Mid-Size Plunge Routers Woodworking Tool Review

We challenged seven tools to see which ones deserve Top Tool and Top Value honors.

With a plunge router, the motor and bit drop straight into the wood, making field cuts (such as flutes) easier, safer, and cleaner than with a fixed-base router.

Mid-size routers—those that draw from 10 to 12 amps—pack enough punch to knock off all but the most daunting duties in your shop, such as full-depth cuts with big panel-raising bits. Add plunging capability for making field cuts, and you wind up with the ultimate wood-machining tool without busting the budget.
In preparation for this article, we gathered up a raft of mid-size plunge routers with prices ranging from $100 to $250, and put them through a battery of tests. All offer variable-speed, soft-start motors, and most accept both 1/4"- and 1/2"-shank bits in self-releasing collets (with these, an extra turn of the collet pops the bit loose, preventing both stuck and free-falling bits). But that’s where the similarities end, as you’ll soon see when we separate the best from the rest. Featured in the June/July 2003 issue.

This tool review includes the following products: Black & Decker RP400K, Bosch 1613AEVS, DeWalt DW621, Makita RP1101, Porter-Cable 8529, Ryobi RE180PL, Skil 1845-02

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