Droogs
Not the Sharpest Moderator in the box
First I have to admit that I had never heard of Katsu until I read about this router in its basic configuration offered by AIM Tools in a forum thread on UKWorkshops. People were complimenting the machine, especially its value for money. Now I don’t use a lot of power tools, indeed about 80% of what I do is done by hand. I’m not a Luddite and do use some. I have no real need for a large router but after reading the comments on the thread thought that this machine could meet my needs. So on to the machine itself.
What I got
I ordered the full 3 base kit from AIM Tools costing £99 on their EBay shop. The router is from what I’ve seen usually available as a single unit with the non plunge router base. The kit I bought comes with the optional tilting base and the plunge base. On delivery I found the items to be very well packaged with each base and the router coming in separate double wall cardboard boxes all contained in a larger transit box.
On opening each box I found the items to be double wrapped first in a small bubble wrap bag and then in a layer of larger wrap. Everything arrived in perfect condition with no damage from transit. The first thing to strike me was that the whole package was actually quite heavy. Before looking at the router itself I would like to look at the bases first.
The Plunge base
This base surprised me by being just less than 1.5Kg in weight and looks like a fairly decent quality plunge base. It has a silver/grey crackle paint finish and quite smooth machined surfaces. The body appears to be cast aluminium with steel rods and catches. The main adjustment scale is part of the casting and not an applied sticker as I have seen on some ½” collet router bases. It has metric on the left and imperial measurements on the right and are easy enough to read in decent light. It has a standard 3 step depth stop with a steel adjustment screw and a plastic micro adjuster knob on top. The locking knobs are steel with plastic coatings on the knobs themselves. The base also has a parallel bar fence guide attachment. It has plastic side grips that are comfortable enough although the joining seem is a little sharp in some places but will be fine after a quick rub with fine emery. The base has a clear guard which is secured by one of the guide bars. On the rear is a large (especially for the size of the base) plunge spring release lever and the steal locking catch. On the very bottom of the base is a plastic sacrificial base. The plunge mechanism itself is easy enough with just enough resistance if a little rough.
Tilt Base
This base is made from the same material as the plunge base and finished in the same paint. Size wise it is a very good fit in the hand for one handed use. The tilt mechanism is secured with the same type of knobs on the plunge base and on one of the stanchions and a graduated scales is marked from 45 Deg from vertical on the left (as you look at it) and 30 deg on the right of vertical with a mark for 90 deg to the base. Checked with a digital bevel they are accurate. The bottom of the base has a square plastic low friction base held on with 4 counter sunk screws. It has a rotating height adjuster with a pinion wheel and a steel locking spring clamp
The Fixed Base
This is basically a round version of the tilt base and like it, has a rubberised grip. There is as part of the casting a mount for the fences etc. And the height is adjusted by a pinion wheel. Other than that not much to say really.
The Router
Ergonomically it is well sized and fits the hand very well. It is a lot heavier than I thought it would be at 1.7Kg. The speed control is a dial button on the top of the motor unit as on most others. The power switch is on the front of the motor unit where the plastic motor cover meets the metal body. The main body of the housing has been machined to a good finish and fits snugly into all 3 bases. It has a slow start up and therefore avoids the snatching that can occur with a lot of models. It is easy to control one hand when running but it is advisable to use both. The depth of cut for the size is decent enough the manual recommending no more than 3mm at a time but I found it can do a little more depending on the bit in use. Overall it is a well made knock off of the Makita original and I feel that it will last even with fairly heavy use. One area of note though is the manual that is supplied with the router. This is just a reprint of the original Makita one but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of readability and print size. While I have no issues with reading I did find it difficult at time to make out what is written. If you have glasses be prepared to get a magnifier as well, perhaps ask Santa for an electron microscope if your eyesight is really bad.
My opinion is it’s an excellent buy for the hobbyist and at the very least an inexpensive high value one for a professional user such as kitchen fitters.
What I got
I ordered the full 3 base kit from AIM Tools costing £99 on their EBay shop. The router is from what I’ve seen usually available as a single unit with the non plunge router base. The kit I bought comes with the optional tilting base and the plunge base. On delivery I found the items to be very well packaged with each base and the router coming in separate double wall cardboard boxes all contained in a larger transit box.
On opening each box I found the items to be double wrapped first in a small bubble wrap bag and then in a layer of larger wrap. Everything arrived in perfect condition with no damage from transit. The first thing to strike me was that the whole package was actually quite heavy. Before looking at the router itself I would like to look at the bases first.
The Plunge base
This base surprised me by being just less than 1.5Kg in weight and looks like a fairly decent quality plunge base. It has a silver/grey crackle paint finish and quite smooth machined surfaces. The body appears to be cast aluminium with steel rods and catches. The main adjustment scale is part of the casting and not an applied sticker as I have seen on some ½” collet router bases. It has metric on the left and imperial measurements on the right and are easy enough to read in decent light. It has a standard 3 step depth stop with a steel adjustment screw and a plastic micro adjuster knob on top. The locking knobs are steel with plastic coatings on the knobs themselves. The base also has a parallel bar fence guide attachment. It has plastic side grips that are comfortable enough although the joining seem is a little sharp in some places but will be fine after a quick rub with fine emery. The base has a clear guard which is secured by one of the guide bars. On the rear is a large (especially for the size of the base) plunge spring release lever and the steal locking catch. On the very bottom of the base is a plastic sacrificial base. The plunge mechanism itself is easy enough with just enough resistance if a little rough.
Tilt Base
This base is made from the same material as the plunge base and finished in the same paint. Size wise it is a very good fit in the hand for one handed use. The tilt mechanism is secured with the same type of knobs on the plunge base and on one of the stanchions and a graduated scales is marked from 45 Deg from vertical on the left (as you look at it) and 30 deg on the right of vertical with a mark for 90 deg to the base. Checked with a digital bevel they are accurate. The bottom of the base has a square plastic low friction base held on with 4 counter sunk screws. It has a rotating height adjuster with a pinion wheel and a steel locking spring clamp
The Fixed Base
This is basically a round version of the tilt base and like it, has a rubberised grip. There is as part of the casting a mount for the fences etc. And the height is adjusted by a pinion wheel. Other than that not much to say really.
The Router
Ergonomically it is well sized and fits the hand very well. It is a lot heavier than I thought it would be at 1.7Kg. The speed control is a dial button on the top of the motor unit as on most others. The power switch is on the front of the motor unit where the plastic motor cover meets the metal body. The main body of the housing has been machined to a good finish and fits snugly into all 3 bases. It has a slow start up and therefore avoids the snatching that can occur with a lot of models. It is easy to control one hand when running but it is advisable to use both. The depth of cut for the size is decent enough the manual recommending no more than 3mm at a time but I found it can do a little more depending on the bit in use. Overall it is a well made knock off of the Makita original and I feel that it will last even with fairly heavy use. One area of note though is the manual that is supplied with the router. This is just a reprint of the original Makita one but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of readability and print size. While I have no issues with reading I did find it difficult at time to make out what is written. If you have glasses be prepared to get a magnifier as well, perhaps ask Santa for an electron microscope if your eyesight is really bad.
My opinion is it’s an excellent buy for the hobbyist and at the very least an inexpensive high value one for a professional user such as kitchen fitters.
