Laminate trim router reccomendations

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, I am planning on buying a laminate trimmer router and was wondering if anyone had a reccomendation?

It will be used for trimming laminate on counter tops.


Thanks, Rod.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Rod

Porter Cable makes a nice one.

Quinn

[Gary Ratajczak]

I had a gift card, so I got the Rigid. I really like it a lot. It's variable speed as well. Very smooth running, and a nice LONG cord.

I would purchase again.

The Colt seems to be very popular also - never used one.

[Hank Knight]

Take a look at the Bosch Colt. I have one and I really like it.

[Steve Clardy]

PC7310 gives you a good bang for the bucks ;)

[glenn bradley]

If it is just for laminates there are a few out there. The PC 310 is a workhorse that will take more than I could ever dish out. The 310 along with Makita's 3707 tied for best value in a FWW review that did not contain the Colt. The DeWalt 673 won best overall in the same review.

The Colt came out on top in another review but, the focus was 'palm routers' not 'laminate trimmers' so, right tool for the job and all that. I use mine for profiles, dado cleanouts and edge trimming panels and doing the bulk of the work on inlay hog-outs so I went with the Colt.

[Dick Bringhurst]

The choices mentioned above are good. Be sure the collet will align the bit so it is at a right angle with the base. The PC 7310 can have a problem with this. Dick B.

[Brice Burrell]

I had a gift card, so I got the Rigid. I really like it a lot. It's variable speed as well. Very smooth running, and a nice LONG cord.

I would purchase again.

The Colt seems to be very popular also - never used one.

Same here, had a gift card and got the Rigid, nice tool.

[Bill Arnold]

I've had a PC for years and it has served me well. Certainly can't go wrong for a $100 trim router.

Now, some folks are going to scream at me for this, but I usually reach for one of the two Harbor Freight trim routers I have for most work. It's the one that's nearly always on special for $20. I tried one because a fellow woodworker used one in a commercial shop. Kinda figured at $20 it's a "throw away" if anything happens to it. Bit change is comparable to the PC, but bit height adjustment is easier on the HF. I've had both for many years and they continue to work just fine.

The reason for having multiple "trim routers" is that I keep a 1/4" roundover in one, a chamfer bit in another and a flush trim in the third. These are the bits I use most often, so I don't have to waste time changing bits during a job.

[Bill Huber]

I got the Ridgid and it is a nice little router, the trim guide that comes with it is very nice and much better then the Bosch.

But the Ridgid just got to hot to handle and I took it back and got another one, it was the same, they just run really hot.

I then got the Colt, the guide is not as good but as a small router it is really great. I find that I use it more then I ever thought I would, I use it for jobs that I was using the big router for and it work really great.

I am not sure if you can get base plates for some of the others that will use guide bushing but you can for the Colt. That is a very nice thing to have, now I can use all my guide bushing with either router.

[Keith Outten]

The Bosch Colt gets my vote hands down. I have had mine for almost a year now and I hate to pick up any other router. Plenty of power for such a small router, I even use it to edge prep Corian and wood plaques.

.

[Justin Bukoski]

Another vote for the Bosch Colt. Really never feels underpowered.

[George Skinner]

Can't recommend the PC 7310. I have 3 of these and only 1 still works and they really did not have a lot of use on them. I can recommend the PC 310, I have had one for 10+ years and it is still going strong. I did have to replace the bearings in it this year.

[Ern Gumban]

Hello all,
New to the forum but I've been lurking for a while. Just wanted to add two cents.



It will be used for trimming laminate on counter tops.


If that is all you need it for, check if Sears still has thiers on clearance for $32. I stumbled into them the other day and bought one to try. It is powerful enough for palm routing, just not very precise. Otherwise I really like my Bosch Colt. The Craftsman makes a good spare (but only for $32 and not the full $100 price).
Ern

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks for all the advice, I purchased the Porter Cable 7310...............Rod.