I'm 28 and work as a design engineer. I enjoy cycling, the cinema and beers
I'm 28 and work as a design engineer. I enjoy cycling, the cinema and beers
Member since:03.01.2003
Reviews:4
Specification
1300W induction motor, ½” collet, Micro adjust Guide fence, Built-in fine height adjuster – 0.2mm divisions. Plunge operated by a thumb lever, Rubber coated ergonomicly shaped handles, Locking on-off switch, Plunge depth 66mm, Cost £200
Background - I decided to buy a router for my woodworking hobby because I wanted to be able to make rebates and joints simply and quickly for the times when making ‘handmade’ joints would be repetitive if After using the machine for ~6 months here is a list of why I think it’s a good choice for both table mounted and hand-held use:
Table mounted opinion:
1) Long plunge depth of 66mm - Compares to around 55mm offered by most of the competition at the same price (including Dewalt and Trend machines). 2) Integrated fine height adjuster – Allows the height to be adjusted fairly easily when mounted in the table (0.2mm divisions) 3) Locking on/off switch – Some new routers have a “dead man” trigger switch which switches the router off when your thumb is removed, which means you need to use a cable tie to lock on for table operation.
Overall for table use this router is great for the price, although don’t try and wiz wood through too quickly - the 2000W ~£300 machines from Trend, Bosch, Dewalt etc. would be better if this is your main aim.
Hand-held opinion
1) Smooth plunge action – Initially it was a little sticky, but seems to have got smoother with use and now is just right. Also there is a wear adjuster so that the plunge action can be tightened if the plunge becomes too slack over time. 2) Fine adjust fence – The fence has a fine adjust knob and is solid as you like. 3) Weight – A little heavy for fine tasks such as engraving etc or working on vertical surfaces.
Overall
A good machine for the serious woodwork hobbyist or for pro-workshop use as a general purpose medium size machine, the long plunge makes it a good choice for a router which is to be used as both a table mounted and hand held machine.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Switch location
In my opinion the location of the switch is good as it is just is mounted on the right hand side handle with the switch lock just underneath the right forefinger (maybe lefthanded users might find this un natural). One peice of extra info which may be of use is the screws used to mount it to a router table which are an american imperial size that are hard to get hold of (RS components stock them, I beleve they are size No10 22 threads per inch)
Andy
netstation 02.02.2003 22:22
Thanks for the detailed op. I'm in the market for a router and must admit I hadn't considered this one.
other review sites criticise the location of the switch, is this a problem?
nictastic 28.01.2003 17:29
looks more like a microscope to me! lol. great op with loads of info, well done, see ya round! nic
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