I don'r need a full sized router for edge finishing work I do on plexi. At
the big orange store, I see they have a Ryobi and a Ridgid. The Rigid is
twice the price, but still not too expensive ($100). I wonder if it is worth
the extra money?
Thanks!

SimonLW wrote:
I don'r need a full sized router for edge finishing work I do on plexi. At
the big orange store, I see they have a Ryobi and a Ridgid. The Rigid is
twice the price, but still not too expensive ($100). I wonder if it is worth
the extra money?
Thanks!

It depends on how much you use it and how long you want it to last.
Ryobi attempts to bridge the gap between homeowner quality and
professional quality, but leans toward the homeowner side. Rigid is
solid professional grade. If you use it only rarely, and aren't too
fussy about having the "best" tools, the Ryobi will probably suffice.

However, I've found that I rarely truly wear out a power tool. The
cheaper the tool, the less likely I am to use it enough to wear it out.
As my skills grow, so does my appreciation of all the different ways a
professional tool is better. There are some reasons that the pro-grade
tool costs more that you won't be able to put your finger on until
you've used one for a while. After 20 years of collecting woodworking
equipment, I've come to regret every decision where I purchased a cheap
tool because I only needed it for that one task. Sooner or later
ANOTHER task comes along and another. Then I'm stuck with an inferior
tool that I can't quite justify throwing away, but doesn't give me
satisfaction.

To answer your question, it may not be worth the extra money today, but
in the long run, yes, it's definately worth the money.

DonkeyHody
"I'd rather expect the best from people and be wrong than expect the
worst and be right."

To answer your question, it may not be worth the extra money today, but
in the long run, yes, it's definately worth the money.

I'd have to agree. If you want a tool that you won't want to replace
after you've used it a little while, and that just "feels" more solid
as you're using it, go with the nicer one. And if you really want
quality, see if you can find another $20 for the Bosch Colt at Amazon -
that's supposed to be a good little router.
On the other hand, if money is your primary limiter right now, look
around on ebay, local craigslists, etc. for a used laminate trimmer
(any of the "real" brands would probably be better than the Ryobi -
Bosch, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Makita, etc.). I have a used Porter Cable
trimmer and it's great for small handheld routing operations. If, in
the future, you decide you want a real router, a decent trimmer will
still be useful - it's not something that will be forgotten when you
upgrade.
Good luck,
Andy

Have the Colt (Bosch) and love it. solid nice to handle.
"SimonLW" wrote in message
...
I don'r need a full sized router for edge finishing work I do on plexi. At
the big orange store, I see they have a Ryobi and a Ridgid. The Rigid is
twice the price, but still not too expensive ($100). I wonder if it is
worth the extra money?
Thanks!

I have many routers at home, about 6 laminate routers. Have them set up for
different jobs. I bought the Ryobi as I was out on a job and needed one
right then and there. Forgot to bring one. So I bought the Ryobi. Nice
router for the price. I use it a lot and have no problems with it at all. I
have 3 of the PC ones but seem to like the lightness of the ryobi. I have
been eyeing the Bosch the others have been talking about here. But if you
are using it 8 hours a day it may not be the right one. 4 or 5 hours a week
it probably will do. BTW, I don't care for many of the Ryobi tools that I
have purchased except for a couple. More info would help us to know how to
help you. Good luck.

wrote:
I have many routers at home, about 6 laminate routers. Have them set up for
different jobs. I bought the Ryobi as I was out on a job and needed one
right then and there. Forgot to bring one. So I bought the Ryobi. Nice
router for the price. I use it a lot and have no problems with it at all. I
have 3 of the PC ones but seem to like the lightness of the ryobi. I have
been eyeing the Bosch the others have been talking about here. But if you
are using it 8 hours a day it may not be the right one. 4 or 5 hours a week
it probably will do. BTW, I don't care for many of the Ryobi tools that I
have purchased except for a couple. More info would help us to know how to
help you. Good luck.

I have been using a $20 Harbor Freight special. It works as well as my
name brand unit costing more than 5 times as much. After all you do not
need a lot of power for the small bits you are likely to use in such a
trimmer. In fact I like the height adjustment mechanism on the HF unit
much more. However I know it will not last given its plastic
construction. For my occasional hobby use I think it is a reasonable
choice.
John