Bosch colt

[John Powers]

Anyone have first hand experience. Looks useful and generally good reviews but bit change seems to be a recurring knock. Just handled one and I like it. My other Bosch tools are winners and the bad reviews surprised me. thanks

[Myk Rian]

I don't have one, but those that do swear by them. Top rated tool.

[Kenneth Hertzog]

John
I have 3 of them which are VS.
I use them in the CNC router
other than the typical router wine
they are the same as all trim routers
have run them for 6+ hrs straight with no issue.
ken

[Craig McCormick]

I use one in my remodeling business to cut hinge mortises and for small round overs. I love it.

AZCRAIG

[Ed Labadie]

2 Colts here...each has a different roundover bit. I won't change it out until it gets dull.

Overall I think they are a pretty good tool.

Ed

[Van Huskey]

It really is one of those tools that for most jobs you do not HAVE to have but when you get one you find yourself using it a lot more than you ever thought you would. It is so much easier to handle and will work for most anything where you do not have to remove a lot of stock, but does have surprising power. I have used it to trim all kinds of things and I use it to trim my veneer in a shooting rig. I used it last week to do a hinge mortise for a neighbor and I chamfered a bunch of edges on a piece last month and it was the first thing I reached for. I have not had any bit change issues but I have seen it mentioned.

[Al Willits]

Probably doesn't do anything a full sized router can't do.

It's just lighter and easier to work with, changing bits takes a little bit, but never found it troublesome, the wrench that came with it didn't fit, but other than that, I like mine and would buy another one if needed.

I like the varible speed so that's the one I'd get.

Al

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I Have one, I love it. I use it for almost all of my handheld routing chores. Anything it can't do is done on the router table.

I probably use mine for more jobs than I should, but I don't have a 1hp router. I have a big 2 1/4 hp plunge router and the table mounted router. Since I got the colt, I don't use the plunge router much.

[Mike Goetzke]

I love this router too with the stock base - easy to control. I bought the larger round base that is used to hold template bushings and consider it unusable. It's hard to put in words but the design uses an "O" ring between the base/bushing/router to clamp the template. Problem is that after you tighten the base bolts to the router the base is warped. If you remove the "O" ring the base is flat but the bushing is loose.

Mike


Mike

[Craig McCormick]

I love this router too with the stock base - easy to control. I bought the larger round base that is used to hold template bushings and consider it unusable. It's hard to put in words but the design uses an "O" ring between the base/bushing/router to clamp the template. Problem is that after you tighten the base bolts to the router the base is warped. If you remove the "O" ring the base is flat but the bushing is loose.

Mike


Mike

Mike,

I bought a a round base for bushings at Rockler and mine didn't have the o ring you speak of. The bushings tighten against the base. No problems at all with mine.

Craig

[Brian Kent]

From Sam Maloof's workshop:

[Rob Hermann]

Love mine. No complaints at all. Use it for darn near everything and anything I don't do on the router table.

[Jerome Hanby]

I don't have the VS model, but i use mine all the time. Much easier to wrangle than my full sized router. Also, has plenty of power...

[Zach England]

Anyone else have tp remove the collet to change the bit every time?

[glenn bradley]

Love my VS model. The collet lock is a weak point. Bosch supplied a second wrench at no cost when I had the broken collet lock repaired (haven't used the lock since). This worked out great for me as collet locks always seemed clumsy to me. With two wrenches you don't apply torque to the motor body and they are so easy.

[Dick Aubochon]

Love my VS model. The collet lock is a weak point. Bosch supplied a second wrench at no cost when I had the broken collet lock repaired (haven't used the lock since). This worked out great for me as collet locks always seemed clumsy to me. With two wrenches you don't apply torque to the motor body and they are so easy.

Same here, I just e mailed Bosch and they sent me the second wrench for free; works like a charm,

[Brian Tymchak]

From Sam Maloof's workshop: A picture worth well more than a 1000 words...

Just picked up a Colt over the weekend. Haven't yet put it to use though.

[Scott Vigder]

Two years ago I bought one and it has been my Go-To router ever since. I have four routers, and the big boys have gathered more dust than a lonely Texas ghost town.

[lowell holmes]

Has any of you come up with a reasonably priced plunge base for one? That's all that is missing in my opinion.

[Myk Rian]

You can get a multibase kit for $180
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PR20EVSNK-Installers-1-Horsepower-Variable/dp/B000EJX202/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1263476658&sr=8-5

[Fred Belknap]

You can get a multibase kit for $180
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PR20EVSNK-Installers-1-Horsepower-Variable/dp/B000EJX202/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1263476658&sr=8-5

If I read the ad correctly it doesn't include a plunge base.:(

[Myk Rian]

Yep. You're right. It said 4 bases, which would include the plunge. Hmmm.

[Brad Townsend]

I bought a Colt when they first came out, but ended up returning it due to centering issues with the base and the way it attaches to the motor with the fine height adjustment. When you tighten down the base, the spindle would be thrown off-center by the threaded fine adjustment screw. Not a concern for most uses, but I anticipated using it with template guides, and this would not do. It was my assumption that this design flaw had been addressed in later production runs, but from reading the reviews on Amazon for the template guide base, perhaps not? I realize I may be a minority of one in this thread, but I'm just relating my personal experience. If you get your hands on a new one, tighten down the base and check the centering of the spindle. If you NEVER plan on using guides with it, the Colt is a great little tool.

[Jerome Hanby]

I got the Trend version of a palm router from a fellow Creeker and the plunge feature is pretty nice. I still think my Colt is a better router, so tracking down a plunge base that will work with the Colt (I don't see one from Bosch...) might be a worthwhile endeavor.

[Glen Butler]

Mine is used exclusively for trimming edge banding and it does a fine job. IMO there is something a Colt can do that a larger one can't. It is just too clumsy to feel that you are flat on a 3/4" thick edge with a larger router. If you aren't flat you can either dig in through the veneer or not trim flush.

[john bateman]

I bought a Colt when they first came out, but ended up returning it due to centering issues with the base and the way it attaches to the motor with the fine height adjustment. When you tighten down the base, the spindle would be thrown off-center by the threaded fine adjustment screw. Not a concern for most uses, but I anticipated using it with template guides, and this would not do. It was my assumption that this design flaw had been addressed in later production runs, but from reading the reviews on Amazon for the template guide base, perhaps not? I realize I may be a minority of one in this thread, but I'm just relating my personal experience. If you get your hands on a new one, tighten down the base and check the centering of the spindle. If you NEVER plan on using guides with it, the Colt is a great little tool.

I received the router as a gift, and just got the PR010 templet base in the mail from Amazon. Like other reviewers mentioned, it isn't flat...mine rocks about .010" when installed. My brass guides fit perfectly..no slop at all. However, there is enough slop in the router collar that the bit does not remain centered when the height is adjusted. I think you would have to set your bit depth of cut first, then eyeball it while adjusting the baseplate for center. The centering cone would be pretty useless.

Some oddities: The baseplate came with 2 O-rings, but no explanation what to do with them. Both wrenches were included in my router kit. Others have claimed they had to request it.

[lowell holmes]

There is a plunge base available. It's just at a price I can't justify.

http://microfence.com/portable-threeaxis-mill-p-29.html

[John Powers]

Just placed an order for one. $89.00 reconditioned postage included. thanks for the input. Now to retrofit a wisk and convince my wife its a kitchen gaget I'm going to use to whip up some of Jaques recepies. thanks again.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Pat Warner sells bases for the Colt that are really nice. I have them and they are accurately machined and reasonably priced.

[glenn bradley]

Pat Warner sells bases for the Colt that are really nice. I have them and they are accurately machined and reasonably priced.

Pat's bases are great. The centering issue is present on my old unit and is not associated with the base plate, it is the base housing. My dad's newer unit does not seem to have the issue but I did not test thoroughly.

[James Taglienti]

The collet is an absolute joke. I have encountered about 8 different Colts all with the same problem. A laminate countertop guy i know has 3 of the routers but he rarely changes the bits, so he is happy. I have a bosch rotoip that is at least 1o years old and it has the same collet problem. unreal.