Trim Router

[Blackswanwood]

I have had a little win on the horses today. Before my wife finds out :lol: I am going to invest in a trim router. Does anyone have any recommendations please?

 

[jvc26]

I’ve the little Makita one which I have had no issues with.

 

[Trevanion]

I've got a couple of the Makita RT0700C and RT0702C trimmers with one set up with a chamfer bit and the other with a 2mm roundover bit, good and solid machines. The only thing I've done is replace the cord with a 5-metre H07RN-F one as the one that comes with it is a bit short. The one I bought new last year from FFX for £69 as I think they must've been clearing stock for the newer RT0702 model which is about £120 now, and then I bought a secondhand one-year-old RT0702 recently for £35 on eBay which was a bargain.

 

[Cabinetman]

I have the same one in both the states and the uk, Bosch PR20EVS trim router. Been most impressed with these and really handy for one handed use.
I have used them for bigger jobs than they were maybe intended for as well.

 

[AndyP]

Does the mall Trend T4 count as a trim router? I do not use a router often and my big Triton scares the bejesus out of me. The T4 though does all the little round over and small recess making that I need.

 

[Lons]

I've had a Makita for a number of years, the RT0700CX2J with 3 bases and hard case and it's been excellent so far, light use but I've had my money's worth, it comes out more often than my old Elu MOF 96e these days.

 

[Malc2098]

I've got the cordless Rutland R60 which comes out now more frequently than the Makita.

 

[Doug]

Another vote for the Makita mine is the cordless one & I’ve even made a table top for it, it gets a lot of use as being cordless it’s so versatile.
Having said that I’ve also used the DeWalt both corded & cordless & they were great as they are just so handy, personally I’d just go for a cordless one on the battery platform you use (if you use one)

 

[johnward]

I have the Bosch model which is I find very easy to use for putting an edge of bits of furniture.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Thanks - am erring towards the Makita I think. Surprisingly B&Q (sold and delivered by Buyaparcel) seems to be the best deal but will check out the Harrogate show first.

 

[9fingers]

Katsu do a range of tools reckoned to be makita knock offs. I've not used/seen the trim router but I borrowed their die grinder from a mate and was very impressed by the quality and the prices and I'm picky about power tools! Your windfall might go twice as far.

Bob

 

[Pete Maddex]

Katsu do a range of tools reckoned to be makita knock offs. I've not used/seen the trim router but I borrowed their die grinder from a mate and was very impressed by the quality and the prices and I'm picky about power tools! Your windfall might go twice as far.

Bob

I have the katsu one it’s performed perfectly so far, I bought the one with the 3 bases.


Pete

 

[9fingers]

Katsu do a range of tools reckoned to be makita knock offs. I've not used/seen the trim router but I borrowed their die grinder from a mate and was very impressed by the quality and the prices and I'm picky about power tools! Your windfall might go twice as far.

Bob

I have the katsu one it’s performed perfectly so far, I bought the one with the 3 bases.


Pete

I think that if/when my much beloved Bosch POF500 bites the dust, I'll go for the Katsu assuming they are still around.

Bob

 

[Steve Maskery]

One more upvote for the Katsu and other knock-offs. I have three or four; again, fit a longer cable as soon as the warranty runs out. Smashing little machines. Just don't stick your thumb in the hole in the side intended only for spanners...
S

 

[RogerS]

Katsu do a range of tools reckoned to be makita knock offs. I've not used/seen the trim router but I borrowed their die grinder from a mate and was very impressed by the quality and the prices and I'm picky about power tools! Your windfall might go twice as far.

Bob

I have the katsu one it’s performed perfectly so far, I bought the one with the 3 bases.


Pete

I think that if/when my much beloved Bosch POF500 bites the dust, I'll go for the Katsu assuming they are still around.

Bob

I have one that's never been used.

 

[Eric the Viking]

Slightly off-topic:

I have two of the small Bosch routers, a POF500 (single-speed) and POF600 (varispeed). I have THREE bases to go with them, as the third (genuine Bosch spare part, and spendy, too) was an attempt to stop the plunge jamming solid at the exact moment you try to use it.

I have no idea what's wrong with the geometry but both do it, I've tried all sorts of lubricants down the years on the bars, and nothing works consistently. The plunge bars each go through single bronze bushings, 20-30mm deep.

If anybody has a bright idea, I'm all ears.

That nuisance aside, I love them - excellent Swiss-made motor, no discernable run-out, and quite powerful, with useful things like an ability to use the micro-adjustable fence from my Trend T11 (Bosch didn't mention that in the instructions!). There's also an 8mm collet available, which (I'm told) stiffens-up the cutters quite a bit. I have one, but no 8mm shank cutters as yet.

But they're an old design, so unlikely to be available new any more. I think the Trend T4 was based on them, but apparently it's chalk+cheese in quality terms (I considered a T4 as a functional replacement - reviews put me off).

Anyone else think Trend has rather lost the plot with the T10/T11 replacements?

 

[Trevanion]

I have no idea what's wrong with the geometry but both do it, I've tried all sorts of lubricants down the years on the bars, and nothing works consistently. The plunge bars each go through single bronze bushings, 20-30mm deep.

If anybody has a bright idea, I'm all ears.

I think that's just the nature of them, they're a very simple tool and they were one of the cheapest available in their day though very well made compared to modern equivalents. The one thing I would check is that the holes in the router body are correctly spaced for the rods in the base and vice versa, if either is even slightly out it will cause problems, or if the rods are bent ever so slightly.

But they're an old design, so unlikely to be available new any more. I think the Trend T4 was based on them, but apparently it's chalk+cheese in quality terms (I considered a T4 as a functional replacement - reviews put me off).

Anyone else think Trend has rather lost the plot with the T10/T11 replacements?

Trend T4s are really poorly made, I've never seen one last for particularly long before the bearings totally kark it, does it really cost that much more to put in quality bearings? Trend also now have the T7 which is a rebadged version of an Erbauer machine that Screwfix used to sell, which I presume they stopped selling as they had a reputation for catching fire! The new Trend T12 and T14 brought in to replace the T10 and T11 are again rebadged versions of the DeWalt DWE625KT, though the Trend versions are a bit more expensive so it would be interesting to know if there's a massive difference to justify the £100 extra.

I took apart a 2018 Type-7 Dewalt DW625E a couple of years ago that Craig Salisbury sent me because the armature had bent, I was shocked by how much they had reduced the quality over the years compared to earlier machines, particularly compared to the original Swiss-made Elu MOF177E that fathered all these variations.

Thread here: https://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=6409

 

[Steve Maskery]

When the T10/T11 first came out (I can never remember what the difference is between the two) I was sent one, FOC, by Trend. I didn't solicit it, it just turned up. Apparently they sent them to all the journos. I already had an Elu 177E, which was just fabulous, and this looked very similar.

As soon as I started to use it my heart sank. Yes, the ability to adjust the height from below the base was excellent, but there the improvements stopped. It was still a pain to change cutters. I couldn't turn it upside down on the bench because of the way the cable comes out. Doing it right on the edge of the bench so that the cable hung down is getting precarious, in my book.

It came with a 30mm guide bush. On my 177E I could fit the guide bush and know that it was perfectly concentric. Right first time every time. Not the Trend. If I turned the router through 180 degrees I would get a noticeably different line of cut.

If they were going to revamp the style, I don't understand why they didn't do a more thorough job. A wasted oppotunity, I thought.

But it was plenty good enough to keep permanently in my router table, freeing up my 177E for hand use. As it happened, they both grew legs when my stuff was in store. A very kind gentleman on this forum gave me a replacement T11, for which I have been grateful, which now sits permanently in my RT. It does get very hot in use, I don't know enough about them to know why that would be, but for the amount of use it gets, it's not really a big issue.

 

[9fingers]

Steve, One of the T11 faults is the labyrinth "seal" on the business end of the shaft. This gradually fills up with dust and causes friction on the shaft and eventually cooks bearings.
Its located behind/near the spindle lock. Its easy enough to remove IIRC and check for dust build up.

hth
Bob

T10/T11 differences here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ycOsYjyBY

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thanks Bob.
I wonder if the T11 has been upgraded since it was first introduced, because I don't remember mine having a 2-part bush fitment like the one shown in the film.

I can understand the machine getting clogged up, given that it is upside down underneath all the dust that it is generating.
S

 

[9fingers]

The origin of that machine was from the trade where is was allowed to jam up with dust until the bearings were destroyed. So it is worthwhile maintenance to check it before it is too late

Bob