Pathetic Makita routers

[Redfish]

I thought I'd post this here as a bit of a rant and a forewarning.

Do NOT buy the Makita 2 1/4 HP routers.

A while back, we bought one on the recommendation of the tool distributor, said it should swing a door panel bit just fine. It did, for dozens of doors.

After a month or so of intermittant use, and a variety of bits (1/8" roundovers to panel bits) it burned up. Makita refurbished it for free under warranty.

Meanwhile, as it was getting worked on, we purchased another one since this job could NOT wait on the refurb.

Now, 6 months later, and at fairly light duty at that, BOTH ROUTERS have cooked. One of them burned up on a 1/2 dado bit that was making a 1/4" deep cut in oak. I would have made that cut VERY confidantly in our 1 hp Porter Cable router. Apparently I should have.

This is odd for Makita. Our shop is LOADED with Makita stuff. $600 sliding miter saw, 4 cordless drills, an impact driver, circular saw, random-orbit sander, and probably some others I forgot about. None of them bother us.

Just their routers.

 

[McRabbet]

I've got a venerable old Porter Cable 690 that I've had for more than 10 years and it is a real workhorse. About 3-4 years ago, I got a plunge base for it and was disappointed by the very poor bushings they used to guide the shafts -- I had bought it to use with a Router Raizer and the bushing kept it from working smoothly. I needed a more potent, variable speed router for raising panels and wanted one that would allow above-the-table height adjustments. I settled on a Milwaukee 5625 3-1/2" HP VS router that works very well. I've got two trim routers (a PC and a Trend) that have their place, too. But, thanks to your post, I'll know to stay away from the Mak -- I've got one of the Makita 14.4V Impact driver/cordless drill/fluorescent light kits I got earlier this year for under $200 and they are great tools.

Rob

 

[jmauldin]

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I,too, have used Makita tools and have top rated them. I don't have their router but have had three drills, a portable circular saw, and other items. But I have had your experience with DeWalt. Everything I have bought from them has ended back up in their shop in just a few months. So I will have nothing that Black and Decker, DeWalth make in my shop. The one exception is a B&D 7/8 hp router that I have had for I guess 30 yrs. and have never had the first problem with it. But that was before they started making junk.
Anyway, I would suggest a Bosch or Hitachi. Both are highly rated and I can speak from experience about the Hitachi.
Jim in Mayberry

 

[Redfish]

Y'all are right on about the non-router tools. Our shop has all sorts of Maskeeta stuff, and I personally own a 14.4 MXT (the one with three speeds) and the impact driver, both are top notch and tough as heck. Highly recommended.

Routers? :eusa_naug:thumbs_do

 

[zimman20]

Sorry to hear of your troubles...this hobby (profession) is full of stories of tools that are made by manufacturers that are *great* at some things but absolutely stink at others.

This is why I've steered away from other than Bosch, DW or PC routers, for example....(although I've got a Hitachi M12V in my router table, only after many, many raves about it)... I've read too many stories of disappointments from people who have bought this or that from a reputable company only to find the item doesn't live up to the standards of their 'bread and butter' tools/machines. :-?

 

[Redfish]

Delta seems to be the opposite. As far as I can see, the only machine that entire company makes that is worth a nickel is the Unisaw, and I'm willing to bet it's b/c it's based on the old Rockwell.

I have a Delta midi-lathe that seems to be OK. We'll see as I put a hurting on it in the next year.

 

[toolferone]

My favorite story about power tools was while I was working at the DeWalt repair center in Charlotte. A guy I was talking to at a party asked me what I thought about a certain Dewalt tool (after hearing where I worked), I told him not to ask me because the only tools I saw where broken! Well this got a good laugh.

While I worked there I repaired all major brands of power tools. There are many well built tools in all the major company's. Any tool can break down. Each person has their favorite brand and their worst brand of tools, based on their and their friends experiences. I hear about good and bad on almost every major brand. It would be great if a tool never broke down, was very inexpensive and did it's job perfect (okay wake up now and stop day dreaming). All we can do is treat our tools well, use them, clean them and hope for the best.

Okay I am getting off the soap box now:blol: !