A router absolutely has to do three things to be useful: spin the bit, hang on to the bit, and hold the bit straight relative to the base. The Skil 1823 fails to fulfill the third function and so cannot be used for routing. The plunge mechanism tends to lock the base up to 1/8" off kilter and allows the base to wiggle back and forth. It is not just that I got a lemon. Every Skil router with this plunge mechanism that I've tried behaves the same way. The flaw is designed into the tool. No other brand of plunge router I've ever tried permits the base to move this way.I exchanged it for an even cheaper fixed-base Ryobi router that has done its job well for several years now.Skil was once synonymous with the circular saw but has squandered its reputation on frustrating tools like this one.