The Perfect Combination of Brains and Brawn. Festool’s OF 2200, $800, is a big router with a light touch. Weighing in at over 17 pounds, the OF 2200 sports a 3-1/4 hp (18-amp) motor to power through just about any routing task–from deep pocket mortises to heavy molding cuts. But the beauty of this beast is its ability to handle the biggest job with ease and finesse. For example, the depth of cut can be adjusted in increments as fine as 1/256″ and the plunge mechanism is silky smooth but locks tight with a lock on each column to eliminate flex. There are several ergonomic tweaks that make the router’s size more manageable. More on those later. Toss in the versatility and time saving features, and it’s plain to see Festool has set a new standard for plunge routers.Of course, a machine like this comes at a price. But, when you consider the time, effort and hassles this router saves and the quality of design and construction, it puts the price in perspective. Plus, the OF 2200, like all of Festool’s products, is part of a large family of inter-related tools designed to work with each other. I found the value is really there for the pro and the serious hobbyist alike.

I put the OF 2200 to work in my shop over the past month. The router never disappointed me. I used it to cut mortises and large geometry edge profiles in wood and to plow dados with Festool’s optional guide rail system. The overall design of the router is well thought out and free of the gimmick features and operational hassles I’ve found in other plunge routers.

Ergonomics. At over 17 pounds, this router is a handful. Fortunately, Festool has done its homework and designed the ergonomics of the router to maximize user control. First of all the soft start is a dream. It ramps up the power quickly but without any hint of a snap from its powerful motor. The motor uses a magnetic break to quickly bring the spinning bit to a stop when the power is shut off. Very few routers have brakes and I love this feature. To help improve the router’s handling characteristics, Festool set the handles so they tilt away from the user for a more natural grip (Photo 1).

Additionally, the plunge lock and on/off switch are integral to the handle‚ (Photo 2) so the user never has to let go of the handle to operate them.

Festool also offset the motor housing 30 degrees from the fence assembly‚ (Photo 3). This allows for a much more natural stance when using the router with the fence attachment. It puts the operator alongside the router rather than having to push it from behind.

Time Savers. This router is completely tool-free except for a single collet wrench. No down-time spent fishing around for wrenches or screwdrivers. Festool adds a ratcheting spindle lock to the OF 2200 to streamline bit changes. The ratcheting spindle lock allows you to leave the wrench on the nut and work it back and forth to tighten or release the collet (Photo 4). Compare this system to changing bits on a standard plunge router where swinging the wrench between the columns can be a real test of patience.

The tool-free design extends all the way down to the interchangeable base plates. A quick flip of a spring-loaded lever allows you to swap out bases in an instant‚ (Photo 5). No screws to drop or lose.

Accessories such as dust shrouds or guide bushings can be added in seconds‚ (Photo 6).

Another time saver is the quick zeroing depth stop and the ultra-fine adjustment knob at the top of the column. One turn of the knob equals 1-mm and is numbered so adjustments as fine as 1/10-mm (1/256″). That’s plenty fine for my woodworking needs. The depth stop itself can be micro-adjusted by attaching it to the turret while leaving it unlocked so it’s free to move up and down when the micro adjust knob is used to fine-tune the depth of cut (Photo 7). As the base moves up and down, the depth stop automatically moves with it. Sample cuts and further adjustments are made until the setting is just right. Then, lock the depth stop and release it from the turret– the depth stop is set. The four-step depth stop turret has a handy final pass offset. It’s just a tiny 2mm (about 5/64″) bump on the lowest turret peg. Set the depth stop on top of the bump and make the next to the last pass. Then move the turret so the depth stop lowers exactly 2mm for a final clean-up pass. This helps insure a final pass with high cut quality.

Accuracy and Durability. I’ve already mentioned the 1/256″ precision on depth adjustment, but there are some other features that fall under the accuracy heading. One is the electronic speed control (MMC) that allows infinite rpm adjustments between 10,000 and 25,000 rpm. Once the speed is set, the MMC keeps the bit spinning at its assigned RPM regardless of load. The spinning shaft is held in place by three bearings, one at the top of the shaft, one at the bottom and one in the middle. The three bearings not only dampen vibrations, but also insure a smooth cut and long router life. It all makes for a robust drive system capable of continuous duty in the shop or on site. There’s a quick mount fence available as an accessory that attaches to the guide bars with a single lock knob and a micro adjust knob for the fence. Unfortunately, the fence is not included in the basic router kit.

Dust Collection. Routers are notorious for making mounds of dust and shavings. They are also one of the hardest tools to collect from. Festool has come up with the most effective router dust collection system I have seen. Coupled with Festool’s CT 22 vacuum and their 2″ accessory hose, dust collection was nearly 90% on the router I tested. Dust collection dropped to about 75% when I used the smaller 1-in. hose that comes standard with the CT-22.

Festool increased the collection efficiency of the router by using large diameter piping built right into the router base and extending up the router body to a swivel head attachment for the vacuum hose (Photo Eight). The piping connects to a telescoping, clear plastic shroud between the base and the bottom of the motor housing. The shroud effectively captures and funnels chips to the dust extraction pipe. The two-part shroud is designed to telescope or collapse as the router is plunged. The telescoping half of the chip guard is mounted under the router motor and can be locked in the up position to clear the way for bit changes. An included Chip Deflector is added to the base to help capture chips when edge routing.