Executive editor Robert W. Lang takes a Makita Compact Router kit for a test drive with both the standard and plunge bases. Complete review is in the August 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. – Robert Lang
Tag Archives: Plunge Router
Tool Test: Makita Compact Router Kit
Bigger doesn’t always mean better.
By Robert W. Lang
Page 16
Small routers are easy to handle, and the addition of multiple bases makes them good all-purpose tools. The basic 1⁄4″-collet router that comes in the new Makita compact kit (RT0700CX3) has good power and variable speed. The motor slides in the base and clamps firmly, with rack-and-pinion fine depth adjustment. A plastic shield contains chips, and there’s a fitting for hooking up a shop vacuum.
The kit we tested included the standard base, a tilting base, an offset base and a plunge base. Swapping bases is easy – no need for any tools. The plunge mechanism was a bit stiff out of the box, but a squirt of lube fixed that. The handles are comfortable, but due to the motor orientation, the switch and plunge lock are reached with the left hand.
Makita: www.makita.com
Video: Watch the trim router in action. Read more