Yet another "Which router should I get" question

I have three routers I use freehand.  A Bosch Colt, a Bosch 1617 plunge/fixed kit, and an OF2200.  I have a 3 1/2hp Milwaukee in a lovely Jessem table with an integral lift. 

The Colt gets used where I have to use 1/4 bits, i.e. fine detail or tiny edge profiles/trims.  But I almost never use the colt if I can help it. It’s great, but specialized. 

The 1617 is a 2 1/4 hp unit and it was my primary router for a long time.  It’s fine.  It’s fiiiine.  I used it in my old rudimentary router table.  I can set it up for precise cuts or run it on straight edges for straight cuts, it just takes longer than the OF2200.  It also bogs down unless used at slow feed ratesor shallower cuts than the OF2200.  It’s louder pitched than the 2200.

My Milwaukee/router table set up is a joy.  All the power, all the safety.  Read a good quote somewhere: the smaller the work piece the bigger the machine you need.  I can do big and small with that setup and it’s accurate, adequately powered, and safe.  I’d don’t used routers freehand with small workpieces.  Routers scare me the most of my many tools, I treat the with respect and clamp/block/jig/vise as I think safe. 

The OF2200 puts a smile on my face when I use it.  It’s got power which, properly used, is a safety feature.  It’s dust collection is a marvel.  It is easy to dial in.  Honestly, one of my favourite tools to use and I’ll choose it every time I can if I can’t use my router table (unless it is a trim router job).  I haven’t used my 1617 since I got the OF2200.  The 2200 cuts smooth as butter and spins bits in a way that feels safer than the 1617.

The only “downsides” of the OF2200 are size/weight and cost.  I’m a big fella, the OF 2200 is objectively large and heavy.  I find that a feature, not a bug.  More mass means safer for the spinning of bits, power for days.  Cost?  It’s a Festool.  I think the costs are a bit overboard, but I do love it. 

As you’ve read, no one has just one router if they’ve been doing this for any amount of time.  As one other poster said, the OF2200 is one of his/her favourite tools.  It might not be my #1, but it’s up there.  If I could have just two freehand routers, I’d probably have my 2200 and then it’d be a real choice between another Bosch colt style router for cost/utility and the 1010.  I love, absolutely love, the Festool dust collection.  But for 7 times the cost, I can clean up the tiny shavings a palm router throws.

Interjection:  I always use a 1/2” bit if I can.  They’re more stable (safer/less chatter/more forgiving/handle knots better), leave cleaner cuts, and have lasted longer (for me).

So, I’ll answer your question with more questions:

1.  What size bits are you planning on running?  Given your projects, sounds more like 1/2” shank and multiple profiles.  You can downsize a Cooley, not upsize a motor.  Also, given your stated router table intentions, you’ll have a lot of 1/2” shank bits there.    Go 1400/2200 and avoid buying multiple buts if the same profile for different shank sizes. 

2.  Are you strong/comfortable with big tools?  Don’t take this as a manliness tough guy challenge.  The one friend I have (also a hobbiest) that runs a 2200 is in his 50s and slightly taller than me.  We both have no problem with the 2200 and appreciate its mass size.  The 2200 is thiccc.  But if you want a sports car, not a truck, get the 1400.  If you want to haul bits and chips, get the 2200.  If you want a SmartCar, get a 1010 or equivalent.

3.  Are you trying for just one router?  The 1400 might be your huckleberry.  It’ll do most everything, and it will do most of what you need well. It’ll be clumsy for some smaller jobs (take those to the table where you can) and it can’t spin bigger bits (again, table if possible).  But I bet you wind up with a colt style /1010 at some point in the future.

4.  What is your dust collection setup?  If you’ve got a festool/Hilti/proper high end dust collection setup, get a festool router. If not. Heavily consider dust collection as part of your near future needs.  Routers are messy.  If you’re going to be removing material, not just making a few shavings, go big as you can for the router and get serious dust collection.

5.  Buy good bits, don’t cheap out and burn up your work after long prep by using non-carbide bits from questionable brands. 

Be safe.  All routers can bite.  Do you know where your fingers are?

 
4nthony said:
- OF 1400. One of these days I'll get around to making a baseplate that'll work with threaded Porter Cable style guide bushings,

Why reinvent the wheel?? Why not buy the baseplate that is designed for exactly that?

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Because the clip-in rings do allow for lateral movement, as shown many time before on this forum. It is an unavoidable property of how they are attached to the router.
 
hdv said:
Because the clip-in rings do allow for lateral movement, as shown many time before on this forum. It is an unavoidable property of how they are attached to the router.
Sometimewoodworker said:
4nthony said:
- OF 1400. One of these days I'll get around to making a baseplate that'll work with threaded Porter Cable style guide bushings,

Exactly. The feature that allows for quick and easy insertion/removal also allows for the collar to move too easily.
I would assume that what 4nthony was suggesting is a separate base plate with a P/C style opening.
 
FWIW, the DeWalt and Makita trim routers can be equipped with 8mm collets, so there's some wiggle room and overlap with the 1010s.  About the same class spindle.
 
motorhead9999 said:
I feel if I get the 1010, that would eliminate the need for an MFK700

Meh, I have the 1010 and the 1400, but for edge routing both too easily tilt on the corners as it's nearly impossible to hold the perfectly flat on the tiny portion of the base that is on the workpiece and the giant hole in it. I am looking to buy an MFK 700 now.
 
Coen said:
motorhead9999 said:
I feel if I get the 1010, that would eliminate the need for an MFK700

Meh, I have the 1010 and the 1400, but for edge routing both too easily tilt on the corners as it's nearly impossible to hold the perfectly flat on the tiny portion of the base that is on the workpiece and the giant hole in it. I am looking to buy an MFK 700 now.

A smaller router hasn’t resolved this issue for me.  Can gouge a profile just as easily with my colt, the blemish is just typically smaller.  I’ve taken to using an extended baseplate that reaches to other parts of a carcass, clamping the edge flush to a bench, or clamping a wider board to the workpiece for a flatter, more stable workplace.  I’ll do one of the three regardless of router size. 
 
Sometimewoodworker said:
Why reinvent the wheel?? Why not buy the baseplate that is designed for exactly that

I'm thinking to make something along the lines of the Infinity Tools Baseplate. A proper baseplate that is larger than the router base and has a hole perfectly sized to the guide bushings to prevent any drift. The Festool clip is just an adapter and not a baseplate.

Universal_Base_Plates_For_Full-Size_Routers_-_Infinity_Tools_2022-11-12_07-39-21.png


hdv said:
Because the clip-in rings do allow for lateral movement, as shown many time before on this forum. It is an unavoidable property of how they are attached to the router.
Crazyraceguy said:
I would assume that what 4nthony was suggesting is a separate base plate with a P/C style opening.

Yes and yes [cool]

Here are some references on guide bushing movement.
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/...and-what-exactly-is-the-problem-and-solution/
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/.../router-model-1400-centering-a-guide-bushing/
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/...stool-of-1400-guide-bushing-adapter-movement/
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/.../of1400-are-centering-issues-still-a-concern/

Even with the guide bushing movement, it's still a great router to work with in every other scenario.
 
Oilers said:
I’ve taken to using an extended baseplate that reaches to other parts of a carcass, clamping the edge flush to a bench, or clamping a wider board to the workpiece for a flatter, more stable workplace.  I’ll do one of the three regardless of router size.

Yep. This works great.

Monosnap_2022-11-12_08-01-43.png
 
Oilers said:
Coen said:
motorhead9999 said:
I feel if I get the 1010, that would eliminate the need for an MFK700

Meh, I have the 1010 and the 1400, but for edge routing both too easily tilt on the corners as it's nearly impossible to hold the perfectly flat on the tiny portion of the base that is on the workpiece and the giant hole in it. I am looking to buy an MFK 700 now.

A smaller router hasn’t resolved this issue for me.  Can gouge a profile just as easily with my colt, the blemish is just typically smaller.  I’ve taken to using an extended baseplate that reaches to other parts of a carcass, clamping the edge flush to a bench, or clamping a wider board to the workpiece for a flatter, more stable workplace.  I’ll do one of the three regardless of router size.

Yes it's not about the size of the router, but about the dimension of the hole in the base and the presence of a larger base that allows to put pressure on one side. Like the OF 1010 and 1400 lack, but the MFK 700 has. That extended base for the OF-1010 is no longer in the catalog.
 
"Yes it's not about the size of the router, but about the dimension of the hole in the base and the presence of a larger base that allows to put pressure on one side. Like the OF 1010 and 1400 lack, but the MFK 700 has. That extended base for the OF-1010 is no longer in the catalog."

For the DeWalt and Makita compact routers my Control Grip can help by allowing you to apply more force on the supported side of the router offsetting the imbalance. This happens without thinking, it's a function of the shape of the grip and placement of your hand.

The DeWalt grip also includes my Plunge Lockout feature.

Both are available in the standard finish and what I call the 'Fuzzy' grip which has a lightly textured finish that some prefer for a little more grip.

You can read more about them here: http://cordlessworkshop.net/router-control-grip-handles.shtml
 

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True, but it costs way, way more. Like >25x more. And it has no plunge capability.
 
Coen said:
The MFK 700 form factor is still way way superior for edging.

100% agreed. That is the exact reason I have one. It is just fantastic for flush trimming edges.

Plunging is not needed in this application. It's all about adjusting the base to the bit and setting the cut depth with the follower wheel.
 
After everyone's time and input = please don't let this be yet another thread where a new OP asks a question and then evaporates .....
 
Bob D. said:
True, but it costs way, way more. Like >25x more. And it has no plunge capability.

Yes, that's why I don't have it yet. My mind it torn between the 12V Bosch router that costs 1/4 as much... but has no dust extraction.

Crazyraceguy said:
Coen said:
The MFK 700 form factor is still way way superior for edging.

100% agreed. That is the exact reason I have one. It is just fantastic for flush trimming edges.

Plunging is not needed in this application. It's all about adjusting the base to the bit and setting the cut depth with the follower wheel.

You mean the OFK 700? I do like radius routing a bunch and with the 1010 it's hard to prevent it tipping into your workpiece on the edges.
 
"It is just fantastic for flush trimming edges."

It is, can't be beat.

But I didn't think that was a requirement of the OP when he asked which router to get. Guess I missed that.
 
Coen said:
Bob D. said:
True, but it costs way, way more. Like >25x more. And it has no plunge capability.

Yes, that's why I don't have it yet. My mind it torn between the 12V Bosch router that costs 1/4 as much... but has no dust extraction.

Crazyraceguy said:
Coen said:
The MFK 700 form factor is still way way superior for edging.

100% agreed. That is the exact reason I have one. It is just fantastic for flush trimming edges.

Plunging is not needed in this application. It's all about adjusting the base to the bit and setting the cut depth with the follower wheel.

You mean the OFK 700? I do like radius routing a bunch and with the 1010 it's hard to prevent it tipping into your workpiece on the edges.

No, the entire OFK series is unavailable here. I use the MFK700 with the zero degree base.
 
Crazyraceguy said:
That does seem to happen with a lot of first post questions, doesn't it?
woodbutcherbower said:
After everyone's time and input = please don't let this be yet another thread where a new OP asks a question and then evaporates .....

The reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated. Things got busy on my end with the hurricane that passed over me (no damage, just some yard cleaning up and unprepping all the hurricane prep).

I think at this point, I'll be leaning towards the 1400, but I'm still on the fence about the mfk700 as an addition

Oilers said:
So, I’ll answer your question with more questions:

1.  What size bits are you planning on running?  Given your projects, sounds more like 1/2” shank and multiple profiles.  You can downsize a Cooley, not upsize a motor.  Also, given your stated router table intentions, you’ll have a lot of 1/2” shank bits there.    Go 1400/2200 and avoid buying multiple buts if the same profile for different shank sizes. 

2.  Are you strong/comfortable with big tools?  Don’t take this as a manliness tough guy challenge.  The one friend I have (also a hobbiest) that runs a 2200 is in his 50s and slightly taller than me.  We both have no problem with the 2200 and appreciate its mass size.  The 2200 is thiccc.  But if you want a sports car, not a truck, get the 1400.  If you want to haul bits and chips, get the 2200.  If you want a SmartCar, get a 1010 or equivalent.

3.  Are you trying for just one router?  The 1400 might be your huckleberry.  It’ll do most everything, and it will do most of what you need well. It’ll be clumsy for some smaller jobs (take those to the table where you can) and it can’t spin bigger bits (again, table if possible).  But I bet you wind up with a colt style /1010 at some point in the future.

4.  What is your dust collection setup?  If you’ve got a festool/Hilti/proper high end dust collection setup, get a festool router. If not. Heavily consider dust collection as part of your near future needs.  Routers are messy.  If you’re going to be removing material, not just making a few shavings, go big as you can for the router and get serious dust collection.

5.  Buy good bits, don’t cheap out and burn up your work after long prep by using non-carbide bits from questionable brands. 

Be safe.  All routers can bite.  Do you know where your fingers are?

1) Honestly, I haven't given much thought to that. Ideally (as you state), I'd get one shared set I can use elsewhere.

2) I'm semi comfortable I guess. I'm a bit of a smaller guy, so ergonomics can be a factor. I have a Bosch sliding compound miter saw, and I'm fairly comfortable  with that. I don't really need the power or size of the 2200, and the 1400 seems a bit of a better fit for me

3) I'd like to keep my tools to the smaller quantity I can. I recognize that I'll probably save the super powerful router motor for a table, and a non-festool product. But in terms of hand held, I'd like to keep it as close to 1 as I can. I mentioned I might get a mfk700 as a compliment to the 1400

4) Dust collection is non-existent at this point. I'm in between houses at the moment, so I'll probably think about that more once I'm in a new place and can think layout a bit better.

5) One of the most important lessons Harbor Freight taught me is never go cheap on sharp things that spin that are meant to cut something.

I do my best to always make sure that my fingers are nowhere remotely close to a blade. I know routers are often considered a higher danger item.
 
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