My most expensive router is my cordless Rigid 18 volt. All of my other routers were $25-60 on Craigslist and garage sales. Have accumulated 6 quality routers over the years from the cordless trim router to a 3.25 hp Metabo/Hitachi. Probably $300 in all combined. They are a blast... So versatile!
Hi Eric I have the Elu half inch plunge router the predecessor to your Dewalt. I bought it in the 80s mainly to joint kitchen worktops. I've being of the tools for quite a while but your videos have prompted me to make use of what I have. I will be incorporating it in a home made router table. Back in the day I would bolt it to the under side of my black and Decker workmates to make mouldings on site. I'll be expanding my cutter range over time. Your planter video kicked me off and I really enjoyed making a large one for my wife's cherry tree last week. I put it on casters, its heavy but moved around great. All best from England.
Thanks David! I love the old power tools. They keep on working for decades if you take care of them. The casters on the planter box is a genius idea! Perfect if you have a decent patio surface in your garden. I've moved mine a few times but I have to use the dolly. Cheers🍺 🙂
Looks like I'm gonna be getting a dual collar router the 1/2" bits seem so much stronger and probably accurate. Thank you again for sharing I am learning a lot
@Chris Barbot Thanks! Yes, it's too bad they don't all have that option, you have to look for specific models. That said, there are jobs where you still need the 1/4" shank because the 1/2" is too large.
Hi Eric, I wish that I had seen a video like this back when I started. I am sure that it would have saved me many $$$$. Very informative for such a short time. Well done.
Thanks @Harry Davis! I know what you mean. I had to learn most of it the hard way as well. Hope this helps folks who are in the market for a new router. Cheers 🙂
Thanks Eric, nice video on your routers and bits. I am beginner in woodworking and actually just used a my fixed/plunge base router and made a make shift bench top for it. I am trying to make my own baseboards; a different and modern look than what's out there}. Have you ever made a video on a such a project before? Being a beginner, I running into an issue of choosing my table saw or router to make the profiles. It's simple baseboard about 5.25" tall with the front top mitered at 45 degrees and a small 1/4" dado about 3/4" below the bottom of the 45 degree miter. What would you choose? Of course, I have to do these all to 8' length pieces.
@bobby simon I have not tried to make my own baseboards. Given the length is 8 feet each, I would cut the bevel on the table saw and use a feather board and an out-feed table to ensure perfect accurate results. The dado, you could cut with a router and an edge guide or feed it through the router table if you find that easier.
Hey man saw your shed build video of the heartland from Lowes. Do you think the 8x8 heartland would be big enough for a workshop for my mountain bikes? I was thinking a small workbench and a pegboard on the back wall and a bike stand in there...
@John Warner 8x8 would be pretty tight. Go for the extra 4 feet at least. I didn't need a permit for a 8X12 where I live. You might want to price out a custom build though, it is almost the same amount of work.
@Joe Dance Thanks! They're okay as long as you stick with their carbide bits. The regular set is okay for a starter kit but you will want to buy the most used router bits individually after a while.
Hi, thanks for the review. I am starting out with RT0701 so 1/4" shank and I noticed you listed the Pit bull router bit set as an option in your comments. Do you have any feedback on this set? It seems that you mentioned the set that came with your Ryobi but not the Pit Bull set. Thanks for your help.
@Michael Guillory The set that came with my old blue Ryobi router, was a Ryobi branded set. I do not own the pit bull set. That was just an example of a reasonably priced all carbide bit set. There are many on Amazon if you shop around. My recommendation would be to buy a modest set, 10 -15 bits. That would give you more than enough to get started.
@@EricSorensenCanada Thanks for the response. I am mostly looking at sets in the size you mentioned. Grizzly has a couple options that I am most interested in. Thanks again.
Bits with a 1/2" shank seem to be a no-brainer purchase if your router can use this size, but that means duplication of bits if you acquire a 1/4" router. I have an older Ryobi (1/4" only) and a new Bosch (both sizes). Do I stop buying 1/4" shaft bits? Thanks
@Stephen Fishman It depends on the work you need to do. You will find more full bit sets at the 1/4" size. Personally I buy 1/2" shank for straight bits, round over bits and chamfers bits. The 1/4" bits will do better at higher speeds and I'm more likely to use them for box joints and dovetails - because my store-bought jigs are designed for 1/4" bits.
@@EricSorensenCanada Thanks for the reply. I don't buy sets; they all seem to have too many bits I don't expect to use. I buy what I need, when I need them.
@Stephen Fishman I do the same thing these days. I have one set that I started with but now I only replace some or buy one or two at a time. The main thing for me is to always buy carbide bits.
I don't seem to be able to fix bits on my Makita RT0701cx7. I bought a box of bits tagged " 6mm but I can't figure out how to fix any of these bit on the router. Please can you show how to fix a 1/4 inch bit in your Makita Compact Router? Thanks.
@Adebola Adeola That router will only accept a 1/4" shank, assuming it's made for the North American market. If your bits are actually 6mm - the shanks should be slightly smaller than 1/4" shank. If it is too tight and won't go in, ensure that you have loosened the locking nut enough so the collet can expand. It might be a bit tough at first if the router is brand new. If it is too loose, it might be just be that the (metric) bit is too small. I will try to cover some of this in an upcoming video.
