Curious about Bosch router base.

[Bob Cleek]

Does anybody have one of these and if so, what do you think of it?

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00005RHPM.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1085011506_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-RA1164-Undertable-Router-Base/dp/B00005RHPM

[Ocean Spray]

Yes Bob, I have one "Almost" the same. Mine just doesn't have the extension on it. The whole adjustment thing on this base is some what of a pain in the butt.
I have four Bosch routers of various HP that are used as conventional hand held routers and I also have extra bases permanently set up as shapers. I like their older or more basic base because they are easy to adjust by just twisting the motor within the base to raise or lower the bit and they are easy to exchange one base to another from hand held to shaper type. The base you show is some what difficult to remove the motor from the base because of a small pin that protrudes from the motor that must be lined up perfectly with the base . . . . it is not K.I.S.S. I guess if your not moving your motors from base to base you'll be OK.
I guess the extension on your base is to give more torque to the micro adjustment, mine just has a small cylinder shape to twist to raise or lower the bit, some times very difficult to do if it's jammed with sawdust.
I use Bosch routers primarily because their ease in making adjustments and that base is not easy to adjust.

[Rick Starr]

Though not that particular one, I had a bosch base router, table mounted, and was not happy with it due to flexure in the base. It was a 220v router, which attracted me for routertable work, yet the base was soft for the h/p. I don't think I ever actually had performance issues with the thing, aside from regular bearing replacements, which was odd, but the thought of all that motor on the comparatively flimso base caused me to switch to the PC 7518 - now the standard for router table production.

[Robert W. Long]

I got that router as my latest one of several to replace an old stanley. Got it for the variable speed and soft start which I like. Use it most in a table. The base took a little getting used to but I like it fine. I remove the motor any time I change bits and or collets. No problem. Helps to keep the motor waxed and the base blown out. After years of struggling with getting the stanley in and out of its base the bosch is a joy.

[George Ray]

I have the bosh router body with two bases.
(a) The fixed but adjustable base shown in the first post.
(b) A spring loaded plunge base.

Base 'a' has been my favorite and I like it just fine. At the moment base 'a' is mounted upside down on a router table and may stay there for a while. I really like being able to swap bases rather than fix and detach the whole router every time I want to use the router table.

Having said all that I am NOT a very experienced router user and can count on my fingers and toes the times in that last 10 years that I have had occasion to use one.

[kc8pql]

I have one. I thought it was a bit odd at first but after a year or so of using it I've decided I like it. Adjustment is quick and accurate with no slipping. An important point though. I have two shapers and haven't used a router table in years. Upside down under a table it may not work as well.

[Bob Cleek]

Thanks, guys. I've got a Bosch 1607 with the standard base. Their undertable base seems like a good investment. I liked the idea of being able to pull the router out and put it into the standard base for off table use. They apparently now have an undertable base with a height adjustment mechanism run by a key that is put in a hole in the base top. This comes up because I've finally gotten around to putting my router in my table saw extension table. Seems like there's a million options out there. I used to just stick the router in my wood working vise upside down and use a pilot bearing... crazy, I know.

[Kitlani]

Have one. Love it. Accurate and logical to use.

-rg-