Fixed Base vs Plunge Router: Which To Use?

When you talk about woodworking, you talk about routers as these two things go hand in hand and complement each other very well. Routers play as an essential tool in woodworking, and they are so much dynamic and versatile tools in woodworking. To help you understand, we have compared Fixed Base vs Plunge Router for their specifications, their application, and how effective they are at the end of the day.

Our Verdict

To clear the confusion of which one will be the best investment, so in a fixed base router, it will be best for new users as it is easy to use and allow you with perfection and accuracy. On the other hand, the Plunge router is specially designed for more experienced people who are indulging in woodworking for quite a while. They are more dynamic and versatile.

Fixed Base VS Plunge Router: Comparison

Talking about which one to choose among the Fixed base and Plunge router, it will depend on two important aspects of your working, description of your work and how much experience you have related to woodworking, taking into consideration these two points you will reach to your decision of which one is best for you.

Fixed base routers are very easy to use, so people with no experience can start with fixed-base routers, and then when they gain some experience, they can switch to plunge routers. Apart from all this, we will tend to focus on some essential points before going with the router for your work:-

1. Perfection

If we talk about perfection, the fixed base router stands tall on the point of perfection and accuracy. They have such a real working dynamics and description that allows you effectiveness in your work. It doesn’t say that plunge routers are not well with accuracy or that much efficiency, it’s like fixed-base routers have the edge over plunge routers, and they act as high performance-based router when it comes concerning results.

2. Compact Dimensions

Now, when we focus on the whole size and outlook of these two routers, we know that fixed base routers are more well packed and compact concerning plunge routers. The difference is because the plunge routers have the process and implementation of a moving mechanism that allows them to be more flexible for the size and are less compact than the fixed base routers. In the end, the reason you buy a router is to get your work done, and you will be more than happy if it stands tall on your needs, and then the size will not come into context.

3. Flexibility

In terms of multi-skilled and adjustable, the plunge routers will have good enough advantage on fixed base routers. Plunge routers can do complex and complicated designing as regarded as an artistic work. They can go through the wood and drill into it. So, they have a lot to offer and allow you with a lot of options for designing attractive woodwork. Fixed base routers don’t provide you all these options.

4. Weight

Looking into the mass volume and weight, the fixed base routers are less weight and can be carried anywhere. This allows you to be free from any wrist and arm force and strain to put in and helps to avoid any injuries.

Fixed Base Vs Plunge Router: What Is It?

Fixed Base Routers

When we look and focus on the name fixed base routers, the base of the fixed routers is static. The best and useful thing about fixed-base routers is they are effortless and straightforward to use and can be used by the people who are using it for the first time as it is not that complicated to use, and it neither needs that much of adjusting.

Talking about the router, which is static in one place, will allow you to get the wood moving at your will and your own comfortable choice, which will give you the authority to use it by your choice. It is very flexible when talking about the different and unique designs you want to make based on your work. They provide you with more carved design to be applied as an artistic work.

Plunge Routers

When we talk about plunge routers, we will focus on the difference like Fixed base routers were static in one place, but plunge routers can be moved and are very flexible and dynamic in their way. Focusing on movability, they have two arms on the side by the side of the router. This will help you to do the process of cutting the material on your terms. If we take a view of the plunge routers, it is your force used when it comes to driving the router into the wood (see how to use router).

Talking about plunge routers more descriptively, they usually allow you a more kind of advantage and entitlement as you can use it on any surface. Now, that’s what the main benefit for plunge routers is into focus; they will offer you more dynamics versatility and even more options to work on rather than a router that can only stay in one place. Its how much interest you have to go for a variety of designing with your woodwork, being enthusiastic about unique woodworking style, then the plunge router will be right for you.

Fixed Base Vs Plunge Router: Pros And Cons

Plunge Routers

Pros

• Capability to Change while Cutting: Looking at the versatility, the plunge routers stand tall with regards to have the ability to adjust itself with regards to inwards depth when you are cutting.
• Dynamic Application: Buying a plunge router is creating an advantage for yourself, as it allows you so much of variety to cut wood. People who are interested in woodworking will look to buy this as it will enable them to think and create a unique design in their way.

Cons

• They are more Costly: The reason behind being more costly is the plunge routers offer more and a variety of functions and also allows you to take care of going into the wood, which is the most important thing to look out for and they provide you with all variety, and in the end, it is worth to what the price is set for it.
• Not good to put in place a fixed Table base: When we talk about people who are looking to keep a router table as a base for a plunge router, it will not come exactly as good as you think. The fixed base router will be implemented right with the fixed table base.

Fixed Base Routers

Pros

• Cutting perfection: When talking about accuracy, fixed base routers are Implemented for the wood components of a building, such as stairs, doors, and window frames, as they have very accurate cuts. The feature of being fixed in one place allows it to get set it in one place and lock the position, which allows for a precise cut.
• Fixed Base routers do not need previous experience or skill to use it: The great thing about them is, they are with ease managed, and any new woodworker can use it. It is lightweight and small in size.
• Carried on a router table: Talking about the delicate work with wood, you can combine it with a router table. It will ease up your work, and it will be more effective in getting the results you opted for and save a lot of time.
• Good to go with Joinery: When you tend to work on the wood components of building such as stairs, doors, and window frames, it will be the best choice to put in place on it. They are more accurate and allows you a great deal of accuracy.

Cons

• Not suitable to cut the wood from top: When you tend to put in place a cut on woodwork from the top or in the middle, the fixed base router will not be the best choice for this work. As we know, the outlook of a fixed base router does not allow being such dynamic to the different designs like a plunge router.
• Lack of Implementation Adaptability: Taking this point into consideration, the plunge routers are more dynamic and adaptable, but fixed base routers are not that much versatile when it comes to put a design and to put a name or a sign.

Fixed Base Vs Plunge Router: Continuity And Reliability

Talking about Maintenance and Reliability, The best thing to focus on is it’s manual to get a complete view of how much care it needs. Always keep good care of it and work against the bits of rotation. It will allow you to have stable control of it and gives you a good enough grip on it.

Fixed Base Vs Plunge Router: Comfortable To Use

The working of both fixed base and Plunge router work in a different way, as one takes more concentration and effective handling, and the other is easy to handle during work. Talking about fixed-base routers, they assure you of equal effective depth when it comes to woodwork handling while plunge routers can handle dynamic vertical cuts and allow you more space to work on different ideas. Fixed base routers allow you to get intact with a router table and work while plunge routers are not easy to be in connection with the router table.

FAQ

Final Talk

Taking into consideration both the Fixed base and Plunge router, it, in the end, is based on the kind of the budget you have and your experience with woodworking tools. The work you tend to have will have an impact on your purchase; if you have to make different new and unique designs with wood and signs, you must go for a plunge router. With a Fixed table, if you want to buy and to get efficient results to use a router table with it.