Can someone tell me why one would by a fixed base router oppsed to a plunge routerother than price? I am thinking of buying a 2.25 HP router for free hand use. Also what brand would you recomend for a router in the avreage price range considering all the most standard features $150 - $250? Thanks
Hello. Porter Cable make a great decent price wood router. Take a look at the 690LR and the 7518 models. If you're looking for a combo fixed and plunge, take a loo at the Bosch 1617EVSPK 2-1/4 HP plunge and fixed base router kit.
to plunge or not to plunge I have 4 routers. A Sears something permanently in my router table. Is a piece of junk but has lots of HP so does fine. A very lightweight fixed Rockwell 4620 (64) Type 1 that I use anytime I route stuff in place - it is super light so easy one handed use - can do vertical, tiny corners, route a door jamb in place, whatever. An Elu 2721 which is like a bigger 4620 - heavier duty with an excellent depth setting adjustment and I use anytime I route through runs on wood mounted to my work table. Finally I have a piece of junk plunge router I picked up at Costco which works fine if I actually have to plunge a cut into wood. 98% of my routing does not require a plunge - straigth into the wood - cut but instead a slide in from the side cut. For those cuts a non plunge router is lighter, lower center of gravity so more stable and better for making clean cuts. So best is to get a fixed router that can be placed in a plunge base. my $0.02
