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My only regret is that it did not come in a kit with a plunge base as the 1617 does. I repeated the steel wool treatment followed it by a wiping of clear shellac and so far so good.
It has plenty of power, and is still light and agile enough to make it the first router I try to use for every project. I bought it in part to replace a 1.5 hp router I had given away, and I can't tell that it weighs any more than the 1.5 hp model.
This is the third router I've purchased, and about the sixth I've seriously used, and it is an excellent tool. I buffed it with steel wool and the depth adjustment again worked smoothly until it reoxidized (apparently ther is a coating on the original motor housing).
It is a bit bigger around, and is at the limits of what I can "one-hand." I have owned this router for about 3 years and it shows no significant signs of wear. I made the mistake of leaving it out in an unheated garage one winter and the motor body oxidized, making the depth adjustment unbearably stiff.
Despite my mucking around, I've never had any perceptible problem with the motor being off-center in the base.I found the trigger lock button too short to make it ergonomically useful, so I replaced the plastic button with a slightly longer machine screw the head of which I turned down in a drill press.I bought this because I really wanted to try a D-handle router, and if this is your object I'm confident you won't be disappointed. In fact, if I were just breaking into woodworking and wanted to buy only one router to fulfill all of my forseeable wants I would get the 1617 with the fixed and the plunge bases; it is simply too cost effective to pass over.
I am impressed with the 1618 and its oodles of power and smoothness. I got this little gem earlier this year to replace an old Craftsman antique that still "works." I didn't get a chance to use it 'til last week making some cabinet doors. It's like the difference between driving an old used car (it gets you there) and a new BMW (it also gets you there, but the experience is rather different). I specifically wanted a D handle and am glad I specified this particular unit. I recommend it.
The microfine depth adjustment is another great feature along with the resettable indicator ring. It has plenty of power unless you are using shaper sized router bits.
I've used it for many different applications. This is a quality built router.
Of all the routers I have used, this one ranks among the top in quality. One nice feature is that the base edge (all 360 degrees) is dimensionally constant in relation to the bit.
This produces accurate work when you use a fence or a "clamp & tool" guide. Then you may opt for a larger model.
I would buy this router again and have no complaints.
It's quiet, smooth, and very easy to control thanks to the D-handle design. This is the best router this size I have ever owned. It produces extra smooth cuts in all woods with many different types of router bits. In my shop I use lots of routers for specific jobs ans have tried lots of brands. This 1 3/4 HP router is hands down the best I have used. As I said, I have tried many different brands (Porter-Cable, Dewalt, Ryobi, Craftsman) with only the Porter Cable 690 even coming close in terms of quality. It costs a little more than a PC but, as in most things, you get what you pay for.
The Bosch router is very quiet for a router; much quieter than my Sears, Makita 3612B plunge router, or Dewalt. This is my fourth router and so far, it is the best of the lot. The fit and finish on it is great. The d-handle significantly enhances control of the machine, particularly during edge treatments. I expect it will be a great help with dovetails too, when I get around to doing some drawers in a couple of months. I have nothing bad to say.even the collet works easily. The Bosch fellows have hit a home run; remember though that the Porter-Cable folks still have a lock on after-market add-ons for their equipment if you are so inclined.
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