We had a bunch of Milwaukee cordless drills at work, and nothing but battery problems.
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I'm up to seven.
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Not better, different. Each is used for different operations.
A plunge base is necessary for well... plunging! You can still do stopped slots if on end of the slot is open, but if you need to stop at both ends, you'll need to plunge.
Straight bases usually have lower center of gravities and easier to dial in adjustment mechanisms, making them the first choice when no plunge is needed.
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12
Newer models that are imported from overseas or older models? My 12v Milwaukee I bought almost 14 years ago and has worked quite well over that period with one rebuilding of the batteries about five years ago.
Makita might work fine, but I recently got soured to them. I ordered a Makita trim router and it wasn't until two weeks later they told the dealer I ordered them from that the model I'd ordered had been discontinued. All the while it's still detailed on their website. Obviously, they knew a long time ago about discontinuing the model I wanted and they still let me sit for two weeks before saying anything.
Well, I read what everyone "said", and have been shopping around. It looks like the Hatichi routers are the way to go. I like the $59 one 'cause of the price but the KM12VC with two bases is the one. But, why is it that the cheaper ones at Lowe's (Fire Brand) and I think Craftsman, have the better features. Like a work light, and the trigger style power switch. I wish the better one's had this, but I'll pay more for quality. This is how new I am to all of this. I went to the library today and got a book on how to use a router. It gives me visions of router greatness LOL. Take Care Ya'll, Antree
Hopefully, that is exactly what you are paying for. Like all the rest of the machines out there though, there is no "wonder machine" that has every feature every woodworker wants.
I think that is a fantastic idea. And with the popularity of the router in woodworking, there are a lot of really great books out there. You will find many more people willing to help you when they find you are making an effort like going to the library.
Robert
Not all of them, some of them were made by Bosch.
Stan,
Following up on Randy's mentioning of a table, I'll offer some of my observations.
I use a router a middling amount; not near as much as some of the guys who regularly post here, but my routers are well-used tools in my shop. One is used freehand and the other is more or less impermanently mounted in the table. Before I got my second router, the table mounted machine came out occasionally for freehand work.
I found that it was rare that I unmounted the router from the table, however. Most of the cuts I wanted to make could be done easily on the table. And now, my handheld machine isn't used much. Yes, you can use jigs attached to the edge guides that come with the routers, and some guys use them all the time. But I really appreciate the hassle free workings of the table I have.
A table needn't be much more than a 3/4" chunk of plywood, a straight edge and a couple of clamps for proof-of-concept. It's worth the time and trouble to see how much easier the router is to use with one.
YMMV
Tanus
I checked their website and the KM12VC listed $315 new and $102 recondtioned. But I saw it at Lowe's for $179. So now I'm wondering, if they're wrong about that, what else could they be wrong about? Like warranty, etc.
Take Care, Stan
179 is a discounted price--that's the same as Coastal Tool charges and Coastal is about as cheap as a reputable supplier gets.
On the other hand, Amazon right now has it for 129--I'd bet that that was a limited time special though.
Yikes!!! I just checked Amazing.com and they talk about a July shipping date. So I don't think the sale is over yet. I thinks that's an outstanding deal for this machine. If I didn't have so many already... I'd jump on it!
Oops!
I just had a close-up look with the zoom feature on Amazon's website (pretty cool, actually) and I see that this is one of the "new generation" of Hitachi tools with their swoosh styling and jazzy color scheme. I don't think this current incarnation quite compares to the vintage Hitachi products, but I still think that for the money... this is a good deal for a 2 base router kit.
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