Thread: Recommendations for a lightweight plunge router

Johncs,
I just visited the jpm international site - a bit confusing - they say that they are a distributor to 1500 outlets and that they are a strict wholesaler and to contact their partners which seem to be jpm divisions!!!
Anyway, I had a look at the Trend 4 router on the jpm site and it looks like a bosch POF 50 plunge router that I have - I know that mine is old and only 320w but i know that they did up the power a few years ago - it is a great router still. But I don't know if they are still available - you could try bosch.
It is/was a 1/4 inch router not a 6 and 8 mm router that the Trend T4 is.
Regards,

Hi John,

Maktec machines are made in China, ordered by Makita. There are some duds in the Maktec line, but the trimmer is a decent product. Most laminate trimmers and light use routers feature a basic cylindrical motor design. In many cases, these designs were already present in a brand's tool line in the shape of an angle grinder or straight grinder. A straight grinder is often fitted with a standard size collar anyway (like 43 mms), so the simple addition of a router base or edge trim guide is enough to add another tool to the catalogue.

Smithy mentioned the Bosch 320 Watt POF50 router, which was developed in exactly this way. The motor started life in the 70's in the Swiss Scintilla factory (Bosch's tool partner) as a 320 Watt straight grinder with a 43 mm collar and a 6 mm spanner (for which a 1/4" insert was also available). The same motor was used in the renowned Bosch jig saw models of that era and it was souped up to 400 Watt to serve in the smallest Bosch angle grinder model.

The Bosch DIY line had a turquoise livery until the latter 70's, with some intermittent colour experiments like greyish beige and white and red. Around 1978 green was chosen for Bosch DIY, and many models were direct derivatives from the blue pro line. To give its DIY-line an edge over the competition and to hint towards buyers that the line was to be regarded as high-end, the dub "Profi" was added, meaning that these tools had some pro-like features or qualities, despite being DIY-machines. And it wasn't even a lie. As many owners worldwide came to appreciate, there were some secret green Bosch tips. The large Bosch green angle grinder, drill or circular saw models were in fact hardly skimped-down blue versions disguised in another colour. In the early 80's, the router grew hot on the wishlist as a wannahave tool for many home users. The green Bosch program lacked such a machine. The two loyal tool partners of Bosch (Holz Her for its woodworking machines and Scintilla for drills and jig saws) had no fitting alternative in their production line at that moment, and Bosch deemed new development too expensive, for routers are not big DIY sellers like drills and sanders and jig saws are. So they took the already existing blue 320 Watt straight grinder and added a router base. This base was sturdy enough and had some nifty adjustments, and the 320 Watts were considered enough for DIY-purposes. So in spite of the grinder motor being of blue quality, featuring large ball bearings and a good spanner, Bosch never dared make this router blue. For daily site and shop work it was simply bound to fail for lack of power.

So POF50 stand for "Profi" OberFräse (pro-like overhead router) with a plunge depth of 50 mms. As the blue professional straight grinder was cranked up to the present 550 Watts over the years, this motor design was also transfered to the POF 50, which is curently called POF 500A. I told this Bosch router story before in may 2008 in the thread "Bosch blue routers". I added a pic then, which i copied here underneath.

Many brands used this trick of an exisiting motor model fitted with a router base. The Metabo version has evolved into the present OfE738; you are already familiar with the Trend T4 (and its T4E electronic version) and Black & Decker/Elu/DeWalt also had models like these, which are no longer available.

With 550 Watts, the Bosch is the puniest, but it still has superb handling. The Metabo is rated at 710 Watts and the Trend T4 at 850 Watts. For routing, always go for power, to have as much reserves at the ready as budget and technology will allow. The solution of a loose motor with a loose base is not half bad. Stick the motor in an accessory edge guide and it doubles as a trimmer. Use the motor freehand and you have a 550-to-850 Watts Super-Dremel. Stick the motor in a drill stand and add a guide rail and you have a stationary groove or ornamental profile router. Not bad at all.

The Dremel is a very light machine. Compact and unbeatable for truly delicate jobs, but too flimsy for true routing jobs.

greetings

gerhard

John

Have you ever considered the use of the template guides where in most instances the weight of the router is supported on the templates you produce. Also making yourself a router support you are able to produce the edge work you may wish to do without having the weight to worry about. Personally I think you may regret the purchase of a small router as you will find they are very restrictive in their use with a large range of projects you may be considering. Cutters that you require may not be available for the smaller routers which is a big dissadvantage. This information of course will depend on the sort of projects you wish to make. I use the large routers all the time even for very small items once the templates are produced, it is simple experimenting with the use of the guides which will also add Greater Safety Awareness with the use of the router.

Tom

Thanks for your detailed reply, gerhard.

The only Bosch routers listed on its Australian website are the (blue) GMR1 and the POF 1200 AE.

Metabo lists the FME 737 but no accessories for it. As it stand, it's just a housed motor, and it costs more than my needs justify. Other than that, it has mid-sized to large routers.

I could probably import one from the UK, the Trend is my leading candidate at the moment, but all I've seen is pictures without dimensions, so I don't really know what I would be getting.

What are the dimensions of the base plate on the T4? How high is it?


I accept that "more power is good," but it's always a compromise. The Maktec is 530W (input), that seems fine to me, and so's its mass.

Of course, a plunge base that fits the Maktec would be fine.

Originally Posted by tomod

John

Have you ever considered the use of the template guides where in most instances the weight of the router is supported on the templates you produce. Also making yourself a router support you are able to produce the edge work you may wish to do without having the weight to worry about. Personally I think you may regret the purchase of a small router as you will find they are very restrictive in their use with a large range of projects you may be considering. Cutters that you require may not be available for the smaller routers which is a big dissadvantage. This information of course will depend on the sort of projects you wish to make. I use the large routers all the time even for very small items once the templates are produced, it is simple experimenting with the use of the guides which will also add Greater Safety Awareness with the use of the router.

Tom

I have considered the use of templates, I have read some of what you have written, and when I hear of another course presented by tomod I intend to attend. Until I understand properly how you use templates I'm limited to what I can read in magazines, in books by authors such as Patrick Spielman, and what I can find on the Internet (including youtube and the routerforums)..

I have larger routers, I don't think power will be an issue for the purposes I have in mind. I recently cut some mortices on an edge with a hand-held Triton. I used two fences to clasp the workpiece, stop blocks to limit its travel, and having cut the first I made a setup stick so I could replicate the size. It impressed Instructor Jim who suggested I use the morticing machine.

It seemed to me safe enough, but I wouldn't want to use the triton on anything much smaller than the 50mm edge I was working on. The trimmer, suitably attired, would do fine, but adjusting the depth is a pain.

If I find a book written by you, Tom, I will buy it.

John

I will no longer be conducting any workshops but I would like to see you happy with a router that suits you and can do all you want it to do. If you care to give me a call come down the hill and I may be able to assist you. I have my workshop day on a Thursday each week where two of us get together and produce simple projects. We are just finishing off a Vegetable Box and our last project was a pedestal stand enclosed

Tom

Originally Posted by Johncs

What are the dimensions of the base plate on the T4? How high is it?

No matter where you look on the Internet, height is the one dimension missing - how odd! Would you like me to find one and measure it before you decide?

Ray