Buying a Router

[N.Jowsey]

I'm looking to buy a router, but not sure what to go for. The project I need the tool for is building 4 speaker cabinets out of 18/25mm MDF. I was looking at the B&Q Performance Power Pro 1/2" CLM2050R Router 2050W

's just under £100. It's a tool that I'll use occasionally so I don't really need the likes of makita at nearer £200.

Does anyone have any experience of this model? It seems to be pretty well put together, not as nice as the Makita, but it does not feel cheap and nasty. Should I be looking at other makes? (Screwfix Ebauer for the same sort of price, but with no cutters)

Cheers

Neil

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Just an aside... I take it that you understand the technical requirements of loudspeaker enclosures, resonant frequencies etc?

[Andy Hall]

This one came up a few months ago and ISTR that someone had bought one and needed to take it back because the speed control didn't work properly.

I wouldn't be influenced by whether cutters are included in the package because they are always at the poor end of the quality range. You would be better off buying a lower end router and some decent cutters like CMT or Freud for it.

If you are only going to buy one router, then I would go for a 1/2" one as you have thought, but practice a bit first because they are heavier.

I did see one of Axminster's £99 own brand routers being demonstrated at their recent tool show and that seemed to be doing a respectable job. I didn't have an opprtunity to use it though....

.andy

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[Jason]

It looks like quite a good one for what you want to use it for but before you buy go and have a look at it and make sure that it has a on button that can be pushed into a permanent on, I have a Bosch router which is enough for what I use it for but whilst being on site have used other makes but the on button only works whilst it is depressed which can make operating the machine ackward and possibly dangerous. good luck and happy woodworking.

-- Yours Jason

[e-mail]

[PoP]

That router is a pile of s**te. I bought one thinking it was a 2050 Watt router. It certainly wasn't. Performance wise I'd have said maybe equivalent to 800W.

I did one kitchen worktop with it. It struggled taking more than a couple of mm out of the worktop. The vertical lock was absolute crap - it did not hold the router at the locked depth at all - as you moved along the workpiece it gradually dragged down into the work.

An awful piece of s**te - one of the worst tool purchases I ever made. I took it back to B&Q and bought a Trend T9 instead. Now that's what I call a mans router :)

PoP

[David Hearn]

Are they Job Public's requirements or just audiophiles requirements?

D

[Michael Chare]

I spent ages trying to decide whether or not to buy a Power Pro router to do my kitchen worktop. In the end I hired an Hitachi. Your post make me glad of that decision.

Michael Chare

[Dave Plowman]

Joe Public wouldn't bother making speakers - you can buy them ready made cheaper.

[David Hearn]

Possibly Joe Public may want to make speaker cabinets to fit in with furniture etc? I'd have expected an audiophile to have known how/what to do when making speakers if they wanted to make something special.

D

[David Hemmings]

Get a book on DIY speaker making

No really, do get a book, otherwise there is a very high probability you will come a cropper and the whole thing will sound really dire.

e.g.

expensive, but i only did 1 search in amazon, also try the local library.

[Rick Hughes]

I bought a TREND T5, this takes 1/4" and 8mm .......... I buy all my cutters in 8mm now, find this size ideal for all work I can do - much stronger than 1/4"

TREND seems a very good machine, and easy enough for hand held tasks.

Rick

[The Natural Philosopher]

Audiphiles select their furniture to match their speakers. They don't build speakers.

[PoP]

I made an error of judgement with that Power Pro router. It may possibly consume 2050 watts of power - I couldn't say. But for sure it does not produce that level of power at the business end. As I said previously, 800 watts maybe.

Having said that, I have bought other Power Pro tools from B&Q and been happy with them. I recently bought a fairly substantial Power Pro router table which I'm happy with for example. But that router sucks big time.

PoP

[Rod Hewitt]

PoP wrote in news: [e-mail]:

And so is the 1250W one. Awful plunge. Dreadful threads on the collets. Lousy switch. Poor depth control. Awkward rotation stop mechanism. Very limited plunge depth. Almost unusable with the perspex cover in place.

Still - got me out of a hole. Needed a router that could manage a bit more than my 1/4" cheapie. Bought one of these. Used it and then returned because of the above. Ideally, it would have been good enough to keep (and I did originally intend to do so) as I have a number of upcoming uses which don't really warrant the cost of a decent 1/2" one but would overtax my current one.

Rod

[Andy Hall]

.. and for a router table something powerful is generally needed.

AIUI, the Trend products are made in the same (Italian I believe) factory that produces the DeWalt and CMT products.

The appearance is very similar and items like collets and other accessories interchangeable.

.andy

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[Set Square]

Can't comment on the power level - the one I bought back in the summer was dead on arrival *and* the plunge lock didn't lock. Back it went to B&Q for a refund - I didn't feel like risking a replacement!

[Kev Parkin]

I got one from Do It All a couple of weeks ago from their EXCEL range,

1/2" collet + smaller sizes, 1050W motor and 10 bits. I can't remember what the normal price is but got it on one of their 50% off everything promotions and it came in less than £30.

I've used it a couple of times and it's OK for what I needed it for. If you want quality I'd go for a known brand but if you want something to use a couple of times a year then pay yer money and take yer choice.

One downer with it is the fence is a bit flimsy - also to fit it back in the plastic case you have to totally dismantle the fence!

Oh, and it comes with a spare set of motor brushes don't know if thats a good thing or not!

good luck

Kev

[Andy Dingley]

I'd suggest a 1/4" Power Devil (because it;'s cheap) and then a 1/2" Freud (£170), _if_ and when you need it. I'm very unimpressed by 1/2" routers in the £100 region, and there's nothing you get for over £200 that the Freud doesn't do.

Cheap 1/4" routers are useful, even when you have a biggie too. They're lightweight, and they're handy for running a quick roundover or something where you take the machine to the job. You'll grow out of such a router, and you might chose to buy something better later on. But you'll get your money's worth, you'll keep using it afterwards, and it'll give you a better idea for what to buy next time.

The bigger 1/4" Ferm (£36 from Screwfix) might be worth a look too.

-- Smert' spamionam

[Dave Plowman]

True audiophiles don't give a toss what the speakers look like. And don't know what furniture is. ;-)

[Andy Hall]

Do you think that the Freud would be a reasonable purchase to be fitted permanently in a router table, Andy?

I'm getting fed up with taking others in and out. Is there a fine height adjustment on it suitable for this application?

.andy

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