Router Fixed/Plunge Base Kit, Variable Speed, 1.25-HP Max Torque (DWP611PK)

Top quality router, highly recommend. Very easy to work with, intuitive and easy snaps and clamps, good quality cord, very convenient handles and transparent sub-plate — so good to finally see what I'm doing! And having fixed AND plunge bases in one kit — it's amazing for the money! The weight (I can operate with it single-handed!), size (on fixed base it can be conveniently held with just one palm) and power of this router is amazing — I flipped it over for a DIY router table — and it is very good even with large bits! Variable speed — you'll love it! Many trimming routers don't have it, but I sometimes use large bits and this is a must have for them, as you have to use lower speed to avoid burning. Be aware that fixed base has a standard "D" sub-plate, which hole doesn't accommodate standard 1-3/16" bushings, you'll have to buy a round plate replacement for this. But the round plate is quite small, making the footprint (and stability) is even smaller, so I just use the plunge base, which accommodates the bushings natively. Also be aware that this router doesn't have a vacuum attachment — you have to buy them separately. Both bases have their own attachments, so be prepared to pay, like, 6-8 additional dollars for each, if you are going to use the vacuum. The only con I can think of — the standard "D" sub plate (fixed base) and the replacement round one are quite small and you have to be careful holding the router flat to the table — but plunge base doesn't have this issue, it's much larger and sturdier. Highly recommend this router to anyone!

I bought this combo kit 7 or 8 years ago and thought I should weigh in with my experience. I purchased the fence to go with it. It has plenty of power - so much that I bought larger rabitting bits with 1/4" shanks which I normally wouldn't use with a trim router. (For instance, the Porter Cable trim router has a tiny goofy collett which really limits the bits you can use.) The fence is very adjustable and reliable. I use it almost exclusively with the plunge base because it adds so much versatility. Really, this is something of a crossover router since it is a little larger than most trim routers and it has more horsepower. I own some Porter-Cable routers, a Sears Craftsman, a larger (1-3/4 hp I think) DeWalt router with plunge base, and a Ryobi trim router. The Ryobi is cheap and good only for small router bits - mostly because it bounces around a bit when it engages the cut. Getting back to the DeWalt, it is a serious little commercial quality router and is probably the best I've ever owned, bar none. Most routers have design quirks which make them irritating to use in one way or another. The DeWalt has none of these quirks. It's just well designed and thoroughly reliable.

I was initially looking at the Bosch Colt after reading a magazine review. I wanted to get a "smaller" router for inlay work and the occational edge routing (I mainly use a router table). I went to a local Big Box Store to check it out the Colt in person and came across the Dewalt. It was a bit more expensive, but had some really nice features that the Colt didn't have such as the LED lights, plunge base option and the larger, more robust motor. I took the "plunge" on the Dewalt after reading reviews for a while. I finally got to use it for the first time and was pleasantly suprised by it's soft start motor, similar to my full sized Bosch that "pemanantly" sits in my router table and the LED's. It's a real joy to use a quality tool when woodworking...makes such a huge difference in my opinion. I also added the dust colletion shroud for the pluge base....it works so-so, but that my be due to the long run I have of 1.5 ID hose I have going to it from my 4" DC hose..just last night it did plug up, so there may be some fiddling that needs to be done here. Overall...if you are on the fence between the standard base model or the plunge base kit, for the extra money, it's nice to have that option right away...well worth the money as the smoothness and ease of operation of the plunge base was well thought out. The 1.25 HP motor is plenty strong for most uses, especially since one really shouln't route out too much material in one pass or with 1/4" router bits anyway. As far as the Colt vs. Dewalt debate...I can't comment on the pros or cons of the Colt, but if you go with the Dewalt I don't think you will have any regrets. I'm glad I spent the extra money for this "little" BIG router. Thanks Dewalt..tool well done! ps..I have bought several tools from Amazon and have been completely satisfied with their prices, service and delivery timelines thus far.

MOST EXCELLENT!!! Let me start out by saying that my progression into woodworking has only been for the last 2 years, and I buy tools as I need them. I am a single mom of 4 little ones and I'm trying to take care of things as best as I can... Which includes doing the traditional "dad" stuff. It started with wanting to make them a picnic table. So I bought a skill saw to go with my power drill and made saw horses to see if I could actually build anything. It worked! So I proceeded to make a great little kids picnic table (thanks to the great Ana White dot com building plans). Then my son wanted a loft bed, so I invested in a DeWalt 10" miter saw (Love it!) and we made his loft bed to his specifications. And the bug to build has taken over in me! I built steps down the steep hill in the back yard and a shed this summer..... And now on to new adventures with my new DeWalt compact router kit!!! In hopes to be a more self-sufficient artist, I have decided to take a crack at making my own frames. After much research and thinking, I decided a small router would work great..... And it does!! I received it in the mail today.... And by late tonight, after the kids went to bed, I made my first frame, which is sitting right next to me, glue drying. I bought an "L" groove bit to notch out the place where the glass and artwork sits- that is the routers job. Then I carefully measured and cut my pieces to size with the miter saw. I glued them with gorilla glue (which I bought because I liked the name of it and my kids liked the picture on the bottle LOL) and then I bought this great ratcheting band clamp by masterforce at Menards and clamped around it. Final touch was using my power shot stapler and reinforced the joint with 1/2 inch staples. -the joining seams look great, and I have a perfect shelf to set the glass in. -for you experts out there, I know this is so elementary. But for those starting out, I want you to know that this router was so easy and intuitive to pick up and use, having never used one before! So easy to stick the bit in, and it handled wonderfully! The guys at the hardware store tried to scare me a bit with the idea that it would "run away" from me in my hands (I was looking at the regular sized ones). But after looking at Many models, reading reviews, and watching utube videos of them in use, I chose this DeWalt, and Amazon had a great price and offer. I look forward to my accessories coming tomorrow. I think it will be really great to have the dust attachment. I was surely covered in sawdust, and I definitely want to keep that to a minimum as I'm running it in the basement and don't want my kids to my breathe it in. I am so excited to see how my use of this great tool will evolve as I think of new ways to use it. I love it!

With the Amazon price drop & DeWalt's current $30 rebate, I took the plunge (pun intended) on the DeWalt DWP611PK. I am *very* impressed! I like my Bosch Colt routers a lot and use them often, but IMO the DeWalt is clearly superior (although durability is unknown). The after-rebate price seems very fair for all this functionality. The only things that I prefer on the Colt are the: 1) Rubber grips (vs. the raised-dimple aluminum on the DeWalt). The Colt's grip is better when your hands get sweaty, and generally more comfortable. 2) Offset base which has come in handy a few times (no equivalent on the DeWalt) 3) Less-cheesy wrench (the DeWalt is flat stamped steel) 4) Hard case (the DeWalt comes with a canvas bag, but this is obviously personal preference) - see update below Only the grip and offset base are significant to me. In every other respect (accuracy, flexibility, precision, ease-of-use) the DeWalt is better than the Colt. Much of the dado-style & circle-cutting work that I do is with small bits where a 1/4" shaft works well (and a smaller/lighter router is easier to handle). But without a plunge base I was reluctant to use the Colt (I'm not comfortable plunging fixed-base routers...). The DeWalt plunge action is very smooth, and feels similar to my Bosch 1617 (but obviously with less tension). The plunge depth stop is just outstanding - very easy to adjust quickly, but also quite precise. DeWalt obviously did their homework, and hopefully the DWP611 is reliable. The overall quality is higher than I expected, with minimal slop and very precise adjustments. The little DeWalt has an abundance of small refinements that I'd read about in other reviews but are even more impressive in-person. One surprise is that the motor can easily be re-oriented 180 deg; this is helpful for handling the power cord or aligning the power switch with the correct base edge. The LEDs near the shaft work very well to illuminate the cutting zone. And the clear polycarbonate ("Lexan") bases are one less thing that I need to replace! If your woodworking includes lots of cuts appropriate for 1/4" shaft bits, definitely consider this router. My Colts are now relegated mostly to basic round-over work. FWIW, the one I received was made in Mexico. ** Update August 2011 ** If anything, my impressions of the DWP611 are even better after several months of use. So far, no reliability issues. The dust collection hoods are sturdy and work very well, although dragging around a hose for long cuts is a PITA so I only use the hoods for relatively small cuts. Overall, I just *love* this little router! I'm thinking about getting a second one and unloading one of my Colt's. The only reason I'd keep a Colt at all is for the occasional use of the offset base. The little DeWalt is just a much better router. FWIW, with all the accessories, I now prefer the canvas case. I'm not dragging the router around in the back of a pickup, and the canvas case is easier and faster for the relatively light DWP611. If the cost of the DWP611PK seems too high, then consider the fixed-base-only model: DEWALT DWP611 , but the plunge base is *very* handy, and what I use most often. Or, keep your eyes open for a periodic price-drop from Amazon, and/or a rebate from DeWalt. :D

This router is so cool. Very versatile tool and also at a great price. The quality of the tool feels great and its really easy to use. This was the first router I ever bought and it was also the first time I ever used one and I had no problems getting the hang of it. The only downside to getting this router which I found out after I purchased it was that its a compact router so I learned that if I want to buy a router table later in the future, I will need to really hunt for a table that will accept this compact router. Most tables will take the regular sized routers. So I was kind of bummed by that. I wish I spent a little more and got the regular size dewalt router that runs on amazon for around $192. Also this compact router comes with a carrying bag that is a little tight of a fit so not much else you can throw in there but I was still able to add my router bit wooden box in there but I have to play a little tetris when doing this because like I said, its a pretty tight fit. The dewalt router for $192 I believe this comes with a hard case but I'm not certain, all I can say is do your research before buying this router. Overall I am still very pleased with this router. It does a GREAT job and would buy again if I didn't need a router table set up in the future.

This is a fantastic little router. I got a great deal on this because I happened to be in the marked for a small router when this was on sale, and the low price grabbed me. However, now that I've used it I'm so pleased I would gladly pay full price for another one if I broke it tomorrow. The plunge base is buttery smooth, and the depth stop is much more precise than I expected. The fixed base is VERY easy to adjust, and locks tight with zero change in the depth of cut even after several passes. This little fella is also surprisingly powerful for its size, routing 3/4" channels for t track with ease, and is shockingly quiet (for a router anyways... my porter cable is deafening compared to this thing). It's so good that my 2 1/4 hp router permanently lives in my router table now, and this router handles everything else. These things have come a long way beyond just being used for laminate trimming or light edge treatments. DeWalt really knocked this one out of the park and is really starting to build a reputation of quality and reliability in my eyes.

Great little router!!! I love this little router. It is powerful, compact, and lightweight. And most of all it is QUIET!!!!! And I do mean quiet. Compared to my sears 2.75HP router, this thing is like whisper mode. Even when the bit hits the wood the router doesn't get loud. I like the variable speed dial too. Along with the plunge base it makes this router the perfect tool for all your router needs The router came with a nice zippered bag to store the base and router. It makes it nice to keep everything together in the shop. I've made 3/4in wide x 3/8in deep dado cuts in 3/4in cabinet grade oak plywood with this routher and the Dewalt Track Saw Guide attachment. It never even bogged down. As matter of fact I started the cut and had to double check to make sure the bit was in contact with the wood. If it weren't for the saw dust flying I would have thought the bit didn't contact the wood. I know a lot of it is the bit. But not all of it... If the router doesn't have the oomff to spin the bit it doesn't matter how great it is. I'm pleased. Don't plan on buying another router. But if I do it will be a Dewalt for sure and probably a model 611