Trimer advice

[VW mick]

Guys

I'm looking for some advice on trimmers

I'm finding I need a small trimmer to leave set up with a chamfer bit in it (or pencil round)

I really like the idea of a festool one.and I did nearly purchase an ofk500 a couple of months back but the 700 seems more versatile

But for £100 I could just get a makita or Bosch trimmer

Do you really think the festool trimmers are worth it
I don't do any edge trimming as in lippings

I really can't decide

 

[Locks14]

I've never used the OFK Festool's, but I own the Dewalt 611 palm router/trimmer. So whilst I can't say it's as good/worse/better than Festool's offering, I can say I rate it and have never felt it is lacking in any department.

Can be had for about £120 and comes with an optional plunge base for about £40 to turn it into a lightweight 1/4" plunge router if you ever felt the need.

I think Peter Parfitt did a review on his YouTube page and rated it quite highly from what I remember.

Edit: here's the link.

 

[stvrowe]

It is hard to justify the cost of a Festool for what you describe given the very little amount of sawdust generated for those bits.  For the application you describe, the Bosch or the Dewalt would be the one I would go for.  I know nothing about the Makita offering but any quality brand should work just fine.

 

[DB10]

    I have two Makita trimmers, The 3709, and the RT0700C. Both of these would be ideal for what you are proposing although the RT0700C is the more Versatile of the two with a variety of different bases. I also own the optional plunge base and the Makita straight guide, of which both of these accessories are of very good quality.

 

[rst]

I have a Bosch and a PC.  Both have dust extraction and work great.  One generally has a roundover bit, the other a mortising bit for use with my hinge layout templates.

 

[Kev]

I still kick myself for letting go of my little Makita trimmer. Perfect for leaving set up ... something you tend not to do with Festools.

I'd be tempted to get a couple of little routers myself ... something I'm likely to do when I finally get round to acquiring a Leigh D4R

 

[sae]

You see the new Bosch w/ the microadjust base?

 

[Peter_C]

Although some people may talk highly of the Bosch Colt I am not one of them. They have a habit of of the housing slipping, which is well documented on the internet. The bit is held firmly in the collet. Mine slipped dropping the bit while working with Corian. Could have been an expensive mistake, but my RO150, some 36grit, and my large Festool router fixed the issue. The Colt slipped again even after tightening the lock lever. I just don't trust it. Some will say you can rest it on the micro adjust so it doesn't slip. I am going to buy a Festool MFK700 to solve the problem.

Many people seem to like the Ridgid router which has an LED on it. I know nothing about it though.

 

[nickao]

The Colt has a brand new design as shown in the previous post, it doesn't slip for me.

You can't go wrong with the DeWalt 611. I have just about every small router other than the brand new Bosch micro base version(my brother owns the one I use) and the DeWalt 611 is the only one I reach for when I want a small router.

For me the DeWalt 611 is the best of the bunch right now. It has great dust collection when you want to use it in plunge mode and the plunge works great. It also has very good free hand balance, excellent power and the dual LED's(a must have on any new router for me!).

I also have run a few 611's on table top CNC's for about 6 months, 6 to 8 hours a day 7 days a week non stop before they burn out. That probably equates to 10 years of hand use or more.

 

[waho6o9]

My colt slips as well.

 

[wcndave]

I have the Makita RT7000 It's great.

 

[joiner1970]

I have the Makita RT7000 It's great.

Me too a great little router. My of1010 doesn't get used much since I bought the little makita.

It's surprisingly well made for a cheap makita

 

[VW mick]

Thanks guys for all your advice

I think I will get a makita

I did really try with the festool
Next problem. I'm now thinking 2 makitas 1 with chamfer one with pencil round

A sys 2 with some foam and a little section for some cutters

i think it will still be just a little cheaper

 

[joiner1970]

I've got mine in a SYS 1 just took a few boxes out of the screw box systainer. Then drilled holes in some MDF and dropped it into one of the screw boxes for holding the cutters

 

[VW mick]

Yes joiner that sounds like a great idea any pics ?

Also do you think 2 would fit in a sys1

 

[ear3]

Not to hijack the thread, I'm wondering other advantages to using a trim router like the 700 when doing at work and particularly laminate trimming as opposed to the 1010 or 1400? Does the ability to get to a higher speed with the trim router make a difference in the quality of the cut vs. Something like the 1400 which has less rpms at the top speed? Or is the main difference just about the footprint of the base and the relative stability or maneuverability of a smaller versus a larger router?

 

[VW mick]

To be honest my only thoughts was to the footprint and ergonomics of just a one handed machine

 

[jmbfestool]

I haven't read all post but I vote for the makita.

Cheap and does the job.

 

[GarryMartin]

Very impressed with these cheap Makita RTO700C copies. The bases, collets and accessories are interchangeable, and even the manual mentions Makita! I've seen some comments that suggest they're made by the company that makes the routers for Makita but I've not been able to positively verify that.

But for less than £35 each, they're cheap enough to leave set up for different purposes and maybe to own more than one. There's definitely at least one more in my near future shopping basket.

They're out of stock at the moment (unless you wanted to go for the ones with additional bases), but I'm sure they'll be back in soon. Probably the best £35 I've spent this year and I know a number of my Twitter followers have bought and rate them too.

Even come with a spare set of brushes!

http://www.aimtools.co.uk/101748-6mm-1-4-electric-hand-trimmer-wood-laminator-router-joiners-tool-220v.html

[EDIT: I should note the description is rubbish - they come with a 1/4" and a 3/8" collet not a 6mm and 8mm.]

 

[Holmz]

Not to hijack the thread, I'm wondering other advantages to using a trim router like the 700 when doing at work and particularly laminate trimming as opposed to the 1010 or 1400? Does the ability to get to a higher speed with the trim router make a difference in the quality of the cut vs. Something like the 1400 which has less rpms at the top speed? Or is the main difference just about the footprint of the base and the relative stability or maneuverability of a smaller versus a larger router?

Not to hijack it further...
I have some veneer going onto a sheet.
What do people use to trim it?
And just contact cement or something else? It is going onto Fibreglass skins
The flats seem easy, but then I am wanting to do the 16-mm edge, which is wood underneath the skins.