Need input... does the MFK700 do these?

[pugilato]

I have lost my palm router (a Bosch), I think because I loaned it out and can't remember who to. I know better than this, but there is the off chance that it may have been stolen. So, I love Festools but the price not so much. Which means I need to know before I replace the Bosch whether the MFK700 does a couple of things...

Can it be set up to do mortise routing on doors and door frames? Will it route the cup for the euro style hinges? Will it do laminates (like for countertops)? I know it can do limited edging (roundovers and such) and dadoing, but that is all I have even read about or seen after months of off and on looking.

I do a lot of plywood work (kitchen cabinets, etc), but use mostly edgebanding. Maybe in the future I might do some wood edging at client request, but there's not that much call for it. This being the case, do I need the horizontal base at all (maybe buy one later)?

I hope to use bits with the wheels, as that is what all my jigs use and don't really feel like I want to change (unless its much easier and not more expensive).

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[erock]

The MFK700 does NOT plunge.    But you could make a jig and install a copy ring for the mortises for doors.

The MFK700 only takes 1/4" and 8mm bits.    Since it does not plunge, You can't use the Festool 35mm bit.  At lease I would never try to use it.

I have used the MFK700 for dados using the different 8mm Festool router bits.  Mostly using the Festool 6mm spiral bit for 1/4" plywood cabinet backs and drawer bottoms.  Using the Parallel Edge guide on the MFK700.

The one thing I don't like about the MFK is you are limited to the length of bit you can use for trimming edge banding. 

The Festool bit 491 666 is a  good edge banding bit.  CMT also has a non bearing bit that I like to use.  Sorry, I don't recall the CMT bit number, but Tom at Tool-Home carries CMT bits and he could help you out I'm sure with the CMT bit.

My opinion is that the horizontal base is a must have for trimming edge banding.  Dust collection with the MFK700 is freakin' GREAT!

Eric

 

[pugilato]

Thanks, erock... the Bosch palm sander does not plunge either. Just set the router on the jig to follow, bottom the bit out, and add the depth of the item to route for. I do the edgebanding by hand and the system I use is easy, not time consuming, and cheap... also, I generally have help for that kind of thing and they cannot use my festools. I might use it for that but not necessarily.

Don't use the 35 mm bit for cups, just a jig which is followed around by a 1/2" mortising bit with guide bushing. Works real well.

 

[CNX]

I seriously considered MFK700 when I was looking for a palm router. I use it just for edge profiles.
FineWoodWorking had an article. DeWalt 611 got the pick and Griz H7791/ Ridgid R2401 got the best values. I ended up with the Ridgid simply because a HomeDepot is only few minutes away and under $100. I thought it couldn't go wrong with that price.

In the article, MFK700 was criticized for; 1) you can't see the router bit, while others have much better visibility and some even have LED and 2) it is difficult to control by one hand. These were considered as "serious problems for solid wood working", while the editor said it was the best router ever used for the horizontal position.

The Ridgid turns out to be a nice router although the height control dial is little stiff. One issue is, of course, the dust collection. None of the palm routers, except for the Festool, have dust collection. Edge profiling is usually right and do not produce that much chips but every time I vacuum the floor and the table, I sigh. You can't believe how far the wood chips can travel. For the edge work, I guess visibility is not an issue and MFK700 with two-hand operation should be fine. So, I guess it really depends on what you want to do with the palm router and, of course, whether the the five-time cost can be justified. For me, I don't do edge banding and trimming. So, it's difficult to justify the purchase. I'll keep sweeping the floor and making more sigh for a while.

In any case, my suggestion is to have one of those tiny routers less than $100. Even if you get a MFK700, you'll find applications for it. My Ridgid is actually delight to use,,,,, except for the dust collection.

 

[erock]

Yeah, it took me a little time to get use not being able to see the bit.  But the vertical base has center marks.  I just line up my pencil marks with the center of the vertical base and go to town. 

With the vertical bases,  I just bend down, site the depth by eye and trim my edge banding.  I don't need to watch the bit rotate while I'm using the MFK700.  With the MFK, I don't need to use router bits with bearings, plus, they don't fit....LOL !

It is a little funky getting use to the different bases the MFK has, but that's because I never had a trim router that does what the MFK is capable of.

I have a Porter Cable trim router that I used for a long time before I picked up the MFK700 ( during a recon sale). 

The different bases and dust collection set the MFK700 apart from the other trim routers.

If dust collection is high priority for you, take advantage of the 30 day return policy and try the MFK700.  If it doesn't fit, return it.

Eric