Woodworker's Journal 2011-35-1, страница 54
CZfy- r- I y — / / r- Today Cr. Shop c ontinued
Bosch was a trendsetter with the Ibp Colt compact router, which upped the ante with more power and versatility than common laminate trimmers. | Similar in design to the DeWALT DW611, Porter-Cable's 450 also comes in kit form with dual bases. Although 7 amps like its DeWALT cousin, the 450 is a single-speed machine that runs at 27,000 rpm. Sometimes you just don't need a full-sized circular sav/. RIDGID's Fuego 6V2" saw (left) helps you get the job done with less fatigue. Among the latest compact router offerings, DeWALT's V/«hp DW611 is available in a kit that includes a true plunge base. belt sander and the Bosch Colt, because they offer more control in many situations than their 'full-sized* brothers. I've already replaced full-si zed belt ganders with the smaller Porter-Cable." The sander he's referring to is the Porter-Cable 371, introduced just a few years ago. You won't be stripping a deck with one of them anytime soon, but for small work — cabinet doors and drawer fronts, say, or flat railings — it has more than enough power in a very light and easily controlled package. Corded Considerations The Bosch Celt and Porter-Cable 371 may have been the early birds in the corded category, but oilier manufacturers are catching up. In addition to their 12-volt cordless oscillating tool, Dremel offers their Multi-Max corded version. Smaller, lighter and yes, less powerful than the full-sized Fein MulliMaster and Rockwell SoniCrafter, it still tackles a variety of chores for which the two larger mac hines could quickly cause arm fatigue. Remember that smaller circular saw Andy Barss longed for earlier? RIDGID has one as part of their "Fuego" corded line. It includes a 61/2" circular saw, a 5' fiber-cement saw, compact orbital reciprocating saw and a small but beefy one-handed recip saw. (RIDGID also has an 18-volt Li-Ion version of the one-handed recip.) The biggest news in this category has lo be the recent introduction of a pair of compact routers from DeWALT and Porter-Cable. Rated at l!4hp, could they be the "missing link" between laminate trimmers and full-size routers? At just l/2hp less power than the Porter-Cable 690 and DeWALT DW616 routers, they're much more powerful than today's laminate trimmers. "Most lam trimmers are 5 amps and this is 7, so just by the math you're looking at over 28 percent improvement in power, which allows for larger bit cutting and less bogging of the bits, less vibration and less burning due to bit slowdown," says Bill Harmon. "Although with the increased power the compact router becomes an upgrade to the trimmer that allows you to do many of the mid-size applications with one hand, so there will certainly A big belt sander is fine lor deck stripping, hut for small jobs, Porter-Cable's 371K is a perfect fit. be a gravitation toward this product because of how many applications it's able to accomplish that you can't do with other trimmers today." The two machines look like twins and share several specs, but there are differences. The DeWALT has variable speed and LED guide lights, two features the Porter-Cable doesn't offer. Both machines weigh just a hair over four pounds, and both have an option no laminate trimmer has ever offered: a plunge-style base. The compact category is still in its growing stage, especially for corded machines. Chances are good that between the time 1 write this and the time you read it, more corded compact tools will be on the drawing boards if not nearing official introduction. With both users and manufacturers excited about the category, that's a trend you can count 011. "Outside of jobs such as demolition and remodeling, one-size-fits-all products will be a thing of the past," says Rachel Lombardo. "Compact [tools with] appropriate power and size will lead the corded category, and pace cordless development and cxpansion/^-:^ A.J. Hamler wrtes frequently for Woodworker's Journal and is the author of Civil War Woodworking. 54 February 2011 Woodworkers Journal JMaasa: ii^aVki^ & [Fsmtas© Map^tetoMI |
