Bosch MRP23EVS 120-Volt 2.3 HP Plunge Base Router

If you want just a plunge router it has often been better to buy a fixed/plunge base combo and throw the fixed base away. Given that this new Bosch was cheaper than my standby Makita combo kit (I own two of these) and it had the switch built into the handle I thought I would give it a try. In addition to the Makita, I have also used Dewalt and Triton routers, along with a Bosch Colt trim router, and even a harbor freight trim router.

The Good:

Starting off with getting it out of the box, there is no giant plastic case to have to deal with, and the router is packed inside the box with just cardboard rather than foam inserts which makes it all recyclable and easy to get rid of.

The fit and finish is very nice. It has a good cord of usable length, though it is the type with memory to it so it doesn't go flat.

The controls are all well located, including the very nice lockable power switch in the handle. The speed control on the other hand isn't so nice, which I will touch on later.

Included are nice cast wrenches rather than the usual stamped steel ones, and it includes both proper 1/2" and 1/4" collets rather than a 1/4" bushing adapter that some manufactures use to cut costs.

The plunge action is very nice, the spring force is just about perfect.

The depth stop is very well done with many 1/8" stops and a couple of adjustable ones.

The "after-lock" adjustability is really great and in my book makes this plunge base just as easy to fine tune for depth as a fixed base.

The LED light is sort of a gimmick, but one use where I would see the benefit is with a dovetail jig. It's often hard to get enough light in there to set the depth of the bit properly, the LEDs would do a nice job there.

The Weird:

The sub-base is attached with combo torx-flat head screws that I've never seen before. There's isn't really enough slot there to properly tighten them with a slotted screwdriver, so you'll need a torx screwdriver for that. You'll need one anyway because...

The Bad:

There is no external access to get to the brushes. What were they thinking? Every router I have ever owned, including the throwaway HF trim router, has had this, and they didn't skimp in so many other areas. To get to the brushes you need to remove the top of the router, via 2 deeply recessed Torx screws. Torx screws are usually the manufacturer's way of saying don't mess with this, but perhaps they are just becoming more commonplace in Europe. From there it's not really obvious how you get them out without breaking anything. I emailed Bosch support to see if they would give me instructions on how to do this and they sent me an exploded parts diagram which helps a little.

The manual says not to use the plunge base in a router table, to only use the fixed base (it's the same manual that comes with the combo kit). I guess they don't want you trying to use large diameter bits with the plunge base.

There's no plastic shield on the operator side. Every other full router I've owned has had some kind of shield here. On the Makitas there's one that just fits into a slot in the base so you can take it off if you don't want it.

The speed selector is just poor. It's hard to tell what speed it's even pointed at. Would it be so hard to have a white line on it? It's just all black with 2 tiny nubs sticking out that surround the number it's pointed at.

There is no adjustable stop on the plunge return. This is a safety issue when using dovetail bits with a guide bushing, as should the plunge lock be released very bad things can happen when the bit meets the guide bushing. This is mitigated by the plunge lock release being momentary, rather than on the Dewalts where it can just come unlocked because you didn't push the lever hard enough. So you have to do something pretty stupid by releasing it yourself, but still we all have our momentary lapses. On the Makita there is a threaded rod that sticks out the top of one of the posts that has a nut on it you can move down to prevent the router from being able to come back up regardless of the plunge lock.

There is no sub-base included that takes standard guide bushings. There's a guide bushing adapter you can get for Bosch's proprietary guide bushings and an insert that goes into it that supposedly accepts them. None of my guide bushings fit into this insert, they were all just barely too tight to fit. If you do need to use standard PC guide bushings, just get an aftermarket sub-base and drill and counterbore it using the sub-base that comes with the router as a template. No big deal.

The router is built well, although it is not recommended for use in a router table, the instructions mention that mounting in a table will damage the base. The plunge feature could be a bit smoother. As you begin the plunge it starts with a bit of a jerk after unlocking, it also does not release without a bit of a jerk on return. It is as if the lock does not completely release initially. The router plunges accurately. The trigger switch takes a lot of pressure to operate and if released momentarily it goes through another soft start cycle.Ordering accessories can be a real pain as they do not list the available things such as the various dust hoods, the edge guide and what exactly you need for template guides. In fact you need an adapter when using their template guides. If you wish to use the Porter Cable template guides they do make an adapter that will work. So to use PC guides you will need both adapters. It takes some detective work to figure out exactly what you need. Would I buy it again. Yes! Oh yes the screws can sort of be turned with a straight blade, but will work better with a special driver that I have not as yet determined. It looks like a Torx, but is not.