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.
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.