I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625? (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
Check out some of the Canadian forums, like
My local tool dealer sells King (I am in Hamilton Ontario), the guy that talk to always says the King handheld tools are a cheap solution to a single problem. If you want a longer term solution save your money and buy something better. Now at the other tool shop they use the King stuff for their seminars, and the work they do is impressive. I am actually contemplating the router. For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how can you go wrong? The support for King is very good, 1 year exchange, but I don't know about US support. You can check with
Lars
In six years, you'll have no router and will have spent as much as a high quality one that will last a lifetime.
Mike
Well, that's probably true; but I expect the bigger problem is runout. If a router doesn't cut accurately, it is worthless.
I picked one up to use for a particular station in my production line up. (All it had to do was cut out sink holes from MDF templates) The plunge action was wobbly to the point I didn't trust it not hitting the inside of a bushing. I returned it. I looked at several of their in-stock units and they were all quite wobbly. Definition of wobbly: Enough play in the plunge that a 1/2" router bit will make a 5/8" oblong hole. Once the unit is locked in place, it appeared to be quite a good deal. I needed the plunging action. Another one of our Wrecking Crew is very happy as he uses it in a table where the plunging action is not required. The motor is very strong and smooth.
PS. I gave the job to a Hitachi M12V. Best bang for the buck. IMHO All my precision work is done with Milwaukee routers.
I think I would rather pay $140.00 for a PC 690 that would last virtually forever rather than $99.00 for something that will last a year.
I also have a friend in the tool supply business (Belleville, Ontario). He says that the King brand is a cheap brand with poorer quality motors, bearings, switches, and such. Not a bad purchase if you only have one quick job to do with it, but if you plan on this being a workhorse in your shop, you should by a good name brand.
STeve Aiken
there are situations where such tools are appropriate, such as environments where the tool WILL be destroyed, maybe corrosive or abrasive environments, or where theft is a virtual certainty.
I don't want any of those jobs.
I had bought one of these routers about 8 months ago to have just in case the freud 3 1/4 hp in my router table was unavailable for what ever reason and/or my old orange black and decker was too small to do a freehand job. About a month ago the variable speed in the freud went on me and I figured seeing as im not in the middle of a project now I would bring it in to be fixed. So tueday I brought it in to the repair shop. There was a death in the family and I was asked to make a box for my cousins ashes. So down to the shop I go tonight planning how to make this box with only tonight to work on it. I thought the top could be a raised panel so was ready to start there when I realized I had no router. Remembering my purchase of the King router I go and dust it off, take everything out of box and go to putting it into the table. So far so good, looks and feels like a well made machine. Throw in the raised panel bit, do a couple of test cuts in some MDF and not too bad, little sluggish, check the speed, its at 1 so I turn it up to 3, which is what I set the freud at when doing raised panels. Cuts the MDF ok so procede to cut some ash raised panels with it. Well, at 3 it stopped the bit right at the start of the cut, turned it to 4, same thing, stopped the bit. Checked to see if the bit was tight which it was, turned it up to 5, almost stopped it, slowed it down alot so put it up to 6, top speed. At 6 I was able to get the cut down without it stopping but it did slow it down quite a bit. I know this is a big bit but for a rating of 3
1/4 hp it should have more power than what it was putting out. So instead of taking 1/4 off for first couple passes like i normally do then down to 1/8 I ended doing 1/8 cuts all the way. The panel turned out very nice, no burning and a smooth with little sanding to be done but it just ended up taking a lot longer than it should have............kinda like this post. Anyways, just my 2cents.wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Google for my post on the King Router. I posted it in Summer.
Put metal washers around the Sponge washer on the adjustment knob.
Bad as a plunge router as Robatoy noted.
Good as a bench router -- I just got an Hitachi M12V though -- expect to retire the King. I suspect the runout is bad on some samples -- so you may get sloppy fine work.
My setup is on my web site...
King is making continual improvements on their router -- indeed on all that product line.
-------- WillR
Thanks to all kind souls for the replies. It's nice to get detailed info. I'll cogitate a bit before making a decision.
I have been thinking of getting one myself since they first came out at Christmas time last year. This was a new product then and there was a problem with some washers and King support provided a fix for the problem. I have put off my purchase until a new version comes out. Let them work the bugs out first! Otherwise a good review on them so far.
Tom snipped-for-privacy@bellsouth.net wrote: : I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP : plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the : qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625? : (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until : yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
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I do have this router and as Michael says runout is a problem. It seems worse with the 1/2 inch collet the 1/4" collet is not as bad. Not sure if something could be done to fix the problem with the collet. I was thinking I might use it in a secondary/dedicated router table with a
1/8" roundover bit for occaisi>HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.