Cordless Router

bigtiller · Nov 6, 2020

Any wood workers out there have one?

I am thinking of a trim router to use for 1/4 round or maybe small rabbets. But I have no idea how long a 3 amp hour battery would last.

I am also wondering about whether or not they are top heavy and need extra caution to avoid damaging a piece of wood.

dieselscout80 · Nov 6, 2020

Im interested in this too.

I went to get a Rigid one, but they didn't have any at HD, so it got the corded version and it works good.

cdaigle430 · Nov 6, 2020

I have the small Rigid corded one and its done everything I ask but...power cord keeps getting in the way. I do like the Rigid alot but dont want to have to buy the batteries and charger for it since I already have another system. So now I am looking to buy the Milwaukee M18 Fuel cordless router since I already the battery system for other Milwaukee power tools. I can get the tool only for 200 bucks at HD. Unfortunately-beyond my take on a cordless vs corded I do not have any opinions on using one yet.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...ss-Compact-Router-Tool-Only-2723-20/310179064

Roadworthy · Nov 6, 2020

The length of life after charge of any battery depends on the load it's feeding. How many amps does your chosen router draw? The age of the battery comes into play as well as the state of charge. There is no one size fits all answer.

cdaigle430 · Nov 6, 2020

My take on the battery from the Milwaukee Power Tool experience is - I have two 4 amp and one 5 amp batteries. The 4 amp hour battery under full load continuously for a cordless grinder will give me 30-40 minutes continuous runtime. Thats ok as I have a rapid charger that will charge it in 30 minutes and two other batteries waiting. That gives me continuous runtime indefinitely. Under continuous loads a battery heats up and you cannot charge a hot battery-it will damage it. Thats why I have three, one in use, one on charger and one on coold down. Been doing it this way for 5 years-same batteries.

Runtime will vary from tool to tool and load, but you can have the spare batteries on hand to fill in the gaps needed.

I also have Ryobi Tirmmer with many attachments, three batteries, one in use, one in charger and one in cool down-so with this system I never run out of battery and I am not abusing the batteries.

ctgoldwing · Nov 6, 2020

I've gone with the Dewalt line of 20V Max products. I've replaced all my corded and some older cordless tools except for my bench grinder. I find the difference is dramatic. Battery life has never been an issue. I, like the previous poster, have several batteries from 2AH to 6AH. I pick the lightest one for the job at hand and have charged batteries waiting if I need them. It has just made my projects more fun to do - including their cordless grease gun. Who thought greasing the tractor could be fun and clean to do?

DEWALT 2V Max XR Cordless Router, Brushless, Tool Only (DCW6B), Black-v186, Mini-v186 - - Amazon.com

bigtiller · Nov 6, 2020

ctgoldwing said:
I've gone with the Dewalt line of 20V Max products. I've replaced all my corded and some older cordless tools except for my bench grinder. I find the difference is dramatic. Battery life has never been an issue. I, like the previous poster, have several batteries from 2AH to 6AH. I pick the lightest one for the job at hand and have charged batteries waiting if I need them. It has just made my projects more fun to do - including their cordless grease gun. Who thought greasing the tractor could be fun and clean to do?

DEWALT 2V Max XR Cordless Router, Brushless, Tool Only (DCW6B), Black-v186, Mini-v186 - - Amazon.com

Yep, we all like cordless tools, but we want to know about your dewalt cordless router. It would be interesting to hear from someone that has one rather than a Dewalt company employee.

Brag it up a little, tell us your pros & cons.

powersrp · Nov 7, 2020

Reading the reviews, it seams to be a good router. Except that their is no way to lock the height after you set it, to me that’s a no buy, and I have a but load of the dewault 20v tools, and pleased with them all .

dragoneggs · Nov 7, 2020

bigtiller said:
Yep, we all like cordless tools, but we want to know about your dewalt cordless router. It would be interesting to hear from someone that has one rather than a Dewalt company employee.

Brag it up a little, tell us your pros & cons.

I have the Dewalt 20v cordless router. I have several other routers from 1.5 up to Porter Cable 3-1/4hp. The biggest is permanently. mounted in my router table. My mid sized most recent router Festool (I know, I know) 2200 is awesome for routing dados, plunging, etc. with incredible dust collection.

But I love my cordless little guy! Great for edge work such as chamfers and round overs. Also very light so it can be used on vertical surfaces. I use the smallest battery to keep the CG low and for better control. Go the 'right' way around outside and inside edges so it doesn't climb on you.

The height and lock (tightening) takes a little to get used to but I haven't had trouble with it drifting up/down once set. I was worried about power or lack there of it, but for light passes, I love it! Not having a cord on a router just like other cordless handheld tools is liberating and especially a router on large long runs. No stepping or hanging up on a cord that can cause damage on a edge if you are not careful.

I sometimes wish I had a larger baseplate but I like the compactness and the clear acrylic. Suppose I could fab a bigger one for a little more stability.