Cheap router trimmer.
I've been looking at those cheap router/trimmers that you can pick up on Ebay. There are various types available. Some are battery powered, using a copy of Makita batteries and these are brushless. Others are 230 v mains and have brushed motors in.
The battery brushless ones are around the 850w rating, and the battery is 5 Ah at 18v. I did a quick calculation. 850 w / 18 volts = 47 amps! And this means a 5 Ah battery lasts about 0.1 hours, or 6 minutes!
Does anyone have any experience of these things, and have I got the numbers right?
I'm not going to use it much, so i'm thinking I might as well have the wired mains version and change the brushes now and then.
The older I get, the better I was.
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Have got a cheap mains Wahl, and it does the job just fine. It's about 5 minutes once a week or two, and that's it. Sod letting my hair grow long and wavy, it's going proper grey, and I just do 4 on the top down to 2 at the edges.
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I think he means a router for woodwork
- Genesis Croix de Fer
- Dolan Tuono0 -
i'd assume 850w is simply what the motor is rated for at maximum continuous load (probably will be much higher near stall)
in use it's going to be drawing way less than that most of the time
a quick google suggests makita 18v 5ah batteries are rated for c. 40 amps (20a for the lower capacity ones), with peak higher, so it would be in the right ballpark, though i'd think a battery pack that size could get pretty toasty if run at that load for long
tbh i wouldn't let high capacity lithium batteries of uncertain origin anywhere near me, established brands like makita are likely to know their supply chain and have proper testing/qc
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Haha, sorry, "router trimmer"!! 🤣
I've no idea what one of those is, but hair trimmers...
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I'll leave my post up as evidence of my inability to read.
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If you need a 850w hair trimmer, might be worth upgrading to a chainsaw Brian
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47 Amps seems... unlikely for a small router.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Your better off getting the proper tool / battery. We've kitted young oxo out with dewalt as a cheapish robust option. Loads of makes out there, ryobi is ok and some people swear by lidl,s parkside brand. The one thing I cannot emphasise enough is get the genuine batteries and Chargers for whatever make you go with. We've got a recently started fitter at work who was kitted out with dewalt tools and charger but knock off batteries, We've had 2 overheat whilst on charge so they've been disposed of. Luckily we use a steel charging cabinet, most people don't.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.0 -
It's to put fancy edges on wood or cut joints or slots in wood using high speed shaping bits, assuming he means Router. Some people get them confused with multitools which are completely different, but extremely handy for diy.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.0 -
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Have looked this up (weird battery nerd forum) and this does actually sound about right.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
One of these...
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
I have a mains powered Bosch plunge router I bought about 23 years ago. It got a lot of use 23 years ago but now only sees the light of day twice a year but is still going strong. Price of decent bits are quite costly though. It's powerful enough for my needs. I'm sure if I had a battery version of the same age it would probably no longer work/take a charge.
It really depends on the use you'll give it. If it's for a few things only then buy a cheap one but expect it to be disposable. If you want serious use then you have to invest. I don't see the point of cordless on a thing that is mainly used on a bench and near sockets. Maybe you could consider hiring one if your needs are limited?
Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.
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Good ideas and advice, thanks people.
I hadn't considered the issue with dodgy batteries, so that's something to consider and avoid.
I was really looking at the battery types because they seem to be mainly brushless. But the number of times I've had to replace brushed on any of my power tools is less than once!
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
I ended up buying one of these...
Mainly due to watching a youtube review of the same. A chap had been using one for some time and found it very robust. As it came with the plate to make the router table, which is where I was going with this, I thought this was good value.
It's a nice chunky bit of kit and appears well made. I've had to buy some different router bits, ones that follow a template, and fitting the plate into a table is my next project. The one after that will be making some boxes.
The older I get, the better I was.0
