This is a great set of the most common sized template guides. They come in a nice, sturdy case that has room for 3 extra guides should you buy another size. What's great about these adapters is that they snap into your Bosch router - quick and easy and they stay in place.
However, the REAL selling point of this guide set is that it comes with the RA1100 threaded guide adapter. This adapter allows you to use Porter-Cable template guides in a Bosch Router. Many reviewers complain when they buy a PC dovetail jig or inlay kit that comes with a PC template guide, that it doesn't fit in their router...One guy hemmed and hawed that he had to create a custom baseplate for his Bosch router so that he could use his PC template guide! There's an easier way! It's the RA1100. It too snaps into the router just like a template guide, but it's slot is just the right size to fit threaded guides from PC. It's the ultimate in versatility.
Great guide set, but the PC adapter makes it a must own. Bosch RA1125 7-Piece Router Template Guide Set
The Bosch template adapters are handy due to the quick-change feature, but they are poorly made, among the few Bosch products I don't enthusiastically recommend. If you own a set of Porter-Cable adapters, you can save $15 by getting the RA1100 PC-Bosch adapter alone. Amazon has it for less than $7. It is cast (not stamped), solid, and locks into my Bosch routers very securely. The PC adapters fit the RA1100 very closely, so there are no problems with slop or poor centering. This is my preferred method of using template adapters on my Bosch routers.
BOSCH Tool-free Templet Guide Adapter for Competitor Templet Guides RA1100
I have recently purchaed a Bosch router and love it. It came with the adapter for these templates and they make changing different sizes a snap. No locking collar, just essentially snap them in and your ready to do dovetails, follow patterns, etc.
These work allright but aren't the best made guide bushings out there. They're made up of 2 pieces pressed together kind of like a rivet. They're ok, but not heavy duty. The Porter Cable type guide bushings are a little beefier & made with thicker metal. What I ended up using was just the PC adapter (available by itself at any wood working store), a set of PC guide bushings (available anywhere) & a centering pin. Make sure to close the lever tight on the Bosch template adapter, otherwise it can move around & the bit won't be centered in the bushing. Personally I find these reviews very helpful & want to say thanks to the people who write them. They can definitely save us some time, money & headaches. If you have an opinion on a product I encourage you to put it in writing. Happy wood working!!
These guides are cheap 2-piece guides with the "barrel" guide swaged into the "base". You would be better off to just buy the PC adaptor from a Bosch Service Center and buy PC templates or a PC guide set. True the BOSCH snaps in but I had one come apart at the swage, the first time I used it, dropping the barrel of the guide into the mortise I was routing, while the bit was spinning. Ruined a $32 bit and the guide was ruined. Bosch offered to replace the guide, but I would have had to package it and ship it and wait for who knows how long to recieve the replacement. I just chucked the guides and replaced them with Porter Cable guides. You would be better off to just buy the PC adaptor from the Bosch Service Center and buy a PC template guide set. These guides are cheap, poorly made JUNK.
NOTE: If you ever plunge your router into the top of the BOSCH guide (let the collet nut even touch the guide- and who hasn't) both your guide and your bit will be history, due to the swaged construction. Also, if the swage is loose (and it will get loose if you use it) your route will be sloppy and the guide will probably contact the cutting edge of the bit. I say this from experence, not to dog the product. I love the router, hate the guides.
Not very well made and not what I would expect from Bosch. There is too much play in the guides when they are seated in the holder. A better solution is to replace the stock base with a clear base with a standard opening that will accept regular guides.
This set seems okay, but it utilizes 2-piece construction, so the guide can loosen or eventually separate from the base. I think the most useful part of the kit is the RA1100 adapter, which can be used to install Porter-Cable (PC) style threaded template guides on the Bosch router sub-base. You can pick up PC threaded template guides just about anywhere. The RA1100 adapter is available separately for about $7: Bosch RA1100 Threaded Router Template Guide Adapter
For reference, the following adapter sizes are included in this Bosch kit:
RA1100: threaded template guide adapter
RA1103: 5/16" OD, 17/64" ID, 9/64" depth
RA1105: 7/16" OD, 3/8" ID, 9/64" depth
RA1109: 1/2" OD, 13/32" ID, 7/16" depth
RA1113: 5/8" OD, 17/32" ID, 1/2" depth
RA1115: 3/4" OD, 21/32" ID, 3/16" depth
RA1121: 1-3/8" OD, 1-19/64" ID, 7/16" depth
It is a very nice set of template guides. Much easier to use than other guides because of the turn and snap in feature. But the main reason I bought this set of guides is because of the RA 1100 adapter which allows you to use porter cable and other 1 3/16" template guides. That was the main selling point for me.
Bosch certainly makes some very fine power tools, but this accessory is very poor in my opinion. It is not any easier to install than Porter-Cable, and quality is lacking. The case is very poor. It is very difficult to get the guides out and to put them back. They really should use a system like the Porter-Cable. Porter-Cable is simple, easy and very accurate. These even have "cheap" appearance. - Templates - Router - Bosch - Router Templates'
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