The pantograph assembly of the PantoRouter™ Woodworking Machine is precisely machined to hold 3.5” diameter, 110 Volt routers commonly available in the US, Canada and Mexico markets, and critical dimensions are the diameter and length of the mounting cylinder. The diameter must be 3.5”. No other size will work, and the pantograph must not be altered in any way.

Scroll down for a 230 Volt 50 Hz router intended for export.

The Bosch 1617 EVS is our router of choice for the PantoRouter. It’s quiet, has soft start, variable speed, two high-quality wrenches, two collets with low runnout, and a flexible cord. The Bosch 1617 EVS comes with a fixed base, but you will probably never use it. We salvaged the wood knobs and micro-adjuster from ours and recycled the aluminum base.

The Bosch 1617 EVS has a shorter mounting body than the routers listed below and requires a router mount specifically designed for it. The Porter Cable router mount will not work. If you want to change from the Porter Cable 8902 router to the Bosch 1617 EVS, you will need to convert your pantograph to the Bosch mount. Please contact us and we will assist.

The Porter Cable Model 8902 is no longer in production but we used it for years and there are some still available in the marketplace.  It’s variable speed and soft-start and has a rack and pinion height adjustment and an aligning pin used for their fixed and plunge router bases. The rack must be removed by unthreading the two screws shown in the photo.  The two pins on the router body will fit through the slots on the router mount.  Once the pins are clear of the router mounts the router motor can be twisted into the best position for access to the rotor lock for bit changes.

 The Skill model RT1322 router has an electronic display and electronic buttons for speed control. We don’t think either is necessary and the router is the loudest we tested, but it does fit the router mounts. It has LED lights that shine on the workpiece, which is nice.

The Skill model RT1323 router has analog speed control but is only 10 amp draw under load. (The other routers draw 12-14 amps) Both Skill routers come with only one ½” collet plus an adapter for ¼”.

The Dewalt 618 works with our router mounts though the cord extending from the side is a little large and a doesn’t flex easily.

The RoutMaster Pro is a 230 Volt 50/60 Hz router intended for export. It is rated for 1500W input and has soft start, two ER20A collets and nuts, two wrenches and comes with a Type-F cord end. The router is double insulated and bears a CE listing. This router can be shipped with the PantoRouter All-In package or the PantoRouter Pro Pack by selecting it in the drop-down menu on checkout.

Check our video library for a short video showing the features of the RoutMaster Pro router motor.

Many of our customers outside North America use a 2000 watt step-down transformer to run their PantoRouter™ woodworking machine on a 110V Bosch Router.  

We recommend a dedicated router for your PantoRouter™ Woodworking Machine. You’re more likely to use your PantoRouter™ Woodworking Machine more often if it’s always ready to go.

We also highly recommend a dedicated auxiliary paddle switch for your PantoRouter™ Woodworking Machine. The on-off switch on the router might not be in a convenient place to be easily accessed, whereas a paddle switch could be mounted where you could turn the router off without removing your hands from the two handles controlling the PantoRouter™ Woodworking Machine much like many table saws on the market today.

There are two types of paddle switches commonly available; standard switches and magnetic switches. We prefer the magnetic switch type because it will reset in the event of a power outage.

With standard type switch, the router motor can come on as soon as power is restored, which could be very dangerous if the power switch on the router body is in the on position.

A magnetic switch will not allow power to the router until the paddle switch is turned on using the green button.