I sell routers as well as use them, so I've got a different perspective than most of you. Most router users don't use router forums.
My router is a Porter-Cable 690. It's very popular in my store; on three-day weekends for government employees, we get cleaned out quick.
The most popular router I carry, though, is the Ryobi. It's cheap and will turn router bits; around here (Fayetteville, NC) Cheap sells far better than Good or even Safe. Some of the people who buy it get serious about woodworking and start seeing bits they'd like to use--and can't because the Ryobi has the split-motor-shaft chucking system, which won't hold half-inch shanks. At that point, you have another Porter-Cable 690 customer.
However, if I didn't know about the plethora of accessories designed specifically to fit the PC 690, I'd look very hard at the little Milwaukee soft-grip router. It is very sweet. |