Good morning, all.
As I assemble my beginner's workshop, I'd like to buy a router to be used for all routing operations: by hand and mounted in a TS wing. From my research thus far, it seems the Porter Cable 690LR is a good starting point and a widely-used router. I seem to have found a good deal online for a new 690LR at $96 shipped (fixed base only). The variable-speed 690LRVS is going for $135 shipped (also fixed base only).
My question: for an all-purpose router, is variable speed important? And is it smarter to jump on this deal and buy a plunge base later or is that not cost effective?
Thanks so much for your guidance.
Zayd