They didn't test the Harbor Freight because it would have made the rest look sick.
Herb

 

Well this is very unsettling. I was so depressed I threw both of my PC7815’s in the dump today and ordered Bosch .
I just can’t win Herb

 

You shouldn't have done that. That is what made the Bosch tank!!!
HErb

 

They didn't test the Harbor Freight because it would have made the rest look sick.
Herb

you are trying to make a mes in my Wheaties, ain'ja Herb....

 

I know the PorterCable and the Dewalt are virtually the same routers except the Dewalt has variable speed, or at least they had been in the past few years. Of course, the variable speed might have a control circuit in it that limits its power enough to downgrade the performance compared to the PorterCable unit.

It's also interesting that they tested the smaller Bosch PR20EVS Colt 1.0 HP instead of the Bosch GKF125CEN Colt 1.25 HP. The PorterCable and Dewalt are both 1.25 HP and I'm not sure about the others you listed but it looks like that might be the reason why the Bosh came in so low in the test.

It is hard for me to believe that Wood did not do their research on the basic comparison points of the router choices. Lets test fruits, nice orange peach just picked from the tree at the perfect time, a perfectly ripened yellow banana, a purple plum that is sweet and juicy, and this old moldy apple from the bottom of the barrel. I don't think the apple has a chance.

 

run them all hard for a year or so and get back to us....

 

My take on this whole thing is ,I am not ready to chunk out around $430. for a cordless router with the battery and charger. No matter how good they are. Not when I can get one for $130 with a cord that will last all day and start any time I plug it in.
The Bosch Codless is a funny looking thing.
Herb

 

The only justification I could (would) use is if I'm having to work on a job site that pays very well and power is an issue. Even so you'd have to have several well charged batteries just in case or at least power to recharge when needed. Convenience is nice but not at that price. My 1st cordless tool was a Panasonic drill and I bought it at a reasonable (at the time) price of $189 with battery and charger. When the charger died it would have cost almost as much to replace and then bought a new cordless drill which I think is exactly what they want you to do. It wasn't a Panasonic again just on principle. My drills were priceless to me as working on HVAC equipment, especially commercial rooftops units, where the doors may have many screws holding them on, made it easier on my arm muscles over the period of the day. Not to mention the many transformer boxes I installed on a "normal" zoning system. I had a $2k tool allowance a year and made sure that it went as far as reasonably possible but bought quality tools as they needed to last.

 

Herb it's such a pretty blue color. Brushless drives that price up, so does the overpriced batteries.

 

I have noticed that it is directional too, because of the way a person has to hold it. Kind of like a jig saw, even the base plate is square on the front.

 

I broke down yesterday, and ordered a cordless tool. It is called a shovel, but I don't know where it was made. I already have a nice cordless miter saw, it is an old Craftsman, in almost new condition, and works great. The rest of my power tools are all corded, and any future buys will also be corded.

 

I have bought my few routers based upon what the guys on the Guitar Forum have recommended. And I also rely on a former co-worker, who buy a router whenever it's a deal so he doesn't have to change bits. PC690 for the big stuff, and now the Bosch Colt corded for my binding jig operation and hand held smaller jobs. That cheap @$$ HF palm router is scary noisy, not variable speed and real piece of crap. I finally gave away my 2.5 hp Crapsman to Goodwill, and ran away as fast as I could. I bout it a pawn shop in 1985 for $15, and it served me well enough to learn how to do some things, but when the collet lets go in the middle of building my first LP guitar body, I was done with it. But with all the mistakes, I learned to press on, and overcome. I play Scrap Paul about 1 hour every day, and I am going to build a perfect one very soon.

 

I agree with all your comments. I might add we worked for for 30+ years on jobs without power in construction, and had a portable generator. Several tools at a time could be run off it. I do like cordless tools,Drivers and Drills especially, but they come with batteries and charger and sometimes more than one tool same brand uses the same battery,i.e. drill ,jigsaw etc. Usually different brand tools don't mix and match with batteries though, which can be a pain. The HVAC guys were the first ones I saw with battery tools, but the had to strap a battery pack nearly the size of a car battery to their back in those days. But everything has improved since then. I too bought my first battery saw off the internet,(Bosch) , and then had to turn around and buy a charger and Nicon battery for $150. more then found out they had upgraded to a new lithium battery and that battery wouldn't fit my saw. I notice that the batteries and tools are getting larger and larger, along with the batteries and the weight is getting heavier too.
HErb

 

The only thing I feel works well with a battery is drills and the impact drivers . Couldn’t imagine using a corner drill this day and age

 

My extension cord has been going strong for likely 30+yrs. Never needs charging and the voltage has been the same all that time!

 

FWW did a tool test on the cordless trim routers maybe a year ago. Milwaukee didn't have one at the time. It came out a few months later and then they reviewed it separately. They said that Milwaukee must have been studying what everyone else did wrong because they had corrected all the problems and had it been in the original test it would have won hands down. Milwaukee has put a lot of time and money into developing their 18V cordless line so I expect that batteries and parts will be available until long after I'm gone. I don't need a cordless one and I'm really happy with my DW 611 combo but I have been buying Milwaukee tools for the last couple of years and they haven't disappointed me yet. They have a good reputation for a reason.

 

We use their 20v drills for doing pole changes . Imagine a 3/4” auger bit going threw a telephone pole using batteries . But it doesn’t flinch , and sure beats gets tangled up in a cord all day .
They’ve really come a long ways from what we can tell

 

The cord was a blessing when a 3/4" drill motor auger bit got stuck, it would wind you up like a cork screw before you could let go. They didn't have clutches and even if you got your finger off the trigger, the motor took a couple of rotations to wind down. They turned at 350RPM's and it could break your leg with the handle on the way around. They weighed a ton and took 1 or 2 men to use them.
Herb

 

That’s when men were men :surprise: