Manufacturer
Model
Category
Power (Watts)
Weight (kg)
Rotation Speed
E.R.P. (Inc. GST)
TradeTools Direct
TTD1200ER
1200
3.7
11500/32000
$98.00
Metabo
OFE1229
3.4
5000/25500
$0
Hitachi
M12SA2
1700
6.2
22000
$319.00
DeWalt
DW625E-EX
1850
5.1
8000/20000
GMC
R1200SK
4.1
8000/31500
M12V2
2200
6.3
8000/22000
Makita
3612C
2300
6.0
9000/23000
$598.00
Festool
OF1400EBQ
1400
4.5
10000/22000
TTD1500ER
1500
8000/25000
$148.00
OFE1812
1800
For comparative purposes we have generally placed tools in the following categories. Light Duty, Trade Duty or Industrial Duty however some tools may need to cross over between categories. Click here for an explanation of these categories.
In Brief. The more tools we bench test, the more certain we are that there are very few tools that stand out in terms of NOT doing the job! Routers are no exception; once again all of the machines tested did the job - and they did it well. Machines that we felt are worth a special mention here were the TradeTools Direct TTD1200ER and GMC R1200SK – yes, both under $100! These two machines cost about one tenth as much as the highest scorer (Festool). Please read on! We were really quite disappointed to find that a few of the more expensive models do not include a carry case as standard equipment. We think that a decent supplied case for your router is important for 2 reasons. Firstly, for most of us, routers spend a lot of their time sitting on the shelf. Isn’t it better for them to be inside a closed case (we think so!)? Secondly, routers have quite a few attachments – a fence, router cutters, spanners, template guides to name a few. Cardboard boxes don’t last long and these things easily get misplaced, unless they have a home like a designated case. Looking over the reviewer’s results of all of the machines, all scored very highly & the reason for this is simple. They all proved excellent in operation, they are comfortable to use, well designed and all seemed well manufactured. What We Did. Our test machines were supplied by the following high quality tool manufacturers or suppliers (in no particular order); Metabo, GMC, TradeTools Direct, DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita and Festool. We would like to thank all of these manufacturers for supplying their tools to be reviewed. We unpacked and examined each of the routers on our test bench prior to use. We recorded some of the more obvious visual details such as basic features and specifications. Although we are not able to advise on how long the equipment tested will actually last in the field, we did examine the materials & overall manufactured finish to give you a considered opinion of how robust the machine may prove to be. We do not dismantle tools as a normal part of our testing procedure. Results of this opinion are shown as our quality assessment. We try to get a ‘feel’ for each machine that we test. To do this we use them as close as we can to a normal application. For these routers, we simply routed a groove in a piece of pine for a few minutes until we felt comfortable using each tool. We then record our views on how comfortable, smooth, easy, noisy etc each tool is to use. We examine any accessories that are included in the purchase price and give an opinion of how robust the tool and its accessories appear to be. Each tool is then awarded a score based on our opinion of how well the machine handled and how robust the tool appears to be. We do appreciate that we are in a reasonably unique position when it comes to being able to actually use the tools. Most tool buyers can only look at the tool in a tool specialist and then try to get an overall impression of how the tool will perform. This could be based on the performance of a different tool of the same brand, comments from mates or advice received from the tool salesperson. In our reviews we try to offer a simple & unbiased opinion of what we thought of each tool as we were using them. We then offer an assessment that takes account into what sector of the market that we believe each tool is most suited.
In Brief. The more tools we bench test, the more certain we are that there are very few tools that stand out in terms of NOT doing the job! Routers are no exception; once again all of the machines tested did the job - and they did it well. Machines that we felt are worth a special mention here were the TradeTools Direct TTD1200ER and GMC R1200SK – yes, both under $100! These two machines cost about one tenth as much as the highest scorer (Festool). Please read on! We were really quite disappointed to find that a few of the more expensive models do not include a carry case as standard equipment. We think that a decent supplied case for your router is important for 2 reasons. Firstly, for most of us, routers spend a lot of their time sitting on the shelf. Isn’t it better for them to be inside a closed case (we think so!)? Secondly, routers have quite a few attachments – a fence, router cutters, spanners, template guides to name a few. Cardboard boxes don’t last long and these things easily get misplaced, unless they have a home like a designated case. Looking over the reviewer’s results of all of the machines, all scored very highly & the reason for this is simple. They all proved excellent in operation, they are comfortable to use, well designed and all seemed well manufactured. What We Did.
Our test machines were supplied by the following high quality tool manufacturers or suppliers (in no particular order); Metabo, GMC, TradeTools Direct, DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita and Festool.
We would like to thank all of these manufacturers for supplying their tools to be reviewed. We unpacked and examined each of the routers on our test bench prior to use. We recorded some of the more obvious visual details such as basic features and specifications. Although we are not able to advise on how long the equipment tested will actually last in the field, we did examine the materials & overall manufactured finish to give you a considered opinion of how robust the machine may prove to be. We do not dismantle tools as a normal part of our testing procedure. Results of this opinion are shown as our quality assessment. We try to get a ‘feel’ for each machine that we test. To do this we use them as close as we can to a normal application. For these routers, we simply routed a groove in a piece of pine for a few minutes until we felt comfortable using each tool. We then record our views on how comfortable, smooth, easy, noisy etc each tool is to use. We examine any accessories that are included in the purchase price and give an opinion of how robust the tool and its accessories appear to be. Each tool is then awarded a score based on our opinion of how well the machine handled and how robust the tool appears to be. We do appreciate that we are in a reasonably unique position when it comes to being able to actually use the tools. Most tool buyers can only look at the tool in a tool specialist and then try to get an overall impression of how the tool will perform. This could be based on the performance of a different tool of the same brand, comments from mates or advice received from the tool salesperson. In our reviews we try to offer a simple & unbiased opinion of what we thought of each tool as we were using them. We then offer an assessment that takes account into what sector of the market that we believe each tool is most suited.