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In any business timing is everything. We see this firsthand in our June 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine. The article that reinforces this well-known business adage is the “Two-Base Router Kits.”
We’ve selected the Milwaukee 5616-24 kit as the Editor’s Choice. As might be expected, many woodworkers have taken our advice and decided to purchase the kit. However, the Milwaukee 5616-24 is nowhere to be found. It’s not at your local woodworking store, at Amazon.com nor available at the so-called “Big Box” stores. Reason being , Milwaukee has yet to release this kit.
The kit we tested is indeed the router kit that will be available; it just hasn’t been given the final approval from the folks at Milwaukee. So, here’s the skinny. If pushed for a release date, and we did push, the company suggested a date of late June. I might give them and extra week or two to feel confident. It is coming and it’s exactly how and what we said it was.
Bottom line. If I needed a router immediately I would buy the Milwaukee 5616-20, which is the fixed base, 2-1/4 horsepower model with the body grip design. Then, I’d pick up the plunge base when it’s available. (We’re assured it will be sold separately when released.)
That’ll cost you about $20 more in the long run because the plunge base will be offered at $99. Add that to the $170 price of the 5616-20’s and your assembled kit ends up with a final cost of $269. The 5616-24 has a suggested price of $249.
If I needed a plunge base right away or didn’t want to part with the extra $20, I’d go for one of the other two-base router kits that scored well in our review. There are a number to select from.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
