BOSCH1617EVS 2.25 Horesepower Electronic Fixed-Base Router with a Variable Speed Motor

I purchased this particular router because of 1. Brand, 2. Variable speed and electronic speed compensation claim, and 3. Length of production (thought it might be an indication of quality)I installed it in a newly finished router table with Jessem lift. Believed to have a good combination I was ready to give is a test. I installed a lock miter bit and took a cut on 3/4 poplar as a set up test for the bit. The router failed to maintain RPM and indicated that I could have stopped it completely with any additional load. I could only feed the wood at a rate that would easily lead to burning. I removed the Bosch and reinstalled my Porter Cable fixed speed 690 and attempted another cut. I was waiting for the router to struggle as the Bosch had done. The bit cut so effortlessly that I thought it was out of adjustment and only skimming the wood, but no! It was making a full effortless cut. Now granted. The Porter Cable router is a fixed speed, but that is why I needed to install a variable speed router in my table for larger bits ( I run 1/2” shank more often than 1/4” ). Now my plan was to use my 690 as my hand held due to having all the bases for it after the many years of ownership. Now it’s back in the table. And I’m left with the Bosch as only a hand held router that I only have a fixed base for. And now I have all my PC bases that are just taking up space without a motor to have readily available. So do I buy another 690 to have available as a plunge, or do I buy yet another router motor for my table. Was going to send the Bosch back, but I had so much faith in the product that the box went in the trash the day it was delivered. The Bosch is amazingly quiet, soft starting and I can only hope will be sufficient as a hand held light duty option for my needs. Bottom line. I’m almost sick over the issues that have stacked up over the failure to perform by the Bosch. Wouldn’t ya know it! The router lift I purchased was for a 3 1/2” motor. And now I am limited by options for even a new purchase.Updated review addendum;As of now I have yet to use this router since I lost confidence in its ability to maintain RPM.I’m still using my Porter Cable and getting good results.Like I said initially, I needed the variable speed router for large 1/2” shank bits. Or at least I tried to get one. Who knows, maybe one that actually compensated for load would live up to my requirements. This one has no RPM maintenance capability or mine was broke, and I don’t think it’s the later!I do like the router as a hand held router as it was intended to be used as. It is a smooth, soft starting machine that runs very true and quiet. It handles well, and with available accessories I’m sure it will be a router to hand down to whoever gets my tools when I’m gone. I just wish it would have worked in my router table. Oh well! It’s only money.. now I’ll buy another router motor for my table.Revised!!!!Well here I am months later. I have fallen in love with the Bosch. As we all have seen and heard, Porter Cable is nada. All my tools were Porter Cable. I have now bought the plunge base and the deluxe edge guide for the Bosch 1617EVS. I STILL would not mount by Bosch router in my router table with lift. I may try it in the future to re-evaluate it’s performance, but for now I still have my fixed speed router in the lift. But back to the Bosch! I absolutely love the Bosch as a hand held! The soft start is a safety feature that the variable speed circuitry makes possible. It works great. The quality of the motor can not be questioned. The motor runs so smoothly that the cuts come out flawlessly smooth as well. The clean design is a plus for me as it eliminates any protruding edges that are common from other manufacturers designs. The 1617EVS is truly a woodworkers tool. Great for anyone from beginner to production shop pro. All my tooling will revolve around this router from now on. The Bosch name is quality when it comes to router bits as well. It’s the brand that I look for when the need for a bit comes up.

Let me start off this review by saying that I'm in no way a professional and am squarely towards the bottom-end of DIYer, skill-wise, but I'm learning! This Bosch router reminds me of the one my dad had when I was a kid some 25+ years ago, and while he no longer has it, I can imagine passing this beast down to my kids when they're old enough.The BOSCH 1617EVS is very solidly-built, being mostly metal, with a heavy-duty plastic shell, plus of course the wooden handles. Those handles, by the way, feel amazing to hold. I've run the router through both SPF and a higher-end plywood, and it's had zero problems with either, effortlessly gliding over the surface. All you need to do is point it in the right direction and keep it snug against your guide (or the bit bearing), and the router does the rest.In my reviews, I always try to find at least one negative or "less-than-idea" aspect of a product so it doesn't seem like I'm just glossing over things that maybe aren't the best, and for the BOSCH 1617EVS it's really hard to find a negative. Of the two cons I can think of, they're probably both more due to my inexperience than the router itself. First is that I have trouble holding the router one handed on my work piece while turning on the router with the other. I end up (and I know this isn't the best to do) turning it on while holding it in the air, then placing the router on the work piece before starting. And man, you can really feel the force of that 2.25hp motor when doing that! The next "downside" is keeping the cord out of my way. My shop isn't fully setup the way I want so anything corded I use has the cord draping down towards the floor so if I'm, say, beveling all four edges of a piece of wood, the cord either gets in the way or caught up on the clamps. Again, this is probably not the router's fault, but I bring it up because the base does do a good job of pushing the cord ahead of the router while I'm cutting: it's not like you have to worry about the cord getting cut by the router.I know this router is expensive. I know there are smaller and cordless ones you could buy. But why? Even has a sometimes user of this router (I don't do this work professionally), it will still do everything I could ever need it to and more. In fact, I probably should have also bought with it the router table or plunge base, but I didn't think I'd need those things. I think at minimum, the table would be a good accessory for this router, because you move the piece instead of the router, and with the built-in guide, it can make precision edge cuts even easier.If you're in the market for a router, buy this. Don't waste your money on anything else. No, Bosch didn't pay me for this review. I just know that you'll regret not buying this router. Maybe not immediately, but eventually.

I bought this for the reputation and to install it in my Bosch Router table. Works really well.

MUY BUENA HERRAMIENTA !!!!

Great machine. However, base plate does not fit standard bushings. Need adapter or aftermarket base plate to use standard bushings.

Really like the soft start you don't need to worry about it jumping out of your hand.

I am using this with my X-Carve. It is a huge improvement over the standard Dewalt 611 router. I can finally cut acrylic without it melting now that I can go down to 8000 rpm. Please note that you will have to prepare a new mount, as this is a larger diameter router that the standard Dewalt.

This thing is a beast! Plenty of power, easy to use, made the job (7/8 x 3/4” dado in 10’ 4x4 x 16) effortless and saved so much time. The dual collet is a bonus! Solid piece of gear and exactly what you’d expect from a top tier German manufacturer. Can’t wait to use it again!