A router is at the top of my list for “nice to have, adds a lot of value, but not absolutely necessary for basic projects” tools. I still don’t have a router table after 6 years, just a Makita plunge router that I got for $100. Great tool, but not 100% necessary if you’re just trying to make basic tables and such.
I would buy a router + table before I bought a miter saw, drill press, band saw, or even a jointer/planer.
Decorative edges and mouldings, mortises, dados, grooves, slots, rabbets, hinge mortises, hell all of the operations that go into panel doors. And you can use a router, especially in a table, as an edge jointer, so in a pinch you can get into making panels without buying a jointer. Routers are hella versatile.
A router is at the top of my list for “nice to have, adds a lot of value, but not absolutely necessary for basic projects” tools. I still don’t have a router table after 6 years, just a Makita plunge router that I got for $100. Great tool, but not 100% necessary if you’re just trying to make basic tables and such.
I would buy a router + table before I bought a miter saw, drill press, band saw, or even a jointer/planer.
Decorative edges and mouldings, mortises, dados, grooves, slots, rabbets, hinge mortises, hell all of the operations that go into panel doors. And you can use a router, especially in a table, as an edge jointer, so in a pinch you can get into making panels without buying a jointer. Routers are hella versatile.