What you Need to Consider When Buying a Woodworking Router

Chances are it won’t be long into your woodworking hobby that you will want a router. Whether you need to cut some circles, shape edges, hollow out grooves, a router will make life easier and make your project look more professional than trying to do it by hand.

There is no shortage of routers to choose from either. Unless you spend most of your day routing, you won’t need to buy every kind of router available. What you need is a versatile router and accessories that can do the tasks you require.

Features of a Router

Follow our guide to make sure you buy a router that is going to last the distance and deliver a great looking project every time.

Speed

Check that the router has sufficient fast and slow speeds. Both are important because with different materials and bits you need to be able to vary the speed at which the machine is working. You will want a slow speed for big bits or when you are working with a type of wood that can burn or tear-out. A router should also be able to maintain its speed during the cut and not drop its rpm too much.

Balance

You will want your router to be stable both during adjustments and cuts. Some routers can be top heavy and more prone to tip than others. It’s particularly noticeable when you are routing along edges and corners. Ease of handling is an important consideration; you want to be concentrating on the material not making sure the tool isn’t going to tip over when you are using a router.

Adjusting your Router

When it comes time to do a fixed depth routing job, you will want a router that adjusts up and down quickly. There is nothing more frustrating than spending twice as long making the adjustments than it takes to make the actual cut.

Hand-held or Table

If you are going to move between hand-held and table routing often, you will need to look at the type of router you buy. A plunge router typically takes longer to change compared to those with multi-base kits. With a kit you can attach the base permanently to the table and just swap the motor into the plunge base for projects that require a handheld router.

Accessories

Before you buy your router, consider what accessories are available for that model. To get the most out of your router, you will need the right accessories. Think about whether you will want to add dust collection, sub-bases with different size openings, an edge guide and possibly a case for carrying or storing. Some brands and models will fit a range of accessories while other brands are more limited.