1/4 inch routers on market.

[GrahamIreland]

I've had to replace my Bosch 1400W router and am wondering which one to go for.

The Makita 1/4inch, the Bosch 1/4inch or the Trend.

The Makita has a 1000w motor I believe, the Bosch a 1400W and the Trend a 900W.

But something about the trend speaks quality, as does the Makita,

Close call, any ideas..

 

[marcros]

I have an old elu one which seems pretty bomb proof. I would therefore put the DeWalt forward as a suggestion.

 

[Lons]

I don't know about the modern 1/4"DeWalt but the 625 I have isn't anywhere near the quality of the Elu 177e it replaced.

I still have my old Elu 96e which has been excellent since I bought it new 30 years ago except for new bearings and I have a Makita RTO700CX2 kit which is used regularly because it's so light.

 

[marcros]

That is a shame. I think my Elu is a variant of the 625 too.

 

[GK1]

I too have a 30+ year old Elu 177 and a 23 year old 177e still in regular use. I also have a 2012 model Trend T4 ¼" model and I'm not so keen on it. The spindle lock doesn't seem to have a positive lock on the shaft and releases the spindle as the cutter is tightened up. I have to really press the lock button hard as I'm using the spanner. On a couple of occasions a ¼" bit has moved ever so slightly in the collet during use and spoiled my work. There's no fine adjustment either. The motor part can be removed from the base and it has a 43mm (?) end which can be fitted in my drill stand, although I've only used it once like that. I only use it when my Elu is just a bit clumsy for the job in hand, I wouldn't buy it again.

 

[GrahamIreland]

But the makitta Bosch / trend... much of a muchness..?

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I have the Dewalt -great little router

 

[Lons]

That is a shame. I think my Elu is a variant of the 625 too.

Should be the other way around Marcros I think. The DeWalt routers were based on Elu. How old is yours?

When we stocked them Elu routers were miles ahead of anything else in the UK, most of them made in Switzerland and rock solid even though they Elu and DeWalt were under the same B&D professional division.

I'm not saying anything wrong with my DeWalt btw, it's just not the same quality as the old Elu 177e

 

[Lons]

But the makitta Bosch / trend... much of a muchness..?

Trend was based on the Elu / DeWalt models, don't know if they still are.

 

[marcros]

That is a shame. I think my Elu is a variant of the 625 too.

Should be the other way around Marcros I think. The DeWalt routers were based on Elu. How old is yours?

When we stocked them Elu routers were miles ahead of anything else in the UK, most of them made in Switzerland and rock solid even though they Elu and DeWalt were under the same B&D professional division.

I'm not saying anything wrong with my DeWalt btw, it's just not the same quality as the old Elu 177e

Hmmm. Not sure because I bought it used. It will be my error with the 625 reference thinking it was the Elu number. 177 is familiar, and it doesn't have the soft start.

 

[Honest John]

I love my Trend T5 a pleasure to use. I also have a Trend T3 that I use for some jobs and also in a jig with my lathe. The T3 (now obsolete, replaced by the T3) has some issues with the simple switch on the side coming adrift internally but is very easy to fix. Can’t find anything bad to say about the T5, and I would certainly buy it again, but I’ve little experience of other 1/4 inch routers.

 

[tony_s]

I used to have the dewalt a few years ago, think the model No was dw615 iirc; really liked it at the time, I thought the build quality was excellent. Had a few others in between but these days I have the Festool, which I find to be very good (it'd want to be for that price!). Not that I've ever been a particularly big router user, I must admit

 

[Lons]

That is a shame. I think my Elu is a variant of the 625 too.

Should be the other way around Marcros I think. The DeWalt routers were based on Elu. How old is yours?

When we stocked them Elu routers were miles ahead of anything else in the UK, most of them made in Switzerland and rock solid even though they Elu and DeWalt were under the same B&D professional division.

I'm not saying anything wrong with my DeWalt btw, it's just not the same quality as the old Elu 177e

Hmmm. Not sure because I bought it used. It will be my error with the 625 reference thinking it was the Elu number. 177 is familiar, and it doesn't have the soft start.

There were 2 models Marcros, the 177 was standard but the more popular 177e was soft start. Same story with the 96 & 96e. Bought mine early eighties but when we used to sell boat loads of Elu routers.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I don't think comparing the quality of past gear to what's on the market now serves much purpose - we should be looking at comparisons of current gear. Every make on the market seems to have hit peaks and troughs over the decades - probably due to accountants running the firms periodically cheapening the tools manufacturing until sales suffer then backtracking - I have thirty year old Bosch stuff that refuses to die, and I had a Bosch SDS drill ten or twelve years ago that didn't last two years.

 

[Lons]

I don't think comparing the quality of past gear to what's on the market now serves much purpose - we should be looking at comparisons of current gear. Every make on the market seems to have hit peaks and troughs over the decades - probably due to accountants running the firms periodically cheapening the tools manufacturing until sales suffer then backtracking - I have thirty year old Bosch stuff that refuses to die, and I had a Bosch SDS drill ten or twelve years ago that didn't last two years.

Maybe in the OP case I'd agree Phil but think it still can be useful. Given a choice for instance between a good secondhand Elu router and a new DeWalt personally I'd probably choose the Elu as parts are still available. Same is often true of machinery.

 

[Sideways]

Given a choice for instance between a good secondhand Elu router and a new DeWalt personally I'd probably choose the Elu as parts are still available.

Totally agree and I've twice put my money behind that choice.
Having had to replace an original Elu armature with a later DeWalt part, I've been in a position to compare the two and to my eyes the original Elu was clearly better. Finer laminations, better machining, better finished.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I don't think comparing the quality of past gear to what's on the market now serves much purpose - we should be looking at comparisons of current gear. Every make on the market seems to have hit peaks and troughs over the decades - probably due to accountants running the firms periodically cheapening the tools manufacturing until sales suffer then backtracking - I have thirty year old Bosch stuff that refuses to die, and I had a Bosch SDS drill ten or twelve years ago that didn't last two years.

Maybe in the OP case I'd agree Phil but think it still can be useful. Given a choice for instance between a good secondhand Elu router and a new DeWalt personally I'd probably choose the Elu as parts are still available. Same is often true of machinery.

Certainly - but my point was not to presume that something in current production is good because the make was excellent at some time in the past - they have all varied over the years - and the OP is comparing current models.

 

[Lons]

I don't think comparing the quality of past gear to what's on the market now serves much purpose - we should be looking at comparisons of current gear. Every make on the market seems to have hit peaks and troughs over the decades - probably due to accountants running the firms periodically cheapening the tools manufacturing until sales suffer then backtracking - I have thirty year old Bosch stuff that refuses to die, and I had a Bosch SDS drill ten or twelve years ago that didn't last two years.

Maybe in the OP case I'd agree Phil but think it still can be useful. Given a choice for instance between a good secondhand Elu router and a new DeWalt personally I'd probably choose the Elu as parts are still available. Same is often true of machinery.

Certainly - but my point was not to presume that something in current production is good because the make was excellent at some time in the past - they have all varied over the years - and the OP is comparing current models.

Very good point!

 

[clanger]

I can't comment on the others being mentioned, but I also like my Trend T5.

Chris

 

[GrahamIreland]

Just went back and bought the Bosch 1400 again, little underpowered

but other than that can't fault it for the money.