looking for recommendation - trim router for routing small mortises

[Dennis Yamamoto]

I need to route mortises for some small brass knife hinges. For routing these small mortises, what trim router would you buy today, and why? For me it seems like good depth adjustment, and having control and visibility for small details would be most important.

Here's a couple that I have looked at: Bosch GKF125CEN, and the Dewalt DWP611.

Thanks,

Dennis

[Mike Henderson]

I use and like the DeWalt. I use it for a lot of my routing now days - it's lighter and easier to handle than my larger 1/2" router. If the work calls for a big bit, I of course use my big router.

I use the Dewalt for setting hinges on boxes. I use a spiral bit (not too big - you want to be able to get close to the corners) and route close to the line, then finish with a chisel.

When setting up, route on some scrap first and make sure you're not too deep (or too shallow). Once you're satisfied, route your fine wood. You can get the DeWalt with a combination of a fixed base and a plunge base. I use a fixed base for routing hinge mortises but the plunge base comes in handy for other routing jobs.

Mike

[George Bokros]

+1 on the DeWalt 611. Have and love it. I bought the kit with fixed plunge bases.

[Joseph Quattro]

same here, DeWalt 611, fixed and plunge. Ive been using it more and more because its convenient and just easier to use for small things.

[johnny means]

My favorite it's actually my Rigid. I like the rack and pinion adjustment and the feel in my hand.

[Bill Lyman]

+1 on the DeWalt 611, fixed and plunge base and edge guide.

[Charles B Wilson]

I vote for the Dewalt also.
But with that said for the application you described the ridged would be my go to router. Its smaller has a decent depth adjustment and with a clear sub-base and built in light makes quick work of that task.

CW

[Derek Cohen]

The DeWalt looks very nice, but I have no first hand experience. I have the excellent Makita trim router with plunge and fixed bases. This is now available as a cordless machine.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Carl Beckett]

The DeWalt looks very nice, but I have no first hand experience. I have the excellent Makita trim router with plunge and fixed bases. This is now available as a cordless machine.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I have the cordless version of this Makita set. For a trim router (where excessive power is not needed), I very much like the cordless feature and can recommend this Makita

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I don't have the Rigid or the DeWalt, but I do have a Bosch Colt kit.
If there had been anything else out there I had known about, I would not have bought it.

[Mike Henderson]

I don't have the Rigid or the DeWalt, but I do have a Bosch Colt kit.
If there had been anything else out there I had known about, I would not have bought it.

I agree. After I bought a DeWalt I sold my Bosch colt. Then I bought three more Dewalts.

Mike

[Charles Lent]

I also have a DeWalt 611 with both bases, and use it frequently for lighter my routing chores, but I almost always use it with my M Power CRB7 because it has better edge guiding capabilities than the DeWalt edge guide. It can also be used for many other routing chores like circle cutting from about 1" diameter up to over 8' diameter, edge trimming, flush trimming, mortising, etc. The CRB7 can be used with many of my other other routers too, but I mostly seem to use it with my DeWalt 611.

Charley

[Mark Klosky]

The Dewalt 611 has such a smooth plunge action compared to everything else. It is my first choice when using a small router bit. I wish that any of my bigger PC routers were nearly this smooth.

[Dave Cav]

I love my little DeWalt and I'm looking for an excuse to buy another.

[Charles Grauer]

Same here, have both, Bosch lays in the drawer. The Bosch has been back for repair twice. Should have just trashed it.
Dewalt with both bases is really nice.

[Steve Wurster]

I have the Dewalt as well, and just used it and Phil Thien's mortising jig (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?164255-Thien-mortising-jig-for-DW611) to make a ton of mortises for loose tenons in an office desk that I'm building. Worked great.

[Dennis Yamamoto]

Thanks everyone! Looks like the Dewalt unless I want something smaller like the Ridgid.

Mike,

Thanks for your suggestion for routing close to the line, and finishing with a chisel. I have a small down cut spiral so I will use it.

Dennis

[Charles Lent]

Dennis,

If you get a CRB7 and all of the options, you really should make a box to keep all of the parts that go with the CRB7. When I bought mine and layed out all of the pieces it became obvious to me that I needed to make a special box to keep from losing anything. Attached are a few photos of what I built. Having the I-box jig and the Freud SBOX8 blade set already, made it relatively easy to build this box from scraps of various thicknesses of Baltic Birch plywood. No plans, I just laid out all of the pieces and figured out what was needed from there. There are several levels in both the box and the lid.

Charley

[George Bokros]

That is truly professional.

[Thomas McCurnin]

The DeWalt 611 has an identical Porter Cable clone, which is nearly identical, except the DeWalt has a LED light.

[Dave Cav]

And the LED light is a lot more handy than you might think.

[Mike Henderson]

And the LED light is a lot more handy than you might think.

True - and I wish it was brighter.

Mike

[Dennis Yamamoto]

I got the DeWalt. It worked great for the knife hinges! I can see why so many folks recommend these small routers and especially the Dewalt.

Thanks everyone!

Dennis

[Rob Luter]

I have the Bosch Colt kit. It works well, but the fence doesn't lock as securely as I'd like. I had it slip once. You really need to tighten it down.

[Charles Lent]

Rob,

That's true with every fence or router attachment, even the CRB7 that I have. One time, when using my DW611 and CRB7 I didn't get the jig tightened on the rod well enough when routing a large circle, and I got a gradually diminishing circle diameter. Fortunately, I needed two circles, one with a radius 2" smaller in diameter, and I had started cutting the larger one first. This first one with the diminishing diameter became the smaller of the two after I re-cut it. Then I cut the second, making absolutely certain that nothing would slip, because I didn't have enough plywood to make this same mistake again.

Charley

[Rich Engelhardt]

Another DeWalt 611 PK user here....(both fixed and plunge base)

Also another cordless Makita user.. (just fixed base at this time though)

The DeWalt kit has the advantage of having both fixed and plunge bases - - the Makita has the advantage of having more power & better dust control.

Knowing now, what I didn't know when I bought the DeWalt - I would have bought the Makita kit w/both bases.

[Wojciech Tryc]

I have cordless Makita kit and I love it. Got an 8mm collet for it and made a small adapter plate to use it with Festool LR32 kit. Works perfectly. Strongly recommended.

[Stan Calow]

Yeah, I have the Bosch, and not happy with the way the base slips down while in use. Don't know about the new model. I used it to rout those knife hinges too. I picked up a Ryobi trim router at a garage sale for $5 that I will set up and leave the mortising bit in all the time, to use from now on. I got the Jig-it jig for the Brusso hinges from Rockler and it saves a lot of heartache.

[Fred Falgiano]

I picked up the Dewalt DCW600 when it came out (March, I think) and I’ve used it quite a bit and am very pleased. My other “bring to the work” router is the Dewalt 618 and I’m using it much less now.

The 600 is the 20V router and I love not having to worry about cord management when using the router. The last thing you want when working on a detailed piece is for the cord to get hung up on something and cause the router to tip.

[Derek Cohen]

Out of curiosity, Fred .. do you use the router with dust control?

See: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?275588-Corded-vs-cordless-trim-routers

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Fred Falgiano]

Derek,

No. I have dust control on the plunge base on the 618, but the 600 is just free-wheeling.

I have the DeWalt fan and I like to point it at the workpiece while I’m routing. It does a pretty good job of directing the dust and debris away from my face, but leaves me a bit of a mess to clean up. I roll up the door of the shop and blow it out when it gets too dusty.

Cheers,
-Fred

[Prashun Patel]

BTW, the latest podcast of Shop Talk Live featured previous editor, Asa Christiana. I believe he wrote an article for the upcoming issue of FWW reviewing cordless trim routers. His arguments for going cordless are compelling: Don't have to worry about hitting the cord; most trim ops are not intense, so battery life is very good. Of course the balance is different from a corded...

I am looking seriously at the Makita cordless, which uses the same bats as my other Makita cordless stuff.

<off topic alert>
I miss Asa. He and Ed were great on STL. They kept that podcast on topic and moving at a good pace.

[Alex Burkhardt]

I'm typically not a Ridgid guy, but after messing with several trim routers, i preferred the rack and pinion adjustment on the Ridgid corded trim router. No regrets after several months. No plunge base available that i'm aware of, thought that's not a concern for my uses.

One added feature that i didn't consider until after using is the on-off switch. We all inherently use the tool, then set it on our bench bit-up. I like that the on off switch is pulled up proud of the top, and can serve to turn of the tool either by just a quick hit with my palm, or by setting the tool down on its back. The shielded rubber switches aren't bad, but the Ridgid switch is a noticeable nod to good product design that i appreciate.