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: Nice router, bad switch
Summary: 2 Stars
I've have a number of Bosch tools and they have all been good with the exception of 2 routers. One, the 1613 plunge router and this one, the 1617 plunge router/fixed base router kit. Both have bad switches. Both switches were replaced with new bad switches. Dust. How can a company that makes quality tools make routers with switches that are not dust proof? These routers were purchased 4-5 years apart. I thought that would be sufficient time to address the problem. Apparently not... No more Bosch routers for me.Customer Review: Not just another pretty face
Summary: 5 Stars
Oh sure this router will impress anyone who sees you using it, what with it's wooden handles and beautiful magnesium body, but more importantly it will impress you. The smooth start-up helps prevent that jarring twisting motion which can leave an ugly mark in your work. The 1/4" and 1/2" collets are nice, and give you versatility (but given the choice, go for 1/2" bits). It works great both free hand and attached to my router table. This machine is also very tough. Yesterday, I dropped from my 4 foot workbench, not a mark on it. Today, not learning from my prior mistake, I knocked it off one of my shelves, about 6 feet from the cement floor. It broke my home-made offset baseplate, but the router had not a mark on it. Some words of advice, when setting the router down, retract the bit and place the router face down on its baseplace, not on it's top which is tempting. I also purchased the Freud 91-100 13-Piece 1/2" Shank Set, which is a perfect compliment to an excellent tool.Customer Review: Notice, Everybody Raves About This Router
Summary: 5 Stars
No one router is all things to all people. This Bosch comes close. I have the 1617EVS, and liked it so much, I bought the 1617EVSPK, combo pack as well, with the fixed base and the plunge base. The motor easily slides out of one, and into the other. The slide out feature is built into the 1617 whether you are buying the combo pack, or the fixed base router. Makes it possible to add a plunge base, or remove it easily from under a table. It's so easy, I change bits that way.I have a Fein RT-1800, the Bosch 1619EVS, and a Porter Cable laminate trimmer router as well. I can't say enough about each one of them.
The thing that makes the Bosch line, especially the 1617 so special is two features: One is the bit centering feature. The other feature which sets is apart from the others, is the fine adjusting knob. Typically, you get close to the setting you want, on a regular router, but it is off by a little bit. So you loosen the clamp, and it jumps completely away from your setting. In frustration, you try again, and realize it is still off a little bit.
What did Bosch do? They allow you to get a gross setting, that you lock in, by releasing the spring loaded motor locking lever, then you are able to fine adjust your setting with the fine adjusting knob. Once you get it precisely where you want it, you lock the clamp. If you make a test run, and it is off a hair, no problem. You loosen the clamp, without losing your setting, and tweak the fine adjusting knob, and reclamp it. Takes about 30 seconds to get the perfect setting that way. Once you experience the fine setting you can get with this router, and so easily, their is no going back. You have to love this router for that feature alone. One critical note: For under the table work, most fixed base routers, including this one, have a shifting anomalie. When loosening the collar to change a setting, the router is capable of shifting slightly off axis, leaving a slight angle to the work. Machinist level accuracy without controlling that variable is tough. It may not show in your work, but if you want a base that keeps total accurate alignment, as in now swaying left to right, you need a plunge base router to do it. Unfortunately the plunge base that comes with the Bosch two base kit, does not have any kind of fine setting adjustment to it at all. The Bosch 1619evs 3 1/4HP behemoth is great for that, and with the spring defeat button, enables you to make adjustments without fighting a spring upside down. Porter Cable in their 8529 2HP plunge router came up with a simple idea to take care of that as well. They made their adjustment knob work independently of the plunge. That way when you loosen the collar, you do not lose a setting, and are able to fine adjust and reclamp.
Back to the Bosch. The soft start is nice, so it doesn't try and torque it out of your hands. The smart electronics is nice too. That way you pour on just the right amount of power, to keep the bit running at a constant speed.
I also like the way the maple handles look. All in all this is one sweet router. No wonder everybody raves about it.
Customer Review: Now where's the plunge base for this router?
Summary: 5 Stars
This router works like a dream, smooth, quiet, and precise. The dial depth adjustment is light years ahead of the PC kit I sold to buy this, and the speed adjustment, maple knobs, and even bit changes make me feel that I'll get a lot of good work out of this machine.I saw on Bosch's site that they'll soon offer a fixed/plunge kit like Porter Cable; I can't wait to get the plunge base for this motor.
A great machine; don't waste your time with anything else!
Customer Review: On and Off Switch Problem
Summary: 4 Stars
I used this router mostly table mounted and it got used quite a bit. I am making crown moldings, chair rails and baseboards out of hard and soft wood. After two months of constant use, the switch died on me. From reading other reviews, I know I did not just got sent a bad unit. This switch problem really exists.
I sent mine in for repair. It took three days but when I plugged my router in ready to work, it still didn't turn on. Called up the techs, said it worked when it left the Anaheim service center, and the only thing they can do is to try to fix it again so I sent it back. I was told that this is the second upgrade on this switch but they still receive a lot of repair orders so they are coming out with another upgrade and I have to wait another week for the switches to come in. Date of this review by the way is 6/2/2005 and I had this conversation with the techs on this day.
Now for the sake of all the current and future owners of this product, I hope this newest upgraded switch will work. I mean how hard is it tho seal the switch mechanism. Meanwhile, I am stuck without a hi-power router. My three other routers are not meant for the job I am doing now so what do I do, I purchased another 1617EVS. I just hope the switch works long enough for my first one to come back from repair so I can replace the switch on this one, hopefully before it dies out.
Why did I buy the same router when I am having problems with it and with the repair service I get, well, just read the other positive reviews. It's fundamentally a good router and it's a Bosch; but how about the engineers of this product get on the ball to come up with a sealed switch.