Looking for a Router Boss alternative?
Router Boss, one of the best-known router-based joinery jigs, is no longer in production — the manufacturer has stopped making new units, and only spare parts remain available for existing owners. If you're searching for what replaces it, here's an honest look at how the WoodRat WR900 compares.
What Router Boss did well
Router Boss earned a loyal following for a reason: its laser-and-LED visual guide system let you see the cut as you made it, and it handled a genuinely wide range of joinery — mortises, tenons, dovetails, and more — from one machine, functioning like a compact 3-axis routing system.
Where the WR900 picks up
The WR900 is a UK-made, actively manufactured router joinery machine built on the same core idea: turn a handheld router into a precision joinery system, without a CNC. It's currently in stock, backed by a 28-day no-quibble guarantee and a 3-year warranty on parts, and nearly all accessories are designed to fit older machines too, so the system keeps working as it grows.
How they compare
Availability: WoodRat WR900 — In production, in stock now. Router Boss — Discontinued, spares only.
Price: WoodRat WR900 — £850. Router Boss — N/A (secondhand market only).
Joint types: WoodRat WR900 — Dovetails, mortise & tenon, tenoning, crosscut/dado joints, batch cutting. Router Boss — Mortises, tenons, dovetails.
Warranty: WoodRat WR900 — 3-year parts warranty, 28-day guarantee. Router Boss — N/A (no longer manufactured).
Upgrade path: WoodRat WR900 — Most parts/accessories fit older WoodRat machines too. Router Boss — Not applicable, no new units.
Made in: WoodRat WR900 — UK. Router Boss — USA.
The honest bit
Router Boss and the WoodRat system aren't identical — they're two different engineering approaches to the same problem (precise router joinery without a CNC), and long-time Router Boss users will find some things work differently on a WR900. If you're comparing the two on paper, the practical difference today is simple: one is still being made, sold, and supported, and one isn't.
Questions about switching from Router Boss? Get in touch — happy to talk through what carries over and what's different.