Rotozip? Laminate trimmer?

[neilyweely]

I bought a rotozip 550w spiral saw gadget, it has a quarter inch collet included which will take all the router bits i have.

I also have a pof500. the router is about the same power as the spiral saw, or so it seems.
Laminate trimmers look awful similar to the rotozip. Is there any real difference, other than the price? ( i got mine for a fiver.)
I could do with finding out if it has any severe limitations as i think i may try it tomorrow to trim a kitchen WS edge, which i usually use the pof500 for. I have read the rotozip is always burning out, but I have tried a 1/4 inch ovolo bit which seemed to cut ok.

I thought the rotozip was made by bosch anyway (in another guise)

 

[gidon]

Blimey £5 - that's a pretty good price!
The base on mine has too much flex to be used seriously as a laminate trimmer in my opinion.
They were taken over by Bosch - but the model you have most likely is from before the takeover. Doesn't look like any real differences.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[OPJ]

The newer version of the Rotozip apparently isn't a scratch on the older version. Bosch's own-brand laminate trimmer is supposed to be very handy.

If you've got the older model, I reckon you must have got yourself a real bargain for a fiver! :wink:

 

[neilyweely]

OPJ and Gidon

You are both right, Gidon, the base on the rotozip is the only issue, I took it to the college workshop today and tried cutting with an ovolo bit, which was ok but tended to be a little hard to control, I didn't use it for the laminate trimming. I believe it is the older model, OPJ, as it doen not come in the large case and had a 1/4 inch collet in its handle, which the new model I looked at did not have. It looks a couple of years old too!!!

The Pof500 I have is a great little router, but even as small as it is is a little unwieldy to be used one handed - which I can do with my friends laminate trimmer (makita).
Answer is to stack the rotozip away and be happy that it only cost me a fiver!!! Then buy the Bosch laminate trimmer, which I believe retails for approx £100; does this sound right?

Thanks folks
Neil

 

[OPJ]

On Axminster's site, the GKF 600 is currently going for £124.95.

I'm sure it was £115 when it first came out??

Might pay to shop-around a bit, or even have a browse on eBay.

The one disadvantage of all these small routers/laminate trimmers is that there's no port to connect a dust extractor, if that bothers you.

 

[neilyweely]

at the moment all the work I do is at other peoples property, so doesn't concern me asmuch as it should!! (mostly finished before decorators come in, so....)
However am soon hoping to move and acquire a garage/workshop so will need a dust extraction system.

What does concern me is the size of the base, as I feel more confident with a larger base (each to their own!), so maybe someone can let me know of this is an issue at all? Do I have a point or is the Bosch laminate trimmer a beaut? If so I shall go for it, as I am 'feelin' Bosch at the moment.

I wonder if there is any way to fit a different base to the rotozip? This would be fantastic, but alas, I doubt it! Comments invited Gidon>

Thanks a lot guys. bedtime.