I have been using this router table for a few weeks now and wanted to address some comments from previous reviewers. The table is actually quite easily assembled by simply following the instructions. All holes line up easily if you refrain from tightening the fasteners down all the way until after they are all in place (a recommended procedure for assembling any knock-down item). The mounting plate is easily leveled as well. The hardware used for this purpose looks very much like a threaded insert, so someone who has not read the directions may thread them all the way down, thus preventing adjustment. Also, a magazine review mentioned that the dust collection port interfered with guard adjustment. As it turns out, the dust port can be attached in two different orientations, one of which does not interfere with the guard adjustment. I found two things on the down side, both fairly minor. The plastic edge aroung the perimeter of the table was slightly proud of the table surface in a few places, but is easily leveled with a block plane. And the outlet on the inside of the table is difficult to see when plugging in the router. Bosch RA1171 Cabinet Style Router Table
I did not experience the problems prior reviewers had. I was able to perfectly level the plate with the tabletop as delivered, and the kit assembled fine without any quality issues. I'd prefer it had a larger surface area, which is why I give it 4 stars, but the nice feature is the enclosed cabinet to help mute the router noise. I bought the undertable bracket mount with the above-table adjustment capability, and all works great.
I purchased this table along with a Bosch Router Combo set Bosch 1617EVSPK 2.25-HP Combination Plunge & Fixed-Base Router Pack and dedicated base Bosch RA1165 Undertable Router Base with Above Table Hex Key. I've had it in operation for about a week, and am really enjoying the unit.
Assembly went pretty well. I didn't experience some of the issues others did when they assembled their units. I did find that I ended up with a nice assortment of extra bolts, nuts, etc, which for the life of me I can't figure out where they would have gone. Suffice to say, every hole is filled and it hasn't collapsed yet. No real fit or finish issues with the table. I really like the cast aluminum plate, which is predrilled for many routers. The base I purchased fit perfectly, with a dedicated hole for the above table adjustment screw. Several competing tables use plastic plates -- as heavy as a full size router is, deflection over time is a risk.
In operation, I've been fairly pleased. The above table dust capture works well (I have an older Sears 2.25hp shop vac) once you adjust the fence boards around the router bit. The base dust collection really is not very good -- there's too many cracks and such around the door and screw holes, so there isn't much of a draft through the back hole. I think you really would benefit from the dust collection accessory for this router in real use Bosch RA1172AT Router Dust Extraction Hood Kit; if you get it, you could fit a smaller diameter hose through the base hole and connect to the router dust hood. This will make a happier environment for your router, also.
One other gremlin of note - when using this router / base combination, the motor switch and speed control facing the back of the cabinet. The switch isn't a major issue - use the switch on the router table -- but if you are setting the speed, you'll have to rely on feel, or take the router out and set it, then put it back in.
All in all, a very nice set, which I'm sure I'll get lots of use from.
I picked up this router table in a jam. Went to Lowes and it was the only Bosch table they had available, and I have a Bosch router... also I generally like their tools very much. Out of the box assembly was necessary, was a bit clumsy and not so intuitive, but not terrible. It can be figured out, just should not need so much figuring.
I was initially wary of the chip core construction. To my surprise, the base of the table was quite sturdy. The problems started with the placing of the plate in the table top. Stupid construction where you have to put 4 large screws into the chip core (I think for leveling purposes too). Then you attach the plate with 4 screws into the other screws. Eventually the screws turn together, making the top fairly impossible to adjust and secure. If you cross thread the screws togther - you need to disassemble the entire plate including successfully secured screws to wrench the 2 pieces apart. Eventually the chip core loosens in any case - this will be a failure point that will render the table useless.
Also was missing 2 screws to secure the vaccum port on to the back of the guide. The were in the instructions, just not in the box.
The whole purpose of a routing table is to pass wood across. The cheap laminate top could not manage this, as the plastic border around the table top was sticking up above the table surface. Passing wood would catch on the edge and start to peel it off. We trimmed this with a razor.
The clamps/featherboards on the guide started to loosen and eventually stripped. They are cheap plastic handles with a screw socket in the base (should be metal threaded socket). You pass the screw through the guide or hole and tighten it into the handle.
This is my failure list so far within 14 days of use. The table is good if you never plan to actually use it. I do nto even think this is a Bosch product, but some Chinese OEM (sears sells the same unit branded Craftsman). Point is this unit is junk and devalues the brand. Good thing they have a 30 day return policy - this item will be going back. Ordered the 1181 with the stand hopefully it will be better, cannot be worse.
I purchased a Bosch RA1171 router table after looking at the Craftsman model 26608 and the Bench Dog ProTop Contractor. The Craftsman, a close cousin to the RA1171, was the same price but didn't include featherboards or a starting pin, had a plastic (instead of aluminum) router mounting plate, and its fence wasn't as tall. The Bench Dog was highly recommended by lots of users, but was more expensive and didn't include an external cabinet-mounted power switch. The Bench Dog would have cost $250 with shipping and an add-on power switch. The RA1171 was $160 with free shipping. Since I don't plan to make heavy use of the router table, I decided to keep my costs low and take a chance on the Bosch. I'm glad I did.
It took an hour and a half to assemble the table and install my Bosch 1617EVS router. Assembly was straightforward, there were no missing parts, and the instructions were easy to follow. All parts fit perfectly without the need for adjustments or fussing. The only glitch was that the vinyl edge trim around the table top was a little too tall, creating a lip. This was easily trimmed with a utility knife.
There's enough room (just barely) inside the cabinet to adjust the router speed, change router bits, adjust the router height, and change the collet, all while the router is still mounted to the table.
For dust collection, I attached 2.5" diameter reducers to the ends of 4" diameter hoses on my Delta 50-760. One of the reducers attached easily to the dust port in the cabinet. The dust port on the fence was a problem because the port is located too close to the table top; it won't allow a 2.5" reducer to be connected. Flipping the port to a vertical orientation didn't help. I had to scrounge around at a hardware store until I finally discovered a 2.5" rubber plumber's coupler that was 4" long. This was perfectly sized to move my reducer away from the table top. The designers at Bosch should have known better than to design the fence dust port this way.
I'm happy with the dust collection. On small roundover cuts with the stock pressed against the fence, there was no visible dust kicked out. On heavier roundover cuts using the guide pin (with the fence several inches away) the results were pretty good, although some wood chips escaped.
After using the RA1171 several times over a six-month period, I've noticed a design flaw that makes it difficult to properly level the router mounting plate. At each corner of the router mounting plate, there is a special fastener that does dual duty by setting the height of the mounting plate and also acting as a receptacle for the hold-down screw. While this is an ingenious way of saving money for the manufacturer, it leads to problems if the fasteners are less than perfect. To level the plate, a hex key is inserted into the leveling pads at each corner and then turned to raise or lower the plate. Once the plate is level, machine screws are dropped through a hole in each corner and driven into a threaded hole in the middle of each leveling pad. In theory, the torque to tighten the screw will be less than the torque to rotate the leveling pad. "In theory" is the key concept here. For some reason, at one corner the screw was a bit "sticky" and caused the leveling pad to rotate when the screw was driven in. So, after getting the plate perfectly level, I drove in the four corner screws and discovered that the plate was no longer level. After some trial and error, I discovered that switching the "bad" screw to another corner minimized the torque so that the leveling pad did not rotate. Now the plate is perfectly level. (Other solutions to this problem could include lubricating the hold-down machine screws, or adding a drop of Locktite to the external threads on the leveling pad.)
All things considered, I'm very happy with this table. It performs well, has plenty of features and accessories, and the price is low. It does have a few quirks that can be dealt with. Once it's adjusted properly, it works great! I highly recommend it. - Bosch - Woodworking - Router - Tools'
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