Best router for £500 fish

[stuart little]

I've got a TRA001 mounted in my table fitted with UJK fence & fine adjustment. I did try a muscle chuck but could not get it balanced enough for the larger cutters. I'm now considering selling the complete router table as I'm giving up 'full-size' woodworking in favour of 'scale-size' (ships). Aches & pains are to blame & the hotter weather does not help!

 

[deema]

I believe Dewalt bought out Elu and their routers are based on the Elu design. Parts I believe are interchangeable. We need @Sideways as he knows a huge amount about routers, Elu and Dewalt.

 

[MikeJhn]

@rogxwhit ….your right never trenched a stair string with a router.
@MikeJhn yep, mason mitres on 50mm + with just over 1KW. But I cut them virtually to shape / size as it’s far quicker to just trim it up with a router and template after the bulk is gone. Always use a fresh bit, as they dull fast in particle board.

Wise words indeed, first thing to do after putting a masons mitre on a worktop is throw the bit away and on to the next one.

 

[MikeJhn]

I've got a TRA001 mounted in my table fitted with UJK fence & fine adjustment. I did try a muscle chuck but could not get it balanced enough for the larger cutters. I'm now considering selling the complete router table as I'm giving up 'full-size' woodworking in favour of 'scale-size' (ships). Aches & pains are to blame & the hotter weather does not help!

Interesting I tried a number of collet extenders and the Muscle Chuck was the only one I could get balanced even with panel raising bits? I found my now sold TRA001 had bearing problems, perhaps yours has as well and that is why it will not balance, just a thought.

 

[MikeJhn]

I'm now thinking hard about the Dewalt. I've never liked Dewalt tools to be honest, back in 2000 when I started my company I went for Metabo drills, bought 10 of them for myself and the guys, loved them and are still in use today, one of the lads decided that the Metabo was to heavy and so went and bought himself a Dewalt, and although it was yellow, I assumed it was actually made of toffee as it softer then a flower picking southerner.... (My wife and I grow flowers and yes we are southern ...), that drill went back under warranty more times then I can remember before the lad finally ended up binning it....... All within 14 months IIRC..... It';s always stuck in my mind that Dewalt are to be avoided but maybe I'm wrong?...

Another interesting post, there must have been a major change in DeWalt quality over the years, I am still using my thirty year old DeWalt battery drills (now converted to Liion) but prefer the lighter newer ones with a 2Ah battery fitted, they have never missed a beat, is it me or do tools seem to last much longer the older they are?

 

[rogxwhit]

Black & Decker bought Dewalt in the US, then Elu (E Lutz: German). They were keen to enter the trade market and had tried a B&D Professional branding but it never took off because the B&D brand was associated in people's minds with cheap DIY rubbish. So they inherited the Elu range, then started to expand it, and I think it was then that the MOF177(e) first appeared. In time all was rebranded as Dewalt and went yellow.

 

[Against_The_Grain]

I have the Trend T10 and the Makita RP2301, the Makita is miles ahead in quality in my opinion, just everything about it is a level above the Trend.

I'd like to expand on why I think the Makita is a much better router because simply just saying it doesn't really give any reason to why, does it?

So what I like about the Makita is that it has linear ball bearing guides on the plunging action, so it is super smooth and you can literally plunge it with just one finger, with very little resistance. It also has LED work lights under the motor projecting onto the workpiece which is very helpful when following a pencil line as with some routers it can be particularly difficult to follow a line because it is so enclosed and dark under the motor. The router also has an electronic spindle brake which is a nice feature although it can take a while to get used to as it's quite intense.

After 5 or so years the only thing I can gripe about the router was that the handles became loose over time, which was easily remedied by putting packing pieces in with the handle socket, most people probably won't run into that issue.

 

[sploo]

Yes it has the lift built in and I have used that setup for a fair time with good results, but not repeatability because I always have to wind up to height to ensure any slack in the system is taken out. You should also use the knob to raise it to a near enough height and then the handle to the final required height otherwise you may get issues with the internal plastic gear. I now use it in the Jessem prestige lift and what a difference, it is smooth and very precise so I can control my height easier and locking it is just so quick, no finding the lever on the router. My Triton is now nothing more than a shell, all it's original lifting mechanism removed, no switch or interlocks, spindle lock taken out and it is fixed in the fully raised position. With the muscle chuck it allows easy bit changing above the table and is as close to the AUK idea as you can get with a plunge router.

By the way I have a Kreg insert plate drilled for the TRA001 in the for sale section.

I've no doubt the Jessem lift will be better (it should be for the price), but the only problem I've had with the TRA001 on a router table was some parts getting clogged with sawdust (so I couldn't raise it all the way up).

My main gripes are when I forget to slide the power switch on the body (which prevents the router lifting up for bit changes), and then forgetting to turn it back on after lowering - but that whole point of that is safety, so I can't really complain. I have the router controlled with an NVR switch BTW, so the power switch on the body is always on in use.

 

[Spectric]

My main gripes are when I forget to slide the power switch on the body (which prevents the router lifting up for bit changes), and then forgetting to turn it back on after lowering - but that whole point of that is safety, so I can't really complain. I have the router controlled with an NVR switch BTW, so the power switch on the body is always on in use.

Initially I removed the interlock so that the switch could be left on even in the fully raised position and used an external switch that was easy to access, this interlock is just there as a precaution to those who might not check the cutter rotates freely, providing you are sensible then not an issue. In hindsight I would have fitted a muscle chuck and removed the spindle lock on day one but an oversight on my part. I have had no issues with dust preventing the router from raising but then I did use my hover to keep it clear.

 

[niall Y]

I have to say that the best router I have ever owned, is a I/2" Hitachi - 30 plus years and counting. Whilst umpteen 1/4" Trend routers have perished along the way.
The Hitachi has had its lost fence exchanged for a Makita one ( yes, at a certain moment in time they were interchangeable) And the depth stop has been exchanged for a fat Allen key, but still it keeps going...........

 

[Spectric]

Next time you are at one of the Festool Exhibitions, ask the demonstrators there how to use your XL 700!

Yes that has been done and their solution is to just use the sloppy setting so it allows alignment, why would i want to make the holes larger to allow for error as that is just not good engineering. I have the alignment jig from FC tools and this delivers precision but only on sheet material and shows what the domino could be capable of and when you talk to FC tools I am not the only one with an issue, hence why the DAJ has been so popular. It will be interesting to see if any competitors bring a version to market once their patent runs out, just like with the tracksaw where you can get a good cost effective tracksaw now without paying festool prices unless you look at the high end mafell.

I'm now thinking hard about the Dewalt. I've never liked Dewalt tools to be honest,

They have been very common with many builders and site workers, I only use Makita drills because they work but by all accounts they have stiff competition these days so I would not worry about buying a dewalt router, plus you may get a bargain 625 now that there new gen range is out.

 

[Sideways]

I've owned or used a couple of the old B&D Industrial tools - the all grey ones - they were very well made and durable. It proved that they COULD make a good tool somewhere in the world

Elu's MOF 96 / 96E, MOF 177E and the predecessors all started out made in Switzerland. Later production shifted to Italy, roughly coinciding with the change in accent colours (switches) from Orange to Blue. I've seen one such router with blue coloured switch and Made in Switzerland on the nameplate, but mostly Blue accents = made in Italy and two tone grey with orange switches = Swiss made.
After the sale to SBD, Elu tools continued to be made in Italy initially in grey / blue livery before migrating to DeWalt + Yellow.

Quality definitely declined over the years. The armatures of my Swiss made / type 2 Elu's are better made with finer laminations and more precise balancing than the DeWalt versions that are still available as spares.

I've never used the Festool routers. I think I'd like them, at least the standard layout 2 hand models, because of the dust extraction.
The problems are :
1. Price - much more than a good used Elu which last for decades with changes of brushes and bearings when those wear out
2. For handheld use, I don't like the ergonomics of the side handle Festool OF1010
3. Given these were the pre tracksaw / alloy extrusion days Elu had a very good range of fences and accessories. It would cost to replace those.
4. Application. I find 1/4 inch routers used handheld to be the most useful tool. I don't rout kitchen worktops. I do own a 177E and it is superbly smooth but it's a heavy lump. It's very easy to understand why these were popular hanging under router tables HOWEVER if I wanted a router for a table and was buying new, I'd absolutely buy an AUK type motor and a lift to fit it like MikeK and others. Technically that's a far better solution, though a spindle moulder is better still if you have space for it.

 

[Spectric]

Technically that's a far better solution, though a spindle moulder is better still if you have space for it.

I think the stumbling block with spindle moulders is the head / cutters which seem more involved than just inserting a router cutter but the ability to get profiles made has to be a big bonus for the spindle. Also not having to do many lighter passes must save a lot of time.

 

[rogxwhit]

A spindle is a basic requirement in a joinery workshop, I can't think how you'd live without one for the work that gets done. Think glazing bars, skirting to match existing, curved work, rebates ... And I must've made dozens of cutters over the years to fit Whitehill and Euro blocks. Sawn and filed from ground flat stock, hardened in the smokeless fuel boiler firebox and quenched in used engine oil ... then tempered in a domestic oven.

If you just make furniture, you could get by without ...

 

[MikeJhn]

A spindle is a basic requirement in a joinery workshop, I can't think how you'd live without one for the work that gets done. Think glazing bars, skirting to match existing ... And I must've made dozens of cutters over the years to fit Whitehill and Euro blocks. Sawn and filed from ground flat stock, hardened in the smokeless fuel boiler firebox and quenched in used engine oil ... then tempered in a domestic oven.

Now that's worth a thread of its own rogwwhit get on it, please.

 

[rogxwhit]

I'm not the only one ... ;-)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Black & Decker bought Dewalt in the US, then Elu (E Lutz: German). They were keen to enter the trade market and had tried a B&D Professional branding but it never took off because the B&D brand was associated in people's minds with cheap DIY rubbish. So they inherited the Elu range, then started to expand it, and I think it was then that the MOF177(e) first appeared. In time all was rebranded as Dewalt and went yellow.

Yes, a pity because B&D Professional was decent kit.

 

[MikeK]

A spindle is a basic requirement in a joinery workshop, I can't think how you'd live without one for the work that gets done.

While I would like a spindle moulder, I am a hobbyist, not a production shop, and have limited space for machinery. I am never in a hurry to complete a project, and if I have to make two passes for each edge of a raised panel for a door, I'm fine with that. I accept the limitations of my router table, but so far, it has met all of my requirements.

I can buy like new Elektra Beckum TF-900 or TF-904 from a store about two hours from me. Either of these should just fit down the stairs to my basement; however, I then have to figure out where to store it when not being used, which would be most of the time.

 

[Spectric]

I am a hobbyist, not a production shop, and have limited space for machinery. I am never in a hurry to complete a project, and if I have to make two passes for each edge of a raised panel for a door, I'm fine with that. I accept the limitations of my router table, but so far, it has met all of my requirements.

This sums it up I dare say for many of us, it is just a case of working within a tools limations and not trying to push it beyond. When I think of how I got into woodworking I brought a router for handheld use before my table and I think that is how so many have a router table and not a spindle. If your job is a pro working in a production shop and have used a spindle then that is just something you want, had I been introduced to the spindle first I may well be chasing one now but it does open up so many questions.

Either of these should just fit down the stairs to my basement;

Surely almost anything will fit down the stairs, it is just a case of how much dismantling has to be done and then re-assembling later.

 

[MikeK]

Surely almost anything will fit down the stairs, it is just a case of how much dismantling has to be done and then re-assembling later.

It depends on how far I want to disassemble something to get it to a manageable weight for handling and not exceed the weight limit of the wooden stair treads (machine and people). I also have to consider the physical size since there are two 90-degee turns in my stairwell. The SCM FS 30G just fit without dismantling, but the FS 30C would have required removing the jointer tables in order to make the turns.

This is what the chassis of my SCM saw looked like in the garage staging area when my wife and I took it to its new home. The other components (slider, outfeed tables, outrigger, etc.) were easy for both of us to move, but we could not budge the chassis without removing the concrete ballast and the cast iron table. The concrete block was the heaviest component at about 100 KG.