Hitachi KM12VC 11 Amp 2-1/4-Horsepower Plunge and Fixed Base Variable Speed Router Kit with 1/4-Inch and 1/2-Inch Collets

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend. My boyfriend loves the router,the accessories, the guides and the case. The item was shipped immediately.

Just started into wood working but used this router for a solid weekend doing various things and it works great. Now to move on the the next project. Absolutely easy to use and adjustments can be done to the finest tolerance.

the power cord stays flexible in cold temps of 20 deg F. they should of put more oblong handles on. wish they stuck to more common size for metric tools so I could use my real wrenches.the power switch : seems like power switches are something tool makers can't figure out. even running at lower RPM's with a large bit it keeps its speed and goes thru the workusing 2 wrenches to change bits is a minor annoyance, and really not a big deal.

if you work in a heated shop, this may not really be a problem for you.the springs on the plunge base seem stiffer then they need to be. even still it would be nice if it was a single wrench change operation.full set of bushing guidesthe bad :the wrenches for changing the bit needed to have their sharp edges filed off, and they are really cheap. where do you even find one that fits.I don't like the round plastic handles. that means if you put the tool down on its top, you could hit the power switch by accident, especially if there is stuff on your workspace. should be in there rather then a separate accessory. this good parts : the tool is really quiet running which is great.

in fact since my old router broke off its shaft locking collar casting, this design is actually better in some respects. its basically a toggle switch with a rubber cover / seal. hard to grip with gloves on, they want to slip around. no edge guide provided. if you have ever had a power cord get stiff when working outside or in unheated spaces, you know this is a very nice thing to have.plenty of power. thats ok except it has NO protector over or around it.

perhaps with some use, they will reduce tension a bit.-----overall for the price, its a very good router that does its job. so you really want to unplug the router when changing bits as the risk of accidental power on is higher then I'd like.

So far, I have not been able to figure out how to make it work smoothly.2) Even worse: The bit and collet have become permanently stuck in the router. I even tried routing with the nut completely removed to see if the vibration would free the bit (dangerous, I know). The collet/nut design does not work. Squeezing the bit between two pieces of wood, hammering a piece of wood onto it etc does not work (even though the bit was purposely not inserted all the way). This router combination was quite inexpensive when I bought it approx 1.5 years ago (around $120).

It slams in and out. I've done everything possible to remove it, short of directly hitting it with a hammer and likely damaging the router. Even grabbing the bottom of the bit with a wrench doesn't work. No luck. However, there are two major issues:1) The plunge base is so stiff that I've given up using it.

I will continue using it till the bit wears out, and then take more extreme (and risky) measures. Next time I will spend the extra money to get something that works properly. The nut simply slips off, with only a little bit of torque, and the bit/collet stays on the router.

As others have mentioned, the collet does require 2 wrenches to be turned counter to each other to tighten the bit down but its really no big deal. This tool has a great 5 yr warranty and it seems well-built enough that it will easily outlast most tools I have in my garage. The slow-start feature really helps keep the tool from wanting to fly out of your hand when you hit the power switch. The motor and plunge/fixed bases performed flawlessly for everything I needed to do and it has a great feel in my hand. This is my first router but I checked out alot of other ones before deciding on this one.

After working with MDF for a few days using this, I do wish it had some sort of dust collection system but nothing else I saw in this price range does so I don't count that against it.If you're looking at less expensive routers and wondering if the extra money is worth for this one I'd say ABSOLUTELY. After doing a speaker building project with it I'm extremely pleased. After finger tightening the collect most the way it only takes 2 seconds to tighten/untighten it the last bit using the wrenches and isn't awkward at all. It also comes with the plunge and fixed bases which comes in handy and will save you some money down the road if you need to switch bases. It actually lets you get a nice, tight grip on the bit that other collets don't allow for.