Thread: First Router & First Router Table

There is no way I would be spending either $588 or over $800 for this router. Check out the prices of Tritons, De walts, Hitachi and you will get an excellent product cheaper and with a warranty. $588 for a router without a warranty is a very bad idea I think and over $800 for the Trend is way over priced. I have Hitachi and Triton Routers and have used them to make everything from small boxes to big kitchens for more than a decade. I have also used Makita routers. All have done everything the trend will do at a way cheaper cost. In fact I am going to buy another router this week (you can never have enough routers) and i will be getting another Triton (about $335) or a Hitachi which is for sale in the Market place of this forum for $130.

If you are looking for a router to go into a table get the Triton. They were designed from the ground up for table use.

+1 for the Triton - on special at Carbatec until 31/05 - $395

Above table bit changing and height adjustment.

Importing does give me a warranty - it only means that the router would have to go back to the UK for repairs. However after two years I would need to repair it locally, when the warranty ran out. I was looking for a name of a company in Melbourne that will repair routers. The Trend is almost identical to the Dewalt internals and parts and Dewalt repair shop will and can fix Trend routers.

I am after a trade quality router while Triton has a loyal hobbyist following it however has little traction amongst professional cabinet makers. I would never compare a Triton to a Festool or even a Trend. The Triton is over 6Kg. I will never buy Triton anything. Its bulky, top heavy, and the aesthetics of the machine make my stomach churn. Yes I am a snob.

Dewalt is the other brand I have considered, however they only supply two lightweight routers to the Australian market. In Australia we get dumped with of the world and then are expected to pay top dollar for the privilege. If I wanted a Dewalt DW625EK at 5.1kg for a table I would still need to import it and it would set me back $375 plus postage.

I have also looked at the Hitachi M12VE(H1) - it lacks micro adjustment in both the fence and the depth stop as far I can tell from youtube. It comes in at 5.3kg. Looks like a good construction site router but not for a cabinet makers shop.

The Trend T11EK was built from the ground up for router tables. See this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7A5bhLiPXc

I would love an Elu and they are great machines but they are extremely rare in in Australia and most that go on sale in the UK will not ship downunder.

Form over function?

Your link states 110V not 240V.

Does the Trend have above table bit change facility?

In the end it is about what you are comfortable with, isn't it?

Well bugger me!!!

The Triton is perfectly suited for a table!!

Aesthetics worry you!!?? Sounds like the bloody thing will be under a table where you won't
have to worry about such a lowly rated "priority"!!

Hitachi routers have a great reputation, along with more grunt than a paddock full of pigs!!
I have had one for nearly 20 years and it sure is the goods when you talk about industrial quality.
The micro height adjustment can be catered for with a good router lift.

As for bulk the Trend comes in @ 6.3kg.!!!

Any router you want for the specs you give will come in at 6kg.+ !!

Sounds to me like you have rationalized: decided you want something then made up a set
of reasons to justify the decision.

Just from experience, I purchased a router for over $600 (a Festool) and it had a problem out of the box. Had it repaired under warranty in a week or so and that included pick up and delivery from home.
If you purchase from overseas who would pay for shipping for warranty repairs? Chances are you will not have a problem but it might happen. Also if you alter the plug and there is then an electrical problem will it be covered by warranty or are you prepared to accept the financial risk.
If you need a part, do you order from overseas supplier and wait, or nip down the road to a local dealer.
At the end of the day the choice is yours, just understand the risks and costs involved.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

+1 for the Triton - on special at Carbatec until 31/05 - $395

Above table bit changing and height adjustment.

You can get the Triton for $339 from The Discount Trader

Originally Posted by Handyjack

If you purchase from overseas who would pay for shipping for warranty repairs? Chances are you will not have a problem but it might happen. Also if you alter the plug and there is then an electrical problem will it be covered by warranty or are you prepared to accept the financial risk. If you need a part, do you order from overseas supplier and wait, or nip down the road to a local dealer.
At the end of the day the choice is yours, just understand the risks and costs involved.

Thanks Handy - That is essentially the risk and after consideration, talking with people, I am leaning away from buying from overseas at this point. I will be buying locally however it will cost me more. I went to my local Total Tools dealer to look at the routers available first hand. The selection was rather poor. I got to talking with the sales rep. In short any hand held machine will need repairs, with power buttons and bushings the number one breaking points according to the rep. Interestingly Triton was not their best seller (interesting the Triton is not even on their website but is in store only - rather silly) - To be fair I did watch a few Triton adverts on youtube to see why blokes like it.

Dewalt in the sales rep opinion was not as good as they used to be. Plus Dewalt is now part of Stanley and repairs are not fast because how Stanley must give permission for repairs before they will accept a tool for repair. He was not to keen on the Hitachi, I was considering the Hitachi M12 since they seem popular but they did not have one in the store.

I held, played and examined the range. The best machine I found, was the Makita 2100W 12.7mm (1/2") Plunge Router. It was very heavy however it is made in Japan big point for me. It has soft start, variable speed, it has integrated power button in the actually handle not on the body. My only niggle was the micro adjustment was very stiff but some lubricant should help. Total Tools are asking for over $650 dollar for it. However Sydney Tools are only asking $473. The down side it only comes with a 12month warranty.

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We have a local United Tools store here in Geelong closing down at the moment and all their power tools are discounted. I have to go there tonight so I can get a price if they have one of those Makita's in stock.

One reason I like the Triton is that it is compact, that is more squat than the other brands.

This makes it very good for hand held use.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Thanks Handy - That is essentially the risk and after consideration, talking with people, I am leaning away from buying from overseas at this point. I will be buying locally however it will cost me more. I went to my local Total Tools dealer to look at the routers available first hand. The selection was rather poor. I got to talking with the sales rep. In short any hand held machine will need repairs, with power buttons and bushings the number one breaking points according to the rep. Interestingly Triton was not their best seller (interesting the Triton is not even on their website but is in store only - rather silly) - To be fair I did watch a few Triton adverts on youtube to see why blokes like it.



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I suppose routers do need repairs sometimes. But good quality tools should not be breaking down in key components on a regular basis. I have a Makita 5900B saw (I think that is the code) that I bought before the invention of electricity. It has cut kilometre upon kilometre of timber and it still runs just fine. My Hitachi is router must be getting on 20 years old and it shows every sign of outlasting me. I had a Triton router in a cast iron router table at a school where I worked. It was used endlessly and when I left the school it was still kicking on. I have a Triton myself and I suppose next time I go to use it it might break but it shows no sign of it yet. My suspicion is that if you get the Makita that the likelihood is that if you look after it then you will get many years of trouble free work out of it.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

We have a local United Tools store here in Geelong closing down at the moment and all their power tools are discounted. I have to go there tonight so I can get a price if they have one of those Makita's in stock.

Their price at the moment is $470.

Originally Posted by chook

I suppose routers do need repairs sometimes. But good quality tools should not be breaking down in key components on a regular basis.

That is good news, its the luck of the draw in many ways. I once bought a product from a company legendary for is quality and I had no ends of problems with the machine luckily it had a 3 year warranty and in that time I had almost every part replaced. The machine lasted me 10 years before it finally died and gave up the ghost.