Milwaukee 5625-20 15 Amp 3-1/2-Horsepower Fixed Base Variable Speed Router with T-Handle Height Adjustment Wrench and 1/2-Inch Collet

I bought this router for use in a table (frankly, I can't imagine wanting to wrestle this heavy beast around freehand), and except for one very minor flaw, it's a great machine. Power is ample, speed control is great, it feels ultra-solid, it's vibration free, and it's surprisingly quiet. But it's the little details that make it so perfect for the router table:- The handles are easy to remove if you need extra clearance.- The base plate is attached with four chunky 5/16" bolts, which is a good thing since the router hangs from them. Even better, the holes that receive the bolts are drilled all the way through the base, so when you're installing it you don't have to worry about getting the bolt length exactly right. Bolts that are too long just stick through harmlessly.- The t-handle height adjustment from above the table works fine, although you do have to reach underneath first and release the cam-lock level to enable the router body to slide up and down. Finding clearance for that is why it's nice to be able to easily get rid of the handles. Some might not like this, but I find the rock solid clamping action worth the extra second it takes to reach under the table. There's nothing worse than having a router slip and wreck your work. Unlike some routers, securing the clamp doesn't change your carefully adjusted height setting.- The port for the t-handle wrench is protected with a little rubber dust gasket. Nice touch.- The speed control is a chunky dial that is easy to operate blind from under the table.- Being able to drop the router body out with a single button press is great for bit changes. Sure, there are some that let you do it from above the table, but this is quick and easy and rock-solid simple. And, again, easy to do by feel alone. One reviewer noted that you could easily drop the router this way, but since you have to release the locking lever first, that seems unlikely to me. I did, though, put a rubber mat on the ground below...- If you want (or need) to, it's also pretty easy to raise and lower the router by reaching under the table and twirling the height adjustment knob. It takes just the right amount of force and has very little lash.But, you ask, why would you need to use the knob to adjust the height, when you have the above-the-table t-wrench method available? Ha! There's the minor flaw I mentioned. The height adjustment knob is opposite the speed control. If you mount the router with the height adjustment knob at the front, which is pretty much the only place where the hole won't be occluded by the fence, then the speed control will be awkwardly positioned at the back of the table. It's a pretty minor problem, but it might cause you to abandon the whole above-the-table approach entirely. Well, this is a little quibble with a fantastic machine.Overall, worth every penny. You won't be sorry.

I needed to replace my 1.75 horsepower router and chose this Milwaukee model based on a review in a woodworking magazine.The high level of workmanship on this Milwaukee router is impressive, as is the obvious quality of the materials from which it is made. I love the soft-start feature, speed control, and the graduated-knob depth adjustment.I mounted this 3.5 horsepower beast in my router table. It zipped through hard maple without so much as getting hot. I crosscut a bunch of .75 inch dados with ease. The through-the-table height adjustment works great. I can raise the router sufficiently to change bits from above the table.I am 100% satisfied.Update - 5 months later - This router is terrific. It has become a mainstay of my shop. Cope & stick joinery is no problem. Raised panels are no problem. Dovetails, grooves, etc are no problem. The height adjustment is the greatest faeture. Still 5 stars.Update - About 10 Years - I still use this router often. It has not failed me. Occasionally, I have to take it from the router table to clean and lube the height adjustment. Otherwise, it will not function properly. But I just consider this normal stuff. I am very satisfied with this powerful machine after 10 years in my router table. I recommend it.

Used this 5625-20 on about 19 raised door panels for my kitchen cabinet doors I had to make and the motor burned up on me. I really baby’d it too. I made sure I had a vacuum hooked up to at all times and I would constantly blow it off to control the dust. It looks to be a legit Milwakee router. This thing cost me a lot of money and a Harbor freight router would have lasted longer. Do not buy. Return window is too short for an item like this.

I needed to make some baseboard molding to match what was in a very old house. The shape required a large router bit and my 2 HP table-mounted router couldn't handle it, even when I trimmed it beforehand with my table saw. The Milwaukee router did an excellent job and with the height adjustment and speed controls it was very easy to use when mounted in my table. I was also surprised at how quiet it was. The soft start feature is good, especially when using a large bit. Other reviews I read were dead right about how great this router is.UPDATE: I've made hundreds of feet of baseboard molding and window trim with this router using MDF which is a very nasty material to rout. I had to blow out the switch once because of dust accumulation. Because of the dust and the length of the boards I've been working outside (sometimes in very frigid Ohio weather) and there is a lot of static. The key is to use a good shop vac and get the best seal possible with the dust collection ports on the router table. No problems with the switch now, just vacuum and clean with compressed air. This is a very powerful, easy to adjust router. I've seen router height adjusters for use with router tables costing hundreds if dollars, but you don't need that with this router.