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Cut from the same quality cloth as the best palm router on our list, Makita’s DRT50ZX4 is a brushless cordless trimmer that gives you all the power you need without the cord to trip over. This little beast forms part of Makita’s excellent LXT range of Lithium-Ion powered tools. You can share the batteries from your drill or saw to power up this palm router, making it brilliantly versatile. Just like power rating, a motor speed rating is also a crucial aspect of a plunge router. It is given in RPM (Rotation per Minute), and as you would have guessed by now, it tells the rotation speed of the motor. Different models of the router have different speeds. Usually, a high motor speed, 27,000 RPM, is better than a low motor speed of 20,000 RPM. However, here again, the requirements of your task are essential. If you need to cut a soft piece of wood, you will need a slow-speed motor. It’s useful to note that different routing jobs require different speeds – there are guides available to help you get your head around this, but the rule of thumb is the wider the router bit, the slower the speed. Always practise on scrap materials before using a new router bit. Difference Between Palm Routers and Plunge Routers The long ergonomic handles are rubberised, and I find them more comfortable to use compared with the rounded ones on the Triton TRA001. There’s also a pair of dust extractor adaptors for removing dust from both above and below the cutting head.
My first ever router. After watching many howto's on YouTube, I decided to go for it. Excellent router. I made a mirror to fit the side of my wardrobe project and I am pleased with the result. Only slight disappointment is that Bosch does not provide a hose for dust collection, but apart from that I am extremely pleased with the finished results." Like many other power-tools in this Bosch range, there is the ubiquitous Softgrip Zones on the handles, which make things a little more comfortable, while a transparent chip guard keeps things safe. With a 2,400 Watt motor that can spin a router bit from 8,000 – 21,000 rpm, there’s a serious amount of low-end power. It might not have the highest speed compared to the Trend T4EK, but it’s plenty for most DIY jobs. For something a little smaller and easier to manoeuvre, find compact, combination and variable speed fixed base routers. Offering smooth control and stability, fixed base routers are ideal for jobs with repeat application helping you to cut with precision. There’s a 710 Watt motor on board that can spin ¼” or 3/8” shank bits up from 13,000 to a maximum of 33,000 rpm. Its speed-adjustable as well by turning the wheel on top. DEWINNER have included the normal accessories such as a straight and curved guide, but they’ve gone a bit further than the competition.Speed: This can get a little complicated and require some complex geometry, but as a general rule, the larger the router bit, the slower the speed required. The experts at The Router Workshop recommend a minimum of 12,000 RPMS for larger bits (3 to 3-1/2 inches in diameter), and a maximum of 24,000 RPMs for smaller bits (1-inch in diameter). The best palm routers can produce seriously high speeds, in the region of 30,000 rpm to make short work of timber and other soft materials. The speeds your palm router can reach depend on the size of the motor, and you must accept that the bigger the motor is, the heavier the tool becomes.
Our wide selection of routers offers a selection of different styles and options to suit any budget, so you can find the best fit, whether you’re looking for a Bosch or Makita router. Plunge travel on the Makita RP0900X is also a paltry 35mm which is at the low end of the scale. However, this correlates with the low power of the router and emphasises the lighter routing and more detailed work that this machine is designed for. Accordingly, the Makita RP0900X router is one of the lightest plunge routers on the market with a weight of only 2.7kg, providing the main reason why it easier to handle than most other standard routers. Plunge routers feature a cutting bit that moves up and down, which is manually lowered onto your material for top-down applications. They are the ideal choice for projects that require versatile depths including engraving, grooving, edge profiling and fluting. The DWE625 is DeWalt’s contribution to the 1/2” router category. Unsurprisingly for this premium power tool company, the DWE625 is an expensive tool but with a lot of good features. First and foremost, it comes with collets for both 1/4” and 1/2” router bits, particularly useful if you are already using a 1/4” router and have a selection of router bits that you would like to use in the DeWalt router as well. It has a powerful 2000W motor with electronic speed control meaning that the speed of the motor will be maintained no matter how tough a wood you throw at it or if one overdoes the hand pressure when routing. The DeWalt motor also has soft start to prevent any inadvertent movement at start up, important both for safety as well as for routing accuracy. The motor speed itself can also be adjusted anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 RPM using a dial at the top of the machine, useful for setting the ideal cutting speed for the material being cut.At 3.4kg, the POF 1200 AE Wood Router is fairly weighty and starts to show its heft when you are using it handheld for any period of time. Some users have bought or made their own routing tables, which takes some of the strain out of it. The powerful 2,100 Watt motor has a soft start feature and spins up the router bit from 11,500 – 28,000 rpm. You can drop the depth down to 50 mm, which isn’t the deepest but enough for most routing jobs. The RP0900X router is also a relatively low-powered router using only a 900W electric motor to power a single rotational speed of 27,000rpm. It comes with a collet for 1/4-inch router bits but can also accept a 3/8-inch collet. However, the usefulness of the larger collet size is debatable given that router bits with this shank size are not particularly common. Importantly, the Makita router will not accept a 1/2-inch collet or 1/2-inch router bits, nor does it have the power to run these larger bits effectively. So anyone planning to use this Makita machine for heavier routing, such as cutting kitchen worktops or similar, should look elsewhere. The Makita RT0700CX4 is probably the best palm router for professionals. It’s powerful, reliable and fits into several different bases, making it an incredibly versatile tool. Makita is a brand famous for robust, professional-level power tools. They’re trusted by professionals as well as savvy DIYers throughout the world, and for good reason.
What makes the plunge router such a versatile tool is the wide range of bits available for performing many different tasks: It has a 1,400 Watt motor with a soft start that powers the router from an impressive 11,000 – 28,000 rpm and the 55 mm plunge depth can be finely adjusted for intricate work. One of the best features I found on this plunge router is Bosch’s Constant Electronic system that maintains a stable cutting speed no matter what material you’re working with. It’s features like this that help to reduce tear-out and ensure a smooth operation. There is a lot to like in this machine. Like most ½ inch routers, the motor is variable speed. Whether you are working softwood and need high speed to stop splintering, or need a slower RPM for hard lumber, this router can accommodate. With a weight of 5.6 kg, it's heavy enough to be stable but not so heavy that it's tiring to operate. This is an excellent router to use if you are learning woodworking; the weight is about where it should be for a 1600 Watt router. Like other ½ inch routers, it comes with both ¼ and ½ inch collets so that one can use either size of bit. The ability to use both bit sizes is convenient. However, the good news stops there. The build of the machine is not up to the standard of competitor professional machines, with reports that some of the plastic controls can break off if they are not handled with great care. The plunge mechanism can also be a little temperamental, jamming if pressure is not applied evenly across the router when plunging.One of the most respected names in routing tools, Trend have produced one of the best plunge routers for DIY that I’ve tried out. The Trend T7EK plunge router is the middle member of a family of routers of increasing size belonging to the reputable Trend brand. The T7EK is a 1/2” router with a powerful 2100W motor and variable speed control that can be set to run from 11,500 rpm up to its maximum speed of 28,000 rpm. These specifications work together to let the Trend router run a range of sizes of 1/2” cutters, including some of the bigger bits. As might be expected from a good quality router, the motor has soft-start functionality, allowing for a more gradual ramp-up to speed and preventing the machine from jerking around in the hands of the operator when powered on. The RP0900X router from the Makita Corporation is the Japanese company's entry-level plunge router. Like all Makita tools, the basic router is a solidly-built machine which has been precision engineered and built to the highest of standards. It is a 1/4-inch router that is lightweight, easy to control and provides a smooth output. Like most 1/4-inch routers, it is easier to use than 1/2-inch routers but even more so given its small size and low weight. That said, I can happily report that getting used to this Bosch POF 1200 AE doesn’t take too long and the results are impressive for a tool at this price point. I found accessing the bits to be fiddly and a bit frustrating, while that plastic guard is most definitely flimsy. The brittle plastic that attaches to the unit is very easy to accidentally break. It might not be the first power tool you think of, but the humble router can do more than you might think. But before you pull the trigger on the best plunge router you can afford, here’s what to look out for: Speed Matters
The Hikoki (originally Hitachi) M12VE is a well-built 1/2” wood router that houses a powerful 2000W motor with variable speed control that runs spindle rotation anywhere from 8000 RPM up to 22,000 RPM. The router comes with collets for both 1/4” and 1/2” bit shanks permitting a wide selection of router bits to be used with this Hikoki router. The 124799 has a fine depth adjustment, variable speed control and a soft-start, and comes with 5 different collets (1/4", 1/2", 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm), two different guide bushes, parallel, circular and roller guides as well as a measurement bar all within a reasonable-quality plastic case. Our range also includes biscuit jointers that are designed for excellent manoeuvrability and easy handling. They create crescent shaped holes in both pieces of timber, which can then be filled with a compressed biscuit to hold them in place. We have a selection of versatile biscuit jointers that cut 0, 10 and 20 biscuit sizes, providing more flexibility for all of your woodworking projects. Manchester-based tool and home improvement gurus VonHaus make an impressive amount of kit from blenders to ladders . Their compact palm router offers impressive performance and incredible value for a DIY tool. Taking its power from a 12V Lithium-Ion battery, the GKF means you can work at any angle or in any place without worrying about tripping over cables. It’s ideal for working above your head or in awkward spots. It’s incredibly light at just over 1 kg, compared to other palm routers like the DeWalt D26200.
A router is an essential tool for your woodworking kit, helping you shape edges and grooves, create joints and hollow out materials with precision. Shop our range and find the perfect plunge router, palm router or biscuit jointer to give every project a professional finish. Budget tool brand DEWINNER have worked out a clever way to make decent quality power tools at remarkable prices. Their electric palm router set is ideal for someone who’s just starting out on their woodworking journey. It includes everything a budding DIYer will need to try out one of the most versatile tools out there.
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