Are cheap routers ok for occasional use or just not good all

[wonky_phil]

I strongly suspect i've been using my Dremel with the plunge router attachment for bigger jobs than it was intended for. As a result it's probably a good idea to buy a proper router.

My question is, are the sub £100 routers worth getting? I very much doubt i'll be routing counter tops, it'll mostly be plywood and if I use it more than once a month i'll be suprised. Therefore I don't see the point in spending £300 on a router if a £60/£70 one will do - however, if the cheap ones are just plain rubbish, regardless of amount of use, I don't necessarily mind spending £300 on one.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Phil

 

[mseries]

I bought a secondhand B&D about a year ago from a local chap via eBay. Cost me £15 + my time to collect it (my travel was already paid for) , new I think it costs <£100. You can tell it's a cheap machine. No soft start, pressed steel fence, poor means of fititng accessories. The fence rods are not parallel to the base when tightened. No means of fitting a fine height adjuster without custom buidling. That said, it's a cheap machine sO I excuse it and I do use it for some tasks to preserve the life of my old Elu (I bought it before I replaced the bearings & brushes on my Elu). It's more powerful than my Elu, and heavier and not as nice to use. I wouldn't call it plain rubbish but there are some tasks that I would choose my better machine for. For straightforward tasks such as template work with a guide bush or bearing guided cutter, straight trenching with the base running along a straight edge, circles with a bolt on circle jug it's usually good enough if I can deal with lack of fine height adjustment. In summary this B&D has limitations, all machines will and cheap ones more than others. Of course we expect more expensive machines to last longer too.

Let me put this another way, if I bought this to get into routing I think it would put me off, it can't be used in the same way as you see the more decent machines being used in the magazines and books.

 

[Selwyn]

Get a used hitachi on ebay or the sip router is quite good

 

[nathandavies]

my first router cost me peanuts, I used it for years, but there are limitations, the main one being that because it wasn't particularly powerful any large cuts would have to be made with a couple of passes, with the amount you'll use it I think you would find an adequate router sub £100, it's a question which comes up a lot so I think you should be able to find reference to what's available somewhere on here. after a dremmel I would have thought any router will seem great.

nathan

 

[marcros]

i would buy a decent second hand one. Elu is mentioned above and would be a very good choice. Parts are still available, but as long as it works and the bearings are ok, it will be as good as £200+ will buy now.

Just noticed the prices on ebay. Not as cheap as I expected, but the above still stands!

 

[mseries]

i would buy a decent second hand one. Elu is mentioned above and would be a very good choice. Parts are still available, but as long as it works and the bearings are ok, it will be as good as £200+ will buy now.

Just noticed the prices on ebay. Not as cheap as I expected, but the above still stands!

Changing brushes and bearings on a MOF96/MOF96e is not expensive (<£15) nor difficult, if it's sounding graunchy then this might be the only thing wrong.

 

[marcros]

mseries- that is well worth knowing, thanks.

 

[mseries]

mseries- that is well worth knowing, thanks.

I created a PDF of my steps when i did it a few months ago with my MOF96e. There is a link to it on the forum somewhere - or I can post it again if anyone wants it. (I created a Kindle version too, just for laughs). I wish now I'd take more pictures but it was the first time I did it and I wanted to make sure I did it properly with no parts left over* so documenting it wasn't my highest priority !!!

* I did have a part left over which I worried about overnight but the next day I realise it was from my circlip removal pliers and not my router !!!!

 

[MMUK]

FWIW, my back up router is a Tonino Lamborghini. It cost me £60 plus about £8 delivery brand new. For the money it's a good bit of kit, I've used it this morning in fact to ovolo a piece of mahogany I'm making into a shelf. It comes with a box of ten bits (I snapped the 3mm straight cutter almost immediately but suspect that was my fault for going too deep) which are OK on close grained wood, the finish is perfectly acceptable. It also comes with the obvious parallel fence, dust extraction attachment and 3 collets (1/4", 5/16" & 1/2").

The only downside is the plunge can be a bit stiff and jerky but this is easily sorted when I have the time to strip it and polish/grease the stanchions. I also had to modify the fence slightly by putting a washer behind the set screw one side to square it up.

 

[Rhossydd]

mseries- that is well worth knowing, thanks.

I created a PDF of my steps when i did it a few months ago with my MOF96e. There is a link to it on the forum somewhere - or I can post it again if anyone wants it.

That would be useful. I can't easily find a reference to it via the search function.

 

[mseries]

That would be useful. I can't easily find a reference to it via the search function.

Happy to oblige, I hope it helps

http://www.mseries.plus.com/router-bearings.pdf

 

[Rhossydd]

Thanks for that. Useful reference for when it comes to replace the bearings in my 96

 

[wonky_phil]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll take a look at the used ones and see what I can find!

Kind regards,
Phil

 

[Spindle]

Hi

If you're looking for a router to accomplish tasks previously done with a Dremel you only need a light duty one. I'd consider a Trend T4 - you can get one with a range of accessories for less than £100.

Regards Mick

 

[jim_hanna]

+1 for the Trend T4, a useful tool for not much money and if you want extra features then a Fine Height adjuster is available and a T5 micro-adjust fence will fit as well.

Comes with 1/4" and 8mm collets and a 3.2 mm collet (for the Dremel bits) is also available from Trend.

I have one of the Dremel router attachments, compared to a proper router it's a piece of plastic rubbish.

PS I also have had a number of cheap routers from Homebase and B&Q. Most rubbish but I've got a couple of the McAllister 1200W models (no longer available) which I still use often. Big advantage of the big box stores is their no quibble return policy, the kit which I didn't like after checking it went straight back.

Jim