BENCHTOP ROUTER TABLES

Can compact tables deliver big-time routing features and performance? We tested 11 benchtop models to find out.

- DAVE STONE

Router tables stand as one of the must-have tools in any shop for creating joinery, adding profiles, duplicating parts using templates, and so much more. But full-size router tables eat a lot of space.

Benchtop tables strive to offer those same capabilities in a portable package you can deploy when needed and stow out of the way when not. We took a look at 11 to see if they present viable alternatives to full-size tables or if their smaller sizes reduce routing capability.

THE TALE OF THE TABLETOPS

The tops on nine of our 11 tables are made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) covered with plastic laminate or melamine (see Routing Results Roundup on page 35). Bosch uses cast aluminum for its RA1181, while the Woodstock W2000 is cast iron.

MDF gets a bad rap for flatness among some router-table users, but all the tables impressed us by being flat within a few thousandths of an inch, which isn't enough to inhibit performance. The cast iron top was flattest of all, but the cast aluminum fared no better than MDF. Mounting the same Bosch 21/2-hp router in each table produced no appreciable sag, regardless of its material.

All the tables except the Ryobi A25RT03 feature a miter-gauge slot that accepts a standard 3/8×3/4" miter-gauge bar. The Ryobi's slot is 3/4" wide, but too shallow for a standard bar.

INSERT PLATE HERE

The Bosch RA1141 and the Skil SRT1039 mount the router on a steel plate underneath the table, while the other tested tables hang the router from a drop-in insert plate made from plastic, phenolic, or aluminum.