" new Porter Cable router is not an option "

With patience and time it is. It always makes sense to shop around for
a really good price. However, it is not allways a good idea to save a
few bucks from purchasing a no-name brand when it comes to things such
as power tools, where a malfunction can be quite costly.

Given a choice and $40 to spend, I'd rather have a quality hand tool
that works well than a crappy power tool whose output is hit or miss
any day.