wood router, buy or not?

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

As above. My 1/4 inch is a laminate trimmer. Main use is chopping in hinges and latch plates and occasionally running a round/chamfer round small items. Don't see the point in getting a bigger 1/4 inch and my 1/2 has 1/4 collets if required.

 

[bigegg]

I suppose it is what you are used to the smaller palm routers are good for light trimming and rounding over work, but 1/4" shank router cutters are rather fragile for anything more demanding.
A 1/2" router is more versatile and can be just as delicate as a smaller router with the addition of a few easily built work supports and guides.
I probably have 3 draws of various 1/2" cutters and no more than a handful of 1/4".
The most useful addition to any router is a table even just a simple base that can be clamped to a bench top can transform the usefulness of a simple machine.

The simplest "router table" I ever used (made) was a piece of 8mm perspex about 8" x 12" (maybe not even that big) bolted on as a base plate - I'd actually made it to bridge the slots + pockets in a knick-knack dish I was making.
Turned the router upside down, and clamped it in a workmate, with a piece of 2x1 clamped on as a fence.

 

[bigegg]

When I said "Trend router sledge" earlier, this is what I meant:

It's actually called a "pivot frame jig" by Trend - the router forums call them "sleds".
They are NLA from Trend, though - Machine Mart used to sell them, and I bought the last one they had (anywhere in the company) about 8 years ago.


They are "incredibly" useful - second only to the router table, I think - for example, cutting circles without a centre point, and down to the thickness of the cutter

edit:
It appears that most of the parts can be obtained individually to assemble one.
Not cheap though.

In answer to the original question, I like ELU routers - pretty much indestructable, parts readily available, and they've been around so long there's LOADS of jigs and articles for them
They can also be picked up relatively cheaply: around £50 - £80 second hand.

 

[Rig Pig]

Good machines, but i can't get parts and they don't make them anymore.
Have a 110v still in use and 230v for bits, it eventually died after 10 years of daily use in the router table.

I didn't know that, I've had it ages and it gets used once in a blue moon, I'm not much of a woodworker. It's miles better than my 1/4" power devil (Argos special)

 

[Sarto]

Hi to all.
Thanks for all the answers.

I tried to find Elu website, but I cannot.
About Trend, they don't have an Italian office.

Hitachi, on the other side, is well known.
If their model m12ve should have a right price here, it can be a choice.

How are the Triton machines? The 1100 watt one , I mean.
I found that the cutting bit producer CMT rebadge them and sell in Italy.

http://www.cmtutensili.it/show_items.asp?pars=PJPT~CMT8E~2~1~1
http://www.cmtutensili.it/show_items.asp?pars=PJPT~CMT8E~2~1~1
Now, time to think.

Have a nice evening.

 

[bigegg]

Elu was bought out by DeWalt 20 odd years ago: the (practically) same router is now produced as the dw625 or trend t5(? - I think).
only available as "Elu" 2nd hand now.

 

[lshigham]

Can vouch for the Hitachi MV12VE. Long story but we use them on the end of a (S3!) robot for making holes in plastic parts and they last probably 6 months. We used to use Dewalt DW625's but the quality nosedived a few years ago and they were a week at best. Something must have changed as we used to get many months out of the Dewalts.

 

[Olderisbetter]

I have a Dewalt 625 i got over 20 years ago, It only gets used for my own jobs and it is as good as the day i got it, I wish Dewalt would get a 18v 1/4" one added to the cordless range.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I have a cheap router, one of the £40 ish models most discount places sell and have used it quite a lot for finishing the edges of shelves, rebating and several other types of cuts I don't know the name of.

An all singing all dancing expensive machine would probably be nicer to use but for my hobby work it does all I need of it and it's never left me thinking I wish I had something better.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I have a Dewalt 625 i got over 20 years ago, It only gets used for my own jobs and it is as good as the day i got it, I wish Dewalt would get a 18v 1/4" one added to the cordless range.

Want a cordless bottle trimmer myself.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I have a cheap router, one of the £40 ish models most discount places sell and have used it quite a lot for finishing the edges of shelves, rebating and several other types of cuts I don't know the name of.

An all singing all dancing expensive machine would probably be nicer to use but for my hobby work it does all I need of it and it's never left me thinking I wish I had something better.

My primary use of a router is masons mitres in laminate and solid worktops. Thats why I went for a beefy router.
Bit heavy at times and keep thinking about a small trend but a new bottle trimmer is first on the list.

 

[chris pruteanu]

I have an old Ryobi industrial router tgat i use for mitre joints in worktops and door/cabinet making, its the best large router i ever used and it lasted me years! I also have a handy bosch laminate trimmer, a dewalt laminate trimner and a small makita router... The best small router i had was a small elu which dewalt branded it a few years ago but never lasted as long as the elu ones! The dewalt lami nate trimmer was bought as a package comprissing of a biscuit jointer, small router and a sliding chop saw, they were **** to say the truth and quickly got replaced by makita jobbies. The dewalt
trimmer stayed as i usedit as a die grinder ona few ocasions- tbe base its removable !
The bosch freehand router/trimmer is a brilliant toy, compact, sturdy and has replaceable quick release bases... Makita does a similar one too!