As time passes by, technology keeps blessing us with valuable innovations. One of them in the power tool industry is undoubtedly the wood router. From professionals to DIY workers, everyone loves these tools.
If you are included among those DIY enthusiasts, it is wise to buy a decent wood router. The tool comes in different sizes and weights. The Makita RT0701C router is an ideal choice for people who are looking for a slim and compact tool to cut and trim woods. Despite being a small routing machine, the product has some extraordinary features. The Makita RT0701C review below will tell you more about the wood router.
Makita RT0701C Review
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Key Features
Design, Ergonomics and Size
Unless you are involved in some heavy-duty routing jobs, you do not need a robust wood router. A compact wood router is painless to handle and you work for a long while with it. Also, the small size lets you store the router anywhere you wish. The main point is, a compact router is comfortable to use and an excellent space saver.
The Makita RT0701C router checks every point of being a lightweight router. It is only 8 inches high and the weight is not more than 3.9 pounds. The slim construction is cozy to hold and move around. No matter what the hand size is, the design fits in any hands. Many ergonomic form factors are there, such as the unique base design for maximum visibility.
Base
Before purchasing a wood router, you have to make sure it has the base you need. The safest alternative is to go for a product with two bases. The wood router from Makita contains a fixed base by default. A great thing about the unit is, the company lets you buy it with the plunge base as well. You can be fine with the fixed base or opt for the dual base. See below to know about these bases.
- Fixed Base: The fixed base of the Makita router is equipped with the rack-and-pinion feature. It is responsible for making sure an excellent depth adjustment. Moreover, the router has the cam lock system. It will quickly and safely release the unit from the base. The fixed base offers you to use the product on the router lift in case you don’t like to handle it handheld. Using it on the table lift increases precision and versatility.
- Plunge Base: Adjusting the bit depth is essential in the plunge base. The Makita wood router allows the user to choose a bit depth between 0 to 1-3/8 inches. You will barely find wood boards that have more than 1-inch thickness. Talking about the ergonomics, the plunge base has grippy handles for comfort while holding it.
Variable Speed
The user of the wood router will be controlling the RPM rate through the renowned variable speed system. Different applications demand different speed rates. This technology can provide any speed. The range of RPM rate begins from 10000. It reaches 30000 RPM maximum. Most routers at this price cannot exceed more than 24000 RPM.
The speed mechanism has a big plus. It is known as the electronic speed load circuitry. No matter what routing job you are working on, the electronic speed load will ensure pinpoint accuracy.
Performance
When you are paying a hundred bucks on a power tool, it is reasonable to expect the optimal performance from the product. The Makita router is not going to disappoint you with its output. It comes with the necessary equipment to fulfill your demands of the performance.
You cannot measure the output without knowing the horsepower of a motor. Sure, it does not have an engine with the highest horsepower. However, keep in mind that the majority of woodworking and routing tasks do not look for high horsepower only. A lot of criteria matter for a decent output. Coming back to the point, this particular router comes with a 120V 6.5 amps motor. The motor is rated at 1.25 horsepower. It is indeed a great choice to do all those jobs in regular woodworking projects. The router will trim, cut and make holes in both hard and softwoods without issues. For DIY purposes and casual routing, you cannot get a better router than this. However, people who have been routing professionally for years may not find it to be a competent one.
Though the motor does not have enormous horsepower, it is filled with several features that only premium routers contain. One of them is undoubtedly the soft start. The technology is supposed to limit the load and torque of an electric motor to launch it safely and gradually. Without the soft start, frequent start-ups cause heating to the engine. The soft start mechanism lessens the mechanical stress. For this reason, a motor lasts for many years. With the Makita router, your routing work will be safe, and you will have full control over the machine, thanks to the soft-start.
Like Makita, Bosch is one of the best brand for manufacturing router. Bosch 1617EVSPK is a good router with some amazing features. Don’t forget to check Bosch 1617EVSPK review here.
More Features
Effortless Bit Change
The router contains a collet that is 1/4 inch. It means the router will be accommodating 1/4-inch bits. This size of bits can help you to complete a bunch of woodworking jobs. Still, if it is not enough, you have the option to buy an additional 3/8-inch collet. The shaft lock of the system lets you easily add a bit. Moreover, smooth rack and pinion, as well as the quick release cam lock system is present to modify the bit depth.
Durable Motor Housing
The motor housing is important and that is why it is made of aluminum in this wood router. Aluminum is known for its reliable quality. Besides that, the material is lightweight too, which is great for the motor housing. The aluminum build is also excellent for heat management.
Template Guide
Another huge plus of the product is the template guide compatibility. First, let’s know what a template guide is. In simple words, the guide runs along different templates to convey the shape to the work piece. Luckily, the fixed base of the router is compatible with template guides. It is an outstanding advantage for woodworkers who have to deal with projects like this.
Base Change
As the router allows you to use the popular two bases, you can switch from one to another quickly. The construction of the router allows the removal of a base fast and without complication. Hence, your projects will not face delay due to the change of the base.
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Pros
- The router shows scales with maximum clarity. It is helpful for a user to read the scale with ease. As a result, during the setup of the tool, maximum precision is guaranteed.
- The unit comes with one of the slimmest constructions as a wood router. Hence, the Makita tool barely weighs 4 pounds. It is a compact device that is easy to carry and handle.
- It has an incredible build quality, thanks to the solid shell and motor housing. The shell is composed of the durable metal alloy where the motor housing is constructed of aluminum.
- The base of the product is not massive in size. Due to the small size base, the tool is capable of reaching corners of wood, whereas many popular routers fail to do so.
- The wood routing tool is powered by a motor that contains an accessible brush. As it is vital to clean the motor brush, you can do that pretty comfortably in this router.
Cons
- Some users faced drops of the motor whenever they unlocked the base as per reports. It can lead to a situation where it gets hard to adjust the depth.
- The router has a lack of LED light. Workers may not always operate the machine in spots where there is ample lighting arrangement. Hence, they may face low visibility issues.
Why is This the Best
Spending not-so-money to own such an amazing router like this one is indeed worth it. Hardly companies sell routers at this price point with a 1-1/4 horsepower engine. The power is useful in loads of routing applications. This affordable router unit features variable speed too, which is one more significant plus.
The router has a premium thing to offer to users. It is known as the cam lock system. The mechanism has two key purposes. One is to make the depth adjustment procedure super easy and the other one is to speed up the base installation process.
One of the best qualities has to be a compact build and weight. The lightweight allows you to deal with the product with minimum effort. If you have a shortage of space for tools, you won’t have to worry. The wood router is a suitable fit, even in small compartments.
The Bottom Line
As you can see in the Makita RT0701C review, the product is one of the best ones in its business. Makita still produces several excellent power tools and RT0701C is one of them. The router is well built and offers fantastic performance. Sure, it has one or two bad sides. Do not let those deceive you from the fact that the affordable router contains numerous impressive qualities. Variable speed, soft start and high precision of the router are indeed worth it.
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