you have too much time
Ah, good to know. Mine sits on a shelf awaiting the demise of my DeWalt.
Any idea of the specific collet nut required? I got some ER-11 collets but not a nut yet. Seem to recall Doug using them so need to dig around…
Perhaps a silly question - but given the “so near and yet so far” nature of the Kobalt exercise - is it time to pursue a manufacturer for a “branded” spindle?
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Here are some pics of the one off my Rocky. Threads and seats perfectly on the Kobalt.
I’m by no means an authoritative source, but my take is that if it’s labeled as an ER11 nut, it should fit.
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I see! Tons of them (ER-11A collet nuts) on amazon etc. for cheap.Thanks for the heads up, I’ll order one now!
Was nice being able to dust off and use a 15pc set of metric ER11 compatible collets I’d originally purchased and used on my 1st CNC (Genmitsu ProVer 3040). Bought the 15pc set for not much more than I paid for one Makita collet.
I ordered these ER11 collets and these ER11-A collet nuts and they work together with the Kobalt!
Both of the routers I picked up had issues with surging under no load. One of them I used for 10-20 minutes under load as suggested earlier in this thread, and the surging went away. I’ll try the other when I can get a chance.
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.”