Palm router

[_lotusbleu]

I'm looking in to getting a little palm router - mainly going to be used for cutting hinges and roundovers on smaller pieces.

Has anyone got any good recommendations? I've been holding off for a long time before getting one so it'd be great to know other peoples' experiences before buying.

 

[transatlantic]

I have the Katsu, which is great for the price. I'm not really a fan of the height adjustment though. The Dewalt spinning ring thing looks much better

 

[ScaredyCat]

+1 for Katsu

 

[Racers]

+2 for Katsu.

Pete

 

[basssound]

+3 for katsu, awesome little router.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

+4 for Katsu...

 

[Knot Competent]

Make that +5 for Katsu. Awesome value.

 

[MikeJhn]

Make that + 6 and +7 as I have two.

Mike

 

[sunnybob]

Just in the cause of fairness, I have 2 makita edge trimmers, wonderful things.

 

[MattRoberts]

I have the katsu and the dewalt. If you want a half decent router that's cheap as chips, the katsu is your man.

If you want something with more precision, power and versatility, the dewalt is far better, but at an obviously greater price.

 

[transatlantic]

I have the katsu and the dewalt. If you want a half decent router that's cheap as chips, the katsu is your man.

If you want something with more precision, power and versatility, the dewalt is far better, but at an obviously greater price.

It does look very nice. What makes it more versatile?

 

[custard]

What do you mean by "cutting hinges"? If it's routing out the majority of the waste for hinge mortices free hand, then you need a router with the best possible visibility. And even if you're using a hinge jig you'll still need a router where you can accurately set the depth.

Routing a roundover or a small moulding is less demanding, you generally work by feel rather than by eye so there's no particular requirement for cutter visibility.

Incidentally, Wealden recently introduced some new roundover bits that have a small relief angle. If you're anticipating doing any volume of roundover work then these are well worth the money.

https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/On ... g_964.html

I've never used the Katsu so can't comment, most professional workshops seem to use the little DeWalt or Makita routers, the DeWalt in particular is highly regarded for visibility when doing free hand work. For flushing off lipping the Festool palm routers have some real advantages, but at a jaw dropping price.

The downside of visibility is safety, it's all too easy to poke a finger in there, see Steve Maskery's recent post.

 

[MattRoberts]

It does look very nice. What makes it more versatile?

You can get it with the plunge attachment and have yourself a very good plunge router. The dust extraction is also more effective on the dewalt, and the accessories such as the fence are better quality. Also the base is larger and more stable than the katsu

Don't get me wrong, the katsu is my go to for running a quick chamfer on anything (the chamfer bit lives in it). But for operations that create more dust and need to be done freehand (off the table), it's over to the dewalt

 

[Stevebod]

+ 8 for Katsu...nice bit of kit for the money

 

[powertools]

+9 for the katsu. The op didn't say how much work he was going to put it to and as usual some replies have assumed that he or she is a professional maker but for those of us who are mere mortals the katsu is amazing.

 

[Droogs]

I'll put the katsu up to 12 as I have 3. They also have 3 different bases available just like the makita 700 series (whose addons all fit the katsu). there are a few good threads on the katsu here, used by both profs and hobby woodworkers.

 

[_lotusbleu]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Ideally I'll be routing out the waste of hinges freehand, so good visibility is definitely a key aspect I'm looking for.

It will be for professional use, but not receiving daily abuse or anything really taxing!

 

[RogerM]

I have no experience of the Katsu, but I love my little Makita, and if anything happened to it I'd get another in a heart beat. The reviews I've read on the Katsu say that the router is brilliant but the accessories, including the plunge base, less so. But looks like you can't go wrong at the price.

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