Thread: Ready to buy!

Q1: Triton.
Q2: no idea.

Hope that is helpful

Trav

What sort of things would you like to make?
Somethings are best done with a small router and others with a large machine.

Geoff

As you won't have a table for a while I would suggest a Bosch Gof 1300 or similar , as they have the features I would look for .TShould have speed control, micro height adjustment, fit 1/2" and 1/4" bits, good accurate guides for hand held operation , good plunge mechanism, comfortable to use, are relatively light, and reliable ( or I have found so )

If you are going for a table mounted then go triton but they can be combersom when used freehand.


The trouble with life is there's no background music.



Russell

I'd recommend a Makita. Heaps happy with mine, in fact I bought another exactly the same to have one mounted in the router table full time. Stay away from GMC- we started with one of those and now I wonder why I ever wasted my money...

Do some checking around and see then what Bunnings have them priced at (they beat it by 10%).

Cheers
Dan

Hi Geoff,

If you decide to buy the Triton check out this link
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=21512

I just bought one from Bunnings cost $340 Wife rang the hills centre before we left told us they had nothing Then I see this post in the triton group.

Can't complain to much though because they had a price of $399
although $290 would be better.

Regards Phil.

Something like the Bosch gof1300 would be a good general purpose router.

I have a little pof500 bosch which is a bit small (only 500w), but is really handy for fine work and I use it all the time freehand for running roundover / bevels and stuff like that. You dont really need speed control on a small router because you aren't going to be spinning any bits big enough to need to drop the speed down.

My other router is a Makita 3612v which is a BEAST It's usually bolted to my slab surfacer or home made router table. The speed control is usefull with larger bits and it give a soft start and electronic braking when you switch it off.

The Triton is a good heavy duty unit too, and the Hitachi M12 is another option in that class, but for a general purpose handheld router the Bosch 1200 (or similar) is probably your best option

Cheers

Ian

so a router virgin of sorts )

Don't have sex with a router, especially when it's turned on.

Originally Posted by Grunt

Don't have sex with a router, especially when it's turned on.

PLEASE tell me that this is not from personal experience!

Originally Posted by Grunt

Don't have sex with a router, especially when it's turned on.

Looking for new thrills Chris??

Al :eek:

For a first router and not wanting a router table, DONT GET THE TRITON. its too big and powerful to learn above the table routing skills with. my above the table router is an old makita 3600. go fo r the updated makita with variable speed and i think you will be very happy with it

The trick is to be able to tell when a router is turned on.

Originally Posted by CameronPotter

PLEASE tell me that this is not from personal experience!

How did Grunt get a flat Face?

I was in the same position as you a few months ago. I had never used a router, couldn't see myself investing in a router table for quite a while and wanted something I could use handheld. Based on posts I had read on this forum I started looking at the Makita 3612C, Hitachi M12V and Bosch GOF1300ACE. I didn't look at the Triton router because although I'm sure it would be a good one, based on stuff I'd read on this forum I got the impression that it was a bit top heavy for free hand use.

I liked the Bosch router, it is a bit smaller than the others (around 4kg) and so in my opinion would be better suited to handheld work than the others, but was put off it when I read a post on an overseas forum about it being discontinued. This being the case I was concerned I might not be able to find parts for it if I needed them in a few years.

I went off the Hitachi because the few I looked at seemed a bit rough in terms of fit and finish and I know that this would have p****d me off if I'd bought one.

This left the Makita. I came very close to buying the Makita but then I saw the Festool OF1010EBQ. The Makita was around the $540 mark from memory while the Festool was $595. The Makita weighed in at around 6kg while the Festool was only 2.7kg. The quality of the Festool unit was fantastic, very nicely put together.

I ended up buying the Festool. It is only a 1/4-inch router but given that I only intend to use it free hand there are 1/4-inch bits for everything I want to do. Its weight compared to the other routers I looked at makes it very easy to use freehand. I am very happy with my Festool router, it is a great bit of gear.

I have got the impression from reading this forum that routers have a tendency to breed and that if you get into it you will end up with one mounted permanently in a table and at least one another that you can use freehand or in another table or whatever. This being the case I already have the handheld one and if and when I buy a router table I'll get a Triton router to hang underneath it.

There are many places to buy routers on the Northern Beaches. I bought my Festool from Northern Abrasives and Tools in Brookvale. I have since bought a dust extractor from them and in my dealings with them I have found them to be very good.

If it is Makita you're after Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 in Mona Vale is good. They are a Makita Shop and so have a good range. Their list prices are expensive but once you start negotiating with them they are quite competitive.

If you want Bosch or Hitachi, Total Tools at Brookvale or Hardware & General at Brookvale are also options.

Geoff

I would steer clear of the big routers if you intend to use it hand held, and as you are just getting into woodwork etc I would take a close look at the 1/4 inch Makita, nice and light, easy to use but still requires a good operator. You can get a multitude of cutters for this type of router. This particular router would not be suitable to mount under a table but could be mounted on a metal sheet and a small fence could easilily be fabricated which would suffice untill you buy a table system.

I have several larger routers and I am also guilty of buying a GMC 1020 watt 1/4 inch router with adjustable speed for $39.95 and if I have to throw it away tommorrow it will have been a good experience as it is a pleasure to use.. Spend wisely.

All this will be a learning curve for you so enjoy your new hobby

Regards Mike.