Bosch Professional GKF 12 V-8 (Bare, Carton) Brushless 12 V Router, Blue, 6/8 mm Collets

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It’s the only router in its class; there are several other cordless routers on the market, but they run on a larger battery platform and most have variable speed motors that max out in the 25-30,000 RPM range. So there’s nothing to compare this to, really. The height adjustment dial has arrows to show which direction is up or down (note: they relate to the base, not the bit), which is helpful; but the dial on mine has gotten more difficult to move over time. It takes some effort to move it, likely due to dust and dirt build-up. Kenny’s life around power tools started early. His grandfather was an airplane mechanic in WW2 and took up woodworking as a hobby after retiring from the power industry. Building everything from bookshelves to lazy Susans, he became extremely accomplished while his young grandson observed, fascinated at the way raw wood could turn into something both beautiful and functional. In fact, Kenny still uses several pieces that his grandfather made more than 30 years ago. The best palm routers can produce seriously high speeds, in the region of 30,000 rpm to make short work of timber and other soft materials. The speeds your palm router can reach depend on the size of the motor, and you must accept that the bigger the motor is, the heavier the tool becomes.

Cut from the same quality cloth as the best palm router on our list, Makita’s DRT50ZX4 is a brushless cordless trimmer that gives you all the power you need without the cord to trip over. This little beast forms part of Makita’s excellent LXT range of Lithium-Ion powered tools. You can share the batteries from your drill or saw to power up this palm router, making it brilliantly versatile. While not built for larger bits that are meant to remove a lot of material at once, this router can handle basic profiling like round-overs and shallow passes with straight-cutting bits. The router excels at running bearing-guided bits. | Chris Ermides Manchester-based tool and home improvement gurus VonHaus make an impressive amount of kit from blenders to ladders . Their compact palm router offers impressive performance and incredible value for a DIY tool.

My Top Recommended Palm Routers

Superior control - Unrivalled levels of control, thanks to the new ergonomics. The small grip circumference makes it perfect for one hand use It excels at these things thanks to its ergonomic design. Your hand sits over the motor and spindle, giving you fantastic one-handed control. The large offset base plate provides a nice balance on the material and minimizes tipping. Operation is smooth and stable; there are detents on the base to help further steady if necessary. The router weighs just 2.2 pounds bare. There are a couple of other models that get near 2.5 pounds , but most of the best are closer to 3 pounds or more.

The router body sits atop a small but sturdy base. The router’s standout feature is that it can be run using one hand. Thanks to its ergonomic design, your hand sits directly over the motor and bit—giving you fantastic control. | Chris Ermides

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Run-time depends completely on the bit and material you’re routing. When running it single handed, the 2Ah battery is ideal because it keeps the weight low and maintains the tool’s balance. Bosch offers a 6.0Ah battery, which will provide more runtime but you’ll sacrifice the tool’s agility and balance. Bosch offers a spec of “23-ft. of round-over capacity per Amp hour,” which is to say 46-ft. for the 2Ah battery I used. They don’t specify wood species or round-over size. One of the most versatile power tools you might never have used is the humble palm router. There are some jobs that just can’t be done without one of these handy little tools, but it takes a bit of practice to get to know it well. The Importance of Cutting Speed What makes the plunge router such a versatile tool is the wide range of bits available for performing many different tasks:

When I see stats like this I always assume a softwood and small-to-medium-size bit. These specs are meant to be a general guide and are never going to show the tool under its most challenging circumstances (like a ½-in. round-over on ipe, for example). How Much Does the Bosch Compact Cordless Router Cost? Superior Handling - Great ergonomic design: Optimized for one hand use with an ergonomic hand position with small gripping circumference Budget tool brand DEWINNER have worked out a clever way to make decent quality power tools at remarkable prices. Their electric palm router set is ideal for someone who’s just starting out on their woodworking journey. It includes everything a budding DIYer will need to try out one of the most versatile tools out there.Superior motor - EC BRUSHLESS motor delivers up to 100% longer life time compared to Bosch power tool with a DC motor As long as you’re using the router for light edge routing and trimming, it’s not going to be a problem. I ran the router through some tests with a 1/4″ x 1/2″ beading bit and a 22° x 3/8″ bevel bit and am impressed with the confidence the motor delivers.The key to getting the best performance from the Bosch 12V Cordless Edge Router is to take your time, especially in hardwood, and let the motor do the work. Additional Noteworthy Features Taking its power from a 12V Lithium-Ion battery, the GKF means you can work at any angle or in any place without worrying about tripping over cables. It’s ideal for working above your head or in awkward spots. It’s incredibly light at just over 1 kg, compared to other palm routers like the DeWalt D26200. Introducing the the world’s first 12 volt cordless compact router in the professional market. This exciting model features excellent ergonomics and safety, including drop detection. It also benefits from long runtime and lifetime, thanks to brushless motor technology.

Considering you can get higher performance from a cordless router, it’s the size and weight that may draw you towards this model. Dimensionally, it’s 8.5 inches tall without a battery and 5.7 inches long. The shape is much different than standard cordless models, of course. It’s useful to note that different routing jobs require different speeds – there are guides available to help you get your head around this, but the rule of thumb is the wider the router bit, the slower the speed. Always practise on scrap materials before using a new router bit. Difference Between Palm Routers and Plunge Routers First up, the motor: at 13,000 RPMs and no variable speed dial, this may seem less versatile than other cordless routers on the market that run in the 25,000 RPM range and it is. This router is designed specifically for round-over or similar basic profiling and flush-trim applications. The inset on/off switch is meant to make control easy during one-handed operation using your thumb-if you’re right-handed. If you’re left-handed, well, it’s a little awkward. Functionally, the switch is fine. The thing I like most about it is its safety feature: No list of the best palm routers would be complete without a Bosch Professional router. The GKF 12V-8 is a radical re-design of the standard shape palm router and forms part of Bosch’s “blue” line of professional 12 Volt tools. This means it’s made with professional users in mind and will be robust, reliable, and ready for anything.

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There’s a 710 Watt motor on board that can spin ¼” or 3/8” shank bits up from 13,000 to a maximum of 33,000 rpm. Its speed-adjustable as well by turning the wheel on top. DEWINNER have included the normal accessories such as a straight and curved guide, but they’ve gone a bit further than the competition. It doesn’t accept any accessories like a straight edge guide or bushings, so you’re limited to bearing-style bits or using a straight edge (which would prove difficult given the design of the base). compatible - works with formerly named 10.8v Bosch Professional batteries and chargers, as well as the newly named 12v