Hello, how can I tell if my Makita Colt (Model# PR20EVS) trim router I already own, is compatible with the Low Rider without modification?
Thanks!
I think you mean Bosch Colt?
If you take measurements of the part of the case where the base attaches, you should be able to compare that against the other commonly used routers. It doesn’t look like anything sticks out too far so my only concern would be the length of that barrel.
Personally, I would strongly recommend just planning to get another router for the CNC if you can. I found getting the router in and out of the machine annoying enough that it wasn’t worth doing. I like having a router set up with a roundover or chamfer bit and have often ended up using both with my CNC.
Often my workflow has been to cut something on the CNC, remove it, sand off any tabs, use a roundover/chamfer bit on all the edges, etc. Having a separate router for doing that while the CNC can continue makes life way easier.
There are also some other things you can do such as using the CNC router to cut a pattern into the piece by doing a single relatively shallow pass, cutting the part out using a jigsaw or a bandsaw by cutting in the valley of that pass and then using a bearing guided flush trim bit to trim that bandsaw cut to CNC’d pattern. In my experience that can be hugely faster than using the CNC for some projects, especially if they’re in relatively thick or hard material. Or if you’re producing multiple parts it lets you do one thing while the CNC does the next and you’re just keeping a loose eye on it.
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Ugh I can be so stupid sometimes… Yes, Bosch Colt.
I might do what you say and get another one specifically for the CNC. Now that you mention it, I definitely see the potential issues with pulling the router in and out of the CNC.
I imagine one of the Kobalts are probably pretty cheap, I will look at the options and see.
Thanks for your additional feedback and comments, I appreciate it.
Hardly, it took me a surprisingly long time to figure out that it wasn’t a Makita, it sounded ‘right’ to me, too.
I don’t think the Kobalt ones are being sold anymore. If you’re in the US there are a few people using the Carbide ER-11 Router because it’s basically a Makita knockoff with an ER-11 collet. I don’t have any familiarity with this because it’s US/120V only where I’m in NZ/230V, but that’s where I’d go, especially at that price. I’m partial to the Makita RT0700 series because that matches my battery tools so I got a battery one as well which means that I can use the spare base from the one I bought for my CNC router with the battery router, leaving it on a larger base plate etc.
The DeWalt one is the other one that seems reasonably well regarded but I also don’t have any experience here.
There’s also the option to use a 65mm spindle which is a bit more complicated as it needs an external VFD but gives you a much quieter option, albeit at the expense of weight and, I believe, power relative to a trim router. Unless you very specifically want quieter running, I’d avoid this option like the plague, personally.
No worries at all, that’s what we’re here for!