My old plunge router finally quit after 12 years of abuse

That Bosch 1617 gave out mid-dado on a walnut shelf last Tuesday, just started screaming and smoking like a barbecue. I dug out my grandpa's old Craftsman from the basement, spent a day cleaning the collet and bearings, and it actually cut cleaner than the Bosch ever did. Anyone else keep a beater tool around that outworks your new stuff?

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skyler_robinson211d ago

Old tools get a lot of romantic glow, but your grandpa's Craftsman probably just needed a good cleaning to beat a worn out Bosch. Bearings get loose after a decade of dust, that's not the tool's fault, that's wear. My experience tells me newer routers hold their settings way better, and the plunge action is way smoother on a track. Yeah, that old Craftsman might cut fine for a few passes, but it won't hold up for a full day of dados without drifting. A beater tool is fun to bring back, but I'd never trust it for a deadline. You got lucky this time, not a rule.