base changes and depth adjustments

Advantages

• Complete feedback control for constant speed under load
• 12-amp variable-speed motor provides great power that runs smoothly without a hitch
• A great dust-collection system that claims to collect 95% of dust and provides superior bit visibility
• Precise depth adjustments in 1/64-inch increments provided by micro-fine depth adjustment rings

Drawbacks

• Some customers have said that height adjustments are a bit of a challenge
• Some customers have complained that the 3-base combination could be a bit confusing for beginners

Last update on 2024-01-11 / As an Amazon Associate, Archareer earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Wood Router Buyer’s Guide

Do You Need a Wood Router?

A router is used to hollow out a particular area in a material like wood or metal and is usually fastened to a router table or are handheld. These come particularly handy when working with cabinetry, or say a hinge joint. If you have a large volume of work, you need large routers, so you can go through it quickly, but because of their size, they can be a little awkward to handle. Anything over 1.75 HP is a heavy router.

Anything under 1.75 HP is used for detailed woodwork and because it is underpowered, can slow down. If you are a professional, you would need one of each so that you have more versatility. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to have two tools for price or space constraints, look for the most versatile tool that you can find in your price range, and buy it. Let us take a look at the type of routers available on the market.

Different Types of Wood Routers

Fixed Base Router

If you have recently forayed into the world of the woodwork, a fixed base router is your best friend. As the name suggests, it is fixed on a bench or a base and is great for tasks that require straight-line precision, edge cuts, and molding. It is great for freehand edge and jig work because it offers great control and stability. It is also great for repeat processes such as depth cuts and is considered to be a great, all-purpose router.

Plunge Router

A plunge router has a spring-loaded base, and while working on different applications, you can lock the base at a specific depth. They are most suited for tasks that require precise cuts, such as deep grooves, patterns, templates as well as mortises. They also have the advantage of having on-board scales for fine adjustments and offer a bit of protection for your benchtop, fingers, and bits. Plunge routers are heavier than fixed-base routers.

Combo Router Kits

These are routers that have both fixed and plunge bases. The switch can be easily made as and when required. These kits are for those who work extensively with routers and switch between plunge and fixed base routers quite frequently.

What Are the Features I Should Look For?

Choosing the most ideal router for your work is never an easy task, and is further complicated by the dozens of options available on the market. But choosing would be simple if you keep in mind these main features:

Compatibility

Compatibility becomes an extremely important factor when you are considering buying a router. You may have selected what you think is the best compatible router for you, but only to find out later that you cannot find the right accessories for it such as collects, bushing or bits. Any router that can be fitted with accessories from other routers is a smart choice.

Power

The router should be powerful enough for your needs and should fall into the price category you are looking for. The one thing to remember here is that any model with a large horsepower can handle heavy-duty plowing on heavy materials without slowing down.

Speed

If you can control the speed of your router, it is a great added feature, and some routers have a soft start or variable speed feature. If you are working on bigger bits, slow speeds will work better. If you can see actual RPM markings on the speed dials, those routers are for keeps. It could be a hindrance if you have to refer to the owner’s manual to look up the speed charts.

Controls

Another factor to consider while buying a wood router should be the accessibility and adjustability of the controls. The controls should be easily accessible while you have both your hands on the router.

Safety

Since this is one of the most powerful tools kept in a woodshop, working with it can be very hazardous unless they have inbuilt safety features such as a safe starting system, where you have to push the lock off before pressing the start button to avoid accidental start-offs.

Conclusion

Now that you are armed with the basics of buying a wood router, choosing the right tool for your needs should not be very difficult. Before you choose a router for yourself though, go through as many reviews as you like to make the correct decision. We hope that the information provided here about routers has been useful in helping you make your purchase decision.