Customer Reviews for Bosch 1617EVS 2-1/4 HP Variable-Speed Router

Bosch 1617EVS 2-1/4 HP Variable-Speed Router

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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Bosch 1617EVS 2-1/4 HP Variable-Speed Router

Customer Review: Best ROUTER on the market!
Summary: 5 Stars

I researched routers and bought a few before the Bosch 1617EVS. I mounted the router in a Rockler router table and it is without a doubt the best router in it's class period! I build furniture and needed something to take both hard and soft woods. I have made raised panels without any problems. If you could love a router, I would love this one. Good job Bosch.

Customer Review: Best router I've ever used
Summary: 4 Stars

After using a variety of Craftsman and makita routers, I settled on the 1617EVS to use in a Bosch RA1180 table. I've used it for almost a year now and I am pleased. It is smooth, powerful, and well made. I have used it for raised panel doors, edges, grooves and dadoes. I have used it freehand with a dovetail jig. It has done everything I have asked of it without fail. I do have one complaint about the round base. There is no flat to run against a straight edge guide. Dust will build up in the adjustment mechanism when used in a router table, but this is a problem with all routers I am aware of. It is a simple matter to remove the motor from the base occasionally to clean it. I have also used the accessory edge guide and the dust collector attachments and they work very well.

Customer Review: Beware of Switch Problems
Summary: 2 Stars

I was told that they fixed the infamous switch problem a long time ago(2005?), so I went ahead and bought one. I have had it for about 2 years. After a few hours of very light hobby use, the switch failed exactly as many others have reported. I removed it and took it apart, and sure enough the switch was packed with saw dust. Imagine that, a router killed by saw dust! Amazing. I see that the Bosch website emphasizes that it "now has a dust proof switch". Brilliant. So, be warned that there may still be some units out there with the faulty switch. It's an easy and cheap fix, $15 for the part and shipping, but very frustrating to have to stop work in the middle of the job to fiddle with it, or worse, wait for parts to arrive.
UPDATE: I purchased a new switch and received it yesterday. They sent me the exact same dust prone switch, rather than the new dust proof one!

Customer Review: Bit Centering Feature
Summary: 5 Stars

I have read the other reviews and all they say is true but no one has mentioned the neatest feature of all. Many other routers have some of the features incorporated in this unit but none to my knowledge have the bit cetering feature. If one is using a dovetail jig or in fact ANY jig it is essential to have the collar perfectly concentric with the bit. This one does it and as a result it is the only router I reach for when doing these operations. Also, as nearly as I can tell, the outside of the base plate is concentric with the bit. This allows me to use the base plate as a guide for my dado cutting jig.(see Shop Notes for this jig) Last but not least, great thought was put into designing this router to keep it SIMPLE. This straight forward design makes it easy to use.