# Hitachi KM12VC vs Bosch 1617EVSPK



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Well, my birthday is a round the corner and my wife is buying me a router. Err, I am buying me a router that my wife will wrap and give to me in a few weeks. Whatever the details, I'm looking for an 11-12A 1/4 & 1/2" variable speed router with both fixed and plunge bases. Yup, there are a lot of them. I've narrowed it to these two, but you can throw out any others if you feel strongly about them. One other caveat is that I'll be buying on Amazon since I have a gift card laying around to use up. There are Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Makita, and Miluakee kits also available, but for the life of me I don't see them being 30,40,50+ dollars better. I'd rather put that towards accessories and bits down the line. 

A little about my intended usage, since I know that it will be asked: I don't know:laughing:. I have never owned a router. I expect to build a primitive router table for some use. I expect that I'll round edges, cut gooves, maybe build a box joint jig once I have a table up and running, etc. We'll call it 'general small furnature and household usage'.

Hitachi KM12VC
(+) Less expensive, 5yr warranty, well reviewed
(-) Construction looks cheaper than the Bosch (and most others in the price range)

Bosch 1617EVSPK
(+) Wood handles:yes:, also very well reviewed
(-) More expensive, only a 1yr warranty


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I like Bosch routers.

I think you would be happy with the 1617EVS.

I have the 1617EVS installed in a router table. I purchased this perhaps 7+ years ago. At that time they sold either a fixed (screw type) or a plunge base model.

Since my intent was to permanently mount in the router table, I got the fixed base.

This machine has seen a LOT of use. I have not felt a lack of power. To be honest, I like to take light passes. The few times I try to save time, I end up with tearout, so light passes are more likely to give me the desired cut.

The only maintenance I have done on this machine was to replace the bearing on the top. Easy to remove. One of the "sealed for life" bearings, but they do not state how long a life it was designed for.

My machine was one of the early models. It had the shiny grey look from the magnesium alloy. This did not last long. The magnesium turned a dull grey. It seems something about the MDF offgas in the router table was reacting with the coating.

Bosch had many complaints and supposedly fixed the coating. The dull grey on my unit is cosmetic. No corrosion on the inside.

The Bosch routers have what is called a "self release" collet. I am not sure if the Hitachi has this. The inside of the collet can easily stick to the router bit. The "self release" is a special circlip which breaks the hold of the inside sleeve in the collet to free the bit.

The 1617 has soft start and variable speed. I do not adjust the speed often. I normally run at the "4" setting.

I had looked at Hitachi routers, not sure which model, but never purchased.

If you are using the router hand held, the 1617EVS is a very good machine and should give you years of good service.

Initially I had this in a router lift which prevented me from raising the bit as high as I needed. This was only an issue for slot cutting.

I later replaced the router lift with another model, so now I am able to raise the router to its full capacity.

If the plunge base works like the plunge base on my other Bosch 1613EVS, it is very easy to use, has a micro adjustment to be able to dial in the exact depth.

Having both bases can be handy.

I hope this helps. I will be happy to answer any questions you may still have about the 1617EVS.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I've actually owned both of those routers, and both are very nice. There are pros and cons with each. Mine was purchased specifically with dovetails in mind, and while the Bosch is the beefier of the two and is likely more popular, the light weight and balance of the Hitachi was perfect for dovetails. The Hitachi accepts standard size bushings, while the Bosch needs an adapter of specific bushings specifically for Bosch. The fit and finish on the Bosch are nicer IMHO, and the hard wood handles are sweet. The Hitachi is the quietest of the routers I've used. 

Go to a store and fondle them a bit, and pick whichever one feels best to you.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks both of you! That's exactly the kind of first hand information that I was looking for. 



Dave Paine said:


> ...Initially I had this in a router lift which prevented me from raising the bit as high as I needed. This was only an issue for slot cutting.
> 
> I later replaced the router lift with another model, so now I am able to raise the router to its full capacity...


Which lift are you using now?



knotscott said:


> I've actually owned both of those routers, and both are very nice. There are pros and cons with each. Mine was purchased specifically with dovetails in mind, and while the Bosch is the beefier of the two and is likely more popular, the light weight and balance of the Hitachi was perfect for dovetails. The Hitachi accepts standard size bushings, while the Bosch needs an adapter of specific bushings specifically for Bosch. The fit and finish on the Bosch are nicer IMHO, and the hard wood handles are sweet. The Hitachi is the quietest of the routers I've used.
> 
> Go to a store and fondle them a bit, and pick whichever one feels best to you.


Regarding the bushing, that would probably be a bigger issue if I had an existing router that of another make that I was trying share bushings with (if I understand correctly). Starting from scratch, this probably won't be a deal breaker. I fully intend to fondle them in person before pulling the trigger, though I need to double check around and see if anyplace locally carries either. I've seen PC, Craftsman, and Triton so far, but haven't looked everywhere yet.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

You might consider giving one of the Milwaukee routers a look too. It's all a matter of what you like best, but of all the great routers on the market, I'm as fond of the Milwaukee's as any.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> Which lift are you using now?


My present router lift is the Precision Router Lift V2 from Woodpeckers.

The router body without the base is attached in the lift.

http://www.woodpeck.com/prlv2.html

Some routers are now designed to allow adjusting the depth from a router table.

Router lifts are not cheap. It would be less money to get one of the models which allow adjusting in the table.

In my case such a router design did not exist at the time I built my router table (7+ years ago).


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## Burt (Nov 16, 2009)

I like the Bosch 1617 and my review echos what other have already commented. I paired it up with the RA1181 table and the RA1054 Deluxe Edge Guide. Interesting thing is that the fixed base that came in kit is the one with micro-adjust, allowing adjustment from above table top. A very handy feature.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave - Nope, that lift isn't cheap! I noticed that Bosch makes this accessory base that has top adjustment. I'll start simple and see what fits my usage best.

Scott - I saw the Milwaukee 5616 a little further down the list on Amazon, but it only available as "Used - Like New" and described as "brand new, never used except to turn on to ensure functionality." The seller is third party and "Just Launched." That sounds like a potential headache waiting to happen, though it does offer above-table height adjustment. This may be one to consider as well I suppose.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Burt said:


> I like the Bosch 1617 and my review echos what other have already commented. I paired it up with the RA1181 table and the RA1054 Deluxe Edge Guide. Interesting thing is that the fixed base that came in kit is the one with micro-adjust, allowing adjustment from above table top. A very handy feature.


 
Thanks Burt! It looks like I just need to read more carefully. Bosch says, "The fixed base's advanced bit height adjustment system allows you to conveniently adjust the bit height from above the router table." :yes:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> Dave - Nope, that lift isn't cheap! I noticed that Bosch makes this accessory base that has top adjustment. I'll start simple and see what fits my usage best.


Good to see that Bosch has evolved the plunge base design. This is a lot less than a router lift. The only nuance is whether the plate you use in the router table will have some way of showing the depth change.

I do not need absolute depth. I am more interested in how much I need to tweak the depth to get the bit where I need it for the cut, so I work with "delta" setting.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

I've had the KM12VC kit for about 3 years now. Other than the price advantage it has over the Bosch is that it's about the quietest 2 hp router going. It will also take the PC style guide bushings out of the box. The Bosch has it's own proprietary guide bushings requiring an adapter or two. I don't think I'd care for it in a table as the the bit height is set on the fixed base by rotating the motor, not my favorite setup for table mounting but some don't mind. As far as power goes, the edge may go to the Bosch but I haven't thrown anything at the Hitachi it couldn't handle. I'm pretty conservative though. Bottom line, I have never had any second thoughts about buying the Hitachi. It is basically my starter router that I learned on. (I don't count the 30 year old Crapsman my Dad gave me that scared me off routers for 10 years.:blink 
Good Luck, IMHO you could do a lot worse than the Hitachi.:smile:


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Dave Paine said:


> Good to see that Bosch has evolved the plunge base design. This is a lot less than a router lift. The only nuance is whether the plate you use in the router table will have some way of showing the depth change.
> 
> I do not need absolute depth. I am more interested in how much I need to tweak the depth to get the bit where I need it for the cut, so I work with "delta" setting.


Hi Dave - I don't think any of the routers with built in lifts have a "relative change" indicator. I have a Freud 3000 in my table and, while it hasn't been an issue, I've been toying with adapting a Wixey digital readout to the setup.:smile:
http://www.woodpeck.com/remotedigitalreadout.html


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## Joeb41 (Jun 23, 2012)

Yes on the Bosch 1617. I have it and love it!


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I don't know if I am too late to pitch in my 2 cents or not but here goes.
I have the 1617EVSPK combo. The fixed base is mounted under a shop made table. I use the plunge base for hand held operations. So far after 8 months, all is working according to plan for me. I am not a pro, just a happily retired hobbyist making all sorts of stuff from toy boxes to benches.

Attached is a pic of my table clamped onto my workbench. I used it tonight to joint the edges of some cedar for a project I am working on.

Note: Yes, you can adjust the fixed base from above the table with the hex key included in the combo kit.

Hope this helps.
Mike

Edit: I make bit height adjustments using the Kreg set up bars. I don't trust any type of guide or gauge.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks all for your input. I checked around and no place within a fair distance carries the Bosch. It would be an hour and a half drive to fondle one, so against my better judgement I blindly ordered the Bosch kit. It will be here Friday, though I probably won't get to play with it right away :-/. Maybe the wife won't notice if I give her an empty box to wrap for me....


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> Thanks all for your input. I checked around and no place within a fair distance carries the Bosch. It would be an hour and a half drive to fondle one, so against my better judgement I blindly ordered the Bosch kit. It will be here Friday, though I probably won't get to play with it right away :-/. Maybe the wife won't notice if I give her an empty box to wrap for me....


Be creative. I expect you have some scraps of wood which can approximate the weight of the contents so that the box is not empty. 

Just have to figure out how to not let her see the contents when you open the box. :laughing:


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Phaedrus said:


> Thanks all for your input. I checked around and no place within a fair distance carries the Bosch. It would be an hour and a half drive to fondle one, so against my better judgement I blindly ordered the Bosch kit. It will be here Friday, though I probably won't get to play with it right away :-/. Maybe the wife won't notice if I give her an empty box to wrap for me....


Put a rock in the box for weight! :laughing: 

It's pretty rare that someone doesn't like the Bosch, the odds are good you'll be happy. Got bits?


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

I have the Bosch 1617EVSPK and like it a lot. This kit comes with both the plunge and standard base. I ordered another base that is for my router table. I also just recently picked up their Edge Guide. I also bought mine sight unseen, but did a lot of research first. I think you will be plenty happy with it.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Negative on the bits. I'll need to pick up at least a straight bit before hand so I have something to play with. I've already been rolling router table designs in my head. I am thinking about a 24x36 table that sits in/on my workmate. There are a few online that have had very good success with this. I can probably even make it match the height of my TS and use it to catch off feed as well...

https://home.comcast.net/~stanleyplanes/projects/routertable/routertable.htm
http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?ArticleId=336


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## d_slat (Apr 10, 2012)

Not sure how deeply committed you are, but I've been reading reviews because I may be in the market for a new router soon also. I know you already ordered the bosch, if you want to use guide bushings read below, I copied and pasted one of the reviews from Amazon's web site, but there are several similar reviews. You may have time to return it if you want.


1) In order to use templates one needs the 



 
2) A Bosch template guide can only be set in an adapter - the 



3) Now, the RA1100 adapter does not fit into the router, but itself needs an adapter - the RA1126 - which did not come with the router.

4) Apparently, it used to, but Bosch stopped including it. It's not sold here at Amazon, or at Lowe's, or at Home Depot, or at Klingspor or even Bosch, itself. The guy at Klingspor was so disbelieving that they had stopped including it, that he opened three packages to make sure.

5) Without the rare and much sought RA1126, I cannot use either Bosch, or PC style bushings. I could buy a different sub-plate, and in fact intend to get an acrylic one, but it seems nuts to keep a router that so closely resembles Mousetrap


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

The RA1126 is not rare. I bought one last weekend in a retail store.

Amazon has them as well. Amazon.com: Bosch Quick Change Template Guide Adapter: Home Improvement


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## d_slat (Apr 10, 2012)

good to know, I guess I was so busy reading the reviews trying to figure out which router I wanted that I forgot to check that for myself. Thanks!!


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## tdschack (Feb 14, 2012)

*Own both*

I actually own both of those routers right now. I keep the Bosch mounted to my router table and I use the Hitachi for free-hand work because it is lighter. I actually prefer the Bosch for both, but I got the Hitachi for $20 at an estate sale, and its really not bad. I like the plunge base on the Bosch better. It's easier to use with the handles on it. If you can only have 1, get the Bosch, it's a sturdier product.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

tdschack said:


> I actually own both of those routers right now. I keep the Bosch mounted to my router table and I use the Hitachi for free-hand work because it is lighter. I actually prefer the Bosch for both, but I got the Hitachi for $20 at an estate sale, and its really not bad. I like the plunge base on the Bosch better. It's easier to use with the handles on it. If you can only have 1, get the Bosch, it's a sturdier product.


 
Well, the Bosch is here but I am "forbidden" from touching it for the next 3 weeks. We'll see how long that lasts...

If I see any $20 Hitatchi's (or just about anything else), I won't hesitate to scoop it up!:laughing::yes:


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

It is the RA1100 that the kit doesn't come with (at least in my case): 



. The kit I got (1617EVSPK) did in fact come with the RA1126.


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