1617EVS 2.25 HP Electronic Fixed-Base Router

This is an excellent router. I'm using it in my router table. I like the compactness and ease of fitting into the router lift. The variable speed dial is helpful in matching speed to router bit size. I have another of the same make/model which I use for hand routing on a variety of projects. I also use it on the dovetail jig setup. The router is powerful and quite versatile. I have a dust collection system rigged up so routing is not so messy. The router is solid when handheld. The switch is on the motor. I sometimes think it would be safer to have it by the hand grips.

This router is as good as everyone else says - smooth, precision adjustments and speed regulation and powerful. Half-inch and quarter-inch shank bits fit and grip really well. Some notes when using with accessories, including the Bosch benchtop router table: The included router base with handles fits the Bosch benchtop router table and allows adjustment from either the top using an included hex key, or from a knob below. I find no need to adjust from the top with the hex key -- the fine built-in height adjustment knob is easier to use because one must always latch or unlatch the router prior to height adjustment. The hardwood handles may be left in-place when mounting the router on the Bosch table. There is no need to buy another under-table base if mounting to a Bosch table. The Bosch router table uses just 3 small #10-32 machine screws with no thrust or lock washers to hold this beast onto the router plate. Two straight, open-ended wrenches come with the router. I find no advantage or need to use offset wrenches when this router is mounted to the Bosch table. It would take a total redesign of the table to make it take three instead of five hands and a foot to change bits - the straight wrenches work fine once one gets the hang of it. Try the included wrenches before ordering the offset wrenches. Big bits work great. We needed to create relief / backout cuts on some custom hemlock moulding. I used a Freud 12-182 1-1/2 inch bottom cleaning bit set to a fairly shallow backout. The result was amazing. Effortless cutting, clean, no chatter. The motor speed regulation during cutting was excellent. This router is a great tool so far. I wish that I could say the same for the very poorly designed, very disappointing Bosch router table that works better than nothing. This nice router that deserves something much better.

I've been looking for a good router motor for my router table that has a really nice dust collection in the bottom of the case, and so far I've used a DeWalt and one from woodpeck.com and both died quickly due to the way the dust chips are handled in the motor. The most expensive one was sold as it's purpose was designed to be in a router table. It died the quickest. I tried this one after getting refunds for the other motors and so far this one has lasted longer than the others. The way the motor is cooled and the dust is handled at the bit end looks like it might actually handle the router table I have okay. This router has plenty of power, the bit changes are easy to do, even in a router table, and the variable speed works great! Since I'm not using the base that came with the router, I can't speak to adjustments and how it locks, but just looking at how it goes together and comparing that to a hand held trim router I have of the same style I believe it would be a good tool there as well.

I'm an avid DIY'er and replaced 10 interior doors recently using the Bosch 1617EVS router, Ryiobi door hinge installation and door latch kits, and Dewalt door lock installation kit. It was easy cutting the hinge recesses, door handle holes, and latches with these tools. I recommend using all of these. I bought door blanks. A few were too wide which I cut with a table saw. I simply laid an old door on the saw with as a bed with 2x4's supporting the outer edges. This worked fine. A couple were too long which I cut with a skill saw. The Ryobi hinge guide was perfect to guide the router cutting of hinge recesses. It mounts firmly and is precise including router bit depth setting. Be sure to let the router stop before removing it from the jig. This eliminates cutting into plastic noted in the other reviews. The Bosch router is great. It starts very smoothly with a controlled spinup. I felt no vibration and it was easy to control and guide. This is my first router and am very impressed. The Dewalt door lock install kit worked great to cut the door and lock mechanism holes. I just cut carefully to avoid chewing into the plastic. I had an extra 1" hole saw to cut the lock mechanism hole. The guide firmly attaches to the door. The Ryobi door latch kit was the only weak link. Ryobi needs to provide a router guide to cut the latches like the hinge kit. It's hard to hold the template steady and parallel to the door while striking with a hammer. Like others, I used wood chisels to remove the wood and a dremel with cutting tool to round the corners.

Mine came new from Bosch but was pretty scuffed from poor packing. Included tools are minimal but I guess it is all you need... It works well. I put it into a handheld router similar to Shaper.

This is my 2nd 1617. So very happy with my first that is in my router table, I wanted a second for other uses, Why not ? Quality and the price was the best around.

I've been a Bosch fan for the last several years, ever since I bought a Bosch Colt (small/compact) router. It was a quality, precision tool, and I started buying most of my tools with that brand since then. I used to favor Milwaukee, loving both my Sawzall and my 3/8" drill. When Milwaukee came out with their fancy designs on their battery operated hand tools, I thought I'd look around for something that wasn't quite as glitzy. That's when I tried the PS31 12Volt, 3/8" hand drill. About a dozen or so power hand tools later, they have almost always been Bosch. This one is corded for use with my table mount, but it's of the same high quality and precision that I've been accustomed to.

The ancient router that I had in my router table finally died, and that was actually the day after I had bought a JessEm Rout-R-Lift II Router Lift For 3-1/2" Diameter Motors, JessEm# 02310 . So I needed another router as well (big sigh). While I would prefer a 3.5 HP router for my router table that was not a consideration as (a) my router lift accepts on 3.5" diameter motors, and (b) large router motors are more expensive (as are the router lifts that can handle them properly. I considered the scenario in which I would return the lift I had just bought and build my own lift for probably a nanosecond and ordered this router. And I'm not disappointed in the least. I own and use 4 other routers (5 counting the dead one), and this one performs very respectably. I was impressed with the finish on the router, and I prefer NOT to have the "integrated locking mechanism" but would rather have the 2-wrench approach, a feature which this one has. So far (after instlaliing it in the router table) it had worked quite satisfactorily on about a dozen projects. The most difficult one was cutting dados in and doing large-diameter (1-1/2" dia) round-overs on piece of 200-year-old hickory (I had an ancestor who was a cabinet maker and inherited some of the stock he never got to use). The hickory was hard enough that it gave a 3.5-hp table saw a rough time even with a new WW2 blade (a recently-resharpened Fusion thin-kerf worked better FWIW). But I was able to cut a 23/64" dado in it in approximately 3/16" steps with no trouble, no burning of the wood, and no unpleasant surprises. My conclusion is that if I were going to do daily 8-hour plus production work using a lot of the tougher exotic hardwoods, this router might not be up to the task, and I'd want at least 3.5 hp unit for the job. But for occasional work with them (especially ipe, purpleheart, ebony and mesquite - the 4 exotics I use most often) I don't think I'll be having any problems. I'm glad I bought this router (and it works very well with the Jessem lift - it's one of that lift's design targets): I have no complaints about it and would buy it again. On a router lift I do find that an offset wrench blade is a useful thing to have (I already had a set so that was a happy coincidence), and if you're going to use it exclusively on a router lift, you might want to consider getting such a set. I have recommended it to other woodworkers including one family member. Definitely recommended