"toller" wrote in message
...

So why are plates important?

You can get around or accept some of the loss of convenience of not having a
plate, if your router is table friendly (such as the Triton). But one thing
you cannot get around is the loss of available cutting edge on the router if
you put it the usual 3/4" or thicker top. Many bits simply cannot reach
above the table far enough when you add the thickness of the top.

Bob