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My PC and Rockwell #3201 laminate trimmers are finally giving up the ghost, and the replacement parts they need have been discontinued. I need a recommendation for a new model for my binding cutter jig. Thanks in advance.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

I have Bosch colt, Ridgid and a DeWalt DWP611, the 611 is my favorite especially since I was able to get a Precise Bits 1/8" precision collet for it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

All of my special stuff is designed or modified to work with a Bosch Colt. I know some folks don't like them, but I get along with mine just fine. On its worst day, it is far better than the best Dremel (in my opinion).

My pc 3101 broke, and couldn't get parts,
so I got a colt, and love it.
I also got the plunge base for it, which is very handy.

Most ergonomic and hand held friendly is the Ridgid. Most versatile with the plunge attachment (which is very good and tight) is the DeWalt. I still run a Colt but that one stays on the binding channel cutter so I don't have to mess with it much.

Just my opinion of course.

Brian

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I'm Ridgids all across the board...

You might be able to find the parts to repair them on eBay. A quick perusal shows switches, collets and collet nuts and bearings available.
Brushes can sometimes be sourced from specialist suppliers. If it needs more than that then I usually give up on them.

My favorite is the old green Rockwell 64 - PC309 type routers. If you can find one in good condition cheap they are nice little routers. They were billed as a homeowner tool and were often lightly used. I lube the bearings when I first get them- after 50 years they can be a little dry.

I have the Ridgid and Dewalt. I prefer the Dewalt. Both get warm in use, but my Ridgid gets extremely warm. The Dewalt also has excellent LED lighting---superior to the Ridgid IMO. Can you go wrong with either? No.

I’ve had the PC 310, the Makita, and a few of the Ridgids both corded and cordless. I stopped using the 310 mostly because it was hard to see through the base. I use the Makita for the bigger things like cutting truss rod slots and with the plunge base for bridge slots. But, since I got the Ridgid cordless, I’ve been buying more bases for it and making my jigs for that. The cordless feature is convenient—the cord doesn’t get in the way. The cord doesn’t wind up cutting rosettes and doesn’t drag or interfere when I’m cutting binding channels. The light on the corded version is nice, nut the cordless Ridgid is so convenient, I can do without the light.

I have three older Bosch's (2 colts and one even older) that work great. But if one fails, I'll probably look to the Rigid. Bosch quality has fallen from all I've heard.

My favorite Laminate Trimmer is considered a Compact Router - DeWalt dwp611, got 2 of them, with 4 bases. Light weight, good power, good plunge, good adjustment, led.lights, soft start, fairly not loud.

Thanks everyone. It looks as though I have the option of several good makes.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

A few things:

- If the ability to precisely center the bushing on the base is important, the Ridgid requires a shop-made or aftermarket base (the Woodhaven phenolic bearing base for the router is very good); the DeWalt has no such issue.

- Between the Ridgid 24012 and the DeWalt DWP611, I find the DWP611 is the easier tool to fine-adjust depth, although both have good fine adjustment. Very small tweaks are possible with the Ridgid, but there is some lash in the mechanism that requires a very consistent positioning of the tool to address; the Dewalt has essentially zero lash, but moving the adjustment collar one or two thousandths at a time requires some practice.

- Both Ridgid and DeWalt offer cordless versions of their compact routers, with DeWalt's using their 20V system and Ridgid their 18V battery system. If either of those systems are already in use in your shop, the cost to go cordless may be negligible; if not, figure cordless adds some cost (~ $300 for the DeWalt with 5Ah battery & charger versus about $120 for the corded tool; $150 versus $100 for the Ridgid Octane version with a small 2Ah battery).

- On longevity...we think the DeWalt tools will last longer in service (based on previous DeWalt corded tools and the metal frame on the 611 versus plastic on the Ridgid), but a $10/year charge against overhead for router replacement seems reasonable even if we see just a decade of service before retirement on the Ridgids (the Ridgid Lifetime Warranty requires the tool be taken to a service center...the lost labor time associated with that task for a business is more costly that simply buying another tool).

- We junked our aging Colts (8-9 years old) after a series of abrupt bearing failures. With poor micro-adjust, Bosch is not one of the options we'd recommend for a new trim router.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

put me down for the ridgid easy to adjust adjustable speed
great warranty

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

What I like about Ridgid is, they are simple, solid and accurate. I still have an early 1960's Craftsman 'Commercial Duty' all metal router for heavier jobs and a really good rotary tool with attachments for smaller and/or inlay jobs.

My three 310’s are still running. I also have a Rigid which is nice. One plus for the Colt is that I think the 310 and Colt are the only ones that Bishop Cochran makes a base for and those bases are worth every penny.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

The fact that I was able to buy a used Bishop Cochran base for the Colt a few years ago is why I stick with it. I already configured my binding ledge router tower to work with the Colt, too. The Colt works fine, and both of those aftermarket items are the real stars of the show.

I think the 'best' router is the one that does the best job for its owner on a high-priority task for its owner. All have strengths, and they're all different. Router A might be dandy for cutting rosettes and router B might excel at binding channel cutting for its owner. And the opposite, for a different owner.

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Peter Havriluk

Truth be told, the Bishop Cochran base had me looking at Colt for a while. Fortunately, the DeWalt DWP611 came out, and plunging was no longer an issue (laminate trimmers didn't have plunge base).

Now, I have my eye on this for circle cutting (with lead screw adjustment!), and supporting our sponsors. And yes, it fits the DeWalt! https://elevatelutherie.com/product/pre ... le-cutter/

I have a Bosch Colt I use frequently.
The height adjustment is terrible, however the slow start and variable speed features are great.
I bought a Makita with a rack and pinion height adjustment, but without the slow start, it must be firmly held when starting it without jumping out of my hand.
Slow start feature is a must have for me.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I have two Makita laminate trimmers and both have slow start and led lights. Yours must be a different model or something.

Precise Bits offers a high tolerance collet/nut for the Dewalt. If you use narrow bits (1/32" or so), then this add-on is very worthwhile. It is for this reason, that I prefer the Dewalt over the competition.

If the base is clear plastic, I suspect that is the older Makita 3707FC or the newer 3709 laminate trimmer with a direct rack-and pinion height adjuster. These are really intended for laminate work, versus the sort of things which we routinely do with small routers.

The newer Makita competitor to the DeWalt compact router is the RT0701C with aluminum motor housing and base. The RT0701C is similar to the DeWalt and Ridgid in terms of horsepower rating, RPM range, and soft start with electronic speed control, but lacks a micro-adjust for depth. On the plus side, the Makita fixed and plunge base kit is just $140 from Amazon, versus about $170 for the DeWalt 611 kit.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan