Customer Reviews

Bosch 1618EVS 2-1/4-Horsepower D-Handle Variable-Speed Router

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have 4 other routers,I like this one the best. The control you get with the D handle, is hard to beat, the trigger on the handle what a great feature. I've had this router for a year now, I have not found anything that I didn't like about it.

We all know the experience of buying and using equipment that you thought could have been made better. Not so with this router. This is a solidly engineered piece of equipment.

I really like the D-Handle. Control is excellent and the the trigger control is right where it should be. The power cord is attached to the handle which makes it convenient to disconnect and safely change bits.

The fine adjustment really works. The soft start is smoothly soft and the variable speed control works as promised.

If you compare this router with others with the same horsepower, you will note that this router has a 12 amp design, vs the 8-10 amps in the other models. This gives this router the extra advantage of being able to drive larger bits or deeper cuts.

The company has introduced a new edge guide for this router, the RA1054. The RA1054 is the same as the RA1051 except that the rods will be the correct size for the 1618EVS. The RA1051 is the one with the fine adjustments. The original edge guide for this router was the RA1053, but it did not have the fine adjustments. (I guess Bosch is listening). It is not listed yet on their website but I confirmed it through their tech support.

I also bought the case, the 9-piece template guide set and centering cone, all very nicely made. I was a little ticked at having to purchase the cetering cone seperately. It is inexpensive and its use is inherently part of the touted design features of this router. They provided the template guide adapter, why not the centering cone?

Note that this model uses the same accessories as the 1613EVS. (they do not list them seperately). By the way Bosch, take a hint...please include the dust control adapter. Dust control is a health issue you should readily promote.

One more little peeve. Do you think power tool manufacturers could include a manual thats a cut above one made for a toaster. The one supplied with this router is terrible.

If your looking for a solid router you will be hard pressed to find a better one.

This is a very nice router. From the moment you pick this unit up, you can tell alot of thought and good engineering went into its design, fit and finish. I originally purchased this router, because the Porter Cable 690 I have always made me nervous, due to its awkward/dangerous power swith location. With the D-handle, this is not an issue. The switch is pretty accurate,the adjustments took some getting used to, but now I prefer them to the PC .Be careful though, this unit has so much torque that I usually make one extra pass than ususal when making deep cuts. I don't know exactly why, but my work just turns out better with the BOSCH. Great router.

In addition to this router, I also own a Porter Cable 890 router so in my evaluation of this Bosch 1618EVS I compare the Bosch router against the PC.

There's much to like with this router. It's powerful and the soft start and variable speed works very well. I like the control the D-handle gives me. I feel much safer starting a router with both hands on the handles than having to let go of one handle to click a toggle switch on the top of the motor.

The two major things I don't like about this router are:

1. It's difficult to take the motor out of the base and to put it back in again. When I received the router, it was obvious that something about the base just doesn't work well. And if you're like me and take the motor out to change bits, this gets to be a hassle. If you loosen the clamp bolt sufficiently to allow the motor to come out/go in easily, the base doesn't clamp tightly enough and the depth of your cut changes as you're cutting.

After fiddling with the motor and base a while, I found that a small amount of lubrication between the motor and base works wonders - the motor becomes easy to put in and take out. I need to see if this lubrication becomes a dust magnet and whether it holds up (how often I have to re-lubricate)

2. The other thing I'm not happy about (but this isn't as serious as the first) is the way the fine adjustment works. On my PC, the fine adjustment is continuous. That is, I can crank the router completely up or down using the fine adjustment. The PC has a lever for coarse adjustments, but using it is up to you. The Bosch has only a limited amount of fine adjustment. Once you use up the fine adjustment, you have to go back to the coarse adjustment and make a major adjustment up or down, then run the fine adjustment to the other end of the adjustment screw. You don't hit this all the time, but, when you do, it's a pain in the butt.

So why did I buy this router? The PC 890 series does not come with a D-handle with a power switch. The PC switch can be activated either on the top of the motor or lower down on the motor so you can switch it on and off without letting go of the handles - but I just wanted a D-handle router for non-router table use.

Would I buy it again? I can't say yet - I need some more time with the router to see if the motor/base problem comes back.

I also want to add a SAFETY pitch. Soft start routers cost a bit more than fixed speed routers but the startup is significantly safer. If you buy a fixed speed router (non-soft start), you'll be fighting the startup torque every time you use it. It only takes one time - one little bit of inattention on your part - and the router will jerk out of your hands on startup. It WILL happen to most woodworkers at least once in their careers. And for what you spend at the emergency room, you could have bought several soft start routers.

I love this thing! I have 2 other routers that are gathering dust. The "D" handle with the trigger is very nice. The router is low weight and easy to handle. I wasn't sure I would have much use of the variable speed but find I use it all the time, especially with soft wood like pine where I slow the bit down a little. Something spinning at 25000 rpm all the time often feels a little out of control. It is by far the quietest router I have used. The micro-adjustment works perfectly and is very easy to use. I would have given it 6 stars if they would let me. I have yet to find something I don't like (no, I don't work for Bosch). A heck of a deal for the money.

I got this router sometime back and it really stands well above the others I've used. It is well balanced, the motor lacks the whineing howl of many, which is quite a relief if you use one for a couple of hours. Sturdy and easy bit height adjustment. Cuts without hesitation. It will be one of your favorite tools.

I looked at several D-handled routers and finally decided on the Bosch because of the variable speed and power rating. I am using this tool in combination with the Bosch Deluxe edge guide to make trim and moulding for my home and woodworking projects. The router itself is very well designed and easy to handle, the soft start feature is a definite plus. The variable speed is also very helpful when routing different densities of wood, for example white pine or oak. The D-handle configuration was important to me because of the power switch location and the tactile control, especially using the router on a vertical surface. I am sure that I will eventually own a plunge router as well, but for my applications so far this seemed to be the best choice. The edge guide also is well designed but the size of it makes storage difficult when attached to the router, I actually hang mine from a hook in a rafter. With the guide attached and adjusted you can produce high quality mouldings at a fration of the price retial moulding costs. This is a benifit for me when I only need a few feet. This is the first Bosch tool I have owned and overall I am impressed with the quality of construction and design, this is definitely a professional level tool and will serve any hobbyist, homeowner, or contrator well.

I had a big job this summer with at least 2000 running
feet of routed edge to do. When my old "home handyman"
quality router finally quit, I bought the Bosch. It has plenty of power, is very well made, and can handle 1/2" cutters I've not used. It handles well and the variable speed prevents the unit from torquing out of my grip on start-up. Nice tool!

When I first got my 1816EVS it came out of the box with a little discoloration on the motor housing. Cranking it up, the router ran and proformed so well I didn't let the appeance bother me since this is a working tool and I was sure using it a lot. I have had the router about a year and the discoloration just keeps get worse. It took me ten minutes to remove the motor from the base last week because of the oxidation of the magnesium housing. I can not believe no one else has reported this problem, but then again even Bosch will not reply to my inquiries. Could it be time to go back to PC?

I own somewhere around a dozen Bosch tools, from jig saws to cordless drills. Every one of them shows a high degree of fit and finish, with good ergonomics and precise controls.

Although I like the performance of this router and will certainly get good use out of it, I was surprised that the fit and finish were not as I would have expected. The adjustment knob is loose and sloppy, although the adjustment seems to be pretty precise.

Someone else mentioned the lock-on button being recessed too much. While I agree it could protrude a little more, it does function. If it sticks out too far, you could accidentally pop it on and surprise yourself. But the button is too small for its recess and sits off to a side. Plenty of room for dust to get in. Again, it was surprising to see this lack of tolerance on a Bosch router.

Other than that, the router itself just seemed to lack that polish and precision in plastic molding I see on all of my other Bosch tools.

I wonder if the economy and some leftover Skill engineers are taking their toll on Bosch standards?