# Spend your money on something else



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

i will, have never been a fan of makita tools.i have one old corded drill and a die grinder,and thats enough.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for this informative review based on your years of experience with the router. This is very valuable!


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I would MASSIVELY prefer B&D, Skil, Ryobi etc… over Makita any day of the week. They have been junk trading on their former good name since the 90s.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I would MASSIVELY prefer B&D, Skil, Ryobi etc… over Makita any day of the week. They have been junk trading on their former good name since the 90s.
> 
> - dbhost


+1


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

I won't bore anyone to tears with *branding*... While I have my druthers, I also have some *Makitas* that have served me even after the 90s…

However, one thing I will always protest against are those bloody rack and pinion "luck of the drawer" adjusters in routers and trimmers… and all other equipment that do not support *mirco-adjusters*...
Rack and pinion seems to be the *bane* if us heavy handed jerks… Every time I see one, I wan't to bring out my antique *Coke-Cola* yo-yo… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… oops just missed it, back-up… *I think you get my drift*.

I can't complain about it's performance as it has not been put through it's paces as after purchase and failure to micro-adjust for a dedicated function (*Beall* wood threader), 









it was relegated to it's cute box and replaced by a Bosch *micro-adjuster*.

Thanks for the review *'mozi*... any good or bad review can only benefit othere members.


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## Woodnmetal (Jul 24, 2021)

As for myself, recently taking up woodworking as a hobby…
I appreciate the review as well !!

I had been looking into a router prior to being too busy in the garage. Once I complete refreshing, putting my car back together for next season, I will be actively looking once again for a decent router/plunge unit and table.

Since I'm armed with mostly 1/2 shank carbide tooling, I will need 1 capable of mostly 1/2 collet tooling with the option of using 1/4" collet tooling as well.

I will shy away from Makita at this time.

Cheers,
Gary


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## senomozi (Oct 4, 2009)

> I will shy away from Makita at this time.
> - Woodnmetal


It don't feel shying away from a specific brand(s), or being invested in a single one does someone service. No one brand is best or worst at everything. The best advice I could give to someone taking up woodworking is do your research and look for reviews that:

1. Are written by someone who has used the tool for more than five minutes and can provide SPECIFIC pros and cons of a tool.

2. Are in the form of a head-to-head tool tests where the author is a woodworker and takes the time to describe the testing procedure and explain the results.

3. Do not have "buy" or "check price" buttons or coupon codes. These are made by people who want to sell products. Often called "Top 10", "Top 3" reviews.

I terms of routers I have a Triton, a Makita and two Bosh. All purchased based on good results they had obtained in "proper" reviews available at the time.

Cordless tools are a little different. There is some value in going all-in with one brand where batteries can be interchanged between tools and carry a single charger.


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## Woodnmetal (Jul 24, 2021)

Having read your response.

Perhaps, shying away from this tool is not the proper wording on my part.

I don't usually shy away from any tool until I have read the reviews and sifted through the responses. In most cases, even the cheapest of tools can work well. Just need to know its limitations as with any tool.

Would you feel the router in question would be a decent tool for the entry level hobbyist within the forum, given it does not have variable speed along with a micro adjustment that lacks user friendliness.

This tool, also seems to have difficulty with maintaining a decent manual hand/arm feed rate in maple without burning the wood due to the tools "SET RPM" out of the box.

Just my honest opinion here, 3 stars seems quite high to me.


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## senomozi (Oct 4, 2009)

> Would you feel the router in question would be a decent tool for the entry level hobbyist within the forum, given it does not have variable speed along with a micro adjustment that lacks user friendliness?
> 
> - Woodnmetal


I would not recommend the tool for any level woodworker. The only application I can think of that it would be OK for is as a dedicated laminate trimmer (one speed , adjust the depth once). So unless you plan on making a lot of countertops or work surfaces you are better off spending your money elsewhere, in my humble opinion.


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## StevoWevo (Jul 21, 2021)

Not to go too far off track here but, does anyone know if the 18volt cordless model suffers from the same deficiencies? I took a chance on their drill and driver kit for my "away" tools that go months without use. It would be nice to stick with one brand of batteries.


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## RPhillips (May 16, 2013)

Kinda strange in some ways to review a 10 year old machine, but to do so and only give it a couple stars is even stranger, in my opinion. If the machine provided you with 10 years of service I would check that up as a win. The days of any tool lasting more than that are pretty much gone. Even those $$$ Festools have issues and break/fail, Kapex owners know what I'm talking about. I have no brand loyalty, I own tools from Festool, Milwaukee, Bosch, Hitachi, DeWalt, B&D, Skil, Mastercraft, Craftsman, Porter Cable, Rigid, etc., some are great, some are not. NO BRAND makes the best of EVERYTHING.

That model has long been replaced by the RT0701C, which is a mighty fine router. I have the former mentioned Makita, a Bosch, and a DeWalt, and I really like the design of the Makita the best. They all work really well, but I like the overall features and hand feel of the RT0701C. Usually they are only set up for one task, but when I need to perform a different task, I usually grab the Makita.


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## senomozi (Oct 4, 2009)

> That model has long been replaced by the RT0701C
> ...
> - RPhillips


That is not accurate. The 3709 model laminate trimmer is still available for sale making this review relevant even today.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

IMO 10 years is appropriate for and end user or part time woodworker to fully evaluate the ergonomics, longevity, and performance of a power tool. Magazine reviews are more through and timely in that they can evaluate a tool head-to-head with other similar tools and run them through a battery of tests. Only over long term use can longevity be established. 
That said, certainly features like no speed control are things that are part of the purchase decision, but other Items like the depth adjustment and satisfaction/regrets are pertinent.

I could do a review of similar issues with my 10+ year old Bosch Colt. For new tools that are revisions of an older model, long term reviews can tell a lot and give clues of what to look for to see if the mfg. has taken care to listen and upgrade the weak points.


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## RPhillips (May 16, 2013)

> That model has long been replaced by the RT0701C
> ...
> - RPhillips
> 
> ...


I stand corrected. Must have entered the wrong PN when I was checking the makita site jor just doesn't show up as a compact router… \o/


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