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From the pages of Fine Woodworking Magazine Routers for Router Tables Choose a fixed-base model over a plunge router  Although originally designed as a portable electric tool, the router performs just as well, if not better, as a stationary machine. Most of my routing is done with the tool attached to a small table made of medium-density fiberboard (see The downside of base-plate inserts). Configured this way, the router can sometimes take the place of a shaper, a heavier-duty, more costly tool that many of us can now do without.Using the router inverted, however, poses some problems. The router was not designed for upside-down use. It's no surprise that most of the routers on the market are awkward to use in a table. I'm frequently asked what router works best in a table. Over the years I've tried just about every brand of router, and I can recommend five that work very well in a table (see Five routers that fill the bill). Criteria for choosing a router If you work fast or wish to use large panel-cutting bits, a large, powerful router is the way to go. Deeper cuts are possible with a 3-hp router. On the downside, a big router is also heavier and involves more of a wrestling match to get out from under the table. So depending on the work you do, a 1-1/2-hp or 2-hp machine might be all you need. I look for three essential criteria in a router to be used in a table.
For heavy-duty use, I rely on a 3-1/4-hp router -- For heavy-duty router-table work, there is only one fixed-base machine that fits all of my criteria: the Porter-Cable Speedmatic 7518, a 3-1/4-hp, variable-speed machine. The 7518 also has the largest base, biggest base-plate screws and the capacity to soak up more heat and run longer than any other router, fixed base or plunge. (Except for the variable-speed feature, it is similar to the Porter-Cable 7519.) The Porter-Cable motor has four pins that ride in matching spiral grooves cut into the base. Depth changes are made simply by spinning the motor up or down. Minute depth-of-cut adjustments are easy to make using the tool's adjustment scale (a large ring), which is marked off in 1/64-in. increments. Although the 7518 is tough enough to do raised panels in one pass, I generally take two or three passes when I have to remove a lot of material. Limiting cuts to the equivalent of about 3/8 in. by 3/8 in. at a time produces little tearout, and stock is easy to control when feeding by hand. When routing upside down, a lot of fine dust can make its way into the spirals in the motor housings of Porter-Cable routers and cause them to jam. To avoid jams, after routing, screw the motor up, toward the tabletop to eject dust from the grooves. Then screw downward to remove the dust; if you encounter resistance, go back up, then down again.
Midsized routers -- For medium-duty work, I like the Milwaukee 5680, Bosch 1617, DeWalt 610 and the Porter-Cable 690. To avoid straining the motor of a midsized router, I don't cut more than the equivalent of 1/4 in. by 1/4 in. in a single pass. The Bosch, DeWalt and Milwaukee routers have the greatest amount of travel. The Bosch and Porter-Cable machines also have the most friendly depth-adjustment systems, something you appreciate every time you use it.
Most routers employ a thumbscrew to lock the base to the motor. The Bosch 1617 is designed differently. It has a two-stage system, consisting of a pair of locking levers. A pull of the main lever loosens the motor. The spring-loaded second lever provides a coarse adjustment and also prevents the motor from coming loose from the housing unless pressure is maintained while the motor is twisted. A screw dial allows for fine adjustment. The dial is graduated in both 1/64-in. and 1/10,000-in. increments, with easy-to-read lettering. Travel is about 1-7/8 in. The DeWalt 610 has a rack-and-pinion adjustment mechanism. A dial on the end of the gear shaft is graduated in 1/64-in. increments, but the dial is very small, and the cursor mark, cast into the base, is rather wide, so you can't rely on these components for highly accurate adjustments. Rubbing white crayon on the numbers will improve readability, but for fine adjustments, make a trial cut and measure. The machine has 2-1/4 in. of travel. The Milwaukee 5680 has a flat-head screw attached to the motor that prevents it from detaching from the base. I remove that screw for router-table work so that I can change bits with the motor out of the base. Use that screw as a guide when reassembling the router to the base. If there's not enough base wrapped around the motor, it may vibrate loose. The Milwaukee has a depth-adjustment scale, which is graduated in 1/64-in. increments. The black bars on the black dial are not as easy to read as some other routers that have white lettering on a black background. There's one thing about the Milwaukee to be aware of: The motor housing has a spiral-cut groove, but that is for the adjustment scale only. The motor moves up and down in a straight line. Don't try and spin the motor to change depth as you would a Porter-Cable router. Because of its design, the depth adjustment is a bit awkward with the router inverted because the ad justment scale is really designed to work with the tool in the upright position. The Milwaukee has about 2 in. of travel. Router safety and maintenance The potential for a router motor to eject itself accidentally from the base is always a possibility with a fixed-base router whether it's being used upside down or right-side up. This kind of accident is typically the result of not fully tightening the thumbscrew that fastens the base to the motor. I've replaced the thumbscrews on some of my Porter-Cable routers with adjustable levers, which are easier to grip and allow greater locking forces. The levers (including the bronze sleeve and flange nut) cost less than $10 and are available from Reid Tool Supply Co. (800-253-0421; www.reidtool.com). The holes in the base for the locking lever will have to be reamed or drilled out slightly to accept the larger-diameter replacement part. Also, a flat must be filed on the nut to fit it to the base, which will keep it from spinning freely when the lever is moved.
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