I bought that Erbauer router a couple of years back. Thought I could get away with a cheap router when starting up as self employed.

I ended up returning it as not fit for purpose.

The body of the machine had some nasty play coming from the plunge assembly.

Horrible, inaccurate and dangerous. Perfect for diy! 😉

I swapped it for a Triton TRA001 which I had endless troubles with.
I’m not joking when I say I must have swapped the machine 4-5 times until I got one that didn’t instantly sound like the bearings were going to come flying out at 100mph.

The Triton is unrefined for sure but it’s powerful. The auto spindle lock is good until it plays up, then it’s a total mare.

I’ve got rid of the Triton now for my table router and got a big Trend T11
It’s so much better and inspires confidence in use, rather than terror!

Buy cheap, buy twice.
I swear I never learn that, despite having it confirmed regularly!

You cant go wrong with trend, they make good routers, though the small 1/4″ isnt good for any sort of longevity.
To counter the Triton. I’ve no idea why this has been brought up, thought OP was looking for a small easy to use 1/4″ for occasional use, not a 6 1/2kg, 3 1/4 HP beast.
.
I’ve also got that one(TRA001), one of 4 we bought for the last workshop i was in and my personal 1/2″ and ive not had a problem in the 15 years Ive used it. I use it handheld and in my router table and it does have some very nice features, and a few downsides.
It was last used with and 80mm panel raising bit and did it in its stride.
Pros –
Powerful enough to use any size of cutter, especially when mounted.
Has a nifty safety cover over the switch so you cant accidentally switch on, this cover is spring loaded so when you press off the cover snaps over the button to enclose it.-unique to triton
Cover is linked to the spindle lock so when its in the on position, even if unplugged it cannot engage the lock.-unique to triton
The main spring is easily released so when inverted you arent fighting against it trying to raise or lower it.- Unique to triton.
Plunge facility can be spring plunge or wound up and down via a gear on one of the handles-Unique to triton.
Usual soft start, electronic speed control.
Cons –
No base fitting for guide bushings
No facility for through base fine height adjuster.(on the TRA001)

Overall in my humble opinion I think the triton beats trend on the features. Both are big and powerful and fit for trade use. Both cost the same @£259

I’m not joking when I say I must have swapped the machine 4-5 times until I got one that didn’t instantly sound like the bearings were going to come flying out at 100mph.

😕

To counter the Triton. I’ve no idea why this has been brought up, thought OP was looking for a small easy to use 1/4″

Somebody asked.

What a good mid range router then ? Not pro, not necessarily cordless.

This erbauer looks ok for 90 quid and 1/2” ?

I agree, the Triton has a lot of unique features. I liked a lot of things about it. Unfortunately I’ve had a lot of issues with mine so have decided to call it quits on that particular router.

I still regularly use the cheaper Jof001 1/2″ Triton, which is my hand-held 1/2″ but having to spend extra on a special base to be able to take standard guide bushes and the fact that every time I want to remove a cutter I have to plunge it, rotate the nut until I feel a click (of the spindle lock engaging more fully) then plunge it the last 4mm or so to get a proper spindle lock, means I’ll be replacing it when funds allow.

Great idea, but yeah, I’ve had issues with that spindle lock.

The fully enclosed cutter area is fantastic in terms of safety and the included dust port is very handy, but it actually really obscures vision I find and often struggle to see exactly where my cutter is against a pencil mark or whatever.

Well maybe its time for me to step out and take another look at another 1/2″ for handheld use. The tra lives in the router table, and its always a pain dismounting it.

the festool routers are expensive but only really a little bit pricier than the major brands – they are light years better though.. Safer, cleaner, quicker, easier and more comfortable to use. If you are paid for you time then the time they save you makes them more than worthwhile. I really would have thought they’d have encouraged the other brands to up their game too but that’s not really happened.

Festool are significantly more expensive than most other brands, and are excellent ( I have the Festool 55mm plunge saw). But the routers are either relatively low powered, and an awkward style for some (right hand handle sticks out, so problematic if trying to install in a table), or really bloody expensive for the OF2200. Not the easiest to install in a table, although they really do excel in Festool’s own track/guide systems. Most router-using professionals I know use other brands. I personally use a Bosch GMF 1600, which comes with both plunge and fixed bases; the fixed base lives in my router table, and it is quick and easy to swap over to the plunge base for ‘freehand’ work. Tried a couple of Trends, but they never quite live up to expectations for me. Always a little niggle with Trend stuff.

I’d echo above comments regarding quality. I want something I can trust, that doesn’t suddenly shatter sending a 20,000+ rpm bit spinning towards my face or other appendages. Cheap routers scare the life out of me. As for cordless routers, I can’t imagine using one for any prolonged length of time, without the battery dying. Perhaps good for lighter work like edge rounding etc. Corded every time for me though.

Thanks for the replies.

Now I’m really not sure what to get. My old man always told me to buy the best tools you can afford, buy cheap pay twice etc, after a lifetime in a garage and probably spending way too much on snap on gear.

I don’t need bells and whistles, but I cannot stand buying something that breaks after a few weeks/months and I have now acquired an old router table ! So it would be good if it worked on that, I’d rather buy one that does it all. I don’t have funds to buy corded router, vacuum and cordless router. Obviously I’d like to as new nice shiny tools are always good, but I suspect I don’t really need to.

Despite the issues I had, I’d still say the Triton is a good machine if you want something for hand held and table routing.

It lends itself very well to table mounting and it’s sturdy in the hand.

Add in the fact that Screwfix are very good at sorting any issues with what they sell and it’s a good buy.

I’ve still got a Triton router, but I keep it in a Makita box so nobody knows! 😉

I certainly wouldn’t go out and spend Festool money unless you know exactly why you’re spending that extra money.

The only Festool tools I own are tools that currently nobody else does, such as the Domino jointer.

Everything else is imho overpriced and often different for the sake of it.
Many don’t agree with that of course 😊

When you’ve got a spare £40 knocking about, get a corded Katsu too. Great for smaller fiddly work where a bigger router can be cumbersome.

the Domino jointer.

Show off 😆 😆

Actually I’d love a domino jointer, but so expensive, I just have to make do with a biscuit jointer 🙁

There is no does it all router unfortunately , however if you have a table then getting something that is good for table use is a good idea, the Triton is well suited for that application.
Most folks who use them regularly seem to end up with with more than one, due to setup times and size extremes.

Thinking about what you will really use it for is the key, I think there are 3 main branches of use:
1- Freehand “trim” – 1/4″ Katsu style.
2- Template routing with a guide – 1/4″ Trend T5 1000w + 1/2″ big jobs worktop etc with a heavy duty power machine 2000w types.
3- Table router – Jobs that need accuracy and speed – All of the above depending on size of job – but mostly 1/2″ router that lies in the table.

Katsu sold a neat table mount for their small router , but its for tiny work.

Edit – Festool – the sanders dust extraction is really really good , been sanding an old desk inside at home with an RTS400 orbital sander hooked up to a vac , and it is astonishing how little dust escapes. ( I buy broken/faulty tools and fix them – so commonly the bearings clog in these sanders after about 10 years pro use, so I have 3 I fixed myself )

Wow the Trend T11 looks good, well out of my budget ! Not that the Triton is much in budget either.

Unless I go secondhand via fleabay.

If you really want a 1/2″, maybe opt for a trend T7. About £115
https://trenddirectuk.com/trend-t7ek-2100w-1-2-variable-speed-router-240v-uk-sale-only.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwfa5taqQ8wIVRoBQBh1twQqMEAQYAyABEgLDhfD_BwE

Wow the Trend T11 looks good, well out of my budget ! Not that the Triton is much in budget either.

Personally, I think that ‘saving’ money here is perhaps not the best policy; as others have mentioned, cheaper tools tend to be less accurate and consistent. A router is exactly the kind of tool you need to be really accurate and consistent. That Trend T7 is really the baseline for a reasonable, useable router in my opinion.

Second hand is possible , a gamble but with a bit of research/luck and knowing what bits should come with it, its possible to find lightly used ones.
Things like collets can be extremely expensive for some routers.
Spares may not be available for some too.
For cheap and capable try Ryobi – the old stuff is pro level, and Freud , they sold a 2000w 1/2″ model and there are a few about quite cheap.
110v is also fine if you have a transformer or can pick one up cheaply,
just make sure they are variable speed .

the Domino jointer.

Show off 😆 😆

Actually I’d love a domino jointer, but so expensive, I just have to make do with a biscuit jointer 🙁

I was lucky enough to find a bloke selling the smaller one for about £350 as he was upgrading to the bigger version.

It certainly would have hurt paying what they cost now 😳

Different tools though. There’s a lot of things I favour the biscuiter over the Dominoer.

@finishthat thanks for the breakdown.

@kayak23 thanks for the advice.

Had a look around and I can get a deal via the eBay discount on a brand new Trend T10 for 220, or a T11 for 250, which is a lot of money (and way more than I’d budgeted, but in fairness I didn’t really appreciate the implications & limitations on buying cheap) but if I never ever have to buy another one in my lifetime, then it’ll be worth doing.

My dad called today and we chatted about this and unsurprisingly I got the expected advice, don’t buy the cheap one – it’s likely to go bang just when you really need it most and then you’ll go buy the one you’re looking at now, only you’ll have to pay full retail to get it quickly.

Yes, the big Domino dowel are about a hundred times dearer than a biscuit so Domino only gets used when absolutely necessary.

Had a look around and I can get a deal via the eBay discount on a brand new Trend T10 for 220, or a T11 for 250,

I can’t recall exactly but isn’t the main difference that the T10 doesn’t have the under the table rise and fall adjustment facility? 🤔

Routers are good value for the capability, I would just try to keep in mind what you plan, or are likely to do with one.

Biscuit jointers are in my opinion the best value tool around, hugely underrated for what they can do with a bit of thought , cheap to buy and run , just ignore all the tests that say they are weaker than a domino – strong enough is strong enough.
Confession ,I own a domino machine I have yet to use it, but I do look forward to the day , the opportunity to get a s/h one came up.

Do have a look at Peter showing what can be done on a budget:

which is a lot of money (and way more than I’d budgeted, but in fairness I didn’t really appreciate the implications & limitations on buying cheap) but if I never ever have to buy another one in my lifetime, then it’ll be worth doing.

Yes these things are expensive, but they will last you pretty much forever and for what you are doing, it’s unlikely you could ever break it.
The money aspect is a huge hit, even after you’ve bought it you go through a kind of heartache wondering Why, Should, OMG WTF have I Done… etc, but that will pass as you use it, it does what its told and the years roll on, ever reliable.
The last thing I bought when i went through that was a set of 5 bevel edged chisels. They came in a nice little leather pouch, and cost me £350. Now I’ve got about 35 other chisels, of varying sizes, all capable of doing a job, but in all fairness the steel is not the best, more trade capable than cabinetmaker capable. It was a lot of an outlay, and I could(probably should) have bought something else with the money, but I got them, went through some heartache, but every time i use them it brings a smile to my heart in that they take and hold an edge that is not just amazing, but reliable. I know they will do me till i pop me clogs, and will be my go to chisel for the finer work when i need something i can rely on.
I still have pangs about what they cost, but I recently spent £5K on an EBike, so comparison wise I guess those chisels were a bargain, and likely to last considerably longer.

The router, especially if it is up to the task can make about anything. Tables, chairs, cabinets, as well as preparing timber for jointing, flattening rough to smooth, machining out intricate shapes, cut moulding,machine grooves, rebates etc, etc. It is one of the most versatile machines available for modern day furniture construction.

Update – thanks for the advice guys, pulling the trigger on a new Trend T11 today for £250. Or not, the eBay discount has disappeared while I messed about making my mind up spending so much on this.

Also got a mail shot from Rutlands that their 1/4” router is £50, down by £40. No idea if it’s good vfm or not.

On the subject of routers, I’d like to add a router table option to the sawhorse workbench I put together using an MFT worktop. I’m currently prevaricating between spending the money on something like the Triton or Trend router table tops with fence, then adapting it for mounting on the sawhorses, or having a go at building one myself using a router plate.

The plan is to use it to build some shaker doors for the built in wardrobes in our bedrooms – it’ll probably involve buying a new router as well, as I currently have a small Bosch Blue router (excellent but underpowered for this job) and a crappy old B&D effort that I suspect would be soul destroying to try and work with mounted under a table.

Oh Aye – and thanks to Big John for the feedback on my original setup; there were several useful tips in there that I’ve incorporated into it. I’ve should have also mentioned that the big spirit level was incidental to the tabletop: I was checking levels in a bit of the garden prior to a bit of re-landscaping, and I’d sat it on the worktop for safe keeping.

Also got a mail shot from Rutlands that their 1/4” router is £50, down by £40. No idea if it’s good vfm or not.

1/4″ is fine for lighter work, such as small radiused edges, grooves, etc, but you can’t get the larger bits that do the edge profiling, or say tongue and groove bits etc, in 1/4″, generally. 1/4″ machines tend to be lower powered, and as such lack the grunt for heavy duty routing work, and with the more dense hardwoods. Maybe better for some hand held jobs though. I started out with a small Trend 1/4″ router, and it quickly became inadequate for what I wanted to do. If you want something to mount in a table, then go 1/2″.

OK just to go back to the start of the thread for a moment, I’ve got a load of board cutting to do for a house move- nothing massive but a lot of cutting shelving to size, quite a lot of resizing and editing existing furniture etc etc. I could do it all with my old circular saw but it’s not cutting well anyway so it seems like a good excuse to upgrade to a plunge saw or at least a circular on a track…

So, question is, should I just go and get the Macallister MSPS1200? It’s out of stock at Screwfix so best price I can find is £100 but that still seems pretty reasonable, comes with big enough rails for my jobs, includes a scriber (a bunch of this will be with faced chipboard, tbh I don’t care if it chips a little bit but within reason)

(I’m half tempted to just get a little mini saw for £50 and just cut along a straight edge like I’d have done in the past but these just look a lot quicker)

So, question is, should I just go and get the Macallister MSPS1200

Don’t see why not.
I’m sure it’ll be a better experience than what you have, although could a new blade be the answer?

Nah, track saws will change your life!

it’s not cutting well anyway so it seems like a good excuse to upgrade

Assuming it’s spinning, then It needs a new blade. You don’t have the right excuse I’m afraid.

Nah, track saws will change your life!

Correct excuse, crack on!

@northwind can it use the makita rails etc, as I bought the erbauer plunge saw back just before the current worldwide chaos and was able to buy fairly cheaply the makita long rails to use with it. Which was a whole Lot easier to use than the short rails that came with the tool from screwfix.

Track saws feel like a luxury tool – that I probably didn’t need, but they make the DIY life so much easier.

Cheers folks. It’s the same as the Titan saw that used to get all the budget recommends, and works with Makita’s rails though tbh I don’t expect to be doing any long cuts. Still nice to have an option.

goldfish24
Full Member

Assuming it’s spinning, then It needs a new blade.

Nah, it’s not the blade itself- it spins but inconsistently, I don’t know anything about the hardware tbh but it feels loose, like a shot bearing or something. Still does the job but it’s inaccurate and rings a bit and all feels a bit sketchy with a deathwheel. Hand-me downs…

Ditch Jockey – happy to help.

Northwind you’re welcome to borrow my tracksaw for a bit if you like. As in if you will be doing it in a oner and I don’t lose it for weeks!

Check the blade in your circular saw. Even cleaning the blade can make a difference.

I made this using scrap shelves and the track saw for the grooves and rebates all balanced on a workmate. It’s not perfect but I threw it together with very little hassle and the gaps are pretty good where I was concentrating (and less good when I gave up bothering)

It’s my next big hand tool purchase will be a makita track saw.
The problem with tools is you never have enough. N+1 all over again.

Man is a tool using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.
Thomas Carlyle

Thanks Josh, I reckon this’ll be lots of little jobs that drag on for weeks so, I’ll get my own 🙂

Not a plunge saw but moving house I couldn’t really justify bringing my table saw, so I hung onto the 10” circular saw that was inside. I had to cut some 25mm plywood that I clamped to a workmate etc – it was horrible, too much power for handheld use. Anyway, with lots of jobs needing doing on the new house I bought a Makita 100mm cordless circular saw – absolutely awesome. I had 3 new laminate worktops to fit in my business workshop – needless to say the walls weren’t square so 2 needed trimming and the little saw was the perfect tool for the job. Size /power means that there’s little risk from kickback and I was able to make some plunge cuts to modify another cabinet rather than making a mess with a pad saw.

I got the Macalister track saw. Like it a lot, so yes I’d recommend it. Used it for the following jobs…

– Building a wine rack out of furniture board to fit a gap in the kitchen

– trimming furniture board down to use as kick board in the kitchen

– Trimming the top and bottom of a gate that I built, felt smug about that one

– Rather dodgily cutting the top off some half rotten fence posts. But had it to hand and was quicker than using the hand saw.

I got a 40t blade as the cuts on the furniture board with the stock blade were a bit rough.

Makita 100mm cordless circular saw

What model is it ?, I didnt know they did blades that small.

What model is it ?, I didnt know they did blades that small.

Makita DSS501Z – 130mm blade so can do cuts up to 50mm in softwood.

Can someone advise on plywood? Mdo Vs phenolic faced Vs marine grade. I want something quality, will happily paint the finished item, water resistant. Mdo seems I good choice I think. Needs to give a good finish on routed edges and be durable. Needs good strength and rigidity, but I’ll use 18mm so that shouldn’t be a problemDoes it glue ok with a quality polyurethane? Gorilla glue wood glue?
Ta

Oh and any good sources to recommend?

Quick update on the router purchase.

Finally pulled the pin on a router, got a Trend T11 240v brand new for £258. Which is a lot of cash, but it’s pretty good value for what it is. To offset this, I sold a couple of tech items I had that I wasn’t using, so effectively it’s only cost me 117. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Bought from eBay seller abbey power, who reduced the price today until midnight and with the eBay take15back code, took it from 303 to 258. Which feels like a bargain (ish).

Finally pulled the pin on a router, got a Trend T11 240v

Sick bro. Same as mine 👊

@kayak23

Sick bro. Same as mine 👊

Lol, may have the same tool, strongly suspect the quality of our finished products will differ somewhat !

I also bought the Aldi wet&dry 30l power on Vac today, £50 isn’t too bad for a lot less dust in the garage.