Laminate trimmer / small router

[Steve Maskery]

I'm in the market for a laminate trimmer or a small router. I've never had anything smaller than an Elu 96 and I no longer have that. There are some jobs when something one-handed would be useful.

The obvious ones are DW and Makita, but I was wondering if anyone has some first-hand experience of good or bad choices that they have made.

Many thanks.
Steve

 

[MattRoberts]

I've seen the katsu recommended several times on here, and have since bought one. Seems very good for the small price - light and simple - just right for whipping round a chamfer or roundover bit.

The height adjustment is a bit imprecise, but a handheld router like this doesn't need to be.

If I'm honest, it's actually surplus to my requirements now because my dewalt dw2600 had now been freed up from being my router table router. But it's like £40, so I figure it's not worth the hassle of selling

 

[custard]

I found this a trickier call than with bigger routers.

For laminate/veneer/lipping trimming the best I've used are the little Festool routers where you have the option of a flat or 2 degree inclined sole. Set up time isn't quick but the results are flawless in an application where anything less than flawless could cost a lot in rework time.

For all the other jobs you'd use a small router for, like hogging out the waste in dovetails or cutting cabinet hinge mortices, the small Festool routers are pretty poor because cutter visibility is so bad. I use a little, non plunging DW with a Pat Warner sole plate for these type of jobs, the fact that its non plunging means you've more confidence on the depth of cut, it also has an 8mm collet option which is sometimes useful.

http://patwarner.com/dw611.html

I've used the Makita and Bosch small routers in other workshops and they both seemed fine, but because you're often using these type of routers free hand or late in a project's construction I think there's a lot to be said for getting whichever model has the best cutter visibility and therefore gives you the confidence to put at risk a couple of hundred hours of sunk labour time when you switch it on!

 

[Doug B]

I use my OF1010 for most trimming jobs Steve, easy one handed operation I even made a sub base ala Brad Nailer aka Duncan Cheslett

 

[woodpig]

Lidl sometimes sell a small Parkside trimmer but I think it takes non standard shank cutters? Are they any good?

 

[monkeybiter]

I seem to remember Dodge saying he had three Katsus due to their quality and price.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/which-trim-router-t99128.html?hilit=katsu

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post1002884.html?hilit=katsu#p1002884

 

[RossJarvis]

I would thoroughly recommend the Makita RT0700CX2 kit with three bases. It's almost completely replaced my 1/2" Makita 3612, (which is actually awesome.)

It is light, very flexible with the three bases and I found trimming laminate very clean with it.

The downside is the cost and that you don't get a decent guide fence in any of the kits. The only one they make is bulky and a costly extra. Dust extraction is also complete pants.

As with any small trimmer you have to be careful to not lose fingers and it's advisable to change cutters with both spanners and not use the collet lock as there are rumours that the base casting can break.

The Katsu is a complete copy, cheaper and often recommended on this site but I have never compared one.

 

[Duncan A]

The downside is the cost and that you don't get a decent guide fence in any of the kits. The only one they make is bulky and a costly extra. Dust extraction is also complete pants.

The fence off my old 1100W ELLU/DeWalt router fits the small Makita perfectly, so I think fence rod dimensions may conform to some sort of a standard. No idea what standard, though!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you gentlemen, I think I'll try the Katsu, even if it does sound like an obscure oriental food.
S

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I'll chip in for the Dewalt.

Very nice piece of kit. I'm nowhere near the skill levels of you guys - but it's the right size for small toys, boxes, dolls house type stuff that I attempt to make with my kids.

Bases is 100% clear perspex - so visibility is good and the base is wide enough to be very stable.

 

[Lons]

I would thoroughly recommend the Makita RT0700CX2 kit with three bases. It's almost completely replaced my 1/2" Makita 3612, (which is actually awesome.)

It is light, very flexible with the three bases and I found trimming laminate very clean with it.

The downside is the cost and that you don't get a decent guide fence in any of the kits. The only one they make is bulky and a costly extra. Dust extraction is also complete pants.

As with any small trimmer you have to be careful to not lose fingers and it's advisable to change cutters with both spanners and not use the collet lock as there are rumours that the base casting can break.

The Katsu is a complete copy, cheaper and often recommended on this site but I have never compared one.

I'd echo all of that as I have a same kit

My deWalt 625 is now permantly in the router table and the Elu 96E only used occasionally as the little Makita is the first I reach for.

 

[skipdiver]

I'm also in the market for one of these. Don't really know if i want one or need one. I use the Makita 3620 for small stuff but also like the idea of having small one handed routers with the most used bits set up all the time ready to go. Think for £35/40 i will get the Katsu also and give it a whirl.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Can someone with the Katsu please measure the diameter of the base for me please? I'd like to know how close into a corner I could get.
Thanks very much.
S

 

[skipdiver]

The one i looked at was on the Aim tools website and was listed as a Katsu but on another link i found for the same site, it had the name Merry on it. Are these one and the same?

The Katsu is also listed as a 6mm and 8mm machine. Is this the case as all my bits are 1/4" and 1/2". Does the collet need to be changed?

Thanks.

 

[monkeybiter]

The diameter of my rack and pinion base [not the plunge] is 88.7mm.

I've got the manual here if you have any more q's.

My collets are listed as 1/4" and 3/8". The 1/4" is in use.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've ordered this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161594458406

It appears to be the same but with a DX spout.
And a Straight Edge Director

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

 

[skipdiver]

The diameter of my rack and pinion base [not the plunge] is 88.7mm.

I've got the manual here if you have any more q's.

My collets are listed as 1/4" and 3/8". The 1/4" is in use.

Thanks Monkeybiter. Is it the Katsu brand you have as there seems to be many different ones, although i imagine they are all made in China?

 

[RossJarvis]

Can someone with the Katsu please measure the diameter of the base for me please? I'd like to know how close into a corner I could get.
Thanks very much.
S

Makita make an accessory base to get into corners, It is a collet close to the corner of the base, I think belt driven. Don't know if Katsu have copied this. It's probably more expensive than the Katsu router;

http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Maki ... 00C-Router

 

[monkeybiter]

Is it the Katsu brand you have as there seems to be many different ones, although i imagine they are all made in China?

Yes, mine's a Katsu.

Makita make an accessory base to get into corners, It is a collet close to the corner of the base, I think belt driven. Don't know if Katsu have copied this. It's probably more expensive than the Katsu router;

Wouldn't it be easier to make an off centre sub base?

 

[oakmitre]

I have a Makita RT0700CX2 with the three bases.

With the fixed bases, there is no fine adjustment. There is a fine adjustment knob, but to use it you have to release the clasp on the base. Once the clasp is released, the base slides up and down freely, so the fine adjustment knob becomes redundant. I think the deWalt has a ring which can be turned for fine adjustment, so may be better.

You do have to be careful of kickback when using roundover bits. The fixed base has a much smaller diameter, so you have to be careful to make sure any larger bits are not in contact with the wood before starting.
In addition due to the smaller mass of the router, it can kick quite far when climb cutting and also if it is unhappy with hard end grain.

The switch on the top of the router is not as safe IMO as the trigger switches on bigger routers. I bought an orange coloured male to female IEC ( kettle lead ) cable, cut it in half and put a plug on one section and a single gang socket on the other, with this I can pull apart the IEC plug/socket easily rather than having to unplug the standard three pin plug from the mains all the time.

For the plunge base, there is no (as far as I can tell) option for connecting a dust collecting hose.

If the collet nut is over tightened, it is very difficult to undo.

Extra bases are quite reasonable from Terrier tools on eBay, but seem to cost more from their website.