Spent $80 on a decent router but should have just replaced the bit

I got a cheap palm router last year for like $40 and it worked okay for trimming edges. But when I tried to do a proper dado with it the bit wobbled so bad it ruined the whole board. I spent $80 on a mid-range Bosch and the difference is night and day. Anyone else make the mistake of blaming the tool when it was really just a cheap bit or collet?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_reed9d ago

I read somewhere that a lot of routers come with a collet that's just barely good enough and swapping it out makes a huge difference. Your story about the bit wobble sounds exactly like what happens when the collet doesn't grip even or the bit shaft isn't clean. With my cheap palm router, I started cleaning the bit shank with rubbing alcohol before every use and it helped a little, but the real fix was getting a better collet. Did you notice if the new Bosch collet felt tighter when you tightened the nut, or was it more about the router itself being better balanced?

caseyrivera9d ago

Took me a while to figure that out myself with my old Craftsman router. The difference with the collet was night and day, felt like a whole new tool once I swapped it. I cleaned the bit shanks too like you said, but the collet was the real issue for me. When I tightened the new one, it had a more even feel to it, no skipping or slipping as I turned the nut. The router itself wasn't any better balanced, but the bit staying true made the whole thing run smoother.