Best wood router for beginner in UK 2023 – Reviews

by | Jan 17, 2023 | Power Tools

How to pick the best wood router for a beginner? Check out the reviews and the guide!

Woodworking is the process of trimming carving, and basically changing the look of a wooden surface to our likings. We can use it to prepare a variety of projects provided we know which tool to use and how to do it.

For this reason purchasing the best wood router for a beginner is a good idea. Thanks to that, we can begin the journey with wood carving quite quickly and effortlessly. Still, knowing which product will occur to be the best router for beginner woodworker is quite difficult, especially for the inexperienced. For this reason, we prepared for you woodworking router reviews and the list of all tips that will help you in choosing an appropriate home wood router.

While picking those products, we took into account the most important features that have an impact on the general efficiency, namely power of the tool and its regulatory options, comfort of use and, what is incredibly important for the beginners, safety precautions.

The best wood router for beginner and the winner of the ranking 2024 is surely Bosch POF 1200 AE Router

R
Pros
• Great functionality;
• A lot of features that improve the comfort; 
• The possibility to adjust the no-load speed;
• Vacuum adaptor included. 
R
Cons
• Big weight;
• Beginners can struggle while using the tool for the first time.

For a relatively low price, we receive a great piece of device that was prepared by a world renowned brand. Bosch offers us a power motor that produces 650 W of power, which is a relatively low number. Still, it is more than enough to proceed with most of the projects that the beginning DIY woodworker would want to do.

In terms of comfort, there are plenty of features that facilitate the use of the product. One of them is, obviously, the position of the on/off switch. It is located on a handle. As a result, we can simply turn the product on and off. Another incredibly important element that influences the comfort of use is the introduction of a vacuum adaptor, which basically allows us to install a cleaner that takes all the debris away.

In terms of functionalities, we can adjust the rotary speed of the device with the use of a setting wheel. It allows us to adjust the speed to the type of surface we are trimming. Obviously, we also have an SDS system to our disposal, which makes it much easier to insert the template guides.

This is; however, a bit heavy solution with an awkward design that makes the product a little more difficult to use than the competition.

Another great option and good wood router you can currently acquire is CtopoGo 800W Electric Hand Trimmer Wood Laminator

R
Pros
• Very light;
• High no-load speed;
• Powerful motor;
• Durable device. 
R
Cons
• No regulatory features;
• No dust extraction system.

If we are looking for a lighter option that still guarantees high quality of finishing and a set of interesting features, then we should be more than satisfied with the purchase of a model made by CtopoGo brand.

It is at the same time a bit more powerful solution, because the motor guarantees 800 W. Interestingly, it produces up to 30,000 RPM, which is slightly more than the winner of the ranking 2024. The authors used high quality Aluminum to construct the most important components. When combined with plastic parts, we receive a durable product that is at the same time extremely light. It weighs under 2 kg, which is almost twice as low as the heaviest products in today’s list.

The main advantage of this particular offer is the incredibly large set of accessories that we receive. First of all, we should remember about the compatibility with one, but very popular trim diameter, namely ¼ inch (also known as 6.35 mm).

There are plenty of bits we receive in the package. There are straight bits, grooving bits, core box, round over, flush, cove, and many other bits available for our use. Thanks to that, we don’t have to worry about purchasing them separately.

Still, we cannot adjust the no-load speed and there is no dust extraction system. As a result, it is not as a functionable solution as the previous product and, therefore, we recommend this option to those who already have a glimpse of how to use routers.

VonHaus 710W Palm Router is also an interesting option

R
Pros
• Two collets diameters to choose from;
• Quite light;
• Very high no-load speed;
• The possibility to adjust the RPMs.
R
Cons
• No accessories included;
• No dust extraction system. 

VonHaus guarantees a relatively light device, which is featured with variable speed control and many other interesting options. It is also very important to notice that this is the first product in the ranking 2024 that guarantees the double compatibility with collets of ¼” and ⅜”.

This is another lightweight construction thanks to which it is much easier to use the product and perform a variety of tasks effortlessly. In terms of comfort, we should remember about a variable speed control, and because of that, it is possible to adjust the no-load speed to the thickness of the material and the type of project we are about to do.

In terms of raw power, the product is equipped with a rather average motor that gives us 710 W. However, the technology the authors applied during the production gave us 32,000 RPM, which is the highest no load speed we can acquire. The minimum speed is 10,000 revolutions per minute, and it will surely be enough.

Still, this is a product that does not have a dust extraction system. More importantly, there are no accessories included, so in the case of larger and more diverse projects, we need to remember about purchasing additional bits.

What else can be considered as the best router for beginner woodworker? Triton TRA001 Dual Mode Precision Plunge Router 2400W should be more than enough!

R
Pros
• Incredibly powerful;
• Variable speed;
• Soft start feature;
• Safety switch;
• Dust extraction system.
R
Cons
• Very heavy;
• Incredibly expensive.

This particular tool is surely one of the most expensive ones that we can currently buy. However, it serves as a perfect option for all the people who wish to start woodworking at a large scale. The model TRA001 guarantees compatibility with 1/2″ collet, which is considered to be the best option for medium-sized and large-sized woodworking tasks.

While purchasing this particular plunge router, we are certain to lay our hands at very functional solution with many features that improve the comfort of use. We mean here electronic speed control that provides us with variable no-load speed and a special dust extraction port in order to improve the clarity of work.

This is also one of the safest products you can currently buy on the market due to the installation of a soft start feature. This particular trait guarantees a calm and smooth acceleration of the no-load speed to the selected point. It not only serves as a safety precaution for ourselves, but also keeps the motor component healthy.

This is; however, an incredibly expensive solution and though it may be considered as the best wood router for beginner uk, it may be more than needed for smaller and non-demanding plans.

What is the best wood router for beginner uk you can buy? It all depends!

Choosing the appropriate router requires knowledge regarding the woodworking project. We need to take into account a lot of different things and consider elements we would otherwise avoid. We mean here such important elements as safety precautions and the comfort of use.

Obviously, there are still very important things we should all remember about such as power of the tool and its no load speed. Another crucial indicator that we are dealing with a good wood router is the collet compatibility.

Besides the parameters mentioned above, it is also a good idea to see how large the adjustments are, because they influence the final efficiency of the product and its capabilities. If you look closer at woodworking router reviews, then you will notice that the opinions also appeared to be of utmost importance. More information can also be found here: https://www.fundamentalsofwoodworking.com/woodworking-resources/Woodworking-Articles/choosing-a-wood-router

How powerful is the router?

The first thing we should consider while picking the right router is its power. It is obvious that we all want a powerful product that is capable of trimming all kinds of wooden surfaces and even other materials. Obviously, as a novice in woodworking, we need to think twice before deciding on a product with high power. Do we really need it?

In most cases, we will be satisfied with a product that generates 700-1200 W, because it translates into quite high no-load speed and assurance that even at longer projects, the motor will not start overheating and, as a result, it won’t break down.

Obviously, the no-load speed can vary and it is quite significant to see what is the peak with which a particular router can work. In this way we make sure that this particular item fulfils all the expectations we have.

Triton TRA001

best router for beginner woodworker

What about the safety precautions?

Though it is not the most important thing while picking routers for more advanced people, we should remember that quite often novice users will not know how to operate the device. That is why we need to eliminate every possibility and equip ourselves with a product that keeps us safe.

This is the reason why we need to buy a router equipped with a soft start feature. It not only protects the engine from too fast wear, but it also allows us to familiarize with the speed while it builds up.

Obviously, let’s make sure that the on/off switch is located in a handy place, so we can turn the product off very quickly. In addition to that, it is important to choose a product with a safety switch.

Functionality is quite crucial as well

The possibility to regulate the no-load speed, huge adjustments in depth, and of course the introduction of a dust extraction port – this is the basic trio every single product should have. Naturally, finding that one router may not be as easy as it seems, that is why sometimes it is a good idea to find a compromise.

Interestingly, we can also buy a product that has an SDS system, thanks to which the insertion of template guides will be easy. Such functional features as mentioned above allow us to work smoothly and adjust the settings to the particular surface and material. Once we do that, we will be able to pick the perfect product.

Bosch POF 1200 AE

good wood router

Let’s also remember about the collets and the bits

A large set of accessories and shanks of different diameter is one of the best additional things we can expect from the product. Quite often we don’t know which size of the bit to use. It is a very popular issue, especially at the beginning of our woodworking experience.

To make sure that we have a versatile product, let’s look for routers that are compatible with two different collets parameters. The most popular ones are ¼”, ½”, and ⅜”. If we pick a product that can be mounted with collets of two of these sizes, we will be able to pick the right bits.

Obviously, we should also look for products that have a lot of accessories included in the kit. In this way, you can reduce the potential further expenses on entire packages of bits.

Summary and conclusion – best wood router for beginner in UK 2024

If you look for the best home wood router that can help you in most of the amateur woodworking tasks, then Bosch POF 1200 AE Router is surely a great option. This particular device guarantees a large number of features and facilitations. It is also quite inexpensive for such a solid and reliable option.

Let’s also remember about the fact that there is a buying guide. There, we present the most important features thanks to which you will be able to acquire your own great tool without the need of relying on anyone’s recommendations.

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