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If I was in the market for this type/size router again, I would not buy this one. My biggest complaint is that in a sustained routing condition the aluminum body gets very hot and uncomfortable to hold onto. Great size, with plenty of apparent power. The on/off switch is a little cumbersome in its position, and there is no soft start feature, so make sure you've got hold of this little monster at start-up. If Bosch could/would add some insulating grip pads to the housing this would be an excellent tool.
Since I am nota professional cabinet maker(although this machine has its place in a pro-fessional's quiver)I chose this one for its fit in my hand;the ease/con-venience of operation;the accessories available,and,above all else,Boschquality. I bought this product after having used a friends router. It definitely gets the job done,however,a little more power wouldbe nice.
It's small enough to hold with one hand, although not as small as I thought, or had hoped, but it does what I need. Although I'm not an expert with this type of tool, I think that it has plenty of power. I've used this router a few times so far and it does exactly what I need. The only feature that I wish it had is variable speed.
TheBosch PR20EVSK Colt Palm Grip 5.7 Amp 1-Horsepower Fixed Base Variable Speed Router with Edge Guide is a router that easily handles most jobs that I do with ease.
The soft start feature is really appreciated, even though this little thing doesn't have the torque of a 3.25HP machine. Made in Malaysia. Noise is not unbearable, but I still make sure to wear ear muffs. I made a few cuts in Baltic birch plywood with a 1/2" straight bit in three passes to a final depth of 1/4" and could feel and hear the motor start to load.
A couple points to note are as follows: I feel the RPM is too high at 35,000. I felt that I was being reasonable with the cut depths and feed rates, but still the motor was loading. The depth adjustment is two fold. A tiny chamfer or round over are nothing for this machine, but apparently cuts like the ones I made can tax the motor, despite the claim of "1HP". Balance and ergonomics are nice too, though since this tool has a metal motor casing it will get rather warm (or even hot) after a couple minutes of use. This thing is very light and easy to handle, and perfect for easing edges or routing hinge mortises.
The base can be unlocked and moved up and down for quick or non precision depths of cut, or the thumb wheel can be used for much finer adjustment in the locked position. Bit changes are easy with the shaft lock and wrench. If you aren't careful, this can easily burn your workpiece or bit - and the faster the motor spins, the shorter its life and that of the bit. While not without faults, I give this five stars for all the rest of its excellent qualities and considering that I paid only 70 for it. I've been woodworking a while, but just now got a trim router (well, a month ago). This system is actually quite nice.
The other point is that this is not a "real" router.
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