Trim router with best dust collection ( besides festool )

[Drew Sanderson]

I looking for suggestions on a trim router with great dust collection that isn't a festool.

Thanks,
Drew

[Derek Cohen]

Drew, the Makita has excellent dust collection ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3a/70/fb/3a70fb03acf72bd3689e501a28b506f6.jpg (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwisv6T349LiAhUCbo8KHcPGA4MQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.co.uk%2Fpin%2F6654 06913665782490%2F&psig=AOvVaw1_kWyA96GlZSIPhw7f3j2l&ust=1559839186157496)

Available in both corded and cordless.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rick Potter]

My DeWalt 'compact' router has the optional DC fixture which seems to work pretty well, but the pic of the Makita that Derek shows looks even better.

[Drew Sanderson]

That Makita looks perfect.

[Phil Gaudio]

The Dewalt has excellent dust collection as well:

[Phil Mueller]

I have the Dewalt. I have their edge guide with dust collection. It works pretty well...but probably not as well as the versions shown above. One thing though, if you are free handing like for a hinge or inlay or lettering (for example) the attached hose is a bit cumbersome. I tend to not use it in those situations.

[Wojciech Tryc]

I have the Dewalt. I have their edge guide with dust collection. It works pretty well...but probably not as well as the versions shown above. One thing though, if you are free handing like for a hinge or inlay or lettering (for example) the attached hose is a bit cumbersome. I tend to not use it in those situations.
I expected that free hand operation will be cumbersome with my Makita, but not at all. The new Festool hose with a tiny home made adapter works very well in this combo.

[Prashun Patel]

The dewalt is imho impossible to use unless you are edge routing. You cannot see the work when mortising.

[Phil Mueller]

I actually haven’t had too much difficulty seeing what I’m doing, unless it is a very short bit. Wojciech, I’d love to see a picture of your home made adaptor...I also have the Festool hose.

[Jamie Buxton]

I have the DeWalt 611. The dust collection annoys me. It seems like it was added to the tool as an afterthought. You have to install a collection of pieces, and the hose is in the way when you're trying to watch what you're doing. And IIRC, you have to disassemble all the dust collection parts to change the router bit. The result is that I never use it. However, I mostly use this small router to do edge work -- flush trimming, small roundovers, etc. Dust collection from those operations is challenging, no matter how good the router, so the poor DeWalt design isn't a showstopper.

[Rich Engelhardt]

? about the Makita.

I have the cordless fixed base & agree, the dust collection isn't half bad. Does the same collar fit the plunge base?

[Curt Harms]

The Grizzly trim router and MLCS Rocky (appear to be the same machine) have the same dust collection fitting as the Makita. I think the dust collection fitting would obstruct vision of the bit somewhat but that's pretty much unavoidable.

[Steve Eure]

Rich, to answer your question; No, the fixed based dc shroud will not fit the plunge base. Two different shrouds.

[Bill Lyman]

I have the DeWalt 611 and have not had a problem with the dust collection connected to an older generation Festool shop vac (a/k/a dust extractor), other than the normal cumbersoneness of operating a tool connected to a hose.

[Derek Cohen]

? about the Makita.

I have the cordless fixed base & agree, the dust collection isn't half bad. Does the same collar fit the plunge base?

Rich, I don't have the plunge base, but the answer is yes from discussions with others.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Robert Engel]

The Dewalt has excellent dust collection as well:

I love this router, but the DC needs to be re-engineered IMHO. For one, it is a process to remove and attach.

Second, performance overall is poor. Dados and grooves ok, but routing an edge profile or rabbet it is actually quite poor in my experience (that is collecting with a Festool extractor wide open).

The shroud also obstructs the view of the bit.

I know this isn't the answer you want, but if I were very concerned about DC I would spring for a Festool. DC on several of their other tools I have is quite superior and I would expect their routers to be the same.

[Drew Sanderson]

Can you put a 1/2" collet into the Makita?

[Charles Lent]

For those of you with dust collection hose problems, I have a DeWalt 611 with the DeWalt vacuum options for both the fixed and plunge bases. When I use it at my bench I have a plastic clothes line reel attached to the ceiling above the bench that I attach about mid loop to the vacuum hose using a Velcro strap. I also bundle the power cord and vacuum hose together with Velcro straps. The rewind spring of the clothes line is just strong enough to hold the working loop of this hose/power cord bundle above the bench and completely out of the way. I use this same technique when using one of my sanders at the work bench too. When not in use, I leave a long Velcro strap attached to the plastic line end piece, so it hangs down just enough for me to reach it when I again want to use it.

One similar to this is what I use.

https://www.amazon.com/Drynatural-Retractable-Clothesline-Outdoor-Adjustable/dp/B07486TF1G/ref=sr_1_64?crid=3NP9NTNJS728H&keywords=plastic+clothesline&qid=1559828541&s=gateway&sprefix=canon+80D%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-64

Charley

[Rich Engelhardt]

Can you put a 1/2" collet into the Makita?Sadly - not that I'm aware of. Were one ever available for the Makita compact, I would put it on the cordless & not the corded version. I've read many reports from people that have both & they all agree the cordless has way more power.

[Derek Cohen]

I do not imagine that there is a trim router on the market anywhere that has a 1/2" collet. For good reasons - it would encourage someone to use a router bit that is too large to be handled by such a dinky machine. Trim routers are for trim work.

I am still tossing up whether I should get the plunge base accessory for the Makita - it encourages it to be used as a small plunge router. Perhaps it will work well as such? I do have a small plunge router, an Elu MOF96 (the one on the right), which is the forerunner of the DeWalt DW615 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/3RsJzDnF/Elu-177e-MOF97-MOF96.jpg

Anyone here with the plunge accessory for a trim router, and with opinions in this regard?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Phil Mueller]

I have the plunge accessory for the Dewalt 611 and use it frequently. I don’t find that visibility is any more or less than the fixed base. I primarily use it for stopped groves for inlay or banding. The edge guide has a vacuum hose attachment, which might get about 80%, but again, it’s a bit cumbersome with the hose attached. May have to give Charles’ clothes line reel idea a try. The reality is that using it for what I do (1/16”-3/8” inlay) there isn’t must debris, so I rarely use the DC.

[Wojciech Tryc]

Can you put a 1/2" collet into the Makita?
Unfortunately, you can not, however it will accept 8mm collet, if you need European (festool) bit compatibility.

[Alan Lightstone]

How does the Makita trim router compare to the Festool MFK700 or the Bosch Colt? My particular needs would just be for laminate trimming and roundovers.

Is there a need for an adapter to connect the Makita to Festool dust collection hoses?

[Wojciech Tryc]

How does the Makita trim router compare to the Festool MFK700 or the Bosch Colt? My particular needs would just be for laminate trimming and roundovers.

Is there a need for an adapter to connect the Makita to Festool dust collection hoses?
Yes, you need an adapter to connect to the Festool hose. It's the same diameter as the hose so coupler is required.

[Rich Engelhardt]

How does the Makita trim router compare to the Festool MFK700 or the Bosch Colt?Both the Makita & the DeWalt 611 PK ( and the Porter Cable also I guess) aren't really "Trim routers". They are "compact" routers.
They've upped the HP rating from "1HP" to "1.25HP". I can't comment on the Colt or Festool since I don't own either.
I do have both a DeWalt 611PK and Makita cordless & can say ww/out any reservation - the Makita cordless is darn near the equal in power of my single speed Porter Cable 690.
As I mentioned above, the cordless Makita has more oomph than the corded (according to many that own both).


Anyone here with the plunge accessory for a trim router, and with opinions in this regard?Yep -I have the plunge base and fixed base for my DeWalt 611. I never use the fixed base. The plunge base is more versatile.

[Derek Arita]

Just used my Bosch Colt...love the router...hate having no DC on it. With all those attachments, why no decent DC? I'll have to check out that Makita.

[Alan Lightstone]

Both the Makita & the DeWalt 611 PK ( and the Porter Cable also I guess) aren't really "Trim routers". They are "compact" routers.
They've upped the HP rating from "1HP" to "1.25HP".

That leads to a new question. What's the difference between a compact router and a trim router?

I've used the DeWalt 611PK for inlay work, but now am just looking for something pretty lightweight with a stable enough base to trim laminate without tipping and gouging the work.

[Jamie Buxton]

.. What's the difference between a compact router and a trim router?...

Potayto potahto

[Wojciech Tryc]

? about the Makita.

I have the cordless fixed base & agree, the dust collection isn't half bad. Does the same collar fit the plunge base?
You need different adapter for he plunge base. I actually got canadian version of the kit, which also came with a Systainer

[Alan Lightstone]

Anyone have the Festool MFK700EQ?

It's less than 1HP, so seems very underpowered compared to the Makita or DeWalt. For trim work I can't imagine you need a lot of power, but is that little enough?

[Greg R Bradley]

That leads to a new question. What's the difference between a compact router and a trim router?

These are all compact routers. Sometimes called trim routers because they can be used for that.

The Festool 700 is an actual Trim Router and isn't really usable as a small router. It is strictly optimized for trim work and some people think they work really well for that. It isn't useful for the same uses as a compact router.

[peter gagliardi]

I have the festool trim router. I would highly recommend against it. Save your money.
There is no, as in zero visualization of the cut when in use.
Height adjustment is clunky, and there is a very small range to adjust in- around 1/4” to 3/8”.
Festool really, really missed the mark on this tool!
It is however, probably the smoothest, most vibration free trim router I have used, but it is so limited in capability.

[Derek Arita]

From what I’ve read in the Festool forum, it works great for the pros that use it for its intended purpose. It is not designed to be, nor can it be used as a small, general purpose trim router, without issues.
I for one, wish Festool would have produced accessories to make it more versatile. The machine itself, is just as nice as other Festools.

[Charles Lent]

DeWalt and others also make small routers called laminate trimmers. My DeWalt laminate trimmer is a 7/8 hp with a smaller diameter body than my DW611. It's their DW670 model and it has 4 different bases specifically designed for laminate trimming. One of the bases tilts the bit for angled cuts. Another has an offset router collet to let you rout very close to corners. It's driven by a timing belt from the main collet. There is also a small size fixed base with both a small base footprint and a larger round base about the size of the 611 plunge base. The 4th base is designed for trimming a piece of laminate to closely join an already installed piece. It's called a seaming base. If I was buying a router for mostly laminate trimming purposes it would be the DeWalt 670 kit and not the DW611. Of course, it also makes a pretty good edge trimmer like it's bigger brother. Other brands of these "laminate trimmers" are available too.

Charley

[Rick Potter]

Makes me wonder if Formica counters will make a comeback. Haven't seen them around here in new homes for years.

[Alan Lightstone]

DeWalt and others also make small routers called laminate trimmers. My DeWalt laminate trimmer is a 7/8 hp with a smaller diameter body than my DW611. It's their DW670 model and it has 4 different bases specifically designed for laminate trimming.
A quick google search for "Dewalt 670" returned a chainsaw. Seems excessive to me, but I'll give anything a try. ;)

When I searched for DW670 it appears that the DW670 has been discontinued. It looks like the closest match is their DWE6000. I don't see the option for any additional bases for it, so this may be a non-starter. They must be pushing people to the DW611.

[Rich Engelhardt]

What's the difference between a compact router and a trim router?
IMHO - the name, grip, usage, power and accessories (or lack of).


The original laminate/palm/trim routers were 1 HP and under devices, made for one hand use - focused on trimming laminate and lacked any sort of accessory such as knobs (handles) or anything other than a simple fixed base.

Compact routers seem to be the recent incarnations with - increased power, > 1hp, various accessories such as different bases, the ability to use them as a simple "palm router" or add a plunge base or another type of base and extend the scope of work one can do with it.

[Jim Dwight]

I have the DeWalt that used to be a Elu, 621, on my wish list. It has a dust collection hook up on one of the posts and is a small, 2hp, plunge router. I want it for the dust collection.

I have a bosch colt and I like it but bits slip sometimes. The motor can do more than the 1/4 collet can. I prefer 1/2 collets. I like my 690s but they throw dust all over. They are normal routers. I still think I'd rather sweep up afterwards than pay Festool prices. But I may buy the DeWalt 621.