There are both fixed and plunge bases on this machine, so you can do a lot of different things. It has a powerful 14 Amp, 2.5 HP motor.
Lets you choose the type of bit and material you want to use to get speed suggestions based on what you’re doing at the time.
ELECTRONIC FEEDBACK – Makes sure the motor runs at the same speed as the material is being routed.
SOFT START – Makes it safe and easy to start routing.
Indicator lights up when the plunge router is plugged in. This way, you can stay safe and alert.
14Amp Router in styl.
It’s about being able to do different things and having powe.
This woodworking router lets you easily switch between a fixed-base and a plunge-base. It has 14 Amps of power so you can do more. Using soft start technology, the router starts out slow and then speeds up. This gives you time to get used to the new speed. Plus, precise depth adjustments and speed control to keep the RPMS at the right level. Ergonomic handles keep vibrations to a minimum and reduce fatigue after long use.
More about this.
Fixed and plunge router: 14 Amp, 2. 5 horsepower, fixed and plung.
– Speed control LCD.
– There are three coarse depth settings and a micro-depth setting.
Three LED lights are at the base of the motor.
– The soft start function slows down the motor speed as it goes from 0 to 25, 000 RPM.
– Power-on safety sign.
There are ergonomic handles and a die-cast motor housing.
– Screws that can be set quickly.
– Vacuum ports can be used to get rid of dust.
A fixed depth of cut: 1-3/4 inches.
Deep cut: 2-1/8 inches from the plunge base.
It comes with a collet wrench, a clear sub-base, two 1-1/4-inch dust extraction adapters, an edge guide, a depth adjustment wrench, and chip shields.
Many things about this Skil router are good. It has electronic variable speed control, a soft start, both fixed and plunge bases with 14 amps of power, a 1/4″ and 1/2″ collet with an adapter, three LED lights that turn on and off automatically, vacuum attachments for both bases and an edge guide that can be attached to either base. Another thing is that both of the bases can be attached to a router table, and the height adjustment can be done from the top of the table with a tool.
A lot of different tools were on my list: Bosch and Dewalt and Ryobi and Makita and Porter-Cable and Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi). This one had all of the features I needed for DIY projects without having to pay more than $200. However, there is a lot of confusion about it as well, s.
In the beginning, the first thing I had to deal with was when I tried to use the template guide bushing in the Porter-Cable style. I was shocked when the bushing wouldn’t fit (see photos). Plastic sub base plates for both fixed and plunge bases have holes that are a little too small for the 1-3/16″ holes “It needs to be the right diameter bushing. Apparently, other people have had the same problem. Some reviews say that the sub base plates were not made to work with template guides. As for Skil’s customer service, they didn’t help either.
Because I needed a template guide for the project I was working on, I was close to giving up on the router. There was no other choice. I looked at base plates made by other companies, like Powertec, Rockler, and a lot more. Because this router is new, no aftermarket base plates say this or any other Skil router is compatible with them. That is, until I looked up the numbers on the fixed and plunge base plates on Google. A bad mold from an old Sears Craftsman router must be making the sub base plates for this Skil router because the numbers match those of the 315 175 040/050/007 Sears Craftsman router parts. I bought a Powertec 6-1/2 “There is a Universal Router Plate (Model No. 71369), and as you can see in the photos, it has screw holes that line up with the hole pattern “D. Use Porter-Cable style template guide bushings will be much easier now that this has been made easier for you. The only problem is that there are a few small things that need to be fixed. It won’t work well if you use the Powertec plate on a fixed base and want to use the router’s vacuum attachment. The Skil sub base plate has six 1 holes “Wood chips can be pulled into the vacuum through holes around the center hole. The Powertec plate does not have these holes. As a second example, you can’t use the Powertec plate on the Plunge Base to follow a straight edge with the flat side of the base. The Powertec plate is round. You could buy two Powertec plates, one for each of the router’s two provided bases, and cut off the extra part that goes along the flat edge of the plunge base. You could also make your own base plates.
If you make a little effort, the sub base plates that come with the router can be used with Porter-Cable style template guide bushings that come with the router. Because I took the plate off of its base, I was able to get them to pop into the center hole. I first put the bushing in its hole, then put the part that sticks out down on the edge of something flat and rigid (like the edge of a counter top). I then gently pushed on the plate until the bushing popped into the plate. Each of the template guides I bought from Harbor Freight Tools helped me do this with the sub base plates on both bases (see photos).
You should buy this router if you want the most common features of a modern router without having to spend a lot of money, and I think you’ll be very happy with it. The last time I used it, I used it to cut very precise and clean notches in a beam I was building for a swing set (see photo). Because the notches were so small, I needed them to be about 1/32 of an inch apart “and the router did not let us down.
To use 3/8″ shank bits and make my own base plates, I’m going to buy an Amana 3/8″ adapter. I’ll write a new review when I do.
Check back here on July 27, 2020. I have a few router bits with a 1/2″ shank and they fit in the 1/2” collet without any problems at all. This hasn’t been an issue for me as it has for other reviewers. I don’t have digital calipers to show you the exact size, but so far this hasn’t been an issue for me.
