Bosch has come out with a new benchtop router table, RA1141. Their other current router tables include the RA1171, a cabinet-style benchtop router table, and the RA1181, which has a metal frame and aluminum mounting plate.
The new RA1141 router table features a quick-release router mount, MDF table top and fences with smooth laminated surfaces, a tall fence, and adjustable featherboards. It also comes with a guard, a starter pin and guard for edge routing without the fence, a miter gauge, featherboards, and a depth gauge.
Advertisement
Underneath, the quick-release mount allows for quick attachment and detachment of the router motor, and with no leveling required.
The legs are hinged and fold inwards for compact storage or easier transporting to workspaces or jobsites.
The new Bosch RA1141 router table also comes with a neat depth gauge for easier bit height adjustments.
Bosch incorporated a lot of little features into the new benchtop router table. Its legs, for instance, feature built-in storage compartments for accessories such as bit opening rings. Router tables often come with a bunch of accessories and thingamajigs, and Bosch designed the router table with places to store them all.
The fence guard looks to pivot up and out of the way as a workpiece passes beneath it.
There’s a dust collection port in the back, along with a power control box. This is where you plug your router motor into to enable control through the power switch at the front of the table.
Price: $179
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Discussion
Bosch’s two other benchtop router tables have been around for a long time now, and while surprising, it’s nice to see that this new one is completely different.
However, it’s unclear as to if or how the new Bosch router table is different from the Skil RAS900.
As you might be aware, Skil was formerly a Bosch brand and is now owned by Chervon.
I’m not familiar with the Skil RAS900 benchtop router table, but knowing that Bosch’s RA1141 previously existed as a Skil model doesn’t take away from the convenience of its features. It’s possible Bosch made some minor tweaks to the design, but if they didn’t, or the changes are minor, that would speak highly of the RAS900’s quality and reliability.
At the time of this posting, the Bosch router table is listed on Amazon for $179, and the Skil can be found online for $139. The Skil also has a quick-release router plate, although it’s unclear as to whether there are any compatibility differences, and it also has similar in-leg accessory storage, dust collection, adjustments, and it comes with the same bit height gauge.
Product listings for the Skil benchtop router table says its table is 26″ long x 16.5″ wide and with a 14″ height. The Bosch RA1141 presumably has the same tabletop.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Compare(Skil RAS900 Router Table via Acme Tools)
Altan says
Jun 3, 2019 at 12:48 pmDeWALT needs to come up with something like this and we should be able to use a cordless router on it.
Altan says
Jun 3, 2019 at 12:59 pmI need a DeWALT cordless 20V 3″ or 4″ Bench Grinder or a 60V Flexvolt 6″ one.
Stuart says
Jun 3, 2019 at 1:07 pmWhy?
Altan says
Jun 3, 2019 at 1:26 pmIf you do demolition and refurbishment you will always need to sharpen your chisels, cold chisels, SDS+ chisels Bricklayer Hammer and for a lot of other things also. Of course in the US most of the houses are made of wood and plasterboard but here we have more brick work or concrete to chisel or demolish. The thing is in that stage most of the time there is no proper socket to plug a corded bench grinder and you have to run an extension cable which is quite annoying, I have used a grinder to sharpen these things but I have always felt kind of unsafe, I would like the cordless bench grinder to fit in a Toughsystem toolbox. that is why I said 3″ or 4″ version. It would be a big help to have this, specially if three four people do demolition or similar tasks at the same time they go crazy to work with chisels that are not sharp enough, as soon as you sharpen it for them you see a smile on their face.
Scott K says
Jun 3, 2019 at 9:39 pmHonest question- out of curiosity, are you able to resharpen those tools enough times to warrant the expense of what a cordless benchtop grindsr would likely cost?
When you mentioned safety- was that is regards to holding the chisels and using a handheld grinder?
Altan says
Jun 4, 2019 at 2:32 amYes, SDS+ chisels are quite expensive and they don’t break easily, if you do refurbishment in a concrete building and you need to run lots of cables and pipes around, do a lot of demolition, clean the old plaster from the walls or ant tiles and adhesive, you will need a lot of SDS+ chisels, same with Bricklayer hammer.
Yes, when I sharpened chisels I used a handheld angle grinder,
you need to hold to things, but with a bench grinder you can hold the chisel with two hands, specially to sharpen a hammer bench grinder is much better.
Another thing I have to mention is time, in most of the cases to go and buy some new chisels can take hours.
DC says
Jun 3, 2019 at 1:18 pmI have the Ryobi router table I bought from home Depot and wish this or the Skil table was offered from Amazon.com as I would have preferred a space saving folding table to store it in my tiny garage/shop.
Matt J says
Jun 4, 2019 at 9:40 amI thought that for a while and then realized that the thing’s not all that much smaller folded up, and that 9/10 times I’d rather just leave the router in the table than constantly reattach it each time — though admittedly the quick release on this makes that easier.
Flotsam says
Jun 3, 2019 at 2:26 pmEven though i have an older router table (Craftsman) it is always interesting to see the features these newer models have. I am always looking in two primary areas. How is sawdust/chip management happening and how are guides and holders incorporated?
Always food for thought on future modifications for me!
fred says
Jun 3, 2019 at 2:35 pmI like it. It seems like it might be a a good jobsite solution. We had a RA1171 that we carried to some jobs. It had the advantage of having been bought from Lowes at a “giveaway price”. I was a bit bulky – an issue that this one may solve. I hope that the edge banding on this one doesn’t stand proud of the top.
To Altan’s comment about Dewalt needing to make one – I’m not sure how specific this one is to a Bosch router – and why you could not mount some other brand – even a cordless router. The issue with cordless routers – is that they still don’t seem to have the “guts” to spin larger bits often associated with router table use. I guess you could work on cuts with many light passes – but you would still be working with 1/4 inch shank bits
Altan says
Jun 3, 2019 at 3:49 pmThanks Fred,
This looks quite small to carry to jobsite easily, I am also not sure if this is specific just for a Bosch router or other brands as well, that is why I said DeWALT should come up with one like this, then it would be compatible with their own routers. Yes, I know this is for light tasks and we would probably have to use 1/4″ – 8mm shank bits.
Eric says
Jun 4, 2019 at 12:35 amI’ve got the Craftsman version of the same table. (Craftsman 28140) With the exception of the colors and the added depth gauge they appear identical.
I picked mine up close to 10 years ago. Looking around online it appears they haven’t been available for a while. This was one of the few links I could come up with, and it was added to this site in Sept. 2009.
https://www.shopyourway.com/craftsman-router-table-w-folding-legs-and-large-26-x16-1-2-in-laminated-mdf-work-surface/21814917
Nathan says
Jun 4, 2019 at 11:17 amThe skil version I’ve looked at for a while now – I hoped for the price the bosch model had a bigger top – I would pay more for more space.
anywho – the skil version had adapter plates that covered the dewalt router also. but you need to look in their manual not the online page. (IE download the manual for it)
I wonder if the skil model will continue to be sold – chevron might stop selling it as they might not be able to produce it.
Matt J says
Jun 5, 2019 at 5:22 pmI’ve had the Skil version for maybe 8 years. It’s a fantastic little table (although the included feather boards and miter gauge are pretty chintzy, hopefully something Bosch has improved). Leg storage never stays closed without duct tape, either, but I put a hasp on one side to store the insert rings and don’t keep anything else in them. Quick release is solid, power switch with vac trigger is great for job site uses with a shop vac. Fence is accurate, easily adjusted, and a sacrificial is easily added. Overall, I’ve been very pleased, although I like the $100 I paid at Lowe’s 8 years ago a lot more than this blue-taxed version’s sticker price.
Rick Owen says
Jun 16, 2019 at 10:26 amI’ve had the Skil version for a couple of years and have only a couple of issues. First is the insert rings. They just snap into place and only come in three sizes. The insert I use the most is about to lose one of its lips that hold it in place. The Kreg system of an insert that twist locks into place seems to be better. The second issue is top size. If you use the fence you can only rout into a 3” depth. So if you want to rout dados for shelves then you’re limited in using the fence. You can remove the fence and set up temp fences clamped to the table and get more depth, but that’s losing the fence support and dust collector abilities. Other that that it’s had zero issues. I doubted the mechanism that locks the router in place but even though I’ve removed the router for hand operations, it hasn’t lost its locking abilities. I’d definitely buy it again.