Good budget router - PorterCable/Craftsman for $89
 

I went shopping for a router, and found the following suitable units. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, it is only the units I considered.
a) Milwaukee 5625. Powerful 15 amps and apparently quiet. I dislike the gyrations necessary to mount it to a MechMate. I couldn't find any locally. They cost about $250-$300 online.
b) Porter Cable 892. (I know that Porter Cable makes a 15a router, but I couldn't find one locally). They're ubiquitous, have a good reputation, they accept aftermarket collets from precisebits.com and are remarkably consistent in price at $189.
c) Porter Cable 9690. 11 amps, single speed and priced at $149.
d) Bosch 1617. Available in variable speed (avs) or single speed. 12 amps.

Frustrated, I went to Sears, hoping that perhaps they sold the Porter-Cable router for a better price.

It turns out, they do. They sell it for $89. The catch? It says Craftsman on the label.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...inate+Trimmers

They call it 11 amps, but I am pretty certain that it is simply a rebranded PC892.

So far I love it.