New Mafell router

[luvmytoolz]

I did notice that it takes a maximum router bit shank of 8 mm. They do offer reducing sleeves that will accept 6 mm or 1/4" router bits.

Also at 3.1 kg, it's about the same weight as the 1010.

Reducing sleeves on a newly designed and released premium router? Surely not?

If so that's a helluva step backwards! Reducing sleeves absolutely suck, and are a PITA to use.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I did notice that it takes a maximum router bit shank of 8 mm. They do offer reducing sleeves that will accept 6 mm or 1/4" router bits.

Also at 3.1 kg, it's about the same weight as the 1010.

Reducing sleeves on a newly designed and released premium router? Surely not?

If so that's a helluva step backwards! Reducing sleeves absolutely suck, and are a PITA to use.

Agreed 100%! Everybody knows that you can do that, if you choose to, but you absolutely should be able to get the proper sized collets for the manufacturer.
Now a days, most of them come with 2, the size of which may depend on where you are in the world though.

You can get 1/8", 1/4", 3mm, 6mm, 8mm collets for the OF1010, which also fit the MFK700 (and Shaper Origin)

 

[Fourmi]

They do offer reducing sleeves that will accept 6 mm or 1/4" router bits.

Reducing sleeves on a newly designed and released premium router? Surely not?

Agreed 100%! Everybody knows that you can do that, if you choose to, but you absolutely should be able to get the proper sized collets for the manufacturer.

The terminology used on the Mafell site is 'Adapter Sleeve' - they are actually collets and not reducing sleeves in the sense that we use that term.

For the LO55 they are listed as available in 8mm, 6mm and 1/4" - also compatible with the FM 1000 PV-WS milling motor. If you click through to the milling motor and look at the collets that fit this, there are also options 4mm, 1/8" and some other CNC chuck adaptors - in theory these would most likely fit the LO55, in the same way that the smaller Origin collets fit the MFK - but it is of little real world use.

 

[Lincoln]

I did notice that it takes a maximum router bit shank of 8 mm. They do offer reducing sleeves that will accept 6 mm or 1/4" router bits.

Also at 3.1 kg, it's about the same weight as the 1010.

Reducing sleeves on a newly designed and released premium router? Surely not?

If so that's a helluva step backwards! Reducing sleeves absolutely suck, and are a PITA to use.

No need to get too excited, they're collets.

 

[Lincoln]

I did notice that it takes a maximum router bit shank of 8 mm. They do offer reducing sleeves that will accept 6 mm or 1/4" router bits.

Also at 3.1 kg, it's about the same weight as the 1010.

Reducing sleeves on a newly designed and released premium router? Surely not?

If so that's a helluva step backwards! Reducing sleeves absolutely suck, and are a PITA to use.

Agreed 100%! Everybody knows that you can do that, if you choose to, but you absolutely should be able to get the proper sized collets for the manufacturer.
Now a days, most of them come with 2, the size of which may depend on where you are in the world though.

You can get 1/8", 1/4", 3mm, 6mm, 8mm collets for the OF1010, which also fit the MFK700 (and Shaper Origin)

No need to get too excited, they're collets.

 

[peacefulandpatriotically]

i contacted timberwolf tools (USA Mafell dealer) and was informed that 1) no USA availability is known yet and 2) most likely when it is approved for USA distribution, it will be using the "german plug".

take that with a grain of salt only time will tell.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Does it bother you the same/more/less than festool's 1010 plastic fence and rings ?

Not in the slightest - because I don't have a 1010. I had one for a week and absolutely hated it, so I took it back for a refund and bought a lovely little Makita RP1100C instead.

 

[Cheese]

No need to get too excited, they're collets.

Ya, they are collets, I wonder why they didn't just call them collets?

[attachimg=1]

 

[peacefulandpatriotically]

Does it bother you the same/more/less than festool's 1010 plastic fence and rings ?

Not in the slightest - because I don't have a 1010. I had one for a week and absolutely hated it, so I took it back for a refund and bought a lovely little Makita RP1100C instead.

what did you "hate" about the 1010?

 

[Cheese]

i contacted timberwolf tools (USA Mafell dealer) and was informed that 1) no USA availability is known yet and 2) most likely when it is approved for USA distribution, it will be using the "german plug".

take that with a grain of salt only time will tell.

Maybe they're planing on selling the US version LO 55 with a cord adapter, that's somewhat similar to how the CT 22 was sold.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Does it bother you the same/more/less than festool's 1010 plastic fence and rings ?

Not in the slightest - because I don't have a 1010. I had one for a week and absolutely hated it, so I took it back for a refund and bought a lovely little Makita RP1100C instead.

what did you "hate" about the 1010?

I hang 25-30 doors every month - most of these are in new-build homes where the frame is installed, but is completely blank to accommodate any type of door, any type of lock, and any number of hinges. I use a quarter-inch router with its parallel fence to cut out the hinge recesses on both the door and the frame. No problem on the doors obviously - but Festool insanely decided to orient their parallel fence at 90 degrees to the handle and dust extraction port - so the machine won't go anywhere near the head of a door frame without the handle and extractor hose hitting it. Sure, I could extend the fence and rout from the opposite face of the frame - but then I can't do the bottom frame hinge recess because the handle and hose hit the floor instead. A total deal-breaker for me, so back to the store it went. This new Mafell's sadly just the same.

 

[peacefulandpatriotically]

thanks woodbutcherbower, I appreciate the perspective

 

[mcooley]

The tooless bit exchange does indeed look good and the dust extraction much better than the awful plastic one on my Festool! Also as people have said the LED light is a nice plus and an area Festool refuses to do much with on many of their tools.

 

[heiko1974]

The Mafell LO 55 has to much plastic parts in critical positions. If you look the plunge action  in the videos it sem stick an slip, not as smoth as the of1010.
I'm not exited about it  :
Mafell made better tools than that in the past.
Greetings from Germany

 

[jeh]

Mafell is very slow to make changes to tools, but when they do they are well thought out because they know it could be a long time before a revision is released. The tool-less bit change is a huge step forward just like when routers added single tool bit changes. This may not be something that is easily replicated due to patent protection and (I am speculating here) the level of precision required by the mechanism might not be doable on a $200 router. I am surprised it has not already been done so there may be engineering hurdles that were overcome to make it to market. As to why Festool did not include a light on the 1010 R we will never know. It certainly was not cost.

 

[jeh]

i contacted timberwolf tools (USA Mafell dealer) and was informed that 1) no USA availability is known yet and 2) most likely when it is approved for USA distribution, it will be using the "german plug".

take that with a grain of salt only time will tell.

Maybe they're planing on selling the US version LO 55 with a cord adapter, that's somewhat similar to how the CT 22 was sold.

That most likely means Mafell has no public plans to manufacture a 110/120V version. The Mafell 110/120V tools sold in the US all have cords with US plugs. I believe they have other 230/240V tools sold by Timberwolf. One way to find out if there might be a 110/120V version is to look in the Mafell UK catalog or website. Some of their tools come in 110/120V versions to accommodate UK construction site rules albeit with UK plugs.

 

[WillAdams]

Yes, I bought a Mafell FM 1000 WS back when it was available from Timberwolf Tools for use with one of my CNCs and it required that I get a 220V--110V step-down transformer to plug it into.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

One way to find out if there might be a 110/120V version is to look in the Mafell UK catalog or website. Some of their tools come in 110/120V versions to accommodate UK construction site rules albeit with UK plugs.

I did, buddy. It only shows a 230v/50Hz version. That said - their bigger LO65 machine has only ever been available as a 230v also. It seems that the only tools they produce in both voltages are the odd ones most likely to be used on a jobsite and which they're likely to sell in decent numbers - the MT55 track saw being the most obvious example.