What is “the” router these days

[telemnemonics]

Does a wood chisel count?
Since I'm mostly a strat person, my "opening" up cavities is almost always turning SSS to Swimming pool.

Obviously I'm not a serious wood worker, but I do make some clean chop outs.

Small changes under the guard I often grab a chisel rather than a power tool.
Other things I need to rout a template then use the template rout a visible pickup opening
The old 690 did this one

 

[hd09]

Found this amongst my mess, might be good for something. About 3" wide.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

So the 690 model is not made anywhere or sold under some other brand?

They stopped making the 690 series a LONG time ago...the 890 series replaced it a number of years prior to the changes that came when they were bought out by Stanley Black and Decker. I believe that SB&D deprecated the brand to put emphasis on the DeWalt brand for "pro" work and to resurrect the Craftsman brand that they also acquired for the "value" brand with a broad range of portable tools. They didn't kill PC, but kinda put it into the small retail space where Craftsman wasn't going to play and kept it to drill/drivers and saws, for the most part. True Value stores, for example. (Ace did take on Craftsman and Lowes is the primary venue for the Craftsman brand)

I never owned the 690 series, but did own a 7529 (which I gave to a friend) and I have a PC 9718 in my router table. For a multi-base that I primarily use with the fixed base, I have the DW618 three base kit from DeWalt. It's more powerful than the 690 series and variable speed...comparable to the PC 890 series as well as offerings from Bosch, Makita and others. My plungers are Festool, but that's a whole 'nuther thing.

 

[telemnemonics]

They stopped making the 690 series a LONG time ago...the 890 series replaced it a number of years prior to the changes that came when they were bought out by Stanley Black and Decker. I believe that SB&D deprecated the brand to put emphasis on the DeWalt brand for "pro" work and to resurrect the Craftsman brand that they also acquired for the "value" brand with a broad range of portable tools. They didn't kill PC, but kinda put it into the small retail space where Craftsman wasn't going to play and kept it to drill/drivers and saws, for the most part. True Value stores, for example. (Ace did take on Craftsman and Lowes is the primary venue for the Craftsman brand)

I never owned the 690 series, but did own a 7529 (which I gave to a friend) and I have a PC 9718 in my router table. For a multi-base that I primarily use with the fixed base, I have the DW618 three base kit from DeWalt. It's more powerful than the 690 series and variable speed...comparable to the PC 890 series as well as offerings from Bosch, Makita and others. My plungers are Festool, but that's a whole 'nuther thing.

I guess I stopped buying tools a long time ago!
Aside from router bits saw blades and fasteners, must be 12-14 years since I bought new tools, never mind a new power tool?
Probably my Porter Cable contractors saw with their version of the unifence, forget what its called. Circa 2009.
Great saw for me, no problems other than a pin sheared in the blade elevator and I cobbled something in there.
The Ace hardware store lumber yard had it in the showroom for a good number of years I believe.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Probably my Porter Cable contractors saw with their version of the unifence, forget what its called. Circa 2009.
Great saw for me, no problems other than a pin sheared in the blade elevator and I cobbled something in there.
The Ace hardware store lumber yard had it in the showroom for a good number of years I believe.

That's a real unicorn...but I'm glad you have the UniFence. I'm a BIG fan of high/low fences on a table saw for both functional and safety reasons.

 

[telemnemonics]

That's a real unicorn...but I'm glad you have the UniFence. I'm a BIG fan of high/low fences on a table saw for both functional and safety reasons.

This fence is a unicorn as in hard to find and highly regarded?

I love the thing, and the high low is nice plus when cutting very narrow pieces I hook my other fingers over the narrow top of the fence so if I slip there is little chance my hand will go into the blade.
I was waiting for my garage to be built to buy the saw then it was gone from the lumber yard. Asked about it and it had been moved to a warehouse for some reason, then when it was delivered the blade insert was bent from something being dropped on it
Anyhow, very happy with it after using Unisaws in cabinet shops for years.
Makes cuts that look smooth like they were sanded, and the fence numbering actually corresponds to cut size. For around $750.
Delta though not Porter Cable, thinking wrong when posting about hand tools…

 

[eallen]

I've used & own several as many do. Of the full size routers the non cheapo brands are all pretty decent, Dewalt, Bosch, Makita, Ridgid. Bosch and Ridgid adjuster style allows for table top adjustment without a lift.

The hands down winner of trim routers for me is the Dewalt With fixed & plunge. It has the same solid adjustment setup as the full size Dewalt & PC. It also had enough hp to do any hand held routing a guitar needs. My Bosch trim micro adjuster is just too fragile & lives with a round over bit set that never gets adjusted.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I was calling the "PC Table Saw" the unicorn, not the UniFence. As noted, I'm a big fan of the UniFence and thankful that the slider I use also has a high/low fence as it's more or less standard for EURO designed machines. My first real table saw was similar to your Delta...a Contractor's Style saw with the UniFence. It was replaced with a Jet left-tilt cabinet saw that had the typical tee-square (Biesmeyer) style fence...which was nice for add-ons, but I never felt comfortable with it after using the UniFence. When I moved to the slider...I was back in saw fence nirvana.