Bosch 1617EVS 2-1/4-Horsepower Variable-Speed Router

Manufacturer: Bosch List Price: $337.00 Our Price: $159.25

Great mid-sized router for all types of use Other routers owned: Bosch colt trim router, Hitachi M12SC, Festool 1400 Pros: - Adjustable speed - Numerous base options - Size\feel\soft start\etc Cons: - 2 wrenches for bit removal (love 1 wrench systems of the bosch\festool) - Dust collection is pretty weak compared to festool - Measured adjustment is difficult (example: I want the cut .03" deeper) compared to festool - Template system isn't accurate enough for precision dovetails Conclusion: For the money this sucker is amazing, the kit with fixed\plunge base is even better. If you could only have one router this would be it. I used this router in my router table, handheld, fixed\plunge for years before buying another router. Now adays it sits in my router table, using the undermount base that allows above the table height adjustments. So far, soooo good. I had two DeWalt 618s, one in my router table and a variable speed that I used for hand routing. The variable speed died on me out of the blue with less than a year on it. So, since I had all the bases for my DeWalt, I moved the single speed from my table and looked for a new router to be my dedicated route table motor. This is the first Bosch product I bought and I did so based on the consistency of good reviews that it got. It's also priced cheaper than than other comparable brands. I installed it into my Woodpecker table, turned it on and...WOW. I love the EVS, the router is far quieter than DeWalt. The base, even though it's shelved is much smoother with less friction than DeWalt as well. This is a really nice complement to a router table. Enough that if my other DeWalt router fails, I will be replacing it with a Bosch! PS. I only gave it four stars, as I keep reading about switch problems. My router is dedicated to my table with an auxilary switch, so I'm saving the fifth star when the switch "doesn't" fail. Silly defects Like many of the others that have reviewed this product, I agree that it is a superior router in terms of use. It is as good as the reviews suggest it is. However, the problem with the switch is unforgivable. I too removed it from my router table to use on my Akeda Jig and it failed - once before it failed and I returned it to the factory for replacement. This time I had the presence of mind to read Amazon's good reviews and realize I had a bad switch. I removed the top of the router with a star or torx screwdriver (Sears sells a whole pack of different sizes) and vacuumed dust some dust. I removed the switch by using a small screwdriver to gently pop the switch bracket on the right and left. then, I removed the connection to the armature because it is soldered to the switch and popped the other clip off from the power source - making notes of what I had done (removed it with a pair of long nosed needle nosed pliers). I then used an eyeglass scredriver to pry the bottom off of the switch and found some dust. However, the silliest thing was that the spring had lubrication that attracted dust - in a router!! I cleaned it off, reset it (sitting down with good light and noting the contact point is such that it is better to install it with the switch in the off position). I reinstalled it and after making sure the speed control was properly lined up and the router worked fine. I also ordered another switch. My other problem with this router is that the motor case corrodes or somehow becomes much less slippery and it is hard to adjust the height. I lubricated it it with a little wax and it helps. Finally, the black bottom is a really bad idea - why can't they make it clear so we can see? Still, I ordered another of these routers from Amazaon - it will stay on the bottom of my really useful and reliable Jessem router lift from Rockler and yes - do buy and use an on an off switch independent of the router - safety, reliability, etc. More on the switch As others have noted, this is a great router. Mine spends most of its life in a router table with a router lift and works great. I use a remote switch mounted to the side of my table, so the switch on the router lives in the 'on' position. After regular use it was time to replace the bearing. In doing so I flipped the switch off. This led to an immediate switch failure. I tried using compressed air to clear sawdust, but this didn't work for me. After ordering a replacement switch from [...] and swapping it I'm up and running again. Its a pretty simple repair. I got curious about the failure on old switch, so I disassembled it (using a small screwdriver to gently separate the bottom from the sides and pulling the bottom portion out) and found that it was indeed packed with enough sawdust to prevent the contacts from meeting. I simply blew the sawdust out, repositioned the contact and snapped it back together. Good as new, took maybe 3 minutes and now I have a spare if this happens again. So if your switch fails and you're moderately mechanically inclined and own a continuity tester, you can easily order a new on from an online source, but you can also probably fix the switch yourself and not lose 3-4 days waiting for a part to arrive. Even if you make a mistake and damage the switch trying to repair it, you're no worse off than if you ordered a new one. For preventive maintainance, you might want to hit the switch with some compressed air on a regular basis just to minimize dust build-up.