Customer Reviews for RIDGID 5.5 Amp Compact Fixed-Base Corded Router

Awesome palm router! I wasn’t sure that it was going to meet my needs for a flooring project. It did exactly what I hoped it would do, that is to cut a groove in a piece of flooring. The compact size worked exceptionally in this application

My Ridgid trim router finally passed today, I shook my head, but fully understood. I had that thing for at least 17 yrs I figured. And was used a lot, I do cabinet blding, it's seen plenty of wood and laminate. Looking to get another soon.

This piece of garbage dies every 2 or 3 inches from overheating with carbide tip blades. Then you can see the level guide settings move and the knob twists while you are cutting. Ridgid is going to hurt someone with this god awful tool. Unbelievable. Unusable to cut biscuit cuts due to the level issues, unusable to cut through materials. And youll be there all day to lay a 3/8 round edge.

Light weight and easy to handle. I use it to route signs.

Not a bad tool so far, too bad they make it impossible to register, just a circle of login to register, we’re sending you confirmation to email, click here to login. Then repeat, this happened when I tried to register cordless combo kit 10 years ago then when you try to make a claim good luck.done with ridgid done with HD

I love this router! I was deciding between this model with a light or one without. I’m so glad I picked this one. It really helped when making precise cuts in an inlay. It’s got good power and is easy to maneuver deep cuts. Would totally recommend!

This product was great. I've used a couple of times since purchase and I love it with just one minor issue. The wrench provided to tighten the collet won't fit into the space provided on the router. Such a simple thing to get right and they didn't. That costs them 1 star on my rating. Otherwise, I love this tool and am completely satisfied.

Purchased this to replace an older Bosch unit..I like the variable speed . The on/off switch above the power cord will take a little getting used to. As with my Bosch changing bits requires the removal of the motor from the base , most of the time. Overall it handles well, the two base plates are nice to have, and it cuts well. A great palm router at a reasonable price

Needed a small router for trimming and also used for cutting a slot in bottom of banner for T-slot guide. Worked perfectly

I love this router, it's great for taking a project to the next level. I use mine alot to finish off some cnc work. Basically the 1/4" round over bit almost never leaves the chuck. But I have alot used it for flush cutting laminate, and even countersinking hinges into new door jams. Its a one handed tool, so the other hand is left free to brace material or move clamps. The build in LED is great for tight spaces. This thing is a must for finish work.

For a small hand held router it has plenty of power. My niece used it to make a sign out of some re-purposed redwood. She had never used a router before and it came out great. The size made it easy to control and easy to get into tight spaces.

Very easy to use. I have a larger Bosch router that I love, but it requires two hands to operate. This worked great for some cabinet doors that I was making for a window seat. The customer wanted some extra detail on the doors. Lite enough and powerful. Quick and easy to change out router bit. Can't go wrong with ridgid. Great tool at a great price.

I have a regular size Porter Cable router and a Dremel but nothing that quick and easy work. I didn't have a lot of experience with routing but needed to route some flush edges on a workbench I am building. After unboxing I had this tool up and running in less then 5 minutes. I was able to flush trim and them put round over edge on a bottom of my 4' x 8' workbench and then used another bit to create a nice edge a shelf holding the air compressor that was added to the workbench. Bit changes and depth adjustments are quick and easy. It is not too loud but hearing (and eye) protection are still recommended.

This router is great!! I needed one for a few projects around the house and it was no debate as to which one is was going to get. Ridgid tools are top notch and the no hassle life time warranty sweetens the deal. Easy to set up and easy to use this router is great for any project big or small. It is easy to set the speed and depth without any additional tools. Would highly recommend

Great little router as long as you do not expect too much out of it. The fence is very nice. I was surprised to find it was all metal. Does very well with simple round overs and shallow cutting with thin bits.

I would have given it 5 stars but the bit change in my opinion is kind of a hassle. The manual says your suppose to be able to change the bit without removing the base. My experience is that at least on mine, the wrench and the chuck lock are Swiss engineered so that with the base in place you have virtually no movement of the wrench to loosen the chuck and change the bit. I've found that there's very little torque movement on start up at least in my experience and the operation is silky smooth. The switch at least in my opinion is well positioned for use and easy to access. The only other negative I had was the fine thumb adjustment was fairly hard to turn, but it gets much easier if you turn the entire knob with your thumb not just the knurled part. In short its a nice tool for me.

Does the job that I bought it for. Actually quieter then expected. Used it to make this.

This is the first router I've used, and it was quite a bit easier and more intuitive than I thought it would be. So far I've mostly used it to add edge details to window sills that I replaced, though I've also used it for a couple of blind slots. One thing I would say to anyone using a router for the first time: make sure to practice on scrap wood for whatever cut you want to make before you do it the first time. The best direction for the router to travel (left-to-right, or right-to-left) seems to depend on the type of cut you make.

Fantastic router for first time routing as a DIYer. I bought this router to do some basic round over work on a vanity I was building out of red oak. It fits very comfortably in in the hand, and is very controllable single-handed. I'm very new to using routers, but very DIY friendly, and I found this tool to be fantasticly simple to get up and running with. I love that the power switch pulls up to start, and depresses to stop. It makes it very simple for me to use my free hand to power off the tool without having to look for the switch, I just slap the butt of the tool and off it goes. The LED light that highlights the bit and working spot is a grand idea that I didn't even know I needed until I had it! It comes in a soft carry case, which is fine, all my other rigid tools are the same - yet for some reason people still get in a fuss about this fact. Different strokes I suppose. Ultimately it's super user friendly. It has rounded all the necessary bits on my vanity which is exactly what I needed from it, so 5/5 for me.

So far this is a great little router. My only complaint is the stop that prevents the base from being removed. It is much easier to change bits with the base removed. I can't see any good reason for this stop to be there, none of my other routers have this and I have never had a base fall off. I added a couple of drawer pulls for handles and this router is perfect for detail work.

This is a great little router. I love the Light and clear base. It handles so many tasks. I actually bought two one for table top use and built it into my work bench. You can buy a safety switch to mount to table or a regular switch to turn off and on if you make a router table.

Whether you buy this router or another brand, get one of these little routers. Definitely not just for trimming laminate. Full fledged router that fits in the palm of your hand. I mostly use 1/4" bits with pilot bearing to put round-over or 45 deg on edge of board. Or shallow cuts for hinges. This little router does all that and SO much easier than balancing a heavy router, tipping and gouging the edge of your work. I chose the Rigid for the LED light, clear base plate, wide visibility and quick adjust. I almost passed because of the switch location, but having used it for 1 week, now I really like it. The switch is on top and up/down (vs. a thumb rocker) so you can easily whack the top with your hand, your hip, or whatever to turn it off. Again...don't know why I didn't buy one of these sooner. My bigger router is going to collect more dust than it's going to make. Great little unit and a full fledged power tool.

I bought this router for a pantograph because of the weight and so far so good. It seems to work great for this application. I made the pantograph and it seems to be working out good. I bought this brand because of the locality and I intend to switch to this brand for all my needs due to the excellent lifetime warranty.

This is a good product with lots of nice features. However, upon inspecting the contents of the box and trying to install the edge guide I noticed that both guide bars are bent. One bar is so bad I can't use the edge guide. The bars themselves are not made of flimsy material either. Where was the quality control Ridgid? Very disappointed!

This is a good product with lots of nice features. However, upon inspecting the contents of the box and trying to install the edge guide I noticed that both guide bars are bent. One bar is so bad I can't use the edge guide. The bars themselves are not made of flimsy material either. Where was the quality control Ridgid? Very disappointed!

I bought this router to trim laminate counter tops I installed in my kitchen. It did an excellent job. Looks as good as if it were professionally done. This tool is very well built, solid performance.

I bought this router to handle the small jobs and because of the great warranty. I originally purchased the Colt but decided I liked the clear base and light on this Rigid tool. I like being able to see the workpiece. The router has plowed right through everything I've thrown at it. I've been reasonable in my expectations and have only done limited depth dados, grooves and kerf cuts in multiple passes. I have also put decorative ogee edges on 3/4" shelves without any problems. It's easy to change out bits by just removing the base. I can't figure out how to collect the dust yet. A good little tool...it's actually made it hard for me to pull out the big router. I just like the size and ease of using this little guy.

Awesome little router, does a good job and easy to use

Keeps stopping while trying to use on 1 inch solid birch. Ended up ruining the birch. Maybe not big enough or powerful enough for this thickness but main issue is friend bought for me, gave me receipt and home depot won't let me exchange even for credit towards another router.

The turn on /off switch is located where you hold the router, so you end up turning off the router constantly. The settings constantly change when working. Not a good router.