Bosch GOF 1600 CE
Verified3 reviews
- +1
Bosch rubbish – "After 3 years, the Bosch router has been discontinued. I have sent it for service repair 4 times, and each time it took 2 months to repair, totaling 8 months in service repair. I was forced to make a claim with Fair Trading. I have been in contact with [Name Removed], and he told me that Total Tools should be able to provide a full refund or offer a new tool. However, I opted for a full refund. Total Tools has denied making a refund until Bosch refunds them and keep pushing to try to repair it again. After 4 times, I had a really bad experience at Total Tools. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TOTAL TOOLS AT ALL. You can go to a different Total Tools if you like them, but don't go to Total Tools. After using it 5 or 6 times for a few minutes, the router stopped working. Unfortunately, I have many Bosch tools because my family used to have them. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY POWER TOOLS FROM BOSCH. I am a woodworking/carpenter/cabinet maker. I have also put a short video. Don't waste your time and your money. Total Tools AND BOSCH."
Purchased in at Total Tools for $589.
Only used less than 10 times – I bought this router last year and only used less than 10 times so far, and its dead. I was routing dovetail, i felt it struggled on end grain, it slowed down and almost stalled. I stopped and checked around no smoke or anything obvious. Let it rested for a minute, then it restarted , but after a few pass it died completely. Time to experience bosch warranty service.
- Date Purchased:
One of the most comfortable routers I've ever used, and very powerful! – I bought the Bosch GOF 1600 CE router a few months ago. So far it has operated without a hitch. I honestly can't find anything to complain about when it comes to operation, and I've used it on some seriously heavy-duty tasks. I haven't had the overheating issue the previous review has mentioned. However, if his bits aren't sharp, or if he's trying to carve out too much... then I can see this overheating issue happening.
Obviously, at 1600W and 5.8Kg, this is by no means a light-weight, single handed trimmer. Some will find the idea of a heavier, two-handed router as more of a con, than a pro. However, I must say that the weight and soft start makes it more stable than some lighter/smaller routers to operate. I also find that the grip, and grip-mounted trigger is the most comfortable I've ever felt on a router and definitely one of the safest.
Officially, this router has an interchangeable base option (The plunge base is included in this kit, with an option to buy the fixed-base later). However, please note that it can be exceedingly difficult to find the accessories for this router (From my personal experience, the most notable is the fixed base). I have no idea how or why Bosch struggles with supplying this, (I wanted the fixed base, and many others do too, apparently) but it's a long standing problem, judging by the forum entries about this issue.
To save you some research on buying the fixed base:
The official fixed base for the GOF 1600CE (240V model) has the Bosch part number: 1600A001GJ. Unfortunately, I've yet to find any store that has this in stock... globally.
A little-known fact:
Unofficially, the fixed base for another Bosch router is actually entirely compatible with the GOF 1600 CE (240V Australian edition). I purchased the Bosch MR23 fixed base from Amazon and it works. However, it is a snug fit, and at first I didn't think it would fit at all.
Overall, if you know what you're doing, (and you look after your tools) then this router does everything I'd imagine most people would need. Of course, that's if this class of router fits your needs.
I hope you find this helpful! Good luck on your own router hunt!
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Just an update, 6 years on. I'm still using my original GOF 1600 CE, and have added a second identical model to my workshop, permanently fixed to my WoodRat. I have had one day where it was overheating a bit (admittedly it was a 41 degree Celsius day, and I was routing Ironbark a little too aggressively since I wanted to retreat into air conditioned comfort quickly). However, allowing it to cool has brought it back to complete operation, and has worked without a hitch since.
I found that in certain temperatures, my MR23 fixed base "solution" is more troublesome to attach/detach/adjust due to the snugness of the fit AND perhaps slight motor/base differences in thermal expansion. Using 1000 or 2000 grit sand paper lightly to expand the hole on the base by a few microns... seems to have fixed that right up. Miraculously, I actually found the official fixed base (1600A001GJ) on eBay.... somewhere in Italy back in 2017 and bought it for the second router. It is the only time I saw it available, and it is a much more natural fit on the GOF 1600 CE. One day, I think I'll spend another hour lightly sanding the MR23 to be a comparable fit.
I've been reading other reviews here and elsewhere, and it seems a number of people complain that the router stops suddenly, and does not respond to the trigger, but the LED on the spindle is lit (meaning power IS reaching the motor unit). This has happened to me, and has a simple fix:
The fact that the trigger switch is part of the removable base, rather than the motor, means that there's a contact rail on the motor (so the depth can be adjusted while the connectors on the base move along the rail allow the motor to stay electrically connect to the trigger). It's unusual and is very different from the DeWalt routers that other reviewers consider "better".
Putting the trigger switch on the base is an ergonomic and comfortable design... but with the slight flaw that occasionally, a bit of dust or debris will work its way into the rail/contacts area and stop the trigger from connecting to the motor properly. This has only happened to me... perhaps a dozen times in the years since I've bought the first router and to fix it, I simply:
1. Unplug the router. 2. Take the base off, removing the bit if necessary 3. Clean out the rails/terminals with a clean brush/shop vac/air compressor 4. Reassemble and re-test.
This has solved my problem every time so far. That said...
"Trigger interruptus" happens more often when I have the router mounted upside down in a router table, but it has happened once or twice in the upright orientation (bit pointing down) as well.
Since I own two routers (both with the included plunge bases), an official GOF1600CE "fixed" base, AND the somewhat improvised unofficial MR23 "fixed" base... I've found that knocking the dust off, and cleaning base contacts/motor rails before attaching a new base definitely makes the trigger reliability improve.
I hope this update helps the others who find their router has stopped unexpectedly.
Have fun!