Triton 2.25 HP vs 3.25 HP router

[manfre]

Woodcraft is having a sale on triton routers and I'm not sure which one I should get for a router table. The 2.25 HP is $160 and the 3.25 HP is $190. From what I can tell, they both have the same features and the only gain with the 3.25 HP is another HP and more weight.

I mostly route rabbets and dadoes, which my Ridgid 2.25 HP handles without a problem. The only potential usage that might need the extra horse would be panels, but I don't plan on making a lot of cabinets and can do multiple passes.

I plan on getting the 2.25 HP, but am mainly wondering if I should upsell myself to the 3.25 HP for the extra power. Is the extra horse worth the $30 or is it mostly wasted money?

 

[Canuck]

From personal experience..............

I ran a Dewalt 618 2 1/4HP in my router table for about a year and half and did fine.

When I decided to do some raised panels and thumbnail profiles on table tops, it did bog down unless I did several light passes.

I opted for the 3 1/2HP Milwaukee 5625-20 and I think that I turned my RT into a great shaper machine. The additional power has made a world of difference in all router table tasks.

Wayne

 

[Dean Maiorano]

Wayne,

I'm personally a big fan of the Porter Cable 3.25 variable speed router. It is a monster, is designed for (and used heavily in) industrial applications. I ran one on a CNC machine for literally days on end (metal, wood, plastics, etc.).

You'll be hard pressed to find a better router in the 3.25 horse power range. Fixed base is awesome, you can get great used tools on Ebay or Craigslist.

BTW, did you read all of the reviews on the site to which you linked? Several were not so positive and raised concerns for me, and I'm not even buying one!

Dean

 

[merrill77]

I'm usually not a "get the biggest you can afford" kinda guy, but for a mere $30, I'd go for the larger in a table. I've got the previous version of that router, so if you'd like to stop by and give mine a try, PM me.

 

[SteveHall]

I have the 3-1/4 HP Triton in a table and it doesn't flinch no matter what I throw into it. Not sure about the 2HP features, but the 3HP seems like it was made for a table (easily removable spring, easily accessed power button and lock). It's a bit heavy for hand-held use, but for table-only I would spend the $30 extra.

 

[manfre]

Thanks for the feedback. I picked up the 3.25 HP at lunch today. Woodcraft now only has one left at the store, if anyone else was thinking of getting one.