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I've heard very good things about both these products

The Bosch GKF 600
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Bosc ... 784588.htm

or

The Makita 3708F
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Maki ... -20254.htm

I like the idea of the Makita because on the fine adjustments and the light, yet I the Bosch is more powerful and seems to be almost equivalent, someone said that now the Mayes had swapped from the Makita to the Bosch, the truth behind that is unknown to me as I have the information 3rd hand

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

The Bosch Colt is my choice. It also has a fairly good fine adjustment. The thing I really like about the Colt is its rock-solid base. It's cast aluminum and once clamped down, there is no movement.

I am switching all my jigs to work with it.

Did you go with the single speed or the varible speed Colt?
I'd say go for the Bosch Colt .

I got the Porter Cable but if I had it to do over again, I'd get the Colt. The P/C has a lot of torque for a small
trimmer but it's all there at once and if you're not ready, you get into trouble fast. I'd like the variable speed of the
Colt and agree on the base. Gee, I'm talking myself into a second laminate router.... this forum gets expensive.

Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

I have the Bosch Colt, both variable speed and single speed. In all honesty, I leave the variable speed set at the highest level, so for me, it really is no different than having the single speed trimmer.

I have several PC's and they are great. At this point what I will buy until can't get them. If get something else, which I will at some point, it will be Colt. Although never used or have one, heard great things about them.

im sure there are other great lam trimmers, but i own a variable speed bosch colt and really like it. it is solid as mentioned and the soft start is a great feature. mine came with a straight edge guide which isnt the greatest and i bought the roller edge guide to use with the williams binding jig. ive heard others complain about the bearing on the roller guide, but i think it works just fine. i also generally leave the variable speed turned all the way up. its not like you are going to chuck up a 2" diameter bit in your lam trimmer. so the single speed would probably be fine.

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sweat the small stuff.

Get the colt!

I've had a makita and I love their products and mine worked without flaws, having said that, I think the colt has a better base (cast aluminum which I open the mounting holes up to 10-32), is a bit lower (meaning lower center of gravity) and has a bit more power (mind you, one shouldn't be hogging off much material with a laminate trimmer).

I do have a colt and I have 2 more coming tomorrow morning (Christmas presents), and I've given the Makita away (I'm sure it will serve it's new owner as good as it's served me) so my entire shop is run from Bosh routers with 3 Colts and a Clydesdale in the Bosh 1617 (well, maybe not Clydesdale but I was sticking with the horse theme)

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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Can't seem to find the variable speed model in the UK yet

John

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

That Lowes price is great but they are $120 here at my Lowes. I think the Single speed is the way way to go and a$5 HF speed control if you need varible speed.

I wouldn't worry about the variable speed trimmer. You really don't want to use a laminate trimmer to run any bit over 1/2" and only to take small passes at a time, so variable speed is sort of a luxury which I think the majority of people just won't use.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Amazon has the single speed Colt for $65:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PR10E-Single-Speed-Palm-Grip-Router/dp/B000ANT91S/ref=pd_cp_hi_1?pf_rd_p=413863601&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000ANQHTA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=16P13NCXGB4EVQ60HK67

Glenn

Anyone get one of these yet - they are only $510.............

Ouch, Hesh I hope it makes coffee, and cleans up at the end of the day too.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Buying Festool is God's way of telling you that you make too much money.

There is no variable speed in the europe version, "GKF 600". Its a great machine, I have it to. So far not any issues with it.

Lars.

Has anyone checked out the Trend T4?

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=153-875&gclid=CKmH5YrB3JcCFRxNagodd0_IDQ

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Aoibeann

I have to say that looks pretty good as long as there aren't any runout or motor issues. I'm ordering one to give it a try. What the heck, I haven't bought me a tool for Xmas yet.

The best router is one that you like , that suits your needs and will have the power to do the job. Harbor Freight lacks a consistent quality . I use a PC 7310 , Makita Bosch , all these are quality tools. When was the last time you got mad at a tool that worked?
Buy the best you can afford,
Happy Holidays
john

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

John Hale, I see you are in the UK which means your domestic power is 230 V, correct? This may be old news to you, but if not... Construction site power tools in your country run on 110 V, normally through "site transformers", which are heavy duty 230/110 V step down transformers. They seem to be plentiful and reasonably priced in the UK, so if you get one you can take advantage of the favorable exchange rate (for us) on the US$ and buy your laminate trimmers and many other power tools from the US. US tools are rated 110 V / 60 Hz, but the ones that have universal motors will not care about frequency difference.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Yes I've got a Trend T4, it's more a small plunge router than a laminate trimmer, I use it a lot for things like routing slotheads ( with the Luthier tools jig) mortices and other jobs like that. It's a very good tool for the money with as good a bearings as I've come across.

Jobs like this:


Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

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Tony, on UK construction sites 110V tools are a legal requirement, and as the UK mains supply is 240V a transformer is the only way to work on them. I have a number of 110V tools, (lam trimmer, router, Dremmel, blankets) that I run using a site transformer. In the Uk, with some exceptions, 110V tools tend to be better made stronger and more reliable than the 'amateur' 240V ones.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Depending on the size and power factor a transformer doesn't use much power just sitting there until there is a load applied to it. Think of power packs or small plug in trans. in your house. When you aren't using the device it's pluged in then the power it uses is that which produces the heat in it. As a matter of fact it is an inductive load and the loss of VA doesn't get read by a Watt meter in a residence. Now just keep in mind we are talking small trans. here.

I have a couple of the variable speed colts. Has anyone bought the version with all the accessories? They are very proud of the accessories (price as an indicator)but I wonder if they are worth it?

The Festool is tempting, after Hesh's advise on the ROS which I love, maybe and extra $400 is worth it????