Same experience I had but only initially. It never surged under load and after a few sessions of using it, it no longer surges under no load.
Mine had some surging at first too. It’s so much quieter than my old trim router and I like the led lights.
I’m curious what size router bits you guys are using with the ER-11 collets?
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Me too, and I like the soft start!
Sometimes I need to drill some holes in a CNC project. Now I can attach drill bits to my LowRider.
Before, when I needed to do this, I once actually wrapped painters tape around the shaft of a drill bit to get it large enough for the collet to hold it!
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I just picked up a second one for $40 at my local store. Not that I need it right now, but it’s such a good deal. 
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The issue now is going to be replacements if another company doesn’t pick it up or make a similar product
If anyone is in the Loveland, CO area, this Lowes is selling them for $45. There are 3 other stores in the area, but they seem to be advertising them at $99.
They are not on display and can’t be ordered online, so you’ll have to ask in the tool section. According to the woman who assisted me, they ARE on clearance, but the computer said they have 8 more as of about 2pm today. There were certainly several stored on the high shelves, but don’t know if there were 8 after I took mine.
There is actually a “clearance” shelf in the store, but it’s not near the tools. She thought they should be moved there pretty promptly.
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I really do not understand how the prices can vary like this.
$45 is still a great deal.
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I think the store managers have a ton of discretion in something like this. It may be that one could get the lower price at the other stores too, but for me it didn’t make any sense to go elsewhere since the Loveland store had the stock. .
The woman that helped me said that these had been our on a display, but the “merchandising team” comes in and rearranges things which put them up on the shelf out of sight.
(I know this has at least some validity. My brother was doing “visual merchandising” at JC Penny some years ago. He was responsible for several stores and you would not believe the power he had to set up the displays to be “just so”.)
And, yes, $45 was the only reason I did this… I had also purchased one very early. The first one is on Primo. The new one will go onto LR3, aka “Guido” when I finally have some time.
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Maybe Lowes operates like Burger King, McDonalds etc. and works as a franchise, so the stores are independently owned and the respective owners can follow the companies suggestions but does not have to?
/edit: Google says it is not a franchise. Then it is just weird. 
Didn’t make sense to me, hence my twilight zone video. Seemed like there was plenty of room in the Trim Router section 
My local store has them on the shelf with the other trim routers, marked down to $44.97, even though still on the web site at $99.
While I was taking this picture, an associate came to ask if I needed help, and after chatting a while suggested I should come back when a real store manager was around and see if they’d discount it further.
While having that chat, a customer came up to look at the router section and asked me about it, and why I was considering buyig a clearance item router. I pointed out the LR3 picture and described what it is.
That guy was a bit incredulous, and stated that this router was for some industrial machine, not a build-it-yourself thing- and then pointed to the LR3 picture as ‘proof’. I suggested that he could visit v1e.com to check it out further.
Such weird goings on.
Edit to add: none have sold since I bought one the last time I took a picture here.
Edit 2: It’s a great deal at $45, but if marked down any further than that I’m tempted to buy all 3. LOL.
Edit 3: This is Longmont CO, just a bit south of the Loveland, CO store mentioned above. Almost certainly one of the other 3 stores mentioned by Dave K above.
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Just checked website for my store, and it’s changed from $99 down to $64.97, still “in-store only.”
Yeah, unfortunately I believe I’m the only one that purchased any from my local store. It’s really unfortunate because it’s a nice tool.
I’ve worked on multiple projects at my job that have been killed in a similar fashion. It’s really frustrating when you spend so much time and energy to make something new and the company seems to cut it at the earliest opportunity without giving it a chance to gain any momentum.
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I found the display a while back, but they didn’t actually have any routers on it. Either no one bought any of the kobalt tools on it, but bought all the routers, or they never stocked them in the first place. I keep meaning to stop in and see if it was ever stocked.
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It really sucks how this whole thing was handled. I know none of the stores around me ever put them out unless someone specifically asked about them. I asked in one store and waited over an hour for them to finally take it down and open the display up. And they had it in a section that had absolutely nothing to do with routers at all. just in the middle of some random isle. If this had been handled a lot better I think the outcome would have been a lot better.
I will also say, most people away from the CNC world all want battery now. I have 2 palm routers I had before the Kobalt and both are cordless. For normal stuff thats just way easier. I still was very hopeful that this would have caught some traction but it was just handled poorly. Heres to hoping someone else picks it up and keeps it going!! And maybe if that happens they will contact Ryan and get his machine on the side of their box too!
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The box is a rendering and not the one he built for them. 
I am kind of mad I am not in the US and that your voltage is so weird, otherwise I would have bought 9 for the price of my spindle. 
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Yeah but you know what I meant LOL
Our voltage is just fine, its yours that is weird sir!
That is a real nice spindle you ended up with though. I wish mine would go that low on RPMs. Well I know it can, but manufacturer says 12k-24k lol. I think trying to go down to 10k or 8k would get it way too hot
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Says the guy with the freedom units per mile.
But besides that: Yes, the spindle is awesome. Not that I’d need the low RPM because I always go too fast, but I could! Maybe for acrylic one day. 
Oh…I’m kinda on the “I wish the US was 240” side…
Then I would always have it where I need it and not have to run new circuits… and would not have had to run such big wires all those times…and pay for such big wires…
I don’t disagree here at all. I was mostly just messing with Phillip LOL. And also since I started doing 3d printing and CNC stuff I measure a LOT more in MM than anything else anymore LOL. Especially if I’m drawing it in Fusion lol
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