Bits can leave behind burn marks or rip chunks out of the wood if spinning too fast, ruining the project. The variable speed combines power with controlĭifferent kinds of wood have different densities and react differently to high-speed cutters. This palm router was able to fit all the way into the corner of my juice groove jig and make a perfect channel with my ⅝-inch cove bit. Will it become your go-to router, too? The small size gets into tight cornersīecause of the lack of handles and the small base diameter, the DWP611 can get much deeper into corners than larger, handled routers can. Rounding over the outside edge of a cabinet, cutting a juice groove in a cutting board, or cutting slots for T-bolts are all perfect tasks for a compact router. Trim routers are perfect for small projects that don’t involve a lot of material removal. Most are less powerful than traditional routers and typically only accept the smallest sized bits-¼-inch shanks. Instead, you hold the router by wrapping your hands around the body. These smaller routers don’t have handles. More than likely, the ornate lines of your doors, trim (hence its name), moulding, or baseboard were made with a router. These bits can be designed to cut along the edges of a piece of wood, in the middle of the wood, or both. If not the Makita is fine for the CNC alone but there are no real advantages outside the RPM range, which I personally don't think matters much (when I rout acryllic with the DeWalt I'm set in the 50% rpm range).The DWP611 is my new go-to router for all but the biggest projects.Ī compact, or trim router is a rotating cutting tool with a flat base that accepts different sized and shaped bits to cut a specific pattern into wood. TLDR: the DeWalt is better if you want to have it be double duty as being in a CNC router and use for hand stuff. The Makita requires two wrenches (one is specialty so you have to buy another if you lose it) and the Dewalt just has a simple button stop to lock the collet IE if you are using the router hand held, the Makita can be a 'three hand affair' while the DeWalt is a 'two hand affair.' (Although this isn't such a problem when mounted in a CNC router.but it's not a positive) That list also lists the collet change on the Makita is better which isn't true. The difference in RPM isn't really a factor imo, with the size of bits being used in these requiring pretty high RPM to begin with. Makita stuff is good but they have not been interested in designing new products, unlike companies like DeWalt and Milwaukee who have been developing their products to have really useful features.

It's also much quicker to change bits on the DeWalt. It's much quieter than the Makita and the height adjustment on the DeWalt is MUCH better than the Makita. I have both, I much prefer the DeWalt, but I am using it as a handheld trim router. if one buys a matching nut for each collet) and afford a greater clamping tolerance (e.g., a 1/4' ER-style collet can hold a 6mm endmill).įor collets see Precise Bits, Elaire Corp., or for the Makita RT0701/0700 in Imperial sizes, the precision collet set which Carbide 3D sells for the Carbide Compact Router. These are more convenient and easier to change (esp. Some are merely replacements for the standard collets in different sizes, while at least one manufacturer offers specialized systems which allow one to use ER style collets. Note that trim routers may be upgraded w/ better collets (Carbide 3D has begun bundling precision collet set). Makita brush life longer and replacements less expensive and easier to change.Dewalt has a longer body and can be mounted so as to reach lower.Dewalt has a plastic button on the Body, which limits Z plane positioning inside the mount, Makita has a more Robust Tool changing mechanism, with a cylinder push lock below the shaft, which will allow more mounting options in the Z plane.Dewalt has lights, the Makita does not.Dewalt has a longer collet clamping area and collet with a greater number of slots which affords multiple precision collet options (standard ones as well as the ER-style collets from Precise Bits), Makita has a single source for a large variety of sizes of precision collets (the Carbide 3D 1/8' and 1/4' precision collets for the Carbide Compact Router will fit) and an option for a 3/8' collet (larger than the 5/16' or 8mm the DeWalt collets top out at).Dewalt has finer-grained speed control, Makita lower and higher range of possible speeds (the lower speeds are especially useful on plastics and wood).

Dewalt router 611