Palm router, is it worth or really needed?

[Toni Ciuraneta]

The title tell it all. I am thinking about getting one to route radiuses and chamfers basically, but I am a bit concerned about safety. Holding a router with only one hand makes me feel respect in the best of the cases.
Any suggestions or experiences are welcome.

 

[Bill Arnold]

I have three of them - one PC and two HF. I use them frequently with no problem. I also have a Dewalt on permanent assignment on my CNC.

 

[fred hargis]

I had the same question for a good number of years, and I never bought one....never really had to do anything my others wouldn't do. But here about a year ago I picked up a Bosch colt when Menards had a bag sale (15% off whatever fits in the bag) and I've used 5-6 times since then. It's never felt unsafe, actually quite comfortable.....but at least for me I'm still not sure it was absolutely needed. With the Bosch model you have to buy a different base to use the bushings ($10, no big deal) but otherwise it's not a bad router. The one I have is the 1 1/4 HP model, I think the smaller one has a lot of complaints about height adjustment. I use mine mostly for routing profiles like bevels (so far) and the optional base is larger in diameter making it useful just for that purpose.

 

[Don Baer]

but I am a bit concerned about safety. Holding a router with only one hand makes me feel respect in the best of the cases.

I had to chuckle a little about this. I remember taking a class with Sam Maloof and seeing him shape chair pieces by holding one of these in one hand and the piece in the other.

He said he jokingly said that Milwaukee made this model with the strap on it just for him. He also said he didn't recommend this type of wood working.

 

[glenn bradley]

I would say that like other tools, your need defines the value of the tool for you. I originally bought one for small edge profiles. Some of the modern ones are powerful enough that I now find the Palm Router to be my go-to choice for any 1/4" bit application. I have gone so far as to make teardrop bases for them which makes them as large as a full sized router in stability but not in weight.

They are also useful for carving-like operations, again due to their reduced weight. I also find them useful for jig work where the router motor attaches to the jig like circle, ellipse or other jig mounted operations. Bosch introduction of their 1-1/4HP model to compete with DeWalt's made the original 1HP version show up on sale here and there. Since I ws already committed to that form factor I picked up a couple well below the old street price. The 1HP Bosch is now around $90USD street price but I wouldn't advise starting with an old model in this arena.

If I were making a decision today I would lean toward the DeWalt. The 1-14 HP Bosh Colt has definite improvements over the orginal but the DeWalt is so basic and simple to operate I would lean that way. Sometimes tool designers try to make things too sophisticated but again, the platform choice depends on how you will use the tool and what aftermarket accessories are important to you, if any.

P.s. Don is right about the Milwaukee 5615. It may not be a lightweight compared to a Palm Router but I seriously love that strap grip. I tend to remove the knob on the strap side and move the knob on the opposite side to one of the alternate positions. This gives a very controlled grip on the tool.

 

[Chuck Ellis]

I'm not a router person... I have one and have used one a few times.... mine is attached to a table that all came as a unit... think it's probably a Craftsman I got on-line pretty cheap.... it works just fine, but is a little cumbersome to adjust the height of the bit.... it's been sitting in my shop on a roll around base covered with a tarp to keep dust off it for about a year now.... thinking about getting out to work on handles for new carbide turning tools I have plans to fabricate for my shop.... I prefer to have a fence to run router pieces against so I get a nice straight cut... as said, not really a router person and I tend to be a little erratic in my cut lines.
My thoughts (for myself - not for others) is that a hand held palm router would likely result in me routing my other hand.

 

[Darren Wright]

I do tend to do a lot of round-overs and chamfers and have hand-held my PC 690 many times. I recently got a ryobi one+ trim router so that I could use it with my 18v hitachi tool batteries (with adapter). It's a whole lot easier to hold/balance, but is only going to get used for light work like the 1/8" - 1/4" round overs and chamfers.

 

[Toni Ciuraneta]

Thanks a lot for your comments guys, I'll look at my budget and I'll let you know. As my birthday approaches it may well be my self present.

 

[Chuck Ellis]

Thanks a lot for your comments guys, I'll look at my budget and I'll let you know. As my birthday approaches it may well be my self present.

Those tend to be the best presents, exactly what you want, exactly when you want it.
Happy Birthday in advance.

 

[larry merlau]

they are useful for sure, my colt and small PC310 does a lot of light work for me

 

[Mike Stafford]

I have a couple of palm routers. One I seldom use because I don't find it to be as comfortable to use. The second is a PC 450 and I use it with a Plexiglas template to rout out recesses for pewas/dovetail patches in bowls and boxes. I can control it with one hand much in the same manner as I might control a pen while writing. It has a soft start so it doesn't "jump" when you turn it on which is important to me when I am blind routing with a template. Of course I am only using it with 1/8" downcut spiral bits.

I found it to be as controllable as a Dremel tool which is like holding a small engraver. If anything because of how easy it is to control I have a tendency to move it too quickly which can result in burning of the wood.

 

[Keith Thomas]

I have a bosch colt gkf125ce which I believe counts as a palm router and I love it. One recent thing I used it for where it came in really handy was to softly round over the out side of the face frame of my cabinet after I had put the frame on the box. its small size made it a breeze to run it on the narrow face frame. it was also very useful to run a detail in a wood window sill that was 70 inches long which made it to long to run through my router table at the time (I didn't have 70 inches each way at the time). the small size makes it easy to work with.

 

[Charles Lent]

I have a 4 base DeWalt laminate trimmer that I was using often as my small router for round overs, etc. But talked myself into getting the DWP611 DeWalt 2 base router kit and now use it for most of my small router chores. The laminate trimmer is nice, but it doesn't have the horizontal holes to attach a fence, so everything depends on a guide, guide bushing, or bearing to guide it. The fixed base of the DWP611 has the horizontal holes for a fence, so I decided to buy one to use with it. The DeWalt fence for it is just a fence, but I was hoping for more capability than that. Then I saw a demo of the M Power CRB7 and it became a "must have". It originally could do 7 different things, so the reason for the 7 in the model number, but they have come up with a few more uses and options for it since it's release. The DWP611 and CRB7 are now my favorite combination for most small routing chores now. My only problem was how to keep track of all of the pieces that went with the CRB7, so I built a special box to keep it and all of it's small pieces together.
So far, this has worked out well and I haven't lost anything, yet. The box was all built using scrap Baltic Birch of several thicknesses, with box jointed corners. Yes, it is possible to make good box joints in plywood, if you do it with the right blade and box joint jig (Incra I-Box and Freud SBOX8).

Charley

 

[Jim DeLaney]

...Yes, it is possible to make good box joints in plywood, if you do it with the right blade and box joint jig (Incra I-Box and Freud SBOX8).

Charley

That's the setup I have, too. It works great. I've made dozens of small boxes, etc. with it.

 

[Frank Fusco]

When I set up my shop one of my first tool buys was a Grizzly hand router. In more than 15 years is it one of my least often used tools. It is cordless and I suspect the battery has gone bad by now.