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Have yet to try the plunge base, but I am confident it will perform as well. I have used this recently purchased router for dovetailing drawers in 5/8 inch poplar and found it worked flawlessly and with minimum effort - very well satisfied with it.
I have used it to make raised panels with back cutters and it did not bog down seems to have plenty of power. I have the fixed base mounted to my router table and it is very easy to switch the motor back and forth to the plunger base. The one down side is that it requires two wrenches to change bits. This is an excellant value for the price. It is the quietest router I have ever heard.
In general, however, I am very pleased and would definitely recommend this product. The plunge router action is a little rough and jerky.and correcting this flaw would certainly improve the overall performance. The only other negative comment is that it is a bit awkward to have to remove the motor from the bases in order to change the bit, which still uses the old two wrench system. I have just begun using this router but so far am very pleased. The cost/product ratio is excellent. However, I am now glad I purchased the Hitachi because the size is much more manageable. I had originally considered purchasing a Triton router because of the strong reviews. The router appears to have more than enough power to handle all of the basic routing needs that I have and the low noise level is a welcome relief from the high decibel scream of my old Craftsman router.
This is my first router so I am not an expert, but so far I can say that this router is easy to use, I made my first cut on a table this saturday and I have got a nice and smooth cut, I am vary happy with my purchase and I now I couln'd have possibly get nothing better than this for the same price.
I am still impressed by these features, even though things go downhill from there.Plunge base. It is available on Amazon and is a nice edge guide. I have a Porter-Cable edge guide 42690 that fits mine perfectly. This was with a jig I have used for years with zero issues.Collets. I have polished the spindle bore, and done everything I can think of to remedy the sticking collets, but nothing has worked yet.All-in-all this has been a disappointing purchase. The plunge base was so stiff out of the box that I had to work on it for hours to get it to work properly.
Anyway, I have had good luck in the past with Hitachi products and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Hitachi KM12VC Router plunge and fixed base.I purchased this router kit with high hopes. When I received the package i was very pleased with all of the accessories that were supplied, especially the set of guide bushings. This is very frustrating.
The only way to remove them is with a punch and hammer. I re-torqued the bit with even more force and now both collets stick in the spindle. I just keep reading about how other woodworkers love this combo. As stated earlier, I just think this was a lemon.
I'm thinking I just got a dud.I did read where some are having difficulty finding an edge guide to fit. I have had several issues with both the 1/4 and 1/2 inch collets supplied. I am a machinist by trade, and have over 30 years of woodworking experience so I don't feel it is "operator error". Initially I was impressed with the power of the motor, and with how quiet it was even under load.
I only paid $134.00 from Amazon with free shipping, so I probably got what I paid for. This after I tightened it to what should have been an acceptable level with the supplied wrenches. I finally got it to what would be called "acceptable" but I ruined a couple of chair leg mortises before I worked out the bugs. While routing a deep mortise with the above mentioned jig (1/2 inch carbide spiral bit) the bit came loose and spoiled the workpiece.
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