WOOD Magazine – October 01, 2019

Picking

32 WOOD magazine October 2019

More than 57

percent of WOOD®

magazine readers

surveyed said they

own three or more

routers.

A full-size plunge router (at left) easily handles heavy cuts with large

bits in hardwood. For less-demanding jobs, a midsize (fixed base shown),

compact (plunge base shown), or trim router may be easier to use.

M

ost woodworkers consider a router

an essential tool. So useful, in fact,

that the majority own more than

one. Whether you’re buying your first router

or adding another to your tool kit, it pays to

consider these keys to getting one best suited

to your needs.

■ Corded or cordless. The most hard-

working routers come with power cords. But

lithium-ion batteries and improved motor

technology give today’s cordless routers the

runtime, torque, and speed necessary to

complete most home workshop tasks. Added

height and top weight may make some cord-

less models seem unwieldy, but portability

might override that perception.

That said, for your first router, go with a

corded model. Then look at the cordless

ones as you add more routers or need the

cord-free capability for a job.

■ Size. Routers fall into four categories:

full-size, midsize, compact, and trim rout-

FULL-SIZE MIDSIZE