BOSCH MRP23EVS 120-Volt 2.3 HP Electronic Plunge Base Router

This is a great heavy duty router. I purchased this Bosch because I needed a tool heavier than my DeWalt router for large 1/2" bits. This router has more power than I will ever need [short of a shaper table]. The plunge mechanism is very smooth and the grips & switch are ergonomic. I like the way the router stays locked in a depth until the thumb release is pressed (some routers have an opposite plunge function). The micro adjustments are easy to read and use and the LED task lights are bright enough to illuminate the work surface. I like well made tools for reasonable prices and Im very happy with this purchase.

I bought this router because my other wasn’t compatible with a jig I had. I did a lot of research and chose this one. My only complaints I have are ones that I was aware of before the purchase, which are that it doesn’t come with a case and that there isn’t any storage for a collet wrench. I love the grip angle and placement. The depth stop works extremely well. They make it easy to start the motor, plunge, push, and raise, all rather smoothly. I really like the placement of the power cord. It allows you to place the router upside down to change a bit. Many competitors’ power cords come out the top which makes this rather impossible. I’ve seen some complaints about the weight, but I don’t find it too impairing. I’m extremely happy with this purchase.

Great router with minor fault!After doing my own investigation on routers (which took about a month) I've came to the conclusion, that there are no "GREAT" routers at all. Every single one of them (any brand) had some faults. So after all, I've decided to go with the Bosch one. And so far (used it only 3 times so far) I'm happy with it. Here are more details on both positive and negative aspects:Pros:- Feels solid and stable when working with it- The LED lights make it perfect to see the work area- It's a MUST to have the dust-extraction kit with this - otherwise the light won't help at all- Really powerfulCons:- The plunge function (up and down) is not very smooth. Sometimes it kind of locks so some force is necessary to move it from the locked position.

It had plenty of power and is well made. I used it on 2" oak with no problems.

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.

Did a great job. I did think the plunge is a little stiff at first. Still good quality and has a nice light built in.

My original Bosch router failed after 25 years of service --- this is a most worthy successor.

Top-notch quality machine.It feels super solid, there is 0 hint at any kind of misalignment with the drive shaft even with longer bits, and the many ways to raise and lower at different heights and fine-tune in terms of adjustment abilities is incredibly helpful.The LED lights are also very helpful - even with having a strong overhead light above the work bench, having a router over a piece of work still casts a shadow that can make it hard to see thin pencil lines, but with the strong LEDs, they do a great job illuminating the work space to make it crystal clear.The clear base also helps keep a wider visual frame of reference in terms of where you are on your work piece as you're routing which helps mentally plan where you're headed/how much is left etc.The trigger lock to keep the button down is clutch to help prevent fatigue of constantly holding it down manually, and it's easy to disengage by just re-clenching the trigger.I love working with this machine, and would definitely recommend it to someone of any skill level.