SKIL 10 Amp Fixed Base Corded Router —RT1323-00

This has worked great. I'd never used a router before, but with the help of a couple of youtube videos, I feel fairly competent now. This router works for me. I don't need lots of options. I just needed to hang a bunch of doors. Seems well made. The price was good. If I was planning on using it every day it might not have been my choice, but it seems well made and has enough power for my needs.

I've been woodworking and building for 60+ years. Lots of tools; lots of brands. SKIL was never at the top of my list.... ....it is now. They have seriously elevated their game. Loaded with features not found on much more expensive brands: soft start, RPM control (0-25,000), LED lighted clear base, vacuum port, safety light so you remember to unplug before changing bits., Heavy-duty, solid build, no undue vibration. Very ergonomic; feels balanced, not awkward. Would prefer the two-wrench method of changing bits, never cared for having to hold down a button, but that's just me. These features at this price is hard to believe. Great router. Just ordered another! Having said that, the seller page states 2HP, but the box states 1.75 HP. (10 amps = about 1.61 HP +/-) That's fine, no complaint there. Just sayin'. Plenty powerful enough for any project.

A high quality piece of equipment, worth the expense. Had not previously owned a router. Constructed/installed an in-the-wall-between-studs spice cabinet. Will be using router extensively to modify/construct pull-out drawers (really just flat trays) in an existing kitchen - for all lower cabinets - 2 pull-outs each). I am eying the SKIL SRT1039 Benchtop Portable Router Table, but have not confirmed a pressing need for it yet.

It works well and have enough power to do what needs to be done

Great tool. Only regret is if I would have shopped around and paid attention to sales at other places I could have bought the router and a table as combo for same price. But the tool is a good one

After messing with little 1/4", 1 HP to 1-1/2 HP routers this somewhat bigger one is very nice. Has a good heft to it that imparts confidence through the hands up to the brain that everything is gonna just WORK. Very smooth. Not a super big fan of the depth adjusting arrangement, and apparently there is no provision for plunge cutting, but the handles and the base plate are well designed and make the unit very controllable in the X and Y axis and a pleasure to use for most common routering tasks. Comes with a plain and limited but still quite adequate fence and guide set, collet wrench, and a collet insert for using 1/4" shank tooling, which I have a lot of. For the price I am pretty happy. I would have liked to have received a spare set of brushes for the motor, though. Well, that's okay. NOT FOR THE PRO, but the typical home handyman will find this router to be a solid performer, I think.

For the money it's one badass router, keeps up with my dewalt

Something worth noting about this router is how solidly engineered it feels. Right from unboxing, you're holding a heavy, but well-balanced piece of machinery in your hands. The depth adjuster and locks are well-engineered and easy to work without being something you'll hit by accident. The power and speed switches have a good feel to them and the operation indicator light is easy to see even in a bright room. All of the mechanical parts fit perfectly, and the soft start feature helps the tool from kicking out when you start it, particularly at higher speeds. I was able to get a new bit mounted and round-over the edge of a piece of wood very quickly. The handles have a great shape and feel to them, and there's great visibility of the cutting area with the LEDs shining down in there. For an around-the-house hobbyist, this does a great job at a very nice price. A case or bag would have been a nice addition, but its absense probably kept it under $100. I also really wish the power switch was something other than a horizontally-operated toggle switch. I would have preferred something more easily visible, like an up/down switch or a push/pull like on Craftsman tools, although if you're mounting this on a table, that doesn't really matter.

I purchased this router after checking several reviews on YouTube and the internet and most of which were very positive. I was originally looking at the 14 amp combo kit, but there has been several issues with the control panel malfunctioning and causing the router to change speed all on its own or failing to work correctly or failing to work at all, so decided to stick with the 10 amp version. I wanted something with comparable specs to my old Porter Cable 6902 combo kit but with variable speed, soft start and electronic feedback for use with larger diameter 1/2" shank router bits that would not break the bank and this fits my expectations very well. The first thing I did was replace the sub base for a MilesCraft with a larger opening to accommodate the larger diameter bits that I will be using. Then I put a 3/4" straight cut bit in a cut a dado on a piece of 2 X 8 spruce and it cut through with ease. I then put a 1-1/2" 45° chamfer bit in and cut the same lumber at full depth in a single pass and again it cut with no problem. I then put a 3/4" rabbet bit in and cut a full depth rabbet with no problems. The only issue I had was the 1/2" router collet would not accept my 1/2" shank bits (collet seemed to be too small), but I watched a video on YouTube tube that showed how to resolve this issue by removing the collet completely and this would allow the collet to open back up again and it worked perfectly. If there is one negative about this router that I have found, its the very cheap and basic 1990s on/off toggle switch, it makes the router feel cheaper than it actually is. Apart from this minor issue, the router is built extremely well for the price and comparable to machines a lot more expensive. It's very easy to set up and use, I really like the macro adjustment, rubber overmold on the comfortable handles and top cap (stops the motor from sliding when doing bit changes). I like the solid construction, the 3 LED lights, the color scheme, the power of the router, the soft start, and how quiet it is compared to my Porter Cable and Bosch PR20EVS Colt routers. All in all, a great mid size router that should last a long time (if looked after properly). I would recommend this machine to anyone looking for their first router, or even someone looking to add a second or third router to their collection, way to go Skil.

Powerfully and easy to use. Soft start

Este aparato... Muy bueno, lo recomiendo,... Esta bien fabricado y costo muy contenido... Lo recomiendo

This router has everything one could ask for. I had asked the question about the hole diameter in the sub-base as I wanted to be able to use my CMT guide inserts. The replies were not helpful as they may have been based on the dual base router, but the online manual showed 1-1/4" diameter for the fixed base model. As it turns out there is also a 1-3/8 diameter recess in the base which accepts my router guides perfectly, with a few thousandths of an inch recess to prevent the guide from catching on the part. (See photo) The variable speed, soft start, dual chuck and large range of depth adjustment are all great features in addition to the light weight & easy handling. I noted a complaint about the switch type, but it’s location directly above the right handle make it easy to flick on or off. I also have a 3 HP Craftsman (Ryobi made) plunge router weighing about 12 pounds and as such, has become permanent in my router table running cabinet-making bits up to 3-1/2 inch diameter. This SKIL router is a vast improvement over my old fixed speed Craftsman used previously and so far has been a real pleasure to use. Highly recommended. Update: I was asked whether the router was suitable for use in a router table. Since I had intended to do this anyway, I installed it in my table. In terms of adjustment, it was much easier to set the collet position and bit depth than my larger router. Though I would not normally recommended this amount of load, I set it up with a 3-1/4 inch diameter raised panel bit at the lowest speed and tried it out (3 increasing passes) on a pine scrap. See the photo - it worked just fine. (note that I have removed my safety bit guard in order to show the setup) . I think it would be too high a load to use a bit of this size for hardwood such as oak with a 1-1/2 HP router, but for a softwood such as pine quite OK.

Nice little machine easy to use