Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Router table depth gauge

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have wound the router up until the cutter looks about right, and the groove in the first test piece is 1 mm deeper than the rail you copied. A tape on a spinning bit will not settle that. A router table depth gauge has to span the fence or the insert and read the height while the machine is stopped. In this batch the only jaw that does that is the Trend GAUGE/D60 in the [depth gauge comparison](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/depth-gauge). Peter F. used the amazon.co.uk listing at £19.49 on 20 October 2026, the first 50 UK reviews, and Trend's own UK page. He did not set a cutter in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have wound the router up until the cutter looks about right, and the groove in the first test piece is 1 mm deeper than the rail you copied. A tape on a spinning bit will not settle that.

Our top picks

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60

Best overall

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60
9.4/10about £19.49
View offer
PRAZTECH PRAZTECH 150 mm rule-head

Best value

PRAZTECH PRAZTECH 150 mm rule-head
7.7/10about £8.99
View offer
KATSU Tools KATSU 200 mm vernier

Alternative

KATSU Tools KATSU 200 mm vernier
7.3/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the 60 mm jaw is for
  2. 2.What the listing and the maker disagree on
  3. 3.When the jaw will not fit
  4. 4.Span the fence, then take the gauge off

What the 60 mm jaw is for

The jaw drops over a fence cheek, a cutter or a saw plate so both feet sit on the table. Trend's bullets give the opening as 60 mm and the measuring range as 80 mm. Those are different dimensions. A pointer is for holes up to 50 mm on Amazon's bullet, and 50.8 mm on Trend's page. Use the pin for a hole. Use the jaw for height above the table. UK reviews use it for router-bit height and table-saw blade height, and they prefer the screen to a tape on a tooth. Magnetic feet help on steel or cast iron while you wind the rise and fall, with the machine switched off. The KATSU 0–200 mm beam will not sit across a fence cheek. Once the groove exists, that beam is judged on the best depth gauge page.

What the listing and the maker disagree on

Amazon's material field says Metal, the listing weight is 150 g, and the bullet says precision to 0.08 mm. Trend's UK page says plastic, 92 g, ±0.1 mm, a CR2032, and not for high-vibration machines. The maker price was £32.27 on 20 October 2026. This batch's amazon.co.uk price is £19.49, with 4.5 from 1,141 reviews. The first 50 UK reviews call the body and the legs plastic. They also say the lock strips if you force it, the zero wanders, and a cardboard case does not last. The praise that repeats is accurate enough for rebates and DIY woodwork, not a proved 0.02 mm. Treat about ±0.1 mm as the maker's expectation. An analogue sibling, and a digital that prints both 0.02 mm and 0.01 mm, are not ASIN B005RQGZTW.
Trend Trend GAUGE/D60

Testsieger

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60
9.4/10about £19.49
View offer

When the jaw will not fit

One UK review says the fence sat about 18 mm from the blade, and the gauge could not straddle it. Sixty millimetres of opening will not become 18 mm if you push. A saw fence that lives that close needs a beam into the gullet of a stopped blade, or a setup bar, not this jaw. The same limit applies when a router fence is already tight against a small cutter. Measure the gap before you decide. UK reviews say the magnets are weak on aluminium and useful on steel or cast iron. On an aluminium top you hold the gauge. Plastic legs also flex, and a flexed leg changes the height you think you have set. Seat both feet, look for rock, then read. The lock stays snug. Forcing the thread is how the reviews say it strips. Take the gauge off before you start the router or the saw. Mitutoyo's manual forbids measuring rotating work, and Trend's sheet excludes high-vibration machines. The seat, read and lock sequence is on the how to use a depth gauge page.

Span the fence, then take the gauge off

Use the Trend jaw when both feet can sit flat and the opening clears the fence or the cutter. Read the 80 mm scale, not the 60 mm opening. If the gap is near 18 mm, or the top is aluminium and you needed the magnets, this jaw is the wrong reference.

Common questions

Can I set cutter height with a depth gauge?
Yes, with the router stopped. Sit the Trend's feet on the table, let the 60 mm jaw span the cutter or the fence, lower the beam to the height you want, lock it lightly and read the screen. Take the gauge off the table before you switch the motor on. The reading is only as good as both feet sitting flat.
What is the difference between the 60 mm jaw and the 80 mm range?
The jaw is the opening, 60 mm, which decides whether the gauge can straddle the fence or the bit. The range is how far the gauge can read, 80 mm on this listing. A pointer for holes is a third figure, 50 mm on Amazon's bullet and 50.8 mm on Trend's page. Quoting 60 mm as the depth will undersize the scale you think you own.
Is the Trend gauge metal?
The amazon.co.uk material field says Metal. Trend's UK page says plastic, and the UK reviews describe a plastic body and plastic legs. Use the maker's page and the reviews for the material. Use the Amazon listing for the £19.49 price and the 4.5 from 1,141 reviews. The listing weight of 150 g and the maker's 92 g should not be averaged.
How deep a hole can the pin measure?
Amazon's bullet says holes, mortices or slots up to 50 mm. Trend's page says 50.8 mm. That pin is not the 80 mm jaw range and not the 60 mm opening. If the hole is deeper than the pin, this is the wrong end of the gauge.
Are setup bars the same tool?
No. Fixed bars sold for router-table height and fence distance are preset lengths. You compare the cutter with a bar. A depth gauge slides and reads a number. This page does not review the bars. They are the alternative when 60 mm will not fit or when you want a stack of known heights instead of a display.

Related pages

Depth gauge buying guide

Depth gauge

Best depth gauge: name the job, then keep one tool

How to use a depth gauge: one reading, not a slant

Vernier or digital depth gauge: parallax or a cell

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.

  1. ISO 13385-2:2020, calliper depth gauges (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. BSI BS EN ISO 13385-2:2020 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. ISO 13385-2:2020 preview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Trend GAUGE/D60, UK product page (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Cutwel, depth gauges guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Mitutoyo depth-gauge manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 20 October 2026)