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I bought this combo about 2 years ago. Also, I've used the variable speed to deal with White Oak and Cherry versus Mahogany and poplar and pine. I thought this was a good compromise.
Plunge is my most used grip.I've used it for edging and for raised panels using a vertical bit (panel is verticle instead of flat to the table). I'm not a professional so I don't put it through a lot of hours of continuous use, but it certainly does the job for me and has held up without wear.Very happy with it and have recommended to many friends. I have the router motor mounted in a quik lift from woodpecker most of the time, but occasionally use by hand and it's really nice having the option of the grips.
I have access to the Humber College night school shop (Toronto, Ontario, Canada and and excellent program) and we use PCs there and I don't notice any difference. I've had no issues at all and found this be very good compared to to a PC and much better value if you ask me. PC is the name and are great, but they know it so they charge a premium.
The carry case is a nice have. I like the detachable power cord and the location of the power switch.Good job Dewalt.
I almost soiled myself after doing some flush routing. How unfortunate since the set is fairly expensive compared to the craftsman I could have purchased. 2 minutes into the project the router started rattling and spinning at dangerously high rpms. I had to fidget while holding the router with one hand since the on-off switch is out of thumbs reach when using the fixed base. It appears I am not the only customer that has had this problem. Spare yourself the hassle and buy something else.
The second time I used the router (in 2 years, I'm not much of a woodworker) the magnetic ring that controls the varispeed feature shattered into ~16 pieces that I fished out of the motor and it won't run anymore. Some pieces must still be in the motor since if I spin the tip after turning it on it will start spinning, but stutters never reaching full speed. This will be the last Dewalt product I purchase sadly since much of my tool collection is yellow.
I'm working on a countertop project. I made an adapter plate to mount the fixed base to one side of my table saw. This is unfortunately when I discover by calling DeWalt's customer service that the "limited" warranty counts this failure as "normal wear and tear" and thus is not covered. Also really like the detachable cord--it connects cleanly and solidly with ease and gives me the confidence when switching bits that nothing will go wrong (yes, I actually unplug it to switch bits, call me paranoid).
Would I have to have forensic evidence to somehow prove that there was a crack in some internal part originally. It has been a solid tool for light to moderate use in my home workshop.Now, about that "3 Year Limited Warranty". I bought it in Sept 2006 (this review is in Jan 2009). Got the kit with three bases to be able to handle varied set ups. I have had good luck with most of my DeWalt tools and I generally prefer them for their build quality and value. I have handled this router with care and respect (I have a variety of tools that I have owned for several decades, I take care of them and I keep them) and this part is INSIDE the enclosed housing.
My local service center guy informed me yesterday that it will take at least 2 weeks to get the part and fix it and that it will cost at least $50 + parts. So, what would count as a manufacturer's defect.
This is now my first experience with their service system and alas it will certainly make me take a closer look at those blue and red tools on future purchases. I really like that the motor can be easily switched between bases so the fixed base stays on my table saw all the time and I can pull out the motor for other work with the D-handle or the plunge base.
I am left feeling like the 3 year limited warranty is effectively meaningless to consumers. In the middle of the work I start it back up for another pass with the D-handle and I hear a crack and some bits flying inside.
I removed the top cover to see if I could see anything, and sure enough a small magnet ring that sits right under the top bearing has broken--a part one inch in diameter that probably costs about a dollar. Mind you, this is not just meant as a rant.
Hope that's worth two cents.
I purchased this router to do speaker cabinet work and also to be part of a tool collective my friends created. hardness of material would have been nice, but given the general instructions that came with it are not written all that well (as corroborated by a friend that has grown up with woodworking), that is probably out of scope. That said, I don't know if it is a consistency issue, but the machining of the holes for the rails was unfinished/partially blocked, and required some work to get the rails to actually slide through them the first time.
The motor swapout, while very handy, is also rather difficult depending on the base it is in. After getting used to using the product, this is my only remaining complaint. After looking at the price point I wanted, this was the only real option on the list.We have used Plunge Base and the Fixed Base, but not the D-Handle (that I know of).
The case is a nice size, and easy to store, however there isn't a location for more than a tiny box of bits, and that involves some gerrymandering of the loose parts. The depth adjustments on the plunger are rather non-exact and require a lot of work to get it setup just right. The guide rails for the fixed base are great.
My workbench is setup for electronics and not woodworking normally, so keeping various tool-sets together is quite important to me.As a person that is relatively new to woodworking myself (rather than just helping others), having a guide as to speed vs. I definitely recommend it, but I can't give it 5 stars.
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