Welcome to the forum.
DEWALT 20V Max XR Lithium-Ion Cordless Brushless Compact Router
Hello to all in the router forum.
I have considered purchasing a router for about a year now since retiring. My wife and I are considering this adventure for making a few signs, some shelves with heart details cut out etc.
We have absolutely no experience with this adventure, although we have been watching you tube video's on routers.
Since looking at many different types, I have yet to put 1 in my hands for personal preference and feeling. Both my wife and I have smaller hands so I'm sure what would work for me would also work for my wife if she ever wanted to try it out.
I am really considering the Dewalt cordless @ $229. simply because of the flawless reviews. My thinking is the cord could be a PITA when working on smaller projects.
To add to this, I currently have a couple Dewalt cordless tools already with 2 batteries and charger. ( brushless 1/2 drill and the 1/4" little impact tool which worked out great for our new deck build last year.
We have looked at the small corded bosh colt, and other corded/cordless routers along with a couple cheaper options on amazon.
We do realize the Dewalt cordless does not come with a battery or accessories and would have to purchase them separately with significant costs. ( Plunge tool and edge guide)
Being that we are just beginning, I would probably just do hand held projects until we can afford the complete set.
We also realize tools are of preference and many have what works for them.
If anyone could give us some insight to these routers, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
I have considered purchasing a router for about a year now since retiring. My wife and I are considering this adventure for making a few signs, some shelves with heart details cut out etc.
We have absolutely no experience with this adventure, although we have been watching you tube video's on routers.
Since looking at many different types, I have yet to put 1 in my hands for personal preference and feeling. Both my wife and I have smaller hands so I'm sure what would work for me would also work for my wife if she ever wanted to try it out.
I am really considering the Dewalt cordless @ $229. simply because of the flawless reviews. My thinking is the cord could be a PITA when working on smaller projects.
To add to this, I currently have a couple Dewalt cordless tools already with 2 batteries and charger. ( brushless 1/2 drill and the 1/4" little impact tool which worked out great for our new deck build last year.
We have looked at the small corded bosh colt, and other corded/cordless routers along with a couple cheaper options on amazon.
We do realize the Dewalt cordless does not come with a battery or accessories and would have to purchase them separately with significant costs. ( Plunge tool and edge guide)
Being that we are just beginning, I would probably just do hand held projects until we can afford the complete set.
We also realize tools are of preference and many have what works for them.
If anyone could give us some insight to these routers, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
G;day @Woodenhearted , welcome to the forum. I only have larger corded routers, so cannot make a suggestion.
You are lucky, in that you have more choice in your country.
You are lucky, in that you have more choice in your country.
Please make sure you read the safety information contained here Welcome to the Forums...
It's also found in the first entry under General Routing located on the right side of this page (in case I didn't copy it correctly).
Anything spinning at 20,000+ RPM with something sharp attached can do serious damage.
Just want to make sure it's not you or someone else that gets hurt.
It's also found in the first entry under General Routing located on the right side of this page (in case I didn't copy it correctly).
Anything spinning at 20,000+ RPM with something sharp attached can do serious damage.
Just want to make sure it's not you or someone else that gets hurt.
This is just my personal opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) but if you have electricity nearby and the job takes more than a few seconds then use a corded tool. Battery tools are handy, but they can't get the job done like a corded tool. Let's say your battery is getting low and you are in the middle of the job. What happens to the rpm of the bit? It starts going slower and then what happens. Your otherwise nice job gets ruined. Yes, you can switch the battery out but by the time you realize that something is wrong it's too late. A cord won't get in the way and besides you will find that if you mount the router on a table, you will never see the cord.
i'm in UK,
I have the larger 1/2" Dewalt corded router DW625 , which i purchased to do a lot of jobs, but for quite a few i have found it too big really
My Son-in-Law has the DCW604 1/4" cordless Router , he got his as a Kit , with various attachments including plunge and batteries , although he already has quite a few Dewalt batteries for other tools, as do I
He has used on a lot of small jobs.
He has also recently purchased a Laser system, which will cut upto 6mm and also etches for signs etc
As you already have batteries , it would make sense to stay with the brand and expand as required
I currently have a lot of Dewalt cordless kit , having started with just a Drill, now have planner , circular saw, Jigsaw, Right angle Drill, Multitool, grinder, Impact Driver, and various corded Dewalt tools
Do they offer the router in a kit in the Canada ?
this is a UK kit DEWALT DCW604NT-XJ
I have the larger 1/2" Dewalt corded router DW625 , which i purchased to do a lot of jobs, but for quite a few i have found it too big really
My Son-in-Law has the DCW604 1/4" cordless Router , he got his as a Kit , with various attachments including plunge and batteries , although he already has quite a few Dewalt batteries for other tools, as do I
He has used on a lot of small jobs.
He has also recently purchased a Laser system, which will cut upto 6mm and also etches for signs etc
As you already have batteries , it would make sense to stay with the brand and expand as required
I currently have a lot of Dewalt cordless kit , having started with just a Drill, now have planner , circular saw, Jigsaw, Right angle Drill, Multitool, grinder, Impact Driver, and various corded Dewalt tools
Do they offer the router in a kit in the Canada ?
this is a UK kit DEWALT DCW604NT-XJ
We appreciate the welcome into the forum.
Thank-you all.
We figured it would take some time in order to be accepted and therefore would not be able to respond prior to pulling the trigger on which router, bits, and set-up needed to get into this hobby.
It seems the 1 year wait time to make a decision was long enough as of yesterday after I made this post.
Having said that, I made the adventure and have purchased several things to get started yesterday.
If it comes back to bite me than, I hope to hang out with you folks to steer me in another direction while building on what I have now.
I do see the benefits of corded tools, that I cannot dispute. My thinking of cordless was more for less frustration with a corded model. I'm sure as my experience and passion for this hobby evolves, I will make better choices going forward.
I have looked at several very helpful posts that are available within the forum here. I appreciate the advice Chris posted to check out the Welcome to the forum page.
I still have more homework to do in these area's.
Hello Wayne, I have looked at several kits on amazon, some of what were unaffordable at the time with basically have no knowledge of what I really needed and wanting to do.
I hope that I made the proper choice for starting out with the little information I had to go on. I'm not an internet forum person, But I feel I found my place here to get started.
I'm looking forward to reading many more posts, getting educated with all things and hopefully bring something back to all that has helped me here going forward.
I will post a picture below of the router trimmer I purchased yesterday and the bits I plan on starting out with.
I still need to create an area to work within while looking into some sort dust collecting, I'm thinking Dewalt shop vac to start out with.
First, I will need a good work bench as well.
Thank-you all.
Thank-you all.
We figured it would take some time in order to be accepted and therefore would not be able to respond prior to pulling the trigger on which router, bits, and set-up needed to get into this hobby.
It seems the 1 year wait time to make a decision was long enough as of yesterday after I made this post.
Having said that, I made the adventure and have purchased several things to get started yesterday.
If it comes back to bite me than, I hope to hang out with you folks to steer me in another direction while building on what I have now.
I do see the benefits of corded tools, that I cannot dispute. My thinking of cordless was more for less frustration with a corded model. I'm sure as my experience and passion for this hobby evolves, I will make better choices going forward.
I have looked at several very helpful posts that are available within the forum here. I appreciate the advice Chris posted to check out the Welcome to the forum page.
I still have more homework to do in these area's.
Hello Wayne, I have looked at several kits on amazon, some of what were unaffordable at the time with basically have no knowledge of what I really needed and wanting to do.
I hope that I made the proper choice for starting out with the little information I had to go on. I'm not an internet forum person, But I feel I found my place here to get started.
I'm looking forward to reading many more posts, getting educated with all things and hopefully bring something back to all that has helped me here going forward.
I will post a picture below of the router trimmer I purchased yesterday and the bits I plan on starting out with.
I still need to create an area to work within while looking into some sort dust collecting, I'm thinking Dewalt shop vac to start out with.
First, I will need a good work bench as well.
Thank-you all.
The fostner bits , are they planned to use in your router
The router bit kit, can often be a good way to get a selection of bits, but often you may find you change to individual higher quality bits , if you find you are repeating a lot of work with the same bit.
But my 1/2" TREND set has been fine so far, and I also have purchased a couple of special bits that were longer
Do you have a lot of duplication in those 2 kits
cant see any model numbers on the small image , to look up and see what you have
I would tend to be careful of amazon on some power tools, with regards warranty , as i know for Milwaukee they are not an authorised dealer and have warranty issues in UK
Dewalt did give a 3 year warranty if registered with them , again not sure if same in Canada
FYI I did purchase one of the dewalt tools from amazon, and got the 3 year warranty OK.
The rest came from various companies when on offer
The router bit kit, can often be a good way to get a selection of bits, but often you may find you change to individual higher quality bits , if you find you are repeating a lot of work with the same bit.
But my 1/2" TREND set has been fine so far, and I also have purchased a couple of special bits that were longer
Do you have a lot of duplication in those 2 kits
cant see any model numbers on the small image , to look up and see what you have
I would tend to be careful of amazon on some power tools, with regards warranty , as i know for Milwaukee they are not an authorised dealer and have warranty issues in UK
Dewalt did give a 3 year warranty if registered with them , again not sure if same in Canada
FYI I did purchase one of the dewalt tools from amazon, and got the 3 year warranty OK.
The rest came from various companies when on offer
My plan for the forstner bits will be to eventually purchase a small drill press for roughing things out, such as wood serving trays. Then use the router to clean up the inside profile and bottom. This is just my way of thinking currently.
The router bits sets are just from a big box store here in Canada. ( Canadian Tire ) The sets do have duplicates.
I was thinking, 1 set was the cheaper quality carbide ( Mastercraft) for soft wood.
The other ( Maximum set) would be for hard wood with the better grade of carbide.
This was my reasoning for buying both sets without spending too much on expensive brands prior to knowing what I will be using more of at the beginning, along with how to use them safely and properly.
The Steelex brand of forstner bits I bought on amazon, my same reasoning as above. Not overly expensive for starting out.
I will certainly be careful going forward with my purchases, This is why I'm excited to be a part of this forum here with all of you.
I think my next purchase will be a little drill press, but that may be a few months out just yet. I need to look at making a work bench to get started.
I appreciate all the feedback I am receiving here and will definitely take them all into consideration going forward.
From a hobby standpoint, I still have so much to learn. You all are helping me and I thank-you so much for that.
I hope to stick around here through out my retirement.
The router bits sets are just from a big box store here in Canada. ( Canadian Tire ) The sets do have duplicates.
I was thinking, 1 set was the cheaper quality carbide ( Mastercraft) for soft wood.
The other ( Maximum set) would be for hard wood with the better grade of carbide.
This was my reasoning for buying both sets without spending too much on expensive brands prior to knowing what I will be using more of at the beginning, along with how to use them safely and properly.
The Steelex brand of forstner bits I bought on amazon, my same reasoning as above. Not overly expensive for starting out.
I will certainly be careful going forward with my purchases, This is why I'm excited to be a part of this forum here with all of you.
I think my next purchase will be a little drill press, but that may be a few months out just yet. I need to look at making a work bench to get started.
I appreciate all the feedback I am receiving here and will definitely take them all into consideration going forward.
From a hobby standpoint, I still have so much to learn. You all are helping me and I thank-you so much for that.
I hope to stick around here through out my retirement.
Do they offer the router in a kit in the Canada ?
this is a UK kit DEWALT DCW604NT-XJ
https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/de...rYpCZ2rSEaUC7l_TKlzVE7SW94e4lvMBoCav0QAvD_BwE
I didn't see a complete Dewalt kit as you show in the link above here in Canada. Reading most reviews, I was under the impression everything had to be purchased separately.
I ordered the plunge holder on amazon for $114.00 but will not receive it until Thursday.
Would have been nice to be able to get a set like you posted here in Canada if available, I just didn't see any or didn't do my homework well enough.
this is a UK kit DEWALT DCW604NT-XJ
https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/de...rYpCZ2rSEaUC7l_TKlzVE7SW94e4lvMBoCav0QAvD_BwE
I didn't see a complete Dewalt kit as you show in the link above here in Canada. Reading most reviews, I was under the impression everything had to be purchased separately.
I ordered the plunge holder on amazon for $114.00 but will not receive it until Thursday.
Would have been nice to be able to get a set like you posted here in Canada if available, I just didn't see any or didn't do my homework well enough.
Very good point.This is just my personal opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) but if you have electricity nearby and the job takes more than a few seconds then use a corded tool. Battery tools are handy, but they can't get the job done like a corded tool. Let's say your battery is getting low and you are in the middle of the job. What happens to the rpm of the bit? It starts going slower and then what happens. Your otherwise nice job gets ruined. Yes, you can switch the battery out but by the time you realize that something is wrong it's too late. A cord won't get in the way and besides you will find that if you mount the router on a table, you will never see the cord.
I really didn't think about the possibility of a job getting ruined when battery power begins to drop off. This is where my inexperience comes into play.
My thinking was more along the lines of the cord getting in my way and ruining my job from the reviews I read on this particular router.
Now looking at it from battery limitations, I will most likely buy another corded version once I get more experience with routing.
I would also like a router mounted in a table in time as well.
It will be a learning curve for sure.
Before diving into router land, I would suggest that you build a table. Signs aren't something that you would make but the shelves with heart cut outs would be made on the table. You would use a pattern bit and a template. Cut the heart out with a jig saw a little smaller than the actual heart size. The edges of the shelves would also be shaped or rounded using a table. I would suggest Craigslist for a small drill press. Your shop vac would be hooked up behind the fence to give you the dust prevention that you will need.
I appreciate the advice on a table when doing the heart cut outs.
Jig saw never crossed my mind for the cut outs actually.
My plan was to drill/rough everything out with the forstner bits in order to get close to the heart template, then use a straight bit to finish the walls to the line, then a round over bit.
I'm currently still trying to figure out what tools are good for specific tasks, so I will add a jig saw to the list .
I have looked at some used little table top drill presses on Kijiji here in Canada, just need to figure out what is junk and what is good.
As for a drill press, I never used 1 before but,
I'd like a little Skil drill press or Porter cable since they have good reputation for tools but didn't see any used so far so a trip to Lowes may be in order soon.
Jig saw never crossed my mind for the cut outs actually.
My plan was to drill/rough everything out with the forstner bits in order to get close to the heart template, then use a straight bit to finish the walls to the line, then a round over bit.
I'm currently still trying to figure out what tools are good for specific tasks, so I will add a jig saw to the list .
I have looked at some used little table top drill presses on Kijiji here in Canada, just need to figure out what is junk and what is good.
As for a drill press, I never used 1 before but,
I'd like a little Skil drill press or Porter cable since they have good reputation for tools but didn't see any used so far so a trip to Lowes may be in order soon.
I own both the Bosch Colt and the cordless DeWalt. I rarly use the Colt after having experience with both. I find the depth adjustment on the DeWalt much better. The router runs forever even using one of the smaller batteries. It has a rapid stop which the Colt does not have. That seems like a small thing but once you get used to it, waiting for the bit to stop with other routers seems inconvenient.Hello to all in the router forum.
I have considered purchasing a router for about a year now since retiring. My wife and I are considering this adventure for making a few signs, some shelves with heart details cut out etc.
We have absolutely no experience with this adventure, although we have been watching you tube video's on routers.
Since looking at many different types, I have yet to put 1 in my hands for personal preference and feeling. Both my wife and I have smaller hands so I'm sure what would work for me would also work for my wife if she ever wanted to try it out.
I am really considering the Dewalt cordless @ $229. simply because of the flawless reviews. My thinking is the cord could be a PITA when working on smaller projects.
To add to this, I currently have a couple Dewalt cordless tools already with 2 batteries and charger. ( brushless 1/2 drill and the 1/4" little impact tool which worked out great for our new deck build last year.
We have looked at the small corded bosh colt, and other corded/cordless routers along with a couple cheaper options on amazon.
We do realize the Dewalt cordless does not come with a battery or accessories and would have to purchase them separately with significant costs. ( Plunge tool and edge guide)
Being that we are just beginning, I would probably just do hand held projects until we can afford the complete set.
We also realize tools are of preference and many have what works for them.
If anyone could give us some insight to these routers, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
You mentioned the size and that might be a consideration. The Colt has a smaller diameter. I have very large hands and the DeWalt is a bit harder to hold. If you use the DeWalt plunge base this isn't an issue at all.
Both are good quality tools. Go buy one and have fun!
Mike
You say you will use a forstener bit for tray handles. A router and home made guide from MDF would be preferable and much quicker and every one would be identical with no cleanup needed.
FYI A motor powered by.lithium ion stops dead in its tracks when the batter dies....on any brushless or brushed motor cordless tool.This is just my personal opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) but if you have electricity nearby and the job takes more than a few seconds then use a corded tool. Battery tools are handy, but they can't get the job done like a corded tool. Let's say your battery is getting low and you are in the middle of the job. What happens to the rpm of the bit? It starts going slower and then what happens. Your otherwise nice job gets ruined. Yes, you can switch the battery out but by the time you realize that something is wrong it's too late. A cord won't get in the way and besides you will find that if you mount the router on a table, you will never see the cord.
I didn't know that. My battery are older DeWalt 18.5V ones. So, the lithium ones don't give you warning that they are losing power? The just stop in the middle of whatever you are doing?FYI A motor powered by.lithium ion stops dead in its tracks when the batter dies....on any brushless or brushed motor cordless tool.
Yeah that's pretty much the case....tool is either on or off, there's no deceleration of motors with lithium ion. I use Rigid for my screw guns, router and I have a 6-1/2" circular saw I just bought, for dicing up stock. They do have an LED meter on every battery, so you know when your going low on power capacity.
I love my corded routers, and don't think, any time soon, will we see any thing more than a trim router in cordless. Other than routing I can't see any reason not to abandon the cords. Look at the new Metabo cordless plunge router. I demoed it at my local store, not actually worked with it. That thing is incredible! In the store, I'd need a few months on the job to give a better opinionI didn't know that. My battery are older DeWalt 18.5V ones. So, the lithium ones don't give you warning that they are losing power? The just stop in the middle of whatever you are doing?
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Router Forums
A forum community dedicated to router and woodworking professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about different types of routing and routers, shop safety, finishing, woodworking related topics, styles, tools, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
