Best trim router?

[Kurt Wyberanec]

I'm in the market for a new trim router (will be posting my current for sale soon)...

What do you all think it's the best? I am using this primarily for flush trimming patterns but of course would prefer for it to have multi functionality.... just looking for something that is small format and powerful enough to cut Baltic birch.

Thanks.

[johnny means]

Flush trimming is a bit beyond the intended purpose of a trim router.

[Bill McNiel]

I am a fan of the DeWalt 611, I have three and wouldn't mind having one or two more.

[Dave Zellers]

Ditto re the DeWalt 611. I have 2. I think of them as 'The Kids' and love them both equally. :cool:

[Dave Sabo]

Flush trimming is a bit beyond the intended purpose of a trim router.


Depends on what you’re trimming. 1-3mm edgeband will be fine. Cleaning up a built up Corian edge could be problematic.


DeWalt 611 for the trifecta win.

[Michael Schuch]

What trim router are you using now and what don't you like about it?

I have a very old Porter Cable trim router that is very small and it has always done everything I have asked of it. My cordless Dewalt DCW600B is nice and compact yet plenty powerful, I would say more powerful than my corded old Porter Cable trim router. I do enjoy not having to work around a cord more than I thought I would when I bought the DCW600B.

I like small routers and use them a lot because there small size makes them handy, maneuverable and easy to manipulate. There are some places that I find I have to use a mid sized router but not very often. For the most part my big Porter Cable 3.5hp router is only used in a table.

476456

[Kurt Wyberanec]

Flush trimming is a bit beyond the intended purpose of a trim router.

I have to humbly disagree... been doing this for 20 years and have never had an issue with using a trim router for this... it's in the name....

But maybe you're just doing it differently. I am primarily cleaning up wood 1/2-3/4 thick and usually cleaning around 1/16 occasionally more.... when heavier just do multiple passes.

Currently using a Bosch and there's plenty good about it but the square base doesn't suit my work well... would prefer round with one straight edge and I have never got along with the spindle lock.

Been thinking about the 611 but wanted to see what people think.

[Andrew Seemann]

I actually like the Ridgid trim router. It is the only orange Ridgid tool I own that isn't a shop vacuum (I have a bunch of red Ridgid plumbing tools). The main thing I like about it is that the on switch protrudes from the flat top of the router, so you can set it on the bench upside down to turn it off. If/when I get another corded trim router, I would probably get a second one of these. If I went cordless, I would get Makita, since all my other cordless tools are Makita:)

[Jacques Gagnon]

Kurt,

I have the Bosch variable speed model and like its performance. I like the square base for registration but understand the desire for a round base for certain applications.

Have you considered making an auxiliary round sub-base from polycarbonate material?

Regards,

J.

[Kurt Wyberanec]

Kurt,

I have the Bosch variable speed model and like its performance. I like the square base for registration but understand the desire for a round base for certain applications.

Have you considered making an auxiliary round sub-base from polycarbonate material?

Regards,

J.

Jacques, how do find dealing with the spindle lock?... mine never held well from day one and I've always had to use a tool to hold it down to be able to tighten the collet enough.

[Jonathan Jung]

I've got 3 of the Bosch 12v routers, 1 Milwaukee M18 router, 1 Dewalt 611, a Festool 1400, a Milwaukee 3.5hp, etc. I love the Bosch 12v, they get used 80% of the time. They can handle up to 1/4" roundover fine, for reference. They can do trimming like you describe, though they won't be as fast as a more powerful unit. The Milwaukee is my cordless for bigger cuts.

[Jacques Gagnon]

Kurt,

You raised a good point which made me realize that my needs/preferences as a hobbyist are most likely different than yours. I can live with the spindle lock - I sometimes use the « spindle lock button » and other times use two wrenches. Probably not ideal for your context in spite a being a good tool.

[Rick Potter]

Got several.

The Bosch Colt is OK, but my least favorite. A bit more awkward to adjust for height, and I often tend to hold it too near to the open area where the bit is.

The Makita 18V is very nice, and I use it a lot.

Favorite is the DeWalt 611 though, and there are jigs available to use with my Track Saw track. Probably available for others, but I already have the DeWalt jigs.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Best trim router?

Best for me is the 18V Makita cordless.
LiIon and brushless motors are game changers when it comes to power.

Side by side, the 18V Makita has a noticeable increase in power over my DeWalt 611(which I dearly love & can't seem to part with) and/or the corded Makita trim router kit I also picked up just to get the plunge base.

"Trim" routers have come a long way since just a few years ago when there was the Colt & used PC 310's & I've noticed more and more people have taken to using small cordless routers.

[Carl Beckett]

Best for me is the 18V Makita cordless.
LiIon and brushless motors are game changers when it comes to power.

Side by side, the 18V Makita has a noticeable increase in power over my DeWalt 611(which I dearly love & can't seem to part with) and/or the corded Makita trim router kit I also picked up just to get the plunge base.



I have exactly this and like it a lot. It is my first choice for routing operations that are not on the router table. I only go up to the larger units if a larger bit, that can not be run on the table. The most used router in my shop

[Maurice Mcmurry]

The gentleman I apprenticed with has several old Stanleys and won't use anything else. I have a Bosch Colt. It is OK, but not as smooth as the old Stanley.

476461

[Allan Dozier]

Following. I have been using my very old little Porter Cable but thinking about adding another trim router. My main concern is balance. Which trim router do you find is less likely to tilt? It looks like some of the trims nowadays are quite tall and looks like they may be more unstable.

[Phillip Mitchell]

I have a Dewalt 611 with fixed base and plunge kit. I end up using it as a plunge router a lot just because it’s convenient even though I have a much bigger Makita 2301 (~3 hp) plunge router. The one thing that annoys me about it when using with jigs is the shape and dimensions of the stock base - 2 sides are round and 2 sides are flat and they are odd dimensions when doing things like mortising jigs, etc where you need to use the edge of the base as a reference point for a stop on the jig.

I wish Pat Warner and all his genius router accessories were still around and I would just buy a larger totally circular base from him...I could also make my own but just haven’t dedicated the time.

Other than that it’s a fantastic router that has good balance and ergonomics, great capability, and great dust collection with the plastic clip in dust shroud hooked to an extractor. I’m also a big fan of the built in LED light that comes on with the on/off switch.

That said, I’d love to pick up one of the brushless Makitas as I have lots of their batteries and go see that being handy to have a battery powered one ready to grab and go.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

We had an old Porter Cable. Black with a square base, predecessor to the 7310 I think. It was a shop favorite, so favorite that a shop-mate made off with it.

[Justin Rapp]

I have a makita and it's fantastic.

[Kurt Wyberanec]

Which model makita is the one you guys are saying? I see they have both corded and cordless... my initial thought is corded from a cost point and that I don't own any other makitas with batteries.

Does it only accept 1/4 collects?

Thanks

[johnny means]

I have to humbly disagree... been doing this for 20 years and have never had an issue with using a trim router for this... it's in the name....

But maybe you're just doing it differently. I am primarily cleaning up wood 1/2-3/4 thick and usually cleaning around 1/16 occasionally more.... when heavier just do multiple passes.

Currently using a Bosch and there's plenty good about it but the square base doesn't suit my work well... would prefer round with one straight edge and I have never got along with the spindle lock.

Been thinking about the 611 but wanted to see what people think.

I think they're actually sold as "laminate trimmers" and not trim routers. Aren't all routers used for trimming of some sort. Sure, and router will do if the cutting depth is limited enough. A sanding block will do if your cuts are precise enough. But cutting an ⅛" of 19mm Baltic birch is more than a laminate trimmer is designed for and will quickly destroy the tool of done with any regularity. Making multiple passes is a sign that your equipment isn't up to the task. Then there is the cutter size issue. Tiny diameter cutters bring problems that adversely affect cut quality. But that's an entire thread by itself.

[Rick Potter]

Abut the power...I made a T-track slot for a bandsaw circle jig with my 18V Makita. It was made in a sink top cutout that was particle board topped with Formica. Using a 3/4" cutter, I did it with two passes for depth because of the Formica. No sweat, one pass was probably fine.

Not just a 'trim' router.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Which model makita is the one you guys are saying? I see they have both corded and cordless... my initial thought is corded from a cost point and that I don't own any other makitas with batteries.

Does it only accept 1/4 collects?
My primary Makita is the 18V cordless - but - I also have the corded one. I bought a corded one with both a fixed base and a plunge base, just so I could get the plunge base. The kit was $109 and the plunge base alone was $79. My plan was to get the kit then sell the fixed base router and keep the plunge base.
I ended up just keeping both and it's worked out ok.

1/4 inch shanks only for the Makita.

I converted to all Makita cordless when I got my Makita cordless track saw & the 18V router was part of a free tool offer from Makita.

[Jared Sankovich]

My patern trimming router is a 6hp shaper.

As for the small handheld routers the dewalt and bosch are good. The dewalt is generally nicer to use.

[Jim Becker]

If I bought one it would likely be either the DeWalt or the Festool simply because those are the router brands I own other than the heavy, old PC in the table. Most likely the DeWalt simply because I'm very happy with my DW618, especially in fixed base configurations. I would expect the Yellow trim router to be similarly likable. A lot of folks do like the Bosch, however, and it's a good product, AFAIK. Makita is probably similar in the happiness factor. So honestly, I kinda like the idea of staying in the tool family already owned and liked unless there's a compelling reason not to.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a number of the Dewalt trim routers, both the corded and cordless. Previous to this I had the Bosch Colt but the Dewalt is much better.

I use the Dewalt with the plunge base for some things and with the fixed base for others. It has sufficient horsepower for all but the largest jobs. When routers first came out, most of them were 1.5HP and that was a "standard" router, not a trim router.

I use the DeWalt trim router for most of my routing jobs.

Mike

[Rick Potter]

I went out and looked. Most routers we are talking about here are not sold as 'trim routers'. They are listed as 'Compact routers'.

I do have one 'trim router', an old Rockwell laminate trimmer that is pretty strong, and is rated at 4 amps.

My Bosch Colt is 5.6A, and the DeWalt 611 is 7A, and it's the original one, not the 1 1/4 HP they now sell.

Putting this info in perspective, my Porter Cable 690 half inch router is 10A., and I built a raised panel kitchen with it 25 years ago.

[Jim Becker]

That's a good point about power, Rick. Today's generation does benefit from more oomph. When I think about a "trim router", however, my mind is seeing a more physically compact and lighter weight tool that is comfortable to use for light duty jobs including those where "one handing it" is an asset.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I like Makita RT0700 router as it is a step up from usual trimmer but it is small and light enough to be used comfortably as a trim router.

Usually trim routers are good enough for their purpose, ie, trimming. But if you are looking for a more flexible tool for applications beyond that I strongly recommend that Makita router marketed alone or in different tool set. I love to use it - actually I purchased a kit included several accessories and four different bases and some time after I purchased a second one just accompanied with a fixed base. Yes, I have two of them.

With 1 1/4 HP it can handle comfortably most of my 8 mm shank bits and I use it besides trimming for a lot of applications, even mounted in a small router table I made for it.

I strongly recommend it.

[John TenEyck]

As someone else said, I really like the Rigid palm router. The on/off switch makes switching it off super convenient. It has a terrific coarse and fine tune depth adjustment, and the onboard LED light works well. It comes with two base plates, one round and one square, and two wrenches. I hate the spindle lock feature on routers. I just don't have enough strength to hold the router in one hand while also depressing the spindle lock and then tighten the collet with the other hand. Rigid gives you two wrenches so you can choose which option best suites you.

I have a Makita corded palm router, too. I have all kinds of bases for it, including the offset trim base, plunge base, and a tilting base. The depth adjustment is crude, however, compared to the Rigid, and it comes only with a round base plate and has no light. Very smooth and has good power. However, the speed dial on mine moves on its own after I had a few hours of run time on it, so now I have to jamb a toothpick into the gap between it and the housing to keep it from moving.

John

[Ralph Okonieski]

I am fond of Bosch tools in general and have had their trim router for a decade or more. That said, I decided to buy a second trim router last year and went with the Dewalt kit that has the fixed and plunge base. My preference is for Dewalt as it is easier to adjust. The Bosch is now only used with a round over bit to ease edges. I still like the Bosch but prefer the Dewalt when a trim router is needed. The two trim routers are used for lighter duty work. I have several other more powerful router for heavier work.

[Tom M King]

I have several toolboxes full of them, and I don't think any brands are left out. My favorite ones are the Makita's, and I have one that I use when I need to change the bit in one. I have a couple of Bosch that were factory rebuilt when I bought them 30 years ago, and they still run fine.