Triton TRC 001 Router

[nailshooter41]

You know, I don't know what I would do if I had an eleven year old tool tha t needed repair. I would think I would be figuring out how many road miles it had on it before I would repair it. Eleven years in _your_ shop seems like a really long run. But if I liked the tool and its results, I could b e pretty forgiving, in this case if the bearings and brushes were still goo d.

Many years ago I needed to cut some door panels and make a bunch of trim fo r a really neat custom job I landed. I looked at a lot of routers and at t hat time the big Porter Cable was still around. But the build quality had fallen so much those that had the newer ones steered me away. I seem to re member screeching bearings for some reason, although that may be wrong.

So that left Hitachi, Milwaukee and DeWalt. Don't remember why I passed th e Hitachi. Didn't like the fit/finish of the Milwaukee, nor the fact that the soft start wasn't very soft at all. IIRC, it is now made in China and w ith a few manufacturing changes is a good router.

I HATE those damn handles, and under a table they take up a lot of room. A lso, upside down, this machine is a nightmare to adjust. To me, this tool was made to be a lightweight shaper that never left the table. Also, from time to time I still use 1/4" shank bits, and a 1/4" collet does not come w ith this machine. It is another $40-$50.

So down to the DeWalt. Not always crazy about their tools, and haven't alw ays had great luck with them lasting. However, when I got this machine hom e, it was love when I switched it on. Really nice soft start, not nearly a s loud as the Milwaukee or the Porter Cable. This one came with the 1/4" c ollet in the box.

It has plenty of power, doesn't require a suitcase sized table (this is ver y similar in size to the Triton) and is extremely well made. It is made in Italy by Elu from Italian and Swiss parts. The electronic speed control h as been flawless. Under the table it is a breeze to adjust since I bought one of these

for it. Some of the guys online that showed me their setups made nice adju sters with a piece of pipe, a coupler nut and turned a nice looking wood kn ob for the same purpose. When I found that for $15 at the time I purchased it, it was a no brainer.

I don't know your setup for raising panels, but I am honestly afraid of the horizontally spinning router bits that should be in a shaper. There was a guy here locally that was using CMT bits to raise his panels and the bit b roke and nicked him and half of the head lodged in the garage wall. At the time I was also on Sawmill Creek, and although quite rare, a couple of fel lows had the same result. Even figuring in that at least one wasn't using the setup correctly, I am thinking about a bit going in a machine that in u se just doesn't look safe to me.

I put the panels on edge and cut away as much as possible on a table saw. Then I use a vertical panel raising bit to make my cuts. The vertical bits cut a bit slower than the horizontally mounted since you don't have the mo mentum behind that develops behind that large horizontal head, but the fini sh is fine. I never have made a lot of doors and now rarely do. The route r has plenty of power for dadoes, edging, and making passes with odd bits t o make some "one off" shop designed trims. It can profile cut ton of trim without overheating, and creates enough air flow around it even in the clos ed box I made that it doesn't overheat. This router has been a really solid performer and a joy for me to use. It has left the table from time to tim e to edge or trim something as needed and it is easy to hold, aim and use.

The only knock I have heard (but not found to be a problem for me) is that it doesn't plunge as deeply as some of the other routers in its class. I g ot rid of the base that came on it and made a really large phenolic base, a nd even after losing the thickness of the base, I still have no problems. If I did, I would probably buy a bit extender and be done with it, but at t his point no problems. I think this is one DeWalt got right.

Robert

[Leon]

[krw]

Festool doesn't make camera equipment, either. ;-)

Really, the equipment isn't expensive but I'd have no interest in doing this either.

Metcals were nice ten years ago. I gave mine away after I used one of the new Wellers (and they're about half the price). When you're soldering components that are as small as .5mm x 1mm, or even smaller the tools matter.

[Puckdropper]

krw wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Just curious... Which one you'd get? I've got an American Beauty that's getting to be a young friend. I'll probably keep it for at least another 4 decades, it's only halfway through its first.

Puckdropper

[Leon]

Actually that tool does not see nearly as much action as the previous router. I use it mostly to round over edges, 1/8" radius. And raised panels, the occasional wood top edge treatment ans so on.

I really like the tool, I have not wanted for another feature to be on the machine.

Current reputation is what would cause me any concern on the Speedmatic

The handles are kinda weird but I would probably remove them for hanging under the table. I probably would never use it anywhere else. I have a huge Bosch plunge router used to be in the table but what a beast to adjust, even with the various add on to make it easier to use. FWIW the Triton only came with the half inch collet but came with a multi segmented 1/4" adapter that has worked surprisingly well.

When I took the end cap off to view the innards I was almost in disbelief that the insides were so clean. About the only thing that had a layer of dust, and a very thin one at that, were the wires. Hardly anything anywhere else. I will say that the air flow through the router is pretty strong.

Humm. I'll keep that one in mind should I need to go that route.

With the Triton I can turn the speed way down and seriously I have no issue with the horizontal bits. It cuts lit butt'a and is a relatively quiet operation. I do however spin the better quality bits when doing raised panels and I keep the bit covered with the fence so I am only seeing about 1/4 exposure of the bit. And I typically make 3~4 passes, just taking a little out at a time.

What wold turn me off on any router would to not be able to change the bit from above the table. BUT I'll keep an eye on the DeWalt.

Thank you Robert!

[krw]

Weller WX2 base with a variety of pencils, tweezers, and tips. Like the Metcal, it's designed for electronics not general purpose work. They do have a 120W pencil that works great on large copper areas but this thing is complete overkill, or worse, if you're replacing an American Beauty.

[G. Ross]

My DeWalt electronics died, and I replaced them. It is in my router table and is seldom used anymore, but it works fine. Bought it in the early 90's.

[Leon]

Yeah! the odds would be stacked against me. ;~)

Time would be the biggest expense. Take 43, walking out into the shop and greeting the audience. ;~) I have put a couple of videos up showing a few things I do, on Flickr. But I don't want to clean the shop up, or put in music that will appeal to 25% of the audience. Or spend my time answering questions to the YouTube world.

I had an old Radio Shack trigger model that finally gave up. I have never had any thing tiny for little circuits. I had a larger iron that I used for soldering stained glass and I have an old one that my father used with Western Electric back in the 40's, it's about 14" long.

[John McCoy]

krw wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You're soldering 0201s? I can't even see the damn things. Thank god for the ladies in the lab with good eyesight and steady hands...

John

(who remembers when 1206 was considered small...)

[John McCoy]

Leon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Very characteristic of a capacitor failing.

John

[Markem]

John that is why they make mlcroscopes.

[nailshooter41]

I have been online looking at the Triton routers this morning and there sur e seems to be a lot to commend that machine. When I bought my DeWalt, ther e was no Triton here in the USA, maybe somewhere but Woodcraft introduced t hem locally after I had purchased my machine. Then I recall there was a "b ad batch" that ticked off my contact there, but that was many, many years a go.

Seems they have it all together, now. Read a lot of glowing reviews on the Triton's power, a bit difficult for some but really accurate adjustments a nd its reliability. Leon, am I reading this right about this router that y ou can crank the height adjustment from the bottom of the router so that wh en it is in a table you can use a wrench and adjust it from above? That wo uld be a pretty nifty feature!

Robert

[Electric Comet]

interestingly it is much simpler now a gopro with all ths shop lights on

you said it was sealed in dark resin so yes it is potted i guess for stability and for harsh environment

they are very nice no temperature to set turn it on and go

there is the angle right there videos by someone that actually really makes stuff

do like paul sellers does employs his son to shoot the video you could be a job creator a popular channel on youtube can be very significant

[Leon]

Kind of a jack of all trades type router.

I can't verify whether you can make adjustments from the top of the table or not. That is not an uncommon trait to many routers these days, Including the Bosch 1617 EVS. I have that router too but an early one and it did not yet have that feature. I bought it in 1998.

Back to the Triton, my Triton. There is a dial inside the end of one of the handles that converts the router from fixed base to a plunge router. I use it in the fixed base router configuration in my router table. The router is also built for easy spring removal for upside down configurations. For coarse adjustments you release the lock lever, found on most plunge routers, and pull in on an inner ring on the handle with the dial and twist the handle, that gives you the fast coarse adjustment. Then there is a small black stand alone knob that lets you fine tune the height adjustment. It is so easy to use that set up and I have not wanted for an above table adjustment set up. Most of the time when I make the fine adjustment I squat down and look across the top of the table at the bit. The fine adjust knob is on the front side of the router in this set up and might be easier to reach than from the top of the table when in a squatting position.

I did just go to the Triton web site and watched the video. It does appear that the TRA001 now has a roll pin "T" at the opposite end of the fine adjustment knob. Looks like a small slotted pipe would engage that from the top side of the router table.

I bought mine during the controversy, IIRC it was all about the door you slide open to flip the power switch. Apparently the door was trapping dust and causing problems. My router has a bellows like seal around the rocker switch behind that door. I have not has one issue with that configuration.

FWIW this particular router has not seen extensive use but I have used it for hours on end non stop at multiple times. When I was first looking at this router it reminded me of of something you might find at Harbor Freight, except for the price. I was not and still am not impressed with its looks. ;~) But all that aside I have not had a moments trouble out of it since I got it up until now.

IMHO it is perfect for the router table. I am not at all a fan of a single wrench for changing bits routers. This is a single wrench router. In a router table this is not an issue. The only way to loosen or tighten the collet is to extend the router full up/down. This action engages a spring loaded shaft lock. The router base actually pushes the lock into place. Stupid simple. If the router is being used free hand I dislike, like any router with single wrench bit change, having to grab the router where ever you can get a good grip and turning the wrench with the other. I prefer squeezing two winches in my hand for that procedure. In a router table, I don't care, the table is holding the router. This is not a unique problem with the Triton.

Like most any huge plunge router this one might be a bit top heavy in a stand alone plunge configured set up.

[Leon]

The New Texan Workshop and a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. I might be getting ahead of myself. ;~)

[Electric Comet]

yeah but what i meant originally is that a popular channel on youtube can mean significant income some quit their day jobs

so if you found the right person it could be worth their time too you do the woodwork someone else does the video

[krw]

1005s (Metric) are 0402s (Imperial) are our "standard" parts but we do use some 0201s (0603 metric), as well. I've seen 01005s (1/4 again as big) but haven't used them (don't sneeze!). The 0201s are generally used as decoupling capacitors so rarely have to be touched.

[krw]

These are amazing tools:

You can move your head around and actually see around components. They're much easier on the eyes than traditional microscopes.

[John McCoy]

krw wrote in news:2m9e0b1174n4nfuljp5kqg0h9d026rbff1@

4ax.com:

Interesting. I don't think we have any 0201 caps, our 0201 parts are all resistors. I wish they were all 0402.

And we have 05001s too, but not on any of the stuff I work on. Thankfully!

John

[krw]

0201s fit between BGA pads to keep the caps close to the pins they're decoupling (minimize inductance). For reliability reasons, they're not allowed for any other purpose. 0402 is the minimum size, and everything tends to the smallest possible (cost and space).