[Steven Owen]

The biggest criticism used to justify the value of purchasing the Millwakee Router over the Trtion router is bit feedback.

People on several woodworking forums claim there's a lot of vibration on Triton Routers using small 1/2 inch collet cutting bits. They claim the Milwaukee does a better job with smaller bits.

Most of these comments are from 2012-2015. The TRA001 has seen updates since that time.

Do any Triton owners feel they are getting a lot of feedback (vibrations) when using the Triton at full speed with smaller bits?

 

[DonkeyHody]

My Triton TRA001 is about 2 years old, and I've never used it handheld at all. Mounted in the table as it is, I've never felt that its vibration was any different from the 2 Porter Cable routers that also go in the table. One of my routers is a 12 amp Milwaukee that I use handheld, and that's also a fine router. I would buy either of them again, but I use them for different tasks.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

If a router vibrated with small bits and it was the router causing the vibration I would expect the vibration to be much worse with larger bits.

 

[Stick486]

If a router vibrated with small bits and it was the router causing the vibration I would expect the vibration to be much worse with larger bits.

and if it's router...
the bearings are likely at fault...

 

[Steven Owen]

and if it's router...
the bearings are likely at fault...

It's why I'm asking.

This is where you have to be cautious with opinions online. Some people are fanatical about a product. Their opinions are biased rather than objective.

I doubt cabinet makers like Mark Sommerfield would make use of the Trinton if it had bit chatter in small bits. From delicate bead frames and other patterns, Cabinets use tons of tiny router bits for finishing details.

 

[Stick486]

a poorly made cheap bits can do it to... same for a bit that got hot, has a soft body and now has a slight bend to it...
swap bits.. if the vibration is still there start looking at the router...
if a bearing suffers a catastrophic failure you risk damaging the stator/commutator/armature and reducing the router to junk...

 

[jj777746]

My TRA001 is permanently installed in my shop made table with the Kreg plate.Using bits of all shapes & sizes,& no problems ever found. Same goes for my Bosch Router used freehand.I really like both these machines & I'll praise both any time so I may sound Biased,but I'm not

 

[DesertRatTom]

No such problem with my bench mounted TRA001. Much too large a machine to use freehand for aging me. Use 1617s for freehend when a Colt isn't quite enough. Vibration should not be occurring in a router, it is nearly always a sign that something is wrong, as Stick said, with the bit, the bearings or some other portion of the armature.

 

[Steven Owen]

No such problem with my bench mounted TRA001. Much too large a machine to use freehand for aging me. Use 1617s for freehend when a Colt isn't quite enough. Vibration should not be occurring in a router, it is nearly always a sign that something is wrong, as Stick said, with the bit, the bearings or some other portion of the armature.

I doubt it's a real problem. Some people's egos function on trying to prove they've always made the best choice. It's fanboy syndrome.

The Milwaukee and Triton are in the same class of heavy beast routers. The Tritons are being used in professional shops around the world taking a heavier daily beating than any home hobbyist would throw at them.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Most of the time if there is vibration the bit will be the culprit and either it has been damaged or it's out of balance. If it's out of balance that bad then chances are it's a cheapo. If you get a 2" or larger bit that's out of balance it can get downright scary when it gets up to speed.

 

[dovetail_65]

I doubt it's a real problem. Some people's egos function on trying to prove they've always made the best choice. It's fanboy syndrome.

The Milwaukee and Triton are in the same class of heavy beast routers. The Tritons are being used in professional shops around the world taking a heavier daily beating than any home hobbyist would throw at them.

"I doubt it's a real problem. " Some people's egos function on trying to prove they've always made the best choice. It's fanboy syndrome."

fanboy as: An loyal fan of a product and/or its company who blindly supports the every action of said product/company without question or reasoning and /or overlooks flaws, glaring or otherwise, in the product/company line of products, movies etc.

Disregarding the research of posted experiences of fellow woodworkers stating they had issues with vibrations and saying the issue "probably doesn't exist" based on nothing at all except for the personal like for the product and overlooking the mentioned vibrating flaw as stated by the researched post of the potential buyer here, is textbook fanboy, Triton Fanboy.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

I really liked Pat Warner's reviews of routers. His were just about about as honest as you could get.

 

[Stick486]

I really liked Pat Warner's reviews of routers. His were just about about as honest as you could get.

link???

 

[dovetail_65]

The problem is Pat did his best reviews on routers that just do not hold up today. And many of his jigs had to be reworked and many never were for the best routers out now.

I think he meant the way Pat did the reviews verse actually buying the routers in some of Pat's old reviews. I mean Pat really stuck to some of those old main stay routers that sit on my shelf or long ago I sold off. Pat reviewed how the routers worked and performed for him. Some youtube reviews today are nothing more than going over items the routers have, not how those items work nor perform. New magazines tend to test, but only new out of the box cutting maybe 100 feet at best. Pat actually used the routers for years so if he said it would last it would last.

Better than reviews by experts is get your list of potential router you want and read USER reviews, they show the flaws and reliability issues that come up over time. There will be trends in the reviews that will show other things like is the router good for hand held or table use and how good is dust collection. These actual user reviews hold far more water and are almost always a better judge of the routers than even a review by Pat Warner, especially over time, IMHO.

There are always going to be people that really think 750 people are fake and all went on Amazon, bought a router as a verified purchased and then lied, just becasue their one tool turned out to be a lemon. On the whole actual user ratings whether on this forum, some other woodworking forum or Amazon are better than single "famous" woodworkers or magazines recommendations, IMHO.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

link???

Here's one for the DeWalt 611 trim router. DW 611 VS Fixed Base Compact Router & Subbases

Pat would list all the things he liked but if there was a shortcoming he let you know. BTW, for any who are not aware, we decided to bestow the title of Honored Member to Pat when we learned of his passing. Before Pat only Harry Sinclair held the title. I think both men deserve it. Few people have promoted the use of routers as much as Pat and Harry.

 

[DesertRatTom]

I haven't quite figured out what's going on in this string, but it reads as some kind of attack. I have and use the Triton and have had none of the problems mentioned. I have never seen a critique of the Triton TRA001 that mentioned small bit vibration, and I know that any such problem is far more likely to be the bit than the router. Or perhaps some problem with the bearings, which would be traceable to a manufacturing defect, probably in a particular manufacturing run. Fanboy is quite a derogatory term in the context used. No one here is likely to ignore a problem with a tool that many of us use, and have used for years. And no one here is in the tank for any manufacturer.

Before I make any further judgements, I'd at least like to know where I can find these complaints regarding this "known issue." It is beyond me that Triton would allow something like this to go on for a week if they knew about it. The biggest complaint I ever read about Triton was that it didn't have a reliable distributor, which has now been resolved.

I am not challenging the poster's assertions, but I at least want to read the complaints myself. That Marc Sommerfeld uses this router is an overwhelmingly positive endorsement. Now how about some current links to the complaints being mentioned.

And be so kind as to withdraw the "fanboy" comment. It is completely inappropriate to apply the term to the likes of the posters on this string.

 

[Steven Owen]

I haven't quite figured out what's going on in this string, but it reads as some kind of attack. I have and use the Triton and have had none of the problems mentioned. I have never seen a critique of the Triton TRA001 that mentioned small bit vibration, and I know that any such problem is far more likely to be the bit than the router. Or perhaps some problem with the bearings, which would be traceable to a manufacturing defect, probably in a particular manufacturing run. Fanboy is quite a derogatory term in the context used. No one here is likely to ignore a problem with a tool that many of us use, and have used for years. And no one here is in the tank for any manufacturer.

Before I make any further judgements, I'd at least like to know where I can find these complaints regarding this "known issue." It is beyond me that Triton would allow something like this to go on for a week if they knew about it. The biggest complaint I ever read about Triton was that it didn't have a reliable distributor, which has now been resolved.

I am not challenging the poster's assertions, but I at least want to read the complaints myself. That Marc Sommerfeld uses this router is an overwhelmingly positive endorsement. Now how about some current links to the complaints being mentioned.

And be so kind as to withdraw the "fanboy" comment. It is completely inappropriate to apply the term to the likes of the posters on this string.

The Canadian Woodworking forum reviewer never wrote the review as a complaint about the Triton.

He was trying to make a point about the Milwaukee being smoother and superior when running very small bits vs. his Triton.

I've been comparing the TRA001 and the Milwaukee 5625. I wanted some honest feedback from owners of the Triton versus taking the opinion of one person.

 

[DesertRatTom]

@Steven Owen Steven, it seems to me that to make that comparison, you'd have to own and use both routers, and use them with various size and small bits. I think you have gotten pretty good feedback from the Triton Owners, which is about all they can provide without owning the other router. The Milwaukee has a pretty good reputation, but that's all I can say about it, no way to compare small bit vibration.

The next question is, what difference does it make if one vibrates a bit more than the other when users of the Triton here don't report that problem? How much more vibration on one vs the other? What is the specific measurable difference between a small-bit project completed on one vs. the other? Being a fan of a tool that works well, the Bosch 1617 for example, does not make one an undiscerning "fanboy."

 

[Steven Owen]

@Steven Owen Steven, it seems to me that to make that comparison, you'd have to own and use both routers, and use them with various size and small bits. I think you have gotten pretty good feedback from the Triton Owners, which is about all they can provide without owning the other router. The Milwaukee has a pretty good reputation, but that's all I can say about it, no way to compare small bit vibration.

The next question is, what difference does it make if one vibrates a bit more than the other when users of the Triton here don't report that problem? How much more vibration on one vs the other? What is the specific measurable difference between a small-bit project completed on one vs. the other? Being a fan of a tool that works well, the Bosch 1617 for example, does not make one an undiscerning "fanboy."

I prefer reviews from people who are objective and look at both the strengths and weakness of a product.

Every product has strengths, things it does well, and weaknesses, things it doesn't do well or things it can do better.

In a perfect world you would take each router out for a test spin to see which one you like better. In the real world, you have to roll the dice, buy the router and use it to find out if you made the right choice.