Katsu router (again).

[skipdiver]

Just a quick question. About to purchase one of these but there seems to be two types on the Aims Tools site. One for £39.99 and one for £34.99. There is also different attachments and packages. The plunge base would be useful but not critical as it will mostly be used for rounding over. What is the best option pricewise and is there anywhere else selling them please.

 

[Rorschach]

I'll be interested to watch this thread as I am in a similar position. I have a Bosch GKF 600 (Unused) and I am thinking of selling it and using the money to buy the katsu as I think for the same price I could get a complete kit for the katsu including plunge base. I am also thinking the katsu is a more versatile machine and that accessories/spares are cheaper and easier to get than the bosch.

 

[John Brown]

While searching Katsu on Amazon found this:

Has nothing to do with routers, but just caught my eye.

 

[ScaredyCat]

If you're talking about this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LVVJ99U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 then I have it. I used it to round the edges of my workbench legs and stretchers and cutting board edges. On/off switch rather than trigger and variable speed. I've had mine since January and it hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Mrs C]

The Katsu as a little trimmer is brilliant, the plunge base I bought with it is awful.

One thing with my Katsu is the splindle lock knob broke, I think it kept catching when I put it back into the fixed base. I ended up cutting it off and has actually made life easier, as you can use some thing like an allen key to align the holes freeing up the third hand that you would otherwise need to do up the collet.

Have fun!

 

[skipdiver]

Thanks for the info ScaredyCat and Mrs C. Yes, that's the one and having looked more closely at the Aims site, the cheaper one is branded Merry, not Katsu, so that mystery is cleared up. Think i will just get the unit and not the plunge base if it's awful as you say.

 

[Droogs]

I have 3 of them, I bought the other two bodies with fixed bases after I bought the 3 base and motor set from Aim Tools for £99. There is no diference between the Katsu and the Makita RT0700 other than cosmetic differences. As far as my research went a few ears ago it lead me to understand they are made on the same production line. I've had no problems with any of my bases at all, though the angle base is used rarely. I made a router table for one of the fixed bases as a permanent fit and have 1 in the plunge and 1 in a fixed base. I love them, a coouple of collegues have also bought them to replace their RT0700s as they have needed to be replaced. All the Makita spares and accs fit the Katsu including guide bushes. I would recommend ou get the full monty as it is the best value all round rather than getting the basic set and then wanting to other stuff later.
hth

 

[skipdiver]

Cheers Droogs. Think i might as well get the full kit for what it costs.

 

[Rorschach]

I am thinking I might sell the GKF600 and buy a full kit also.

 

[galleywood]

I bought the Katsu trimmer and later bought the angled base and the plunge base.
I have had no problem with the plunge base - it has worked out fine.

Check out the prices for the individual items vs the complete set - at the time I bought mine it was cheaper to buy the items individually!

A good router and package.

 

[skipdiver]

Cheers Galleywood, i thought i had read before that it was cheaper to buy singly than it was for the package, hence my question.

 

[Homers double]

I also have 3 of them, I bought the makita one first and came across the katsu on here, for the price of them I decided to get 3, 1 of which was the full set with plunge and swivel bases. I haven't really had Need to use the bases.
They are all permanently set up with different bits, round over, 45 chamfer, flush and 2 flute flat.
As Droogs said there are only cosmetic differences between the makita and katsu, i didn't look to closely at the individual prices, I was just happy they they were a lot cheaper than the makita

 

[Jasper42]

I have had a Katsu for well over a year, got the full set and very happy with it. Not used heavy but normally my first hand router to go to for light work. For the price I don’t see how you can go wrong.

 

[will1983]

Another happy customer here. I have the basic set up with the fixed base but haven't found this to be to much of a limitation. It's certainly done everything I have asked of it. I like how simple it is to remove the motor from the base to change the bits over, literally only takes seconds to swap the cutter. Considering buying a second or even a third in the near future.

 

[skipdiver]

I'll be ordering one later when i have finished in my shop.

 

[novocaine]

fantastic little thing well worth having, mine lives on the bench to hand for all sorts of random little jobs and not bad for inlay stuff too. the big heavy 1/2 router is pretty much left alone in its box these days.

 

[Racers]

I use mind for box hinges with an extended base, just unscrew the plastic base and screw on a length of ply.

Katsu with extended base by Racers, on Flickr

I bought the kit with 3 bases its a very handy tool.

Pete

 

[Nelsun]

Sorry to drag up and old thread but I'm after checking something is 100% right. I've read that the Katsu "fits all the Makita accessories" so could someone with the relevant bits please confirm for certain that a Katsu fits a[ny] Makita base unit (e.g. plunge, tilt etc.)?

 

[Bodgers]

I have 3 of them, I bought the other two bodies with fixed bases after I bought the 3 base and motor set from Aim Tools for £99. There is no diference between the Katsu and the Makita RT0700 other than cosmetic differences. As far as my research went a few ears ago it lead me to understand they are made on the same production line. I've had no problems with any of my bases at all, though the angle base is used rarely. I made a router table for one of the fixed bases as a permanent fit and have 1 in the plunge and 1 in a fixed base. I love them, a coouple of collegues have also bought them to replace their RT0700s as they have needed to be replaced. All the Makita spares and accs fit the Katsu including guide bushes. I would recommend ou get the full monty as it is the best value all round rather than getting the basic set and then wanting to other stuff later.
hth

Do you own, or have you owned the Makita?

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk

 

[whiskywill]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw= ... eName=GSTL