Milwaukee 5625-20 15 Amp 3-1/2-Horsepower Fixed Base Variable Speed Router with T-Handle Height Adjustment Wrench and 1/2-Inch Collet

I bought this router for use in a table (frankly, I can't imagine wanting to wrestle this heavy beast around freehand), and except for one very minor flaw, it's a great machine. Power is ample, speed control is great, it feels ultra-solid, it's vibration free, and it's surprisingly quiet. But it's the little details that make it so perfect for the router table:- The handles are easy to remove if you need extra clearance.- The base plate is attached with four chunky 5/16" bolts, which is a good thing since the router hangs from them. Even better, the holes that receive the bolts are drilled all the way through the base, so when you're installing it you don't have to worry about getting the bolt length exactly right. Bolts that are too long just stick through harmlessly.- The t-handle height adjustment from above the table works fine, although you do have to reach underneath first and release the cam-lock level to enable the router body to slide up and down. Finding clearance for that is why it's nice to be able to easily get rid of the handles. Some might not like this, but I find the rock solid clamping action worth the extra second it takes to reach under the table. There's nothing worse than having a router slip and wreck your work. Unlike some routers, securing the clamp doesn't change your carefully adjusted height setting.- The port for the t-handle wrench is protected with a little rubber dust gasket. Nice touch.- The speed control is a chunky dial that is easy to operate blind from under the table.- Being able to drop the router body out with a single button press is great for bit changes. Sure, there are some that let you do it from above the table, but this is quick and easy and rock-solid simple. And, again, easy to do by feel alone. One reviewer noted that you could easily drop the router this way, but since you have to release the locking lever first, that seems unlikely to me. I did, though, put a rubber mat on the ground below...- If you want (or need) to, it's also pretty easy to raise and lower the router by reaching under the table and twirling the height adjustment knob. It takes just the right amount of force and has very little lash.But, you ask, why would you need to use the knob to adjust the height, when you have the above-the-table t-wrench method available? Ha! There's the minor flaw I mentioned. The height adjustment knob is opposite the speed control. If you mount the router with the height adjustment knob at the front, which is pretty much the only place where the hole won't be occluded by the fence, then the speed control will be awkwardly positioned at the back of the table. It's a pretty minor problem, but it might cause you to abandon the whole above-the-table approach entirely. Well, this is a little quibble with a fantastic machine.Overall, worth every penny. You won't be sorry.

I needed to replace my 1.75 horsepower router and chose this Milwaukee model based on a review in a woodworking magazine.The high level of workmanship on this Milwaukee router is impressive, as is the obvious quality of the materials from which it is made. I love the soft-start feature, speed control, and the graduated-knob depth adjustment.I mounted this 3.5 horsepower beast in my router table. It zipped through hard maple without so much as getting hot. I crosscut a bunch of .75 inch dados with ease. The through-the-table height adjustment works great. I can raise the router sufficiently to change bits from above the table.I am 100% satisfied.Update - 5 months later - This router is terrific. It has become a mainstay of my shop. Cope & stick joinery is no problem. Raised panels are no problem. Dovetails, grooves, etc are no problem. The height adjustment is the greatest faeture. Still 5 stars.Update - About 10 Years - I still use this router often. It has not failed me. Occasionally, I have to take it from the router table to clean and lube the height adjustment. Otherwise, it will not function properly. But I just consider this normal stuff. I am very satisfied with this powerful machine after 10 years in my router table. I recommend it.

I bought this router as a replacement for my Hitachi M12V that I bought about 7 years ago. Much of my work involves raised panels and cope and stick door frames. The Hitachi had a lift mechanism that required me to reach under the router table to adjust the height. With the prices of lift mechanisms being what they are, I was thrilled to find that the Milwaukee has a built-in lift mechanism. After I started using the router, my enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment.First, the pros. The soft start for a large router like this is a must and works well. The power is pretty good, and it is super quiet compared to some of my other routers.Now the cons. Bit changing with it mounted in a table is a pain because it requires two wrenches. For comparison, my old Hitachi (which was about half the price of this unit), had a locking mechanism that allowed the collett to be tightened with one wrench. A big plus when mounted in a table.The lift mechanism is an absolute joke. I can overlook minor design flaws, but I'm shocked that Milwaukee would ever make something like this. First of all, the nut that the lift mechanism rod is threaded into is PLASTIC. After probably 100 lift and lower operations, it started slipping. I took the router out, and sure enough the slipping is due to the plastic nut getting worn. How much would a metal nut cost, anyway? Fifty cents??Second, the lift mechanism is operated by inserting a T-handled wrench through a hole in the router table's insert plate. Even though there are rubber flaps covering the hole, presumably to keep dust out, there are holes under it in the router itself which allow it to quickly fill up with dust. At this point the rubber flaps hurt more than they help because they make it nearly impossible for you to clean the dust out. Once it fills up with dust (and believe me it doesn't take long), you can't get the wrench in to operate the mechanism. I end up just opening the router table and adjusting it below...or at least I could do that easily if the lift mechanism nut wasn't slipping.