BOSCH RA1171 25-1/2 in. x 15-7/8 in. Benchtop Laminated MDF Top Cabinet Style Router Table with 2 Dust Collection Ports

I have had this a few months but just got around to putting it together. assembly is pretty straight forward. I honestly didn't need to look at directions a whole lot. I liked the screws it goes together with. they are tapered so they center in the hole there was no slop at all I think it due to the head of the screws being tapered. there is a lot of extra hardware in the bags. this cabinet is made of hardboard or mdf which ever you wanna call it. the screws to mount the door and magnetic stop leave something to be desired. they are very small so you need a eye glass screw driver or the smallest phillips head they make anyhow. mounting the router base is not really straight forward. it say in the manual to use the starter screw in either hole A or B. well this was just confusing to me. this is for a bosch router by the way. anyhow once you find the right holes its lines up perfect and seems to mount very securely. The dust collection on it works well with a shop vac just don't forget to hook it up or the cabinet will fill with dust. also make sure the level the table. there are 4 screws to do this. just loosen the mounting screws some and adjust away. I used a steel rule to check daylight and slid it back and forth across the table on edge to get it as close as I could. I like that it comes with feather boards. Overall i think it was a good buy. You can make one on your own given you have the time but the quality seems to be very good it seems solid. none of the aluminum parts had what i would call sharp edges the molded parts seem to be clear of defects

Great value. Everything assembled without issue. I really like the ability to use a large panel bit. And, I think the single fence with spacers to add to one side for planning is smart. The table and fence are solid and well constructed. I can't imagine what else I would look for in this price range. If you're looking for something portable and reasonably priced, this is a great value. (Oct 6). I used this with my Porter Cable router last night to route some base trim with a large panel bit. I was amazed how quickly I got it all set up. And then, I was more amazed that it stayed true and nothing shifted on me while I quickly routed about 20 boards. Sooo easy. And then, when finished, I quickly put it all out of the way. Unless you need a large pro router table that is set up all the time, this table is a godsend and I highly recommend it. I also love that it is heavy enough to want to stay put on its own (I actually clamped it to the tailgate of my pickup truck, lol). If I would have tried to clamp each board to a workbench and then route each one it would have taken 4 times as long with no where near the same results.

The Bosch RA1171 Benchtop Router Table is a good table for the money. The router mounting plate is aluminum, very sturdy, and fully adjustable to ensure it sits flush with the tabletop as explained in the included assembly instructions. The router mounting plate is compatible with a variety of routers - see photos for a list of routers (accurate as of today, 12/21/22). Once the table is fully assembled, it is very sturdy and easy to secure to a work surface, bench, stand, etc. There is one modification that, while not critical, I do recommend. I found that when I tightened an accessory down to the outer edges (far left and far right) of the Aluminum Miter Channel, the channel would flex and pull away from the tabletop. This happens because there are only three mounting screws used to hold the miter channel in place, and they are located more towards the center of the channel, leaving the outer several inches on both sides unsecured - see photos. The fix is easy. I drilled a 3/16" hole through the aluminum miter channel and completely through the tabletop, one inch in from the left and right ends of the miter channel after installing it to the tabletop. Then, I countersunk both holes to accept new #10-32x1" flathead machine screws making sure the tops of the screws would sit below the surface of the miter channel, just as the three screws provided by Bosch do - see photos - the two silver-colored screws on the outer ends are the new/added screws. The three black screws in the center are the ones provided by Bosch. The new #10-32x1" Screws are held in place by a Flat Washer and a Keps Nut on each screw from the underside of the tabletop. Tighten them securely. See photos for a closeup of the screws, washers, keps nuts, and one of the new screws installed in place. After completing this modification, the outer ends of the miter channel are now firmly attached to the tabletop and they will not flex when tightening accessories located in these areas.

It is a BOSCH. Quality. I have a garage workshop- not anything industrial. Just me ruinin wood. For many years I had a "big box" set up. When I seen this router table, the price,quality of product. love at first sight. A bonus-a box joint jig that I just received will also fit this router table as well as my saw.

From a pro woodworker of over 30 years here: I saw many reviews about this before I bought this. I use this for smaller jobs where a free hand routing job requires making a fence, and also when I do not want to set up a large shaper. First and foremost, if you want $2,500.00 shaper results, buy a $2,500.00 shaper. This is designed for smaller jobs or a hobbyist, and it works just FINE. Some say the table was not level or square, some had problems assembling, some say the plastic edge-banding was above the outer edge of the main top (simple fix guys - file it or sand it down carefully, but I didn't have this problem), some had other minor problems. I had NONE of those problems. Want a better fence, then make it. It's simple to do, but I didn't find anything wrong with the fence that came with it, or the laminate face material on the front of it. READ THE DIRECTIONS, or it will not go together correctly. The directions are clear cut and simple, people! I saw on a review where someone said they had to shim the top main metal plate with washers. Come on, really?! If you read the directions or have ANY common sense, you can see there are adjuster screws under the main metal top that are accessible without even removing the metal plate. This assembled fine (if you follow the directions), the table is level and square, and my Porter Cable router dropped right in the main metal table mount and screw holes lined up perfectly. The leveling screws for the metal top made leveling this a walk in the park. It's very easy to level from front to back and side to side if you have a long metal straight edge. Suction from the under side is ok at best, but if you put a adapter on it for a large dust collector system (I have a Jet), that will help dust/chip collection. If you want more suction from the lower rear port, you can also modify the main front door. Cover the grab hole (where you open it) and put a knob on it somewhere. Modify the front swinging door to not leave such a large gap where the on off switch is. A little bit of ingenuity and some scrap 1/4" ply will do the job and attach from the back side easily. You'll increase the back port suction substantially. There is only two things I can find to complain a small bit about. First is the fact that adjusting the router from the inside of this unit offers a small challenge, but not big enough to make a major event out. Second, and last, is the suction, but I addressed that already. No big deal. Again, if you want big pro tool results, buy a big pro tool and spend $2,000.00 or more. Overall, I'm happy with this so far. If anything changes, I will edit this review.

I price shopped this table for some time. I finally got an alert from Zingsale.com who offered it for a great price. They actually sent me to an Amazon site where not only did I get the great price, but I also got $25.00 off from Amazon. I have to admit that I let the table sit for a month or two BEFORE putting it together. (I was traveling a lot!!!). I finally built it yesterday. I was alone and it took me a while, but I have the top surface under .0015. I don't know how anyone could demand anything better than that. This is, after all, for woodworking. Even for metal that would be a great number. My assembly was quite easy. It kinda fit together like an "erector set" (some younger folks might not know what that is). Everything lined up as described in the instructions. Remember to "soap the screws" before driving them. It helped immensely. One thing that troubles me a little is this: I have the Porter Cable 895PK router set. I've mounted my fixed mount router into the table. If I want to remove the motor to put it into the plunge base I will have to remove the 3 mounting screws from the table top and remove the entire router & base assembly. I would have hoped I could simply remove the motor & leave the base attached to the table. That's not the case. The table simply isn't deep enough to remove only the motor. So be it. At least I don't have to remove the router plate and then re-level the whole thing when I replace the motor. And, in fairness, this is a Bosch table any my router is a Porter Cable. Many of the components of this router table were pre-assembled at the factory. The instructions were precise and accurate. I look forward to a long term relationship with this router table and my router. I cannot compare this table to any other as this is my first router table. I read many a review before my purchase and folks said they could not get this table to be "flat". I certainly believe that at less than .0015 mine is flat enough for woodworking. Would I recommend this product? Y E S ! ! ! ! Take your time and follow the directions and you should be just fine with this table. EDIT - August 18, 2013 While reading reviews prior to purchasing this table I saw that several people commented on the edge-banding laminate being "proud" of the table top making their material stick. Mine had no such problem. That was one of the first things I looked for when I removed the top from the box.

Great value router table. I considered making my own (lots of plywood around) but by the time I added the cost of the remote switch, hardware, a router mounting base, and t-slots, I was close to half the cost of this unit. My weekends are more busy now so it was worth the additional cost. Pros: It's Bosch and is designed to work with my Bosch 1617 router fixed base. Sturdy (heavy!) MDF construction (not particle board). The aluminum router mounting plate, fence extrusion, and miter slot add strength and wear resistance to the heavily used pieces. It took me a about an hour to assemble and adjust. I had no issues with fit up. I also didn't have issues with adjusting the router base plate flat with the table - it took me five minutes with a long level. There are two screws at each corner of the mounting plate, one holds it down to the table, the other acts against it as a height adjustment. Loosen them all, then adjust the heights with a level, then tighten it down. Also, the MDF table top I received (May 2013) was chamfered on the inside edge, so none of my workpieces catch while routing. I sat this on top of a set of Craftsman roller drawers with some non-slip drawer liner in between. I haven't had to clamp it down yet; the drawer cabinet wants to wobble on its casters before the router cabinet slides. Dust collection: there is a 2" hole on the rear left of the unit. I plan on installing a Y to route dust collection to the fixed router base (Bosch sells a kit for this) and to the fence. Cons: I wish Bosch would have included plastic inserts to cover the unused countersunk holes (some of them 3/8") in the router mounting plate. I will probably will these with something on my own. To be fair, the holes haven't affected operation; I just like a cleaner look. Also, the included feather boards are a pain if you take them out of the t-slot. They are made of more parts (to standardize manufacturing) and don't fit into the slots one-handed, (or easily two-handed, for me). That said, you're not buying this table for the accessories, and you can easily modify them if needed. One commenter added bolt clamps on his fence for quick adjustments, I plan on doing the same (though the included knobs work fine).

As of this review I have only had the table for a couple days- just enough time to assemble it and do a few test cuts. I chose this as a budget option and picked it up at a pre-Christmas sale so I am not expecting perfection. I already had a Bosch 1617 router so I knew that would fit. I also have an old Black and Decker router given to me that I would have preferred to use however the hole pattern doesn't fit. Assembly was straight forward for the most part but a couple things annoy me. First the back of the cabinet is about an 1/8" shorter than the sides leaving gaps both top and bottom. A second and more severe flaw is there seems to have been a design change while my table was being packaged. The screws that came packaged (5/8" x #6) to put the hinges were actually too large and interfered with closing the door. I was able to make do with some 3/4" x #4 screws I had around. The fence seems good and solid but attachments for the bit guard and feather boards to it are awkward and fussy to put on and adjust. The vacuum ports do not fit anything of the variety of attachments that came with my Shopvac. For a table that is aimed at the lower/ hobby woodworker end of the spectrum it seems strange that they would not have vacuum ports that work with most consumers shop vacs. On the plus side the mounting plate feels robust and can fit a variety of routers. A lot of mounting hardware comes with it to help fit your router in it. The fence is straight and feels robust. Since the mounting plate and fence are the heart of what makes a router table effective, nailing those make it a reasonable value.

I bought this after seeing mixed reviews and looking at other brands and am very happy that I went with this one. It came early and comes in an easy to carry flat packed box. Assembly is straightforward and the directions are easy to read and fallow. This took me less than half an hour to put together and be ready to joint lumber (that includes adding your router and a bit and leveling to center plate to the table). I am very happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone needing a good affordable router table. It comes with a fully adjustable centerplate as well as fence. Also the fence can be shimmed to allow for jointing of boars an these easy to add or subtract shims are included. Also the center plate is pre drilled and marked for different most models of router and includes different screws also. So yes when you have this assembled there will be extra pieces left over not to worry you haven't forgotten anything lol. Even with my huge Milwaukee router a box of bits and the adjustment tools all inside the cupboard this stand is easy to lift onto your work surface and lift of and store under the workbench when not in use. This can be bolted to a bench but It's lots sturdy enough to not slide around while in use and I use mine on the slick surface of my table saw.

Good

Una excelente compra, accesible, practico. He notado algunos errores de diseño que podrían ser mejorados para prolongar la eficiencia del desempeño pero en general, es una buena inversión ya que el proposito de aumentar las capacidades del router es cubierto sin problema. Yo lo uso con el Bosch modelo 1617EVSPK y su rendimiento es excelente.

As mentioned by other purchasers the insert and top are not 100%flat. I measured the gap to be about 12 thousandths which for my application will not effect the finish product. The insert which is aluminum can be straightened by itself to be 98% flat which is acceptable by my standards. For most profile and edge treatment work the table is fine. Everthing else is as it should be.

Con la garantía de la marca Bosch es una buena mesa de trabajo. Si bien es cierto que te puedes construir una de mayores dimensiones, la verdad esta mesa tiene todo lo necesario, las guías, los enchufes, una base sólida y sobre todo la compatibilidad total con el router de la marca, para hacer tus trabajos de una manera más precisa, he trabajado con brocas de 1/2" y es estable. Para un aficionado a la madera como yo es un buen producto.