Customer Reviews for RIDGID 2 HP Multi Base Router Combo

I bought this about a year or two ago and am happy with it for the most part. I had it mounted in my router table and was using the T wrench to adjust the height from above and the router fell out of the base and the housing damaged and now binds in the bases. I find I can't depth adjust the router in the table without a hand under it for when it falls as it almost always does. Other wise I have been happy with the router.

Bought this router for basic surfacing purposes and have had nothing but problems from the get go. Numerous screw fell out from vibrations , bearing blew within the first months, there is an excessive amount play even when the router is locked it will still slightly drift lower over time while using. All in all, I consider it money wasted. Will not be purchasing ridgid again as their planner gave me nothing but problems as well.

After using it for a few weeks, I really like this kit. My only drawbacks are in the design of the tool and none with the performance. For example, the locking pin for the shaft is hard to reach when changing bits. I wish this was more accessible, especially for people with larger hands. My other issue is with the collets, they provide a 1/4" adapter, but I wish it was just a seperate collet. The adapter works well but it would just be better to have a seperate collet. Furthermore, the router tends to stick in the bases when changing bases or just removing the router. A little oil should solve that however. I heard people complain about side-side movement in the plunge base but I have not experienced any issues in that regard, it is very solid. All in all, I'm very happy, especially for the price range.

I have had this router a couple years now. The router itself is a great, but the two bases that come with it are terrible. The router slides in the fixed base at higher RPMS because there is too much wiggle room with the slot piece, and the plunge base stuck terribly and after only a couple uses actually blew apart, and without a decent base to use the router is fairly useless despite all its power and potential.

Super powerful solid router. I can’t imgine wanting more from it.

Not sure if the folks who engineered this base has ever actually used this tool with a dust collector hose attached. The placement of the hose attachment makes it near impossible and very cumbersome... and downright unsafe.

I've had it about a year and not used the plunge base much but now that I'm working on a project that requires a lot of that I find that the plunge base sticks so badly that I crash past the stop and ruin my work. I've tried cleaning the towers, lubricating them with graphite and teflon, to no avail. I didn't register it and don't have the receipt so I'll probably mount it permanently in my router table and get another plunge router.

I have a brand new R2911 fixed router but having trouble finding a router table. I bought a Ryobi but it won't fit due to the router's handgrip position, and the table's mounting plate holes don't line up. Does anybody have any ideas? I'd like to use my new router.

I must start by stating that this router is awesome in terms of function. For that, it gets one, well deserved star. Unfortunately, there is a serrious and well documented design flaw in this model. The last time I used this router was about 4 mionths ago, and I noticed a lot of corrosion when I switched from the fixed base mounted in my table to the plunge base. I had to lightly sand the router body and inside of the plunge base to get the two to fit together. Fast forward to today and I was unable to separate the router from the plunge base. I spent about 15 minutes using a dead blow mallet to separate the two as gently as I could. Once apart, I noticed a significant amount of corrosion around the exposed edges of the router body. As mentioned here and elsewhere, this is a long-standing, common issue with this router, and I have found complaints as far back as 2009 for the same problem. Because the body of this router is made with magnesium, and probably a low-purity alloy at that, it is prone to corrosion, even in environments where other tools made of cast iron and steel have no issues. So, if you are not willing to take extreme precautionary measures to protect this thing from even normal environmental conditions, DO NOT buy this router.

I bought this to replace an older Rockwell router. I love the easy adjustment and quick detachable base. It's very easy to attach to a router table. I wish it came with 2 bases as I would leave one permanently fixed to the router table.

Have owned this for a couple of years now, and the unit performs well. But like another review I have a problem with what appears to be corrosion or some sort of oxidation. I only use the plunge base rarely and when I do i have to lightly sand the housing to get the motor to slide into it. Once that is done the unit works well enough. I don't have a problem with the base that is attached to the router table. I do have a dehumidifier that runs in my shop also. If the case problem is ever resolved it would be a great tool to have in anyones shop.

I got my router with the fixed and plunge base. It has worked quite well for the number of times that I have used it. Easy to set up and use. Really going to be heart broken if and when my router finally dies on me. A truly great investment.

Very versatile and easy to use. I checked for other brands and but for the quality and warranty, it's the best for me. Recommand for everyone.

I've owned this router for over a year and have really found it to be a quality addition to my tools. Recently I needed to fabricate a couple of Corian vanity tops. The router performed flawlessly while edge forming and undermount sink installation. Easily handled my largest production bits.

I purchased this router about 8 months ago. It is well built, and does what it is supposed to do. I use it mainly in my home constructed router table. The 2 HP motor doesn't miss a beat when feeding wood and other materials to it. I researched routers for around a year before finally settling upon this router. No second thoughts. Very happy with it ( even if it didn't also come with the Lifetime warranty).

I purchased this router several months ago and have been happy with my purchase. I have used the router extensively and it has not let me down. I primarily use it in my router table, and I use my RIDGID laminate trimmer for other uses. The router bit height can be adjusted from the bottom with an included tool, so I don't need to get under the table to change the bit height. There have been times I've wanted a plunge base and haven't been able to find one available from RIDGID. It would be great to see a plunge base released. I know there were plunge bases available in the past.

If I could, I would give it a 3.5 star rating, but I can't. I also checked "no" for the recommendation question, but my real answer to that is, "it depends". I'll elaborate as I go. I've used this quite a bit since last January and I do like this kit. The motor and bases are strong and sturdy and I like that it comes with the centering cone. My setup consists of having the fixed base permanently under my router table with the plunge base for any hand work. Pulling the motor from one to the other is easy and this setup works great for me. The soft start is wonderful and I haven't found it's limits yet event with large diameter bits in hardwood. Another feature I love (and hate) is the through table height adjustment on the fixed base. As I mentioned, the fixed base stays under my router table and with a small hole in my table, I can use the included T handle to raise and lower the router. It's a great feature, but it's flawed. When raising the motor, the base detent that fits into the motor body will actually pop out and the motor drops to the floor. Luckily the motor is built very well and took the fall. Because of this, I have to support the motor with one hand as I'm turning the T handle above the table. It sort of defeats the purpose of even having this option. I haven't seen similar complains, so this might be an isolated issue. The only other issue I have is with the plunge base. It was very stiff out of the box and pretty much unusable. I sat it on my bench and worked the heck out of it hoping it would break in, but it really did nothing. What worked a little was a bunch of spray lube and a cloth followed by more working the plunge. It works much better, but not nearly as well as many other plunge bases. So if a friend asked my opinion on purchasing this kit, my answer would be I still buy this over other single base routers for the pric . But if you can wait, other superior kits do go on sale from time to time. Having the LSA (which you MUST sign up for) gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I've been waiting to see if these issues get worked out and may send it away for servicing or replacement if that's the case. The LSA will allow me to do that.

This tool ONLY seems & looks fine till you get to use it. Right off the bet you start having problems. To the best of my knowledge and research - of course after becoming broken hearted - others encounter the same issues. - Out of the box everything looks on the up & up and in order so much so it puts an immediate smile on your face. It looks solid, fairly good ergonomics, nice bag, it even comes with 'dust ports' for both bases - as oppose to having to order them & the whole nine yard… mmm worth every penny…! NOT - Starting with the plunge base... it's a joke. It is so perfect that the only thing it doesn't do is plunge. I'm about 70Kg (~150 pounds) and I can literary do push ups without it moving down 1mm. So far I have found two solutions for it: 1- Flip it around so all the controls facing away from you then it plunges like butter while your hands now uncomfortably holding the bass awkward handles, how are you like them apples; or 2- Bring the nuts down on the threaded rod (distance adjuster) by about an inch (~2.5cm) so it lowers the moving part and distance of travel then you'll be cooking with gas; however you may have problem working with long straight bits as they stick out. To keep it short the 'Fix Base' needs some latch adjustment and because of the poor engeneering design or manufacturing be sure to place the motor very slowly into the 'fix base' till you hear and more importantly see the safty tongue gets locked in the indent on the motor housing, otherwise it slides down more than it is supposed to causes it to get jammed in the base. Try to un-jam it! I spent a good 2 hours among all the craziness to figure out what's up with this tool - Is it me? Is it today? I may be tired...! Is there something really wrong with the tool? - and finally get around it. It's on my router table and that's all it is good for if reliability of the motor is not on your list. So far I've never had any reliability issues with RIDGID. I hope same thing goes with this one. Real Life Time Warranty anyhow :-) I'm still stuck with my combo deWALT (¼ shank) trim router till I get another one. I put a bit too much confidence on RIDGID as most of my corded tools are from this brand and I've been happy so far with their other tools such as my latest Twin Blade circular saw or my good old belt sander. I wish I bought the other brand I was looking at for a while even for $90 more. Now I lost more than that, a lot more than that. The possibility of disappointment would have been much lower in my belief. If this is going to be your first router ever I would look elsewhere. It would disappoint me as a firt timer to the point where I'd put off routing biz forever. Good Luck Routing,

i bought this router when it came with the mini plung cut one also works great and easy to use makes work look clan and precise i like it and any tool that makes my job easier is great in my book

This is a hobby product only and not worth a professional, or even semi-professionals time. I own two both of which are either broken or on the verge of after less than a year of moderate use. Do yourself a favor here and avoid this Ridgid product.

My first sample had the sticky plunger. I could put my upper body weight on the unit and it wouldn't go down. I made sure the lock was loose and I plunged it +200x to break it in. Still no good, so I exchanged for another one and this one works pretty good. Still grabby at times but quite usable. Nothing that would force me to slip or slam the bit into the work. I am willing to accept the slightly sticky plunger because this router does so many things well for $200. The motor is easy to remove from the bases for bit change. The collet nut only requires a little loosening to free the bit. The fixed base has an easy to use height adjustment system that looks robust. The flat top on the motor has these rubber pads that makes it easy to sit the unit upside-down to change the bit. Nice touch! What I am most impressed with is the dust collection. Both bases have dust ports and clear shields so that the cutting area is mostly sealed off. In plunge mode, the 1 1/4" vac port and LED lights does a great job keeping bit clean. In fixed mode, you can have the vac port below the table, as well as above table, behind a fence equipped with a port. I don't have a fancy enclosed router table so it's nice for a hobbyist like me. Cons: -the plunge vac port does impede full travel just a bit. -fixed vac port (screwhead) blocks the above-table height adjustment -the variable speed dial needs to be bigger or rubbery or deeper detents. I have small thumbs and it's still hard to turn. -used to have 2 1/4HP and lighted cord plug. Just like the excellent TS3650 table saw now watered down, I fear Ridgid may be cost-cutting.

The pluge base is very jerky, it keeps getting stuck

I love its light and powerful motor. Also its price is fair and affordable. plunge base often get stuck, rubber protection for plunge shaft is required. it is hard to change bits.

I think that this is an excellent router, as it has handled everything that I have thrown at it, without fail. I have other routers, which people at the “wood shop” would consider to be superior, but this Rigid is just as good if not better than all of them; and it was at a value price, and the dust collection and other extra features etc., are all included with the kit. That’s not the case with the competition, as those features are all extra. All of the performance characteristics of this router meet or exceed the competition and with the lifetime warranty, how can you go wrong? I really have enjoyed this router.

Had to purchase online, but was still able to get it with the special financing offer. Does not mount up well with my router table, had to remove the handles, but that is OK I am planning on leaving the base on the the table anyway. I will use one of my other routers for regular routing. Have not had an opportunity to use the plunge portion yet. When I clamp the motor after setting my height the motor moves slightly. I bought this unit based on a magazine review and it seems to function well. The adjustable speed is a plus as I am using some larger bits to do some different type of work. At some point I will purchase another table and may get to utilize the height adjustment from the top. This unit does pull more dust and chip particles into the base than my other unit and throws more around my work bench. I guess I will have to get an adapter setup to vacuum from the top and the base. For now I will just clean up after use.