Why so many different size routers?

[Olpallix]

Hello all
This is my first post. I have owned festool for a while starting with the ts55 9 years ago and have slowly discovered that quite a lot of the festool stuff are a cut above the rest
I have just bought an OF1010 as it was a good deal, already had the OF2200, have a RTO700 1/4 by Makita, a GOF 900 1/4 by Bosch and my old school Dewalt dw620 1/2
Now the reason I have so many Is ridiculous, I have bought more over the years
I am selling the dewalt and Bosch, but do I really need that 1010? I have the mini Makita trimmer (all guides included)which is brilliant or I can convert the OF2200 to a 1/4inch too?
Now on woodworking videos I see many with all the router ranges from festool. But why would you? what is the benefit?
and why would one choose the 1010 over the 1400 and vice versa?

Cheers guys

 

[Kev]

[welcome]

Regardless of brand, size and weight are the issue. I'd never use the 2200 for trimming.

 

[Bob Marino]

[welcome]

Regardless of brand, size and weight are the issue. I'd never use the 2200 for trimming.

  Agree 100%. But to answer the question about Festool routers, I am not sure of the lineup in Europe, but here in the USA, they have the MFK 700, OF1010, 1400 and the 2200. That's not a lot of routers and each fills a certain application, but obviously there's overlap amongst them.
Years ago, in the USA, Festool had 2 routers - the OF 1000 and the 2000. Actually, IIRC, one of these was made by Mafell and Festool made one for Mafell.
  Because the 1010 did not accept 1/2" bits (the most common size in the USA) and the 2000 was just too big, heavy, expensive for many users, there was a huge void in the lineup. Hence, the OF 1400; it was eagerly awaited, positively reviewed and is probably Festool's most popular router.
There are plenty of posts about the 1010 vs the 1400, but essentially the 1010 is smaller and lighter - a handling plus, particularly on edge work. The 1400 has more power, accepts 1/2" bits and has snap on guide bushing adapters.

 

[HarveyWildes]

Trim routers for light trimming work - not just weight but maneuverability and attachments.  I know a luthier who keeps about 5-10 trim routers each with its own setup so that he doesn't have to change bits and bit depth for the cuts he makes all the time.  He uses cheapo Harbor Freight trim routers (but high quality bits) and keeps a couple of extras on hand.  He doesn't have problems with runout or routers going out of adjustment once they are adjusted, and since he only adjusts them once, he's good with his setup.  I have one trim router (Rigid) that I pretty much always have set up with a 45 degree bit for relieving edges.

Medium size routers for hand use with larger bits.  Fixed bases for most cuts, plunge bases for things like cutting mortises.  (Hello, Domino!)  These routers are great for routing large pieces.

Larger routers for router tables, esp. if you are using tall bits or large diameter bits.  I use my router table whenever I can for safety and work piece support, but some cuts are just not router table friendly. 

 

[pingvinlakrits]

For a guy who doesn't do "that much" routing I have the OFK500, OF1010, the Bosch GMF1400 and 1600 plus a Virutex F256N (edge router and plunge base). My favourite but also least used is the OF1010. It is also the one I could do without. All the others have specific tasks to perform and I can't see myself thinning down the herd - though I have tried ways to reducing the number of routers.

My colleague has three/four small Makita routers, all with a different bit permanently attached and with a plug it on the machine. They are cheap enough to justify that - and they do a pretty good job as well.

The OFK500 is one of those edge routers I should have gotten much earlier. Awesome balance. It does one thing - but does it so well.

 

[Stone Message]

It is horses for courses - you use the tool that most suits the application and with routers that will certainly mean two or three machines.

I use the OF1010 as my "grab-it" router as it is the lightest in the range and has the power for 60% of the tasks. When I need a bit more oomph in a hand held router then the OF1400 is the machine with a choice of 1/2", 8 mm and 1/4" collets and plenty of power. The OF2200 is one of Festool's 3 best machines (Domino and Conturo are the other two) and is a great heavy duty hand held machine but also the perfect choice for my CMS-OF.

Since getting into the Festool routers I have sold or given away several other machines. The only non Festool router that I use daily is a small Dewalt fitted in my X-Carve CNC and I also have a vintage Stanley machine (my first industrial quality router) which is now a museum piece.

Peter

 

[Paul G]

Why so many routers? So we buy more stuff of course [big grin]

 

[ear3]

For most work you can get by with a combination of the 2200 and the 1010.  The first Festool router I got was the 1400 -- I already had a table mounted Triton, and for handheld work I was using a 2 1/4 Ridgid and a Ridgid trim router, so I wanted something powerful that would allow me to run most 1/2 bits -- but I didn't want to break the bank on the 2200.  Next I got the 1010 -- I had a project edge profiling some narrow face frames, and so was worried about the 1400 being too big for the task.  The 1010 was particularly attractive due to the edging plate accessory that allows you to run it as a horizontal router.  Since I frequently do thicker, hard wood caps on my ply, I thought the 1010 was a better option than the 700, which is more for standard edge banding.  I don't think I would have gotten the 2200, were it not for the fact that it came up at a really attractive price on the second hand market, so I pulled the trigger.  Really glad I did.  Ironically, the 1400 is now the least used of that trio in my shop.  It still comes in handy when I have an operation that requires power but where the 2200 would be too big, but it is not the first one I reach for.     

 

[ben_r_]

I too subscribe to the 1400 and 1010 as the sweet spot for my shop for handheld tasks. I have a DeWalt 611 thats pretty much dedicated for cutting circles attached to a Jasper Jig and a Porter Cable 7815 thats dedicated to the router table.

 

[Coen]

Size and weight. Why bother with the weight and size of a OF1400 or OF2200 for drilling 5mm holes in a LR32 system? Or for making small dovetail joints on the VS600? Festool doesn't even supply the copy rings for the OF2200 to use the VS600.

The OF1010 is 2.7 kg, the OF1400 is 4.5 kg; if routing above your head, what would you rather have?

 

[awil66]

If I was routing above my head i would rather have another job. [big grin]

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Ideally, one router for each bit your project uses... 8)

 

[Holmz]

Size and weight...
....
... if routing above your head, what would you rather have?

Some cans of spinach.  [wink]

 

[Jeff Zanin]

I am also fortunate to have multiple routers including OF1400 and MFK700 along with a Hitachi M12V in a router table, a PC690 and a DeWalt 625.

Recently I have been working on projects that require several router machining operations and it is very handy to be able to set up a different router for each operation, e.g. OF1400 for LR32 holes, MFK700 for trimming edges, M12V for 1/2" round over, etc.

Certainly this is a luxury particularly for home use but I really appreciate keeping the machines set up for the duration of a project or series of projects, which i why I have not sold any of the routers.

 

[Olpallix]

I do agree with having routers set up up for particular tasks, (saves masses of time and you can never reset precisely to what you had previously) but I think for my personal use a 1010 2200 and a makita rto700 is where ill stop for space.As Im becoming a bit of a tool junkie. 

 

[Coen]

Size and weight...
....
... if routing above your head, what would you rather have?

Some cans of spinach.  [wink]

That still won't solve the imbalance thing; if you stretch your arms, your center of gravity will move. With a heavy router at the end, it will move more. With thicker arms, it will also move more.

 

[Vartz04]

I very rarely use anything other than my bosch colt trim router. I have he plunge base for it as well as some dust collection attachments. My other router is a cheapie fixed base full size router. Because it's a cheap tool I feel like I'd rather use he bosch so that might skew what I use. I also do very little routing other than skinny grooves for 1/4" sheet goods and some minor round overs so I am never at a loss for power with the mini router.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I like my 1010 for most work, love my Mak 700s ( have 2 of them). As for the others, some are in tables ( Triton 3 Hp, FT 1400 and a Ridged 2.25 and some times my Mak 3 Hp.) and the others are used for heavier jobs. B

 

[Mavrik]

My 1010 was my only router for a long time. Loved it.
I then got a Makita RP2301 and RTO700.
Then found I never reached for my 1010 anymore.
Love it too much to get rid of it though.

A trim router is a fantastic thing to have for the jobs it's good at !!!

My need tends to be either be for something small & light for rounding edges; or something with heavyweight power.