When shopping for your next router you’ll likely come down to performance as a key decision factor.
One of the most obvious ways to measure performance is horsepower. But, as the Rockler blog noted recently, “there’s more than one way to measure horsepower, and some aren’t a good indication of how a router will work in an actual woodworking situation.”
Your best bet will be to gauge the KIND of work you intend to do with a particular router and fit that to a rated amperage.
As the Rockler blog says:
“If you need a router mainly for light -duty, handheld machining for inlay and whatnot, a king-sized 15 amp model might not be the best choice. And by the same token, a lightweight, easy to handle 10 amp or less router will turn out to be a disappointment if the plan is to whip out raised panels on a router table from 9 to 5.”
Learning about how electric motors work is another way to educate yourself before making a decision.
The Rockler blog provides a link to “Electric Motors Frequently Asked Questions.”
Check out Rockler’s post Router Horsepower if you’re trying to make up your mind about which router’s going to work best for you.
I’ve asked for router-selection input from the guys at FamilyWoodworking.org too.
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