If you have the space the freestanding table is a really nice thing to have. But it will cost a bit more and as you mentioned you'll have the time invested in building it. That said, I had mine in the extension of my table saw for quite a few years and I really liked that as well. A couple of downsides, if your set up to route and need to cut another piece, you'll probably have to clear the RT function to make room to saw. Then set the whole thing up again. Another thing is DC. I was never clever enough to figure out a functional (in my definition) way to catch the dust in RT mode. Lastly, if you saw saw a mobile base that lifts the extension side up (like mine did) the RT adds enough weight that it becomes a chore to move the saw around. No comment on the Bosch stand, I've not seen one and have no experience with it.

 

Personal preference but I wouldn't put one in a table saw, only b/c I wouldn't want to tie a fence if I needed to make a cut in the middle of a router project. It's been known to happen .

That said, if space is an issue it's a great option.

Assuming you have the room for a freestanding table, I would build a cabinet with drawers and a box in the middle for dust collection. Lots of plans out there, basically two rows of drawers for bit storage, and all the paraphernalia like feather boards, push sticks, wrenches, handles, yada yada.

@wapakfred brings up a good point about dust collection. Most people go with the dust shrouds on a table saw router, and even some with a router cabinet. I have a dedicated 1HP blower which doubles for my radial arm and router table. You need a good amount of air movement if you don't use a dust shroud. Important to keep the lift and router motor clean.

 

I just built a router table like the one that James Ervin posted on Lumberjocks. I had misgivings about the size, 24x36 so I made mine a bit smaller, and then also built a cabinet on locking wheels with 6 small drawers and 2 large drawers to house in one place all my routers, bits and accessories.

An important design element: the height of the table is such that it can be used as an infeed table for the tablesaw. How incredibly useful this turned out to be! Why didn’t I think of this before? Large heavy panels slide so easily from the router table and onto the table saw. Getting multiple uses out of the cabinet was the only way to justify taking up that much floor space.

Second design element, per James Ervin: the table top is dead flat with no inset tracks or grooves, so it can easily be kept clean and used as an assembly table, say for drawers. And I’ve used it that way to assemble all the drawers for the router cabinet, and it’s very handy.

I have a Triton router which has an integral crank/lift system so no need to buy an expensive lift kit. When I get around to actually routing something, I can report back if I miss having tracks. Meanwhile, as a shop accessory, it’s been great. The actual router plate is the Kreg router table insert, with the set of lock rings, and the 4 insert-plate levelers.

 

+1 on the pro's and con's of mounting the router on your table saw extension. FWIW regarding dust collection, I've had great success by mounting a plastic weather resistant storage box with a latching lid, which I found at Staples (letter sized, used for storing papers). I mounted the lid on the underside of the table extension, with a cutout to fit the router lift. Through a hole in the bottom of the box I fed a flexible snorkel hose, which I clamped to the top of my Bosch 1617 router. Connection to my dust collector is through a hole in the side of the box. The snorkel keeps the motor clean and cool, and just about all the chips and dust are sucked down from the table, such that I don't even need dust collection above the table.

 

I made my own router table from plywood and scrap drawers from a bed base. It doesnt have to be showroom quality furniture. The top is white melamine faced chip board with an INCRA metal router plate, and T tracks for the fence and clamps, and a mitre track as well. Its big. 3 ft on all sides. I use it as a design and layout table. The drawers contain all the cutting bits and any junk that does not fit anywhere else.
I made it the same height as the bandsaw table next to it so that I can slide long pieces across the two.
I wouldnt be without my router table, even if its the ugliest machine in the shop.

 

I have a Bench top router table and a grizzly cast iron router extension wing on my grizzly table saw. I end up using the Bench top router table more than the extension wing. Mainly because I need to reattach the router fence everytime I use a router table. The grizzly extension has an odd size opening for the router plate. So no router lift with plate is available to fit. unless you modify the lift to the plate. I found this out after I purchased and installed the grizzly cast iron extension wing. Pretty much all router tables will adapt to the bosch router. Most extension wings will adapt to a table saw. Some with minor modifications. If I made my own extension wing, I would have used melamine with msg core.

 

I went by a Grizzly showroom and took a look at what they had to offer yesterday. Had a couple in the scratch and dent area, one was the high end model with router lift and dust collection. The other was the sliding router table which I didnt like much. I really like the idea of having the storage cabinet below for all the router bits etc.. I need to look at the main differences between the Jessem Rout R Lift, and the Mast R lift. I think reviews put them at the top as far as plates go. Maybe the Kreg plate would work also? I just think I would like having the ability to change out bits from the top. Looks like I'm going to be buying some plywood.

 

I have a woodpecker lift. I like it but would go with Incra’s woodpecker version because of better dust collection with the inserts.

 

I have had two kreg phenolic plates, they both warped. Kreg replaced the first one unconditionally without even requiring me to return it. But when the second also went out of flat I decided aluminium was the way to go.
I have a home made lift arrangement that allows me to change bits above the table and could very well be called "red neck". You dont have to spend a fortune on your own machine.
I used stumpy nubs plan for my table. Its very simple to build.

SLIDING-TOP ROUTER TABLE — Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal

It may look like a regular router table, but it has a feature that very few have! The front of the table surface slides in a precision track, and that makes all the difference. It’s like having a built in coping sled for safely and accurately routing small parts or routing the end of narrow stock. Y

stumpynubs.com

but I admit I did not like the sliding top, so I replaced the whole top with white faced melamine and bought an after market split fence.

 

Two pictures below show a workbench with a recent project on top of the work bench and the other picture is the same work bench with a drop on router table top . Kind of hard to see as the topic of the pictures was not about the workbench / router table and it is painted black.
Most of the time the router table is hanging on the wall until needed. It is a simple lift off / drop in to either condition for an instant conversion. This works great as my shop area is relatively small about 16 x 30 and the work bench is far more active than the router table.
calabrese55

 

Have the same router and mounted it in Bosch RA1181 table. Okay table as it is semi portable. I keep it on a shelf and have to get it down (grunt) every time I use it. This is because I have a 11x24 shop space (and feel lucky to have it) And don’t have room for a dedicated router table. If I did, I wouldn’t have the setup I have. The Bosch table doesn’t provide a lot of stability although hooking up a shop vac takes care of about 80% of the leavins produced but the operation.

I have a Harvey 3 hp table saw (wonderful tool) and have been seriously considering mounting their routing table system on the end. I have a track saw for breaking down large sheets and never venture to the extreme right side except to pile crap on it. What’s stopping me is the $1200 price tag for the system and another $800 for a JessElm lift and the 3 1/2 hp router motor. (Yikes!). But if space and money are not a constraint for you, I would suggest looking in on the Harvey router system. It has 2 extra legs so you can use it free standing if you want.

 

I have the 1617evs in a Kreg table and lift. So far, no problem. It's been at least two years. What ever you decide for a table, you will never regret buying a good lift.

 

With the Triton router, you do above-table bit changes. The phenolic Kreg inset plate is flat enough, but probably not dead flat. If it does cause problems I’ll replace with thick aluminum….The total package with router plate, adjusters, lock rings and router seems to be a lot less $$ than the fancy systems priced out above. It’s good value…I can imagine a more accurate system, but not willing to pay for it.

 

Years ago, I built Norm Abrams' router table and have never looked back (I had forgotten about Norm). The fence incorporates adjustable wings, 8 drawers for bits and small stuff, and 3 large drawers. I used a Jessem lift for the Bosch router.

What I really liked was the cut list, which was something I have rarely had as I design most of my own projects. The construction was straghtforward. The dust extraction collects both above and below the table; I made some changes to that.

Looked at the New Yankee web site and the plan is still available for $9.95, which is less than I paid in 2013. Deluxe Router Station - The New Yankee Workshop

lumberjocks.com/showcase/router-table.114564/

 

I didn't know this but a guy told me yesterday that shapers have the ability to run my router bits? He suggested buying a shaper then I have my router still and a tool that could do larger profiles and a better moter that would last longer? That's a idea if it all works.