It is a matter of choice of expert professionals between router and wood shaper.
Wood shaper vs router.
This is a long answer.
All of the equipment you need for the plunge router can add up to 800 dollars while a shaper usually costs anywhere between 350 and 5000 dollars.
There is very less that you can do with a shaper and not with a router.
Called reversible shapers these tables allow you to make cuts in different directions based on how you move the wood across the table.
There are a handful of differences between a router and shaper.
Wood shaper vs router uses.
One option for those looking as a wood shaper vs router table is the ability to make reverse cuts.
So grab a cup of coffee.
Shapers typically run at 7 000 to 10 000 rpm while routers typically run at 22 000 to 25 000 rpm.
What are the pros and cons of a shaper vs router table.
Which is better for woodworking.
Therefore the precision work and jobs that require repeatability need shaper as their equipment.
They must rely on better woodworking machines for great projects.
So it s essential to know which one is useful according to your need.
The one thing a shaper has going for it is that it comes with a split fence but you can build that into your router table design without much hassle ian kirby a good quality shaper is preferable to a good quality router.
You can actually go in the same direction as your bit or in the opposite direction.
A wood shaper vs router.
The shaper is more sturdy and should have a better fence and will likely have more power and speed and flexibility.
Larger shaper cutters and oversize router bits like panel raisers require slower speeds while small router bits need higher speeds to do the job.
Money is often a huge issue when buying tools for a shop but even so when you compare the price of a shaper to a router a lift table top and replacement bits the results are a bit surprising.
Woodworking is a creative job.