I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs that I need a router for.
The instructions say "3mm plunge max"
Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric) what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?
Also, for side on cuts, is the 3mm limit (per pass) likely to be similar here?
It's not a problem making multiple passes - I'm not running a factory operation - and in many other ways a small light machine would be more useful.
I have seen some quite favourable reviews on that. There are a couple of decent ones on youtube IIRC.
What in diameter? Whatever fits through the base plate really... With large cutters you may need to take shallower passes.
You can probably take a cut the full depth of the bit or if not that much at least 1/2" - but then you limit the lateral depth of cut when you set the fence. Basically you need to learn the volume of wood it will remove in a pass - and that volume will come from a depth / width trade off. Also the type of timber matters - some woods are much easier to route than others.
(although good dense hard woods give very fine results with a router - nice crisp clean cuts etc. Pine etc can be a bit more woolly!)
The small machines can be surprisingly capable - at least up to a size of cutter where you probably ought to be looking at table mounting anyway. They are going to struggle making a worktop joint or cutting the strings for a flight of steps, for for smaller joints, and lots of edge detailing and moulding jobs they work fine. I do quite a bit with my small Bosch 600W palm router these days. Having said that, keep in mind that I also have a 2kW 1/2" router in a table to pick up jobs at the other end of the spectrum.
Usually I would advice a "first" router to be something like the original 1/4" Elu - a modern clone of which would be the Trend T5 - that's middle sized and around 1kW.
Thanks John - lots to think about.
I'm going to watch some now - might give me some answers as to what it can usefully do.
I have seen some 20mm dia bits sold in 1/4"...
That makes sense.
I've very taken with the battery element - no cord to get in the way, use anywhere :) I don't mind buying into Makita's 18V battery ecosystem as there seems to be a lot of tools in the range. I'm on 36V Bosch for gardening tools and 10.8V Bosch for a mini driver/impact driver. I have nothing in the mid sized tool range.
The jobs I have are:
1) Buy a ready made laminated ash shelf (I don't have clamps or a flat surface or thicknesser to go glueing up my own panels) but finish the edges and route a slot in two side battens which will fix to the wall allowing the shelf to slide out (for maintenance access to boiler behind- shelf is over a washing machine).
2) Put a very find pencil round or bevel on my upstairs floorboards prior to final fix. We planed a slight bevel on first lay, but I still find it annoying in bare feet and a few bits are splintering as boards do).3) Make a printer dolly for my laser printer so it can be pushed around on rubber castors. Will start with a pre-made laminated board in a cheaper wood, and finish all the edges and cut some radiuses on the corners.
All very easy stuff, seems like trivial first jobs to learn the tool.
You can find larger cutters if the machine will take an 8mm collet, although the range of cutters in that size is smaller.
Yup the tool range is good, and the batteries and charger are well thought out (things like active cooling in the chargers).
Yup, all plausible sounding jobs. It will also get you a few "go to" cutters for future jobs... (IME its normally better to buy the cutters you want, rather than sets of them. Otherwise you find you end up with loads of cutters you never use).
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.