The Festool OF 1010 plunge router has long been praised for its precision, versatility and ease of use. For decades, it’s been a go-to choice among woodworkers for tasks like profiling, grooving, mortising, inlaying, decorative surface cutting, edge cleanup and flush-cutting joinery.

Over the years, the OF 1010 has seen incremental upgrades. The latest version — the OF 1010 REBQ-Plus — brings the router closer than ever to being the ideal tool for fine routing work.

The OF 1010 comes in three flavours. There is the base model (photo above) and for an additional $270, you can purchase the base model bundled with the accessory kit (#578307), sav­ing $155 compared to buying the kit separately. A third option bundles both with a 32″ guide rail (#578308). These accessories significantly enhance the router’s functionality, making the accessory kit — in my opinion — indispensable.

While the improvements in the new model are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, they are meaningful. If your original OF 1010 is working well, there really is no reason to upgrade to the new router. Most (if not all) the new accessories can be retrofitted to older OF 1010s (made before September 2021). However, if you depend on your router daily — especially for precision work where dust collection and ergonomics matter — and if you’re dissatis­fied with your current router model or buying your first router, the upgraded OF 1010 deserves serious consideration.

A standout addition is the LED light ring mounted on the base. It provides excellent illumination of the work area, elimi­nating shadows, which is particularly helpful for detail work. For someone with aging eyes, I’ve found it invaluable for seeing fine cuts more clearly. I leave it attached permanently, but it’s quick to remove if you need to. You get up to six hours of use and it has a 15-minute auto power-off feature. Recharging is via a USB-C cable (user-supplied).

The updated OF 1010 replaces the guide rail adapter with the redesigned parallel edge guide, which I think is a good choice — at least for me, as I use the edge guide much more frequently (the guide rail adapter is now bundled in the accessory kit). Using the two supplied guide rods, you can rout grooves up to 3-1/4″ from an edge.

But what sets it apart is the micro-adjuster, allowing precise positioning in 0.1 mm (0.004″) increments. The edge guide is quick to attach and remove and remains stable in use. Also included is a guide bushing adapter that adds greater versatility by allowing you to use standard guide bushings with this router. It’s an essential accessory that I use a lot.

When paired with a Festool dust extractor, the OF 1010 is very efficient. I estimate that a good 80 percent of the chips and fine dust are removed without the use of any other dust reduction accessories. The chip collector, which does an excellent job divert­ing chips to the extractor connector when edge routing, no longer comes with the upgraded OF 1010 — it’s been moved to the acces­sory kit. Another reason to purchase the kit is the extraction hood that attaches to the parallel edge guide — it greatly contributes to near dust-free routing. The extraction hood is by far the best dust shroud I’ve ever used. Another accessory in the accessory kit worth mentioning is the trammel unit that enables you to rout arcs and circles just under 30″ in diameter.

The OF 1010 strikes an ideal balance between power and maneu­verability, especially for detailed work. Weighing just over 7 pounds (3.2 kg), it’s easy to handle and well-suited for intricate routing tasks. The smooth-action plunge mechanism is excellent for mortis­ing, inlays and controlled depth routing. A fine adjustment wheel lets you dial in bit depth with 0.1 mm accuracy — an outstanding feature for precision joinery.

The router delivers a plunge depth of 2-1/8″ (55 mm), enough for most tasks. It’s powered by a 1010-watt motor with a no-load speed range of 9,500 to 23,000 RPM. Soft start and constant speed under load contribute to a smoother, more stable routing experience.

Its ergonomic design and intuitive switch placement make the Festool OF 1010 router easy to control and comfortable to use. While it lacks support for 1/2″ shank bits, the OF 1010 is clearly optimized for fine routing work, accepting only 1/4″ and 5/16″ (6 mm and 8 mm) shank bits.

While the OF 1010 sits at the higher end of the price spectrum for compact routers, its value lies in Festool’s hallmark qualities: precision engineering; excellent dust collection; system compati­bility; long-term durability; and superior after-purchase support.

In short, the OF 1010 stands out as a premium compact plunge router. Its precision, dust control, and ergonomic design make it ideal for fine woodworking. Other routers may offer simi­lar features at lower prices, but few match the OF 1010’s refined engineering and seamless system integration. Coupled with the accessory kit, it offers a complete routing system. For serious wood­workers and professionals, it’s a top-tier choice.