Palm Routers, here's what I brought home!

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North West Indiana
I bought the Beall wood threading kit and it came in yesterday so of course am playing with it today!! I see a great need for a router with a micro adjustment on it. So have narrowed it down to a pair of routers as it will probably stay on the wood threading jig. Here they are:

A Bosch 1 HP Colt Palm Router
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...roductId=1062825&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim


A DeWalt 5 Amp Fixed Heavy-Duty Compact Router
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...roductId=1072533&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim

So, if I read correctly, both have the micro adjustment on them. (even though the DeWalt is a fixed base?:huh:)
So how does the 1 HP rating compare to the 5 Amp rating? I just don't know how to finish the comparison and decide. I guess I am leaning towards the Bosch. Anyone have any suggestions? They are to closely priced to worry about that.
 
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Based on that then they lie about the colt being 1 HP. But thats normal..:rofl:.
Universal motors are rated at stall and not at normal operating speed. Induction motors are rated at normal operating speed.

If you were to look at the current draw at stall, it would reflect the HP rating.

I agree it's BS but all universal motors are rated that way, which is why it's better to look at the rated current at rated RPM to compare tools. If you asked DeWalt for the HP of their tool, it would be 1HP also (probably).

That said, I have the Bosch colt and it's a good router.

Mike
 
Universal motors are rated at stall and not at normal operating speed. Induction motors are rated at normal operating speed.

If you were to look at the current draw at stall, it would reflect the HP rating.

I agree it's BS but all universal motors are rated that way, which is why it's better to look at the rated current at rated RPM to compare tools. If you asked DeWalt for the HP of their tool, it would be 1HP also (probably).

That said, I have the Bosch colt and it's a good router.

Mike
Your darn right it's BS. Basic Physics tells you. 1 HP=746 watts 746 watts /110 volts =6.8 amps. If the motor were 100% eff it would have to draw that many amps. and Universal motors are not very eff.
 
The DeWalt is simply a yellow version of the Porter-Cable 7310. The motors, bases and adjustments are the same (same parts). Just the trim and cord placement is changed.

I use both at work. I have a flush cutting, bottom bearing bit in the PC, and a 15 degree, bottom bearing bevel cutter in the Bosch. They both work well. My observation after two years and thousands of feet (maybe hundreds of miles even) of laminate trimming is that the PC (DeWalt) is smoother (less vibration) and easier to adjust. It also seems more rugged. I personally bought the PC when I wanted one for myself.

cheers

John

When i worked for midwest, we had mostly pc's.did have a few colts but no one wanted to use them enless they had to.I guess that's the reason i got the dewalt. it (to me)seemed like a better router. I also have the royobi trim router, and for what i payed it's a nice little toy.;)
 
I have had the Colt for a couple years or so and am very happy with it. I did get the Pat Warner bases for it but have yet to put the round one on. The offset base meets all my needs. Your needs with the Beall may be different.

The variable speed has come it quite handy but again, if your dedicating this router to the Beall and the bits are made to run at the speed of the router, perhaps VS is not important. I would be loath to give it up but, I use my Colt for all sorts of things. I have come to totally disregard the micro-adjust. It works smoother than the DeWalt I tried but, it is still easier to adjust without it IMHO.
 
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Okay everyone, thank you for all of your insight. I thought I was buying the Colt until John chimed in. Now I am back at :huh::huh::dunno::dunno:.

I do have to clamp the base down, then lift the router so I can get the centering device out/off of the router bit. Since the DeWalt says it is a fixed base is this doable? If it isn't, then that kicks the DeWalt out and Colt to the top of the list again.

John, why the preference for the DeWalt? Because if it is comfort to the hand, it will be in a fixed position.

Okay, guess I need more insight. Not going to purchase until tomorrow night. Haven't gone to shop since Christmas, wife wants me to go tomorrow night, so, will buy one then.
 
We have two Bosch Colts at work. They both work well, and do everything we ask of them. If you are going to have yours table or jig mounted, the "buzz" shouldn't matter. Both types are easy to change bits on, with both having a shaft lock so that you only need one wrench. I don't know what they mean by "fixed base".
the Bosch uses a clamp (shows in the picture).

The Bosch base is removed by unlocking the clamp, rotating the motor housing about 10 degrees (from"locked" to "unlocked"), then sliding the motor out of the base. My experience has been that if a bit is out of balance, the vibration in the Bosch can cause it to rotate away from the locked position (even with the clamp tight) and it will change its working height. It doesn't happen often, but it can be a bit of a pain.

I'd be curious to see what your intended use is for it. Can you post a link to this "Beall" item?

cheers

John

I require micro adjustment on this router, both of these have this correct?

Changing its depth would be a project killer for me. That makes me cringe!!

Here is part 2 about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLTEBUfzFFQ&feature=channel_page

It is neat!!!! I cut two bolts today, very easy, very cool!!!!!
 
Not for nothing Jonathan The guy in the vido link you posted is using a Dewalt.:thumb:
Either one I'm sure will do the job just fine.
 
Good point Chuck!!! :thumb::thumb:

John, yeah, not much glue on this type of job. What did you think of the video?

I can see a lot of uses, primarily I am building a gun vise for my gun bench and wanted to build it completely from scratch so now I can build all of it in my shop including the wooden bolt and nut! Will post pictures of the build when it happens. Have so much on the list yet.
 
The place I used to work had the DeWalt. It's a good solid router, but since you need micro adjust that works, I suggest you take it off your list. The micro adjust on the one I used had a ton of slop in it. It was easier for me to adjust a PC 690 router to 1/32" than it was to adjust the DeWalt.
 
Well, thanks for all of the great advice. I looked them over very critically. In fact, the most I think I have previewed a tool ever. I am one of those, I like it, I buy it type of person. So, here it is:

http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogD...toreId=10151&catalogId=10051&Ntt=bosch+router
It is the one on the top left. The 2 1/4 HP. Both bases, non palm router!

The DeWalt, I did not like the adjustment screw. It was pretty chinsey when I took the router off of the base.

The Bosch I liked the measurement scale on it (DeWalt didn't have that). But both were fixed bases and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to do all of the things I needed to do (yep, I remember Chuck, in the video he used a DeWalt router). Well, when it all came down to the end, I bought the big Bosch. But, will see if one of my older routers will work on this so I can keep this one for other tasks!!!!
 
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