As shipped, this router had U-shaped handles. But a pair of palm-grip knobs also was included. To change from one to the other is just a matter of turning a few screws.

When cutting dadoes with the router base against a straightedge, I liked the feel and control of the U-shaped handles. But with the palm-grip knobs installed, my hands ended up lower on the machine, a position that seemed to offer a little more control when making edge cuts with bearing-guided bits. Having both options is a nice feature. The on/off switch, however, is small and awkward to use.

The get up and go is provided by a 15-amp, 3-1/2-hp, variable-speed soft-start motor. A quick push of a release button frees the motor, allowing you to lift the motor straight out of the housing, which is handy for changing bits, even when the router is in a table.

But be careful here. If you push the button when the motor isn’t supported, the motor immediately free-falls. It can easily bang a finger. Or, if upside-down in a table, the motor is going to visit the floor quickly.

Adjusting the bit is about as painless as things get. While supporting the motor with one hand, push the motor-release button with the other, then raise or lower the motor to get the cutter in the vicinity of the desired depth of cut. At that point, use the fine-adjustment knob to dial in the exact setting.

Milwaukee also provides a T-wrench to fine-tune the bit setting. Slip the T-wrench through a hole in the subbase and use it to turn the fine-adjustment knob. When the router is in a table, the wrench is even more useful. But first, you need to drill a hole in your router table to align with the hole in the subbase.

When checked for arbor runout, the 5625-20 measured 0.0015 in. That compares to an average of 0.0042 in. in a test we did of midsize, fixed-base routers about two years ago. This router is noisier than our average, measuring 100 decibels. In our vibration test, it received an excellent rating.

This router had plenty of power. With a new 3/4-in.-dia. straight bit in the router, and with the bit set to make a hefty 1/2-in.-deep cut, I was able to cut a dozen long dadoes with little effort.

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