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

With that in mind, this tool comes pretty close. If you are looking for a great router, this is the one. (I believe made by Porter Cable in those days, not sure). And when you turn it on, you know you have an impressive tool in your hand.

Oh.did I mention the price. I have been living with a old Black and Decker and two Craftsman routers. Now i have two, one for my table and one Hitachi router kit. Eleven amps. Well, guess what router I bought for it. The perfect tool has not been invented yet.

I am a woodworker by heart but a long shot from a pro. I thought it was time to do an upgrade and so I put out a really good search for a good router. They are powerful enough to do what I need and I like the fact that they are the quietest router on the market. I have used my Hitachi a lot and I just built a router table extension on my table saw. Right out of the case, you can tell you have an impressive tool in your hand. The thing I was impressed with in my search was the power of the motor.

You get a great tool at a great price. I know the Bosch router has 12 amps but I was not willing to put out $100 for just one more amp.

Good product with great price - loe having fixed and plunge base - case is a real nice surprise

I purchased this router mainly for use on my router table with the fixed base but having the option of using it as a plunge router is a plus. So in my opinion this router look's, feel's and perform's like a quality router so the question is will it last in the long run. This is where you will need to use the variable speed, you will need to set it at about half speed before making a cut on the panel, you will also have to adjust the depth of cut 2 to 3 times before making the final cut as you would also have to do with with a 3hp router. After reading review's and checking out this router at a local store, I deceided to purchase it online for a lot less. I have only been using this router for a little over 3 months, but recently I have put it to pretty good test making new raised panel doors for our kitchen cabinet's and so far I am very satisfied with It's performance. If so I will be very very satisfied. Some people say you need a 3hp router for cutting the raised panels but this 2 1/4 hp done the job just fine.

After reading other reviewers notes and before purchasing, I decided to go to a local hardware store and experiment and examine several brands of routers with fixed and plunge bases to understand how they work. I'll now check the directions to see if that helps. Oh, I bought a Bosch 5/8" straight bit and it was a good choice for dado cuts. I have finished two woodworking projects using the Hitachi router: the first using the fixed base, and the second using the plunge base. Other than that, no problems.

I read the basic safety and operating instructions and had no problems with assembly or operation. Consequently, I did not bother to read the inadequate directions on assembling and using the plunge router. It seemed pretty obvious. I did notice that the plunge base dispersed the dust in a very haphazard fashion--not sure if I didn't align the motor correctly or what, but I blew out the dust using an air compressor.

This kit is very high quality and perfect for a beginner such as myself. I was able to verify that it would fit in the Bosch series of tables, but if your looking to mount this to less expensive tables this may not be the router for you. The kit comes with everything you may need to get started. The only minor problem is that it was a bit of a challenge to find router tables that this would mount to.