A trim router....

[Frank McGuire]

I have the same makita router, it’s a great tool. When you first start using it you do have to be careful about not letting a finger in the opening. Plenty of power for what it is. No problems.

I got XTR01Z, probably the best one I've ever used. Very powerful and 30000 RPM matters

[roger wiegand]

I recently bought a Milwaukee 18V battery operated trim router (my first); boy, talk about handy! Plenty of power. I just wish they came with a 1/2" collet so I didn't need to buy new bits to use in it.

[Curt Harms]

I think my trim router is most used now. I needed some 1/4" X 3/4" dados in plywood. Loaded up a 1/2" straight bit with 1/4" shank, set the depth and went to town. Plenty of power and light enough to be nimble. I bought an aftermarket extended sub-base with 2 handles which is handy.

[Prashun Patel]

And soon you may add a Bosch cordless trim router to your Arsenal. On delicate things that don’t require the power, not having to worry about the cord is great.

[Ron Citerone]

I love my Porter Cable trim router for gaining hinges for flush cabinet doors.

[Julie Moriarty]

I recently bought a Milwaukee 18V battery operated trim router (my first); boy, talk about handy! Plenty of power. I just wish they came with a 1/2" collet so I didn't need to buy new bits to use in it.

I recently bought the Dewalt 20V trim router. You are so right about these tools being handy! Just pick it up and go. And it's the only one of my routers that has a light. We age impaired woodworkers need a little love too.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

For the record, I loved using my Makita trim router. My very talented carpenter SIL had noticed I didn't have a trim router so he gave me the battery version of the Makita so now I have a corded and cordless version of the same router. The cordless version has an LED lighting the area.

My biggest beef against cordless tools in general is that batteries are so expensive and fail most often when the need to use them is the greatest.

[Warren Lake]

had a whole heard for a while. Tons of Makita. Have the porter cable ones and think they are Rockwell quality from before bought out. I burned out Makitas but never the Porter cable ones. dont remember the model but likely the 130 mentioned, heavy and strong enough well made stuff from the past.

[Ray Newman]

“My biggest beef against cordless tools in general is that batteries are so expensive and fail most often when the need to use them is the greatest.”
--Ken Fitzgerald

Agreed! Back in 2019, I needed a replacement battery for an old DeWalt flashlight. Light still worked, but battery was not to be found as DeWalt discontinued the light and the battery. On a whim, I stopped at a Batteries & Bulbs store. None in stock, but catalogue listed a Rayovac clone with a one-year warranty. About five days after order, I had the battery.

Speaking ‘bout trim routers, I have an older Porter-Cable laminate router with an aftermarket Woodhaven 2 handed base that accepts the Porter-Cable guide bushings. Woodhaven has bases for other brands.

https://www.woodhaven.com/products/w...-bushing-plate

[Curt Harms]

I have had 3 or 4 full sized routers since I began woodworking but I had never had a compact trim router. I am working on a project that has to be done by Wednesday night and it has a small narrow piece that needed routing. I was uncomfortable doing it freehand with my 2 1/2 HP P/C 8529 or doing it freehand on my router table. So I went to the local HD about 7:00 p.m. last night, looked at the two compacts they had and chose the Makita RT0701C. I also bought a cheap set of 1/4" shank round over bits as all the ones I own are 1/2" shank.

Makita must be pretty good, that's the one China picked to knock off . Grizzly and MLCS among others sell the knockoffs.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Makita must be pretty good, that's the one China picked to knock off

I love my Makitas - but - the fixed base micro adjust is crude at best. There are far better ones they could knock off (IMHO).

[Warren Lake]

I dont too many burned out might be better now but the taste remains. Not close the the porter cables.

[Roger Feeley]

The tool that scares me the most is my power plane. The reason is that when I use a hand plane, the fingers on my left hand tend to go under the plane and ride along the wood. It doesn’t hurt with a hand plane but I would be asking for trouble with an upside down jointer. I try to be very careful. I’m also trying to break myself of the hand plane habit.

[Von Bickley]

I have that Makita trim router and really like it. I have used it to cut shallow dados with a dado jig and a pattern bit. Works great.

dado jig.jpgrouter.jpgrouter bit.jpg