The features that matter
| Feature | Why it matters | What Bosch publishes for the RA1141 |
|---|---|---|
| Legs and stand | Height and stability away from a bench | Folding steel legs with storage compartments; 14-1/2 in tall |
| Securing it | A light table can shift or tip | Legs fully extended and locked; table secured to a solid, flat, level surface; can be screwed to a bench |
| Router mount | How fast the router comes off, and whether the plate needs levelling | 'Easy Click' mount, attached and detached without levelling |
| Top | Support and flatness for the work | 26 × 16-1/2 in, 1 in laminated MDF |
| Fence | Guides straight work; tall stock needs a tall fence | Tall fence with laminated MDF face plates; 3-5/8 in maximum opening; outfeed shims |
| Throat and inserts | The largest bit that clears, and the gap around smaller ones | 3-1/4 in maximum throat; insert rings with 1-1/4, 1-7/8 and 2-1/8 in holes |
| Guard and starter pin | Cover over the bit; curved work off the fence | Clear guard; starter pin with its own guard |
| Setup aids | Faster, repeatable bit height | Bit-height gauge; miter gauge included |
| Dust | Extraction at the bit | Port takes common 2-1/2 in hoses; adapter for 35 mm hoses |
| Weight | Carrying it to the job | 33 lb |
Each figure is Bosch's for the RA1141. Use the first two columns to read any other portable table's documents. Not a ranking.
Equipment notePaid link
Portable benchtop router table
Bosch RA1141
Bosch's RA1141, the table this guide describes: a 26 × 16-1/2 in laminated MDF top on folding legs, a 3-5/8 in fence opening and 33 lb, by Bosch's figures.
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Setting one up, as its maker says
- Legs locked. Bosch says the legs must be fully extended and locked, and the table, with its router, placed on and secured to a solid, flat, level surface that will not tip.
- Mind the joints. Rotate a leg assembly from the end of the leg, keeping fingers clear of the joint, and never rotate legs until they are unlocked.
- Lift by the edges. Bosch says to lift the table only by its edges.
- Long work needs support. On any table, Bosch warns oversize work without support can flip off or tip the table over.
A portable table changes where routing happens, not how. The feed rules, the fence trap and the guard are the same as on any table — see using a router table and router tables.
Portable, benchtop or cabinet?
A portable table trades a heavier bench setup for legs and a quick-release mount; for comparison, Bosch's RA1181 benchtop table has no legs and weighs 30 lb against the RA1141's 33 lb. A plain benchtop table is compared in choosing a benchtop table, and all three kinds side by side in choosing a router table.
The router it will carry
Bosch's page for the RA1141 says 'Fixed Base Models Only' and also lists Porter-Cable's 7529 plunge router among the routers it works with; the router's own manual decides. Milwaukee says never to use its plunge-base routers in a table, and DEWALT says its DCW600 compact router is not for table use at all. A portable table is often paired with a smaller router; check that router's manual before buying the pair. Choosing the router is in choosing a router.
Before buying a portable router table
- Legs that lock, and a way to secure the table where you will use it
- Your router listed, in a base its own maker allows in a table
- A mount you can trust to come off and go back the same way
- Guard, inserts, fence, starter pin and its guard included
- Fence and throat openings suit your largest bit
- A weight you can carry, and a dust port that fits your hose
Bit speeds are in the speed chart and profiles in the bit profile chart; the router family is mapped in the router guide.
Sources
Specification-based: every figure is the maker's own for the product named. One maker's portable table serves as the worked example; others publish other features and their manuals govern. No table was tested, none is ranked, and no prices are given.
- 1.
RA1141 Portable Benchtop Router Table. Bosch.
Used for: The RA1141's published specification: 26 × 16-1/2 × 14-1/2 in, 26 in working length, 3-5/8 in fence and 3-1/4 in throat openings, 15 A switch, 33 lb; a laminated MDF top and face plates; the 'Easy Click' mount with no levelling; a bit-height gauge; folding legs with storage compartments; included featherboards, insert rings, clear guard, starter pin and guard, miter gauge and outfeed shims; its router list and 'Fixed Base Models Only' note; no template guides; 2-1/2 in hoses fitting the port.
- 2.
RA1141 Portable Benchtop Router Table Operating/Safety Instructions. Bosch.
Used for: A 1 in tabletop; folding steel legs and tool boxes; insert rings with 1-1/4, 1-7/8 and 2-1/8 in holes; legs fully extended and locked and the table secured to a solid, flat, level surface that will not tip; lifting by the table edges only; the pinch point at the leg joints and never rotating legs until unlocked; screwing the table to a bench; the fence trap, the outfeed side and the starter pin rules.
- 3.
RA1181 Benchtop Router Table. Bosch.
Used for: A benchtop table without legs, for comparison: 27 × 18 in, 30 lb.
- 4.
Heavy-Duty Routers, Cat. No. 5615-20, 5616-20, 5619-20, 5625-20, 48-10-5600, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: 'NEVER use the Plunge Base Router models in a router table.'
- 5.
DCW600 20V Max* Compact Router, Instruction Manual. DEWALT, 2022.
Used for: A compact router its maker says not to use in a router table.
About this buying guide
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