Trim / Palm Router Advice

[Bigbadmarky]

Morning All,
I hope you are well.
Sorry if this topic has been covered elsewhere, but I'm after some general opinions on palm / trim routers. I want to buy a budget end one but want to get the best value for money. I recently took the plunge (pun intended) and bought a Von Haus one but its been a nightmare. It made a real meal out of some 18mm mdf and wouldn't work its way through 2mm of oak. It kept spitting out the bit which I'm pretty sure is not a typical feature of routers. Eventually it snapped a brand new straight bit. Perhaps I was a bit heavy handed (wouldn't be the first time) but surely 2mm of oak shouldn't stop a router?

Anyway, I'm after a decent, cheap trim router. I would love to spend hundreds on a cordless super whizzy one but I'm not in that price bracket.
Does anyone have any recommendations or buying advice for me?

Thanks in advance,
BBM

 

[Jameshow]

https://exceltools.co.uk/products/e...UVc_lJL6WjD4w9l-S0i1_FA7D6ZIQJWhoCZ30QAvD_BwE
I have this one. Been good so far - just rounding over though.

£30 bare of attachments.

 

[Spectric]

I use the Bosch GKF600 with a plunge base and an FC tools base that allows it to use guide bushes, it works great but I use it within it's capabilities and for heavier work I resort to a 1/2 router.

 

[squib]

Katsu trimmers are a Makita copy and have very favourable reviews.
Aim tools is the shipper or Amazon.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

+1 for the katsu, sometimes it feels like everyone has got one! I bought mine direct from aim tools as it was cheaper than amazon.
https://www.aimtools.co.uk/collections/routers

 

[robgul]

+1 for the katsu, sometimes it feels like everyone has got one! I bought mine direct from aim tools as it was cheaper than amazon.
https://www.aimtools.co.uk/collections/routers

Ditto on the Katsu - from AIM - and I also bought a couple accessories for it - transparent baseplate and something else I can't remember. It gets used quite a bit - although I have a really cheap fixed-speed trim route direct from China (?Banggood) that's fine - I just keep the most-used roundover bit in it and just use for that

 

[Droogs]

+1 Katsu. I have 3 of them, 1 in a small table, 1 in a plunge base and 1 in the standard base. May have to get another for the tilt base.

 

[MARK.B.]

Katsu for me as well, cheap and does what it is supposed to do really well

 

[Bigbadmarky]

There seems to be a pattern emerging in theses responses: either this is a long con by the makers of the Katsu to get me to buy one or the Katsu is actually pretty good. In either case I'm sold.

Thanks for all your responses.
Kind regards, BBM

 

[Doug B]

Does any one know if the Katsu bases will fit the Makita trim router? I could do with a spare base & they don’t look a bad price.

 

[MJ80]

I'm not sure if they fit, but I think they probably do. I'm interested in buying one because the price for the plunge base for the Bosch GFK600 is mad.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I have both the Makita and the Katsu. They are fully interchangeable. The collet on the Katsu should be replaced, either with a Makita or a quality one from a CNC specialist. This improved the performance of mine.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f13/chinese-710w-trimmer-router-review-225828/3#post2163051
Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Kayen]

I recently bought an Erbauer palm router for £70 from Screwfix. It's nothing short of beautiful!

Quiet, smooth, easy to depth adjust, and comes with a cast ali base compared to the plastic base which most of the cheapos come with - well worth the extra few quid.

 

[mikej460]

I've just rounded over a beech worktop with an old Dewalt 1/4 inch plunge router and it did a fantastic job using a Trend 6mm radius cutter

 

[Thingybob]

An aside do any of the above supply a 1/8" 3mm collet

 

[AndyP]

I was thinking of getting the corded Katsu palm router but has anyone tried the cordless ones in comparison? KATSU FIT-BAT Cordless Trimmer W/2 Chucks 1/4,3/8 Battery 4.0Ah

 

[ChaiLatte]

An aside do any of the above supply a 1/8" 3mm collet

No. But the machines are used a lot in home built CNC routers, so the people who sell the stuff to make these sell them. 100% you will find one on eBay. You might find one at Oozenest or someone who is in a similar line of business.

 

[Jameshow]

An aside do any of the above supply a 1/8" 3mm collet

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18504892...tixoXeJTeO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

I use the Bosch GKF600 with a plunge base and an FC tools base that allows it to use guide bushes, it works great but I use it within it's capabilities and for heavier work I resort to a 1/2 router.

Agreed. Annoyingly Bosch sell a variable speed version in the States called 'The Colt'.

 

[Spectric]

Bosch sell a variable speed version in the States called 'The Colt'.

Also the UK version only takes the 1/4 collet , the EU version takes an 8mm collet as well. For some reason the two have different armatures with one drilled out to accept the 8mm one.