Ok OK. I know I know. I hate these types of questions over in the wood turning forum. There is shows up mostly as "what set of turning tools/chuck/accessories would you recommend"... There are both a bunch of answers and a million posts on the subject.
But I swear I tried searching. Then I just started working my back 1 page at a time. I found only limited information. Mostly people talking about a specific router.
I posted a thread here a bit ago about what to outfit a shop with. I am mostly a wood turner. But I want to build a few things for around the house. One of the constant comments in my thread, http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=117948, was that I would need a good router or 3 or 4. I started researching them. I thought table saws were a bad thing to research. My goodness!
So I started with some of the obvious things: Searches here, google searches for reviews and tool types and I found something that is extremely consistent. If there are 50 reviews on a tool then:
- 15-20 of them will love the tool and consider it the best thing they ever spent money on it and will give it 5-out-of-5.
- 7-10 will consider it everything they could have hoped for and for some reason will give it a 4 (If it does what you want and is a real value for the money why give it a 4 instead of a 5?)
- 3-5 will give it a 3 often citing nothing wrong with it except for something minor. Came in yellow and would have preferred black etc...
- There will be no 2's for whatever the reason.
- There will be at least 5 1's. Most of which will state that if they could have given it a 0 or even gone negative they would have.
Now here is where it goes all wonky on me and I realized that I will never reach a conclusion on my own with my limited time and resources. (I.e. I can't buy 1 of ever router out there...)
IF, and I do mean IF!!!, the reviews who gave it a 5-star rating are right then buying it would be a no brainer. They are often quite convincing stating years of experience both in wood working and in using this tool directly.
But by that same token the people who give it 0-stars are just as convincing. And if they are right no one should ever ever ever buy one of these tools. It would be just as effective as going out in the back yard and using the bills to start a nice fire for roasting marshmallows.
The best part they are both talking about the same stinking tool! Frued? Both the best and the worst! Dewalt, Craftsman, Fesstool, Bosch all the same. Reviews will glow in the dark and melt holes in the couch and the next will state the company should be shot as a whole for building it.
So how does a poor newb like me when it comes to flat work ever make a good choice? He comes here and asks the experts at the Creek.
Now I am expecting conflicting answers. Some will love Dewalt and some Craftsman (well maybe not Craftsman... and still others Porter-Cable and so on.
That is fine... But are there certain models from these manufacturers that you have and love/would recommend to others? They can't call suck can they? They can't all be a crap shoot? Even the $800 Fesstool ones aren't universally loved...
So lay it on me? What would you recommend?
So the history after the last thread. I started looking around for way to do what I wanted without investing in a SawStop TS that I just can't swing right now $-wise. I found an old copy of a NYWS episode on routers, I tape them all and watch them as I get interested, I have a BIG TIVO!!! , and as I was watching his router 101 2-parter I realized that much of what I want to do can be done with a good router, mortise and tenon joints/box joints/dados/etc..., so I thought to myself: Hey! With a few jigs I could build some of what I want.
So I started my search and after almost 2 weeks I have realized I am never going to make the best choice myself.
So what I was looking at. I thought a multi-base kit was probably a good call at this point. I would get more options out of the mix, but at the notable but in my case small cost of extra time getting things setup.
I have also seen the multi-base options range from $99 at Home Depot for the Skill version to almost a $1000 for some high end brands. ACK. That doesn't help. I need to play in the bottom half of that range. *sigh* I was going to be rich, really I was but....
So what is best for someone starting up like me want to get something that will go the distance? The $219 kit from Sears for the Craftsman? The Milwaukee EVS kits I found everywhere for about $250? The Bosch 1617evs that is one of those I mentioned with the serious split in reviews?
Someone, anyone, everyone!!! please help if you can!
Thanks a Million,
Joshua