Best Router Table Reviews & Buying Guide 2016

Introduction: Router tables are woodworking machines where a router protrudes spun from a table at a speed of 3000-24000 rpm. Router tables are seen in used either in three ways of the following. One where a fence is being used, another ‘no fence is being used’, and the last one, pin-router accessory being used! For the woodworkers’ router tables have very little alternatives for a different kind of task of them.

But there are many routers tables around us and therefore sometimes is becomes really difficult to find a good table out of a number of products. There are numbers of good producers and brands available in the market. All they are producing good products and the quality of those tables varies depending on the price and the buyers’ purpose of buying.

If you want to get a usual router table, I would say it’s a simple job to perform. But in need of finding the best router table within a particular budget, you must learn how to buy it.  Unless you know the features of a good router table it would be really tough to assess data. This is why I’m going to suggest some tips to follow in this buying guide.

Three Popular Router Tables in Brief

At this section, I’ll mention the names of three good router tables of different brands. You can find some eminent features and significance of those tables. After reading the features and specifications of the following products, you can easily able to find your best fit. Here are those router tables as follows.

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This is one of the best router table for a beginner. You can get it at an affordable price range. Bosch is the producer of it. You can get it in blue color. Here are some features and specifications of it. Take a look.

• It is a good router table that has a product dimension of 4.8 * 27 * 24.2 inches.
• Its weight is only 45 pounds, so you can easily change the working zone. Besides transporting this table is easy as because its weight is nominal.
• You don’t need any battery to run it. Besides you can get one year warranty from the manufacturer. Moreover, there is 30 days money returning options available if your find this table is not working upon your expectation. So in many ways, your money is protected.
• It has a tall aluminum fence and adjustable MDF face-plates. Therefore, you can work with long work pieces easily.
• Its mounting plate is made of rigid aluminum enable its users to cut with accuracy. You can use it in other router tables too.
• The accessory slot of this router table accepts feather board! This feature is not so common in other router tables.
• This table has two dust collecting port and has 2.5-inch vacuum hoses. It has dual outlet switching with a six-foot power cord. It has integrated lock system. Therefore, you can easily protect the machine from unauthorized usage.
• This router table has adjustable clear guard and starter pin. It has two outfeed fence-shims too.
• This table is designed for versatile usages with precision. You don’t need to rest the machine after a couple of hours; rather you can keep working until your work is finished. This router table can offer your enduring value. As a professional who recently joined in woodworking works, you can hardly get a better router table than this one.
• This router table has a noise reduction feature which is the sign of environment friendliness. So you can work hours after hours with this table without getting tired of noise emission.
• It can offer you cabinet style construction. This might not be the best router table for cabinet making, but I would say you can try; the result would be above average.

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This is one of the best router tables for bosch production houses. You can get it at a reasonable price range. You can get a thirty days money return warranty with this table. Here are some features and specification of it. Take a look.

• This is a popular router table of Bosch that has a product dimension of 27 * 18 * 14.5 inches.
• Its weight is only 34.4 pounds that enable its user better portability and carrying. If you have a large woodworking place, you can try placing this table in a different area for getting a new look of your workplace.
• This table is made of Aluminum. It has a manual power source. You can get clear coated aluminum top in this router table.
• You can get one-year servicing protection plan with the purchase of this router table, along with one yearlong limited manufacturer warranty.
• This router table is compatible with almost all sorts of router tables. It has two feather boards and those are adjustable.
• There is separate dust collecting port in this table that would enable you to keep dust out of the box in a minimal time period. Removing dust from the table is essential from router tables to get more woodworking space and to work faster than average speed. This is why having good dust collecting port is important.
• This router table has a dual-outlet switch and a six feet power cord. It has MDF face plates too like other router tables with aluminum made mounting plates. Its mounting hardware can adjust with any kind of router, which is another key feature of this router table.
• The working surface of this router table is 27 inches by 18 inches. It has adjustable clearing guard, started pin and out-feed fence.
• This router table is efficient it taking extra load, as it has 15 Amp switch that is made for doing heavy duty on demand. There is lockout key and a six-inch cord too.
• This router table can be wrapped conveniently as it has built-in cord wrapping.

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This is probably the best router table for cabinet making. Bench Dog is the producer of it. You can get this router table is the white color. Here are some of its features and specifications. Take a look.

• This is a great router table of Bench Dog which has a product dimension of 26.8 * 22.8 * 5.1 inches.
• The overall weight of this table is 43.2 pounds. It’s a not much for a router table and a fully grown adult male woodworker can handle this weight easily.
• Limited two years of warranty is offered with the purchase of this router table from the manufacturer. You can receive all the important hardware & essential instructions as a ‘manual guide’ when buying the table.
• This router table has melamine cabinet system. It has easy acrylic insert option that can accept almost all types of routers. It has extruded aluminum fences with T-slots.
• It is an ample 16/22 inch router table having a plastic made laminate top.
• This router table has exclusive twin rails made of steel. Therefore, the router itself receives good support from the system and can work with strength.

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Tips & Tricks for Choosing a Router Table and Using It!

Different kinds of router tables are available. So it is good to follow some steps to get the best product from the market. At this section, I would like to focus on that area.

• If you are a person who wants to get a good router table in recent days and you never used such tools before, please read router table reviews to get an initial idea. This can be good from many perspectives, even if you already have a table.
• After that, you should fix your budget. It is important; otherwise, you might spend more than your budget. Get rid out of the idea that spending more can bring you a better table. While deciding about the budget, you also should know the purpose of your buying.
• If you are a non-professional person, I would suggest you not to spend a lot in getting the best table from the market. But if you want heavy duty router table, spend a bit time to get a better product that can offer your longevity.
• Now select some brands that have a global reputation and where you can put your faith in. Select some router tables within those brands.
• Read the features of those selected products and make your product list shorter.
• At this point reassess your necessity and think about your budget once more. Evaluate the features and specifications of the shortlisted products and make your decision to buy a particular one.
• Get your router table

While using the table, you don’t forget about the maintenance of it. You should take care of it after each day of working. Always use your tool cleaner to start cleaning. Never allow to remain cropped wooden piece inside after the working. Wet wooden pieces are even more harmful to a router table. Even though a good router table has owned dust collection port, still it is good to clean the working surface after the work.

Don’t forget to read the user manual before starting to work with your table. Not all the products of the different brands have the same operating system, so you have to keep your keen eyes over that issue too. Yes, basic of using router tables are the same, but reading manual can help you to adjust fast with a particular machine. While working, it is good if you can remember the following.

• Position the hands distant from bits.
• Try to wear eye & hearing protection all the times.
• Try to work with low diameter bits and take small cuts as long as you can. Heavy cutting can invite kick backing. In some cases heavy cuts are necessary and in such cases try to work from a distance.
• Try to use the feather board always to get support against the fence.
• Climb cut should be avoided as long as you don’t have that expertise. Shaping small stocks requires more patience and carefulness. Try to use guard always.
• Don’t overload your router unless you are experienced enough to tackle that. It is not good to force the bit too.
• Before starting your router to work, motor needs to be secured first. Don’t insert bits partially. 

FAQs

Though you get the basics of buying a good router table already, still there might be some questions spreading around your mind. This section will cover that area. Just take a look at it.

How much should I spend to buy a router table?

• It depends on the purpose of your buying. If you want a heavy duty router table, definitely you need to spend more. Note it; a same featured router table might vary in prices from brand to brand.

Can I cut anything else other than wood with my router table?

• As long as the material is soft that the wood, I presume there is no problem. But if the object is hardened than the wood, it would not be a good decision.

Can I remove the fence to get more comfort while working?

• Yes, you can as the fence is completely removable.

Which is the best brand that produces router table?

• It is tough to mention a name as best. But I can refer the names of Bosch, Bench Dog. They are good at producing router tables and doing the job for a couple of decades. 

Conclusion

Now you know about the router tables a lot. Try to covert the learning into practice. While buying a router table try to remember the areas where you should look at. Try to select a good brand and a good product that can support your necessity. Don’t spend less or more, rather try to spend the amount which can bring you good. Following all the steps properly can easily bring you the best router table in the fastest period of time.