Wood Routers: How to decide on just one - Part 3
More power is always 'good' in some people's opinion, and frankly it never hurts to have it available if it can be controlled and you are not forced to deal with it at all times. In addition to potential lack of control there can be cost and weight issues to think about. This is because most woodworking routers in excess of 2 hp tend to be heavier and of course more expensive models designed for professional and long-term sustained usage.
Enjoy precision height control with a router table and lift combination.
The weight becomes much less of an issue, however, if you are going to be mounting the router to a table. Some models such as the Milwaukee 5625 are perfect for this niche. The Milwaukee 5625 includes soft-start motor which is designed to avoid torque and flexes when the motor starts up. It has multiple stage depth adjustment that lends itself perfectly to a router lift system. The model also allows for easy adjustment even if no lift is used, even supplying a T-wrench and enough lift to access the collet for easy bit changes from the top of the table. Even though this model doesn't have dust control most router tables do build in some form of dust control.
Please note, you may experience excess height slip when raising or lowering a router mounted in a wood working router table without a lift system. This typically happens while you use your arms to muscle the router height with the lock downs loosened. The resistance of the plunge springs lessens your height adjustment accuracy. This minor, but often irritating, phenomenon is common. You can get around it by using a router lift. In short, it's hard to beat table mounting a Milwaukee 5625 in combination with a good quality lift.
Many reviews agree with this assessment, and some journals such as Wood Magazine may point out that plunge routers have some advantages such as built-in dust control and lessened vibration. Yet they still agree that, for a dedicated table mount, there are few other models all around as good as the Milwaukee 5625.
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