Which router?

[sawdust-samurai]

I'm a non Festool owner that is considering buying a router as my entry tool and would like some feedback on which one I should be looking at.  Here is a little background on myself so you know more about where I'm coming from and where I'm going.

In the past I've built things like picnic tables, dog house and workbenches (both 2x4 construction and more cabinet like plywood construction).  I have just begun my "fine woodworking" journey and have built a single end grain cutting board and a wooden mallet for shop use. 

Tool wise, I currently have a pretty nice Makita 18v cordless system that includes: Track saw and two 55" tracks, compound sliding miter saw, drill and impact drivers.  I also have a Craftsman table saw, Dewalt 735 planer, Bosch rotary/orbital sander, Dewalt router mounted in a Kreg router table via a Woodpecker lift.  I also have a Shapeoko 5 Pro CNC (was just delivered today in fact).  For dust collection I have a 3 motor CamVac and the typical Rigid shop vac.

With the router table and the new CNC, I think most of my routing needs will be covered.  What I can see that is not really covered is trim/edge routing.  So far the only edge routing I've done is to flush trim plywood to frames.  I don't have any plans to become a cabinet builder and I've never done anything with edge banding.  That said, I do need to build quite a few shop workbenches that I'd like to make look nice.

Based on the above, which routers should I be looking at if I want to dip my toes into the Festool ecosystem?

 

[waho6o9]

https://www.festoolusa.com/products/routing/edge-routers

Specialty router for edge routing ^
https://www.festoolusa.com/products/routing/routers/578495---of-1010-rebq-plus-lm-us

The OF 1010 will do edge routing and other functions making it more versatile. ^

And everyone's favorite, overkill for edge routing though, is the OF 1400:https://www.festoolusa.com/products/routing/routers/576213---of-1400-eq-f-plus-us

All the Best

 

[Sparktrician]

You can't beat the OF 1010 or the OF 1400.  Both are spectacular additions to the wood shop.  [smile]

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Speaking relative to the Festool world, my opinion is that the OF1400 is the "best all around" of the three offered. The OF2200 is a beast and it doesn't sound like that would need to be considered based on your needs description. That said, for strictly edge work, the OF1010 is a decent choice because it's a bit lighter in weight and smaller in size. I will admit that I mostly use my OF1400 if I do any hand held routing except in situations where I prefer a fixed base router for stability and lower center of gravity. For that, I pull out my DW618 with the fixed base. I use my OF1010 less so for one basic reason. It only supports .25" and 8mm shank tooling and I don't have much of that with edge profiles. So when I use it, it's more for inlay work or other similar operations where a plunger is king, small size is a benefit and I didn't want to or couldn't do it on my CNC.

 

[woodferret]

Just for trimming, OF1010 - mostly for the dust collection... but since you don't actually have that.... I'd just stick to the 18V Makita palm router.  Much easier to maneuver, especially if you're going to be working outside on larger things.

P.S. While the MFK700 is more suited to edge routing say edgebanding, it's got a small throat and the OF1010 has a better rotating deflector which is useful for using on things like corner jigs.

 

[jeh]

I'd lean towards the 1400 or the 1010. The 2200 is complete overkill and not friendly if it is the only router you have. For a rough equivalent of the MFK 700 router pickup the Dewalt, Milwaukee or other brand. They are more than sufficient and cheap even with the battery.

As others mentioned the limitation of the 1400 is the limitation of using only 1/4" or 6mm bit shaft diameters.

 

[sawdust-samurai]

I'd lean towards the 1400 or the 1010. The 2200 is complete overkill and not friendly if it is the only router you have. For a rough equivalent of the MFK 700 router pickup the Dewalt, Milwaukee or other brand. They are more than sufficient and cheap even with the battery.

As others mentioned the limitation of the 1400 is the limitation of using only 1/4" or 6mm bit shaft diameters.

Opps, I forgot to list out my dust collection systems. For DC I do have the 3 motor CamVac collector and of course a Rigid shop vac that I've used for years on my smaller tools.  The dust collection of the Festool routers is one of the reason I was looking at them instead of just grabbing a Makita to match my other tools.

 

[sawdust-samurai]

Speaking relative to the Festool world, my opinion is that the OF1400 is the "best all around" of the three offered. The OF2200 is a beast and it doesn't sound like that would need to be considered based on your needs description. That said, for strictly edge work, the OF1010 is a decent choice because it's a bit lighter in weight and smaller in size. I will admit that I mostly use my OF1400 if I do any hand held routing except in situations where I prefer a fixed base router for stability and lower center of gravity. For that, I pull out my DW618 with the fixed base. I use my OF1010 less so for one basic reason. It only supports .25" and 8mm shank tooling and I don't have much of that with edge profiles. So when I use it, it's more for inlay work or other similar operations where a plunger is king, small size is a benefit and I didn't want to or couldn't do it on my CNC.

Thanks for the detailed response.  All of my current router bits are .25" shanks, so that might not be an issue for me.  One thing that I am confused about is the Festool website says that it is a limited edition cordless  tool:

Limited-edition cordless router kit featuring the OF 1010 REQ-F with LED light, available while supplies last at participating dealers.

Everything else on that page shows/says it is a corded tool.

 

[Ebuwan]

1400 if just getting one router, so you can do all the router bit shank sizes. It also works with the LR32 system if you ever went down that path.

Then once you have drank that kool-aid:

I use my 700 a ton for route over/chamfers. Also with the Conturo and Edge banding, which is its intended use. The 1400 COULD be used for all this though, technically.

The 1010 I honestly don't use that often; It gets used a lot when doing the LR32 system, as I find it easier to drill 100's of holes with than the 1400 (the 1400 does work with the LR32 system).

I have a 2200, and actually have not used it yet; I got it "used" for a song, but the cord was still wrapped up, protective film was still on the base, and had the new "Festool" smell. Was too good to pass up, but I haven't needed it or anything.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Maybe the light is cordless?

All Festool routers use alternating current.

If you want a bigger cordless router I think only Hitachi HPT and Milwaukee currently make cordless routers larger than trim routers.

 

[sawdust-samurai]

1400 if just getting one router, so you can do all the router bit shank sizes. It also works with the LR32 system if you ever went down that path.

Then once you have drank that kool-aid:

I use my 700 a ton for route over/chamfers. Also with the Conturo and Edge banding, which is its intended use. The 1400 COULD be used for all this though, technically.

The 1010 I honestly don't use that often; It gets used a lot when doing the LR32 system, as I find it easier to drill 100's of holes with than the 1400 (the 1400 does work with the LR32 system).

I have a 2200, and actually have not used it yet; I got it "used" for a song, but the cord was still wrapped up, protective film was still on the base, and had the new "Festool" smell. Was too good to pass up, but I haven't needed it or anything.

I don't foresee a need for the LR32 system (which I had to look up) as I don't build cabinets that often and have never built them with that style of shelving. 

Doing round overs and chamfers I can foresee doing a lot of.  I know I'll be building 5-8 new workbenches over the next 6-9 months and all of them will require flush trimming with either a round over or chamfer. 

 

[SoonerFan]

I went with the OF 1400 as my first Festool router for few reasons.  Some of which are:

- I had recently purchased a Festool track saw, sander, and dust extractor
- had enough power for everything I need and seems like it would for you as well
- dust collection seemed to be great for a router
- bit shank size options … glad I did this because I do use some with larger shanks
- only wanted to buy one and did not want to “out grow” it
- personally I liked the ergonomics of the 1400
- seemed like a versatile router and has proven to be versatile for me
- OF 2200 is great and has some great use cases but seemed a little more than I needed at the time

The OF 1400 was my only router for about 4 years.  Now I have a dedicated shop so I bought a cast iron router table with dedicated router and lift and a MFT 700.  If I only wanted one Festool router I would choose the OF1400 again.

Good luck! 

 

[Holzhacker]

A router is one of those tools I really like having the right size for.
My old multi base PC trimmer won't die so I don't have an MFK
My old beast of a Bosch also won't die so I don't have an OF2200 or 1400
For of most of my routing the OF1010 fits just right. I would really like to get an OF1400 but the 1010 handles what I need and if it doesn't the Bosch comes out to play.
You'll have to decide which works best for you.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

For edge work, the OF1400 is overkill, but the dust extraction is fantastic. It is very easy to snap the chip catcher on and off, which is one of the OF1400s best tricks.
The OF1010 is far lighter and easier to handle for light duty tasks, the chip catcher is more fiddly to install.
For round overs and chamfers, the MFK700 is more stable than any of them. The vertical base has quite a bit of offset, from the bit, plus a handle on the offset part. More of the base is on the material than there is hanging off the side, making is significantly less tippy.

For an over-all/do everything router.....OF1400. Just be aware that it is much bigger/heavier than needed, most of the time.
If you do not own any 1/2" shank bits, the OF1010 is a close second, and would be more enjoyable for your lighter-duty tasks.
The MFK700 is fantastic, but rather specialized, not the one to have as an "only" router.

If you need an OF2200, you know you need that kind of beast.

 

[woodferret]

The MFK base is definitely a selling point.  So much so, I made one for my Dewalt palm   Even used an extra Festool knob to complete the feel.

 

[Kev]

I have all of the Festool routers and I agree that the 1400 is the ideal Festool "starter router".

I have two 700 trimmers but I typically reach for one several LXT Makita cordless trimmers these days because they are so convenient (and my work tends to be outdoors lately due to the lack of a decent size workshop so DC isn't such a big deal). I like the little LXT cordless trimmers because they are cheap and I can leave them set up with a perfectly set up router bit for my various needs.

I have an interest in the new 1/2" XGT cordless Makita plunge router but I'm waiting to see how people react to it over the coming months as it's relatively new.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=13058]Kev[/member] I tend to agree with you about the Makita LXT trimmers, but they have one big shortcoming.
Well, it's actually 2 related problems. The depth of cut adjustment is very crude, with a simple rack and pinion design. It moves quickly/easily, but there is no precision to it. The other problem comes from the same mechanism. When the cam closure lever is adjusted loose enough to allow the body to be moved, when open, it may not hold that height during the cut, especially with a bigger bit (or up cutting spiral)
It can be tightened more, but then the cam lever doesn't function properly.
For simple little flush trimming, they are great. The plunge base is great too, it doesn't suffer the same issues.
I'm a bit of a router hoarder though.
I prefer to use my Festool routers, but none of them are set up as laminate trimmers, which I do quite a bit. Cordless is superior there. The cord doesn't interfere and massive power is not required.

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=13058]Kev[/member] I tend to agree with you about the Makita LXT trimmers, but they have one big shortcoming.
Well, it's actually 2 related problems. The depth of cut adjustment is very crude, with a simple rack and pinion design. It moves quickly/easily, but there is no precision to it. The other problem comes from the same mechanism. When the cam closure lever is adjusted loose enough to allow the body to be moved, when open, it may not hold that height during the cut, especially with a bigger bit (or up cutting spiral)
It can be tightened more, but then the cam lever doesn't function properly.
For simple little flush trimming, they are great. The plunge base is great too, it doesn't suffer the same issues.
I'm a bit of a router hoarder though.
I prefer to use my Festool routers, but none of them are set up as laminate trimmers, which I do quite a bit. Cordless is superior there. The cord doesn't interfere and massive power is not required.

And that’s why, when you get the depth just right, you never change the bit and instead just buy another router. I have two of the Makita and one Milwaukee. The M18 is easy enough to adjust.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

And that’s why, when you get the depth just right, you never change the bit and instead just buy another router. I have two of the Makita and one Milwaukee. The M18 is easy enough to adjust.

Exactly  [big grin] That's why I have 3 of them.
One has the traditional "bullet" type flush trim. I use it against raw surfaces
One has a "no-file" with a ball bearing. No file is a lie, you still have to file.
One has a 1/4" down cut spiral-flush trim.
The other specialty bases are on Bosch Colt corded units, because they are not needed nearly as often.
I do still have to change bits occasionally, as they do wear out, laminate is very hard. The main thing is that depth of cut is not so important for flush trim bits.

 

[sawdust-samurai]

Thanks for the all the replies everyone.  Right now I'm leaning towards either the OF 1010 or the MFK 700.  I'm really looking for a light weight router. 

Over the next several months I plan to build a half dozen workbenches with laminate tops.  For aesthetic reasons, I will also be laminating the drawer faces and some side panels.  With this much laminate work in the future, would that push anyone towards the 700 over the 1010?