My PRO XXL with Makita router. The bit lock button sheared off its insert peg and cracked open the cast aluminum I think that surrounds this little, annoying button. I am leaning toward the $80.00 Carbide offered compact router as a replacement. Any thoughts which is the better router to use for a hobbyist not doing this for any commercial profits…yet.
Thanks.
I started with the carbide, and after a bearing got smoked within the first hour of use, I installed a Makita. Even the carbide will break if you use the spindle lock when tightening the bit.
I’d still would stick with the Makita, The only thing the carbide router has over the Makita, is the extra long cord. So I swapped the cords when I installed the Makita.
Ive had the carbide router for 3 years now. I have replaced the brushes once and had no other issues with it in this time. I mainly cut wood and am a hobby user so not as much run time as some but its definently been a great router for me.
The C3D router is a clone of the Makita 701. So which do you think is better the original or a cheaper copy. With the manufacture of the routers in China the quality is not always great. Sometimes the stars line up and you get the best of every component and your router works for ever with out fault. Then you can also get the worst parts all in the same router and it lasts 5 minutes. C3d stands behind their products for a full year. The Makita warranty is a mail in repair center with no real help to the consumer.
So in the end it is six of one and half a dozen of the other. My Dewalt 611 is 6 years old and has never given me any trouble. However the Dewalt is a 69MM router and the Makita/C3d is a 66MM diameter router and on the newer machines you likely have a 66MM router mount. On the Shapeoko 3 the mount was 69MM and they sent a reducer for a 66MM router. The Dewalt has a longer body than the Makita/C3d so on a Z-Plus you get additional Z depth over the shorter body Makita/C3d. But t he Makita/C3d has a slightly slower speed over the Dewalt.
The cost of a trim router is rather small and unfortunately you should consider them expendable and consumable. When one wears out or fails buy another one. You could upgrade to a spindle and VFD but that is more money and more complication.
I’ll add that regardless of what model you go for, it’s a best practice to NOT use that button when tightening the collet nut, but use two key wrenches instead, one of the shaft’s flat and one on the nut. Over time I have seen quite few cases of this “cracked open cast aluminium” on the Makita (and clones), I guess it’s a weak spot of their design (but using two wrenches offers a better/more repeatable way to tighten the collet nut anyway)
And on the counterpoint’s opposite view…there’s Richard.
Owner of a Makita RT0700 since 2016… Estimated at 7000 hours of use…On my second set of brushes (changed out the OEM set just 55 weeks ago at 6200 (est) hours, and who has NEVER used two wrenches to tighten the collet.
There are always two (2) sides to a story.
It’s a small router…and doesn’t need the strength of a two-hundred-pound gorilla to tighten its collet properly. Yes, I am saying people who have split the router are overtightening it (This MIGHT be because they are using poorly made collets which have a tendency to slip… (usually because of poorly matched M/F tapers))
Please note that after 10 of THOUSANDS of tool changes I have had one tool slip…In 2018, an 8º dovetail (wood) cutter did slide out of the collet approximately 1/32" It is my fault for not roughing the dovetail first.
FYI: I only use quality collets…( Elaire OR self-made) hint hint.
My opinion… take it for what 45+ years of machining and engineering education have coalesced.
Oh in closing and let me state that you’re STILL overtightening the collet…and will probably continue this trait regardless of which brand you buy.
As always…work smart, work safe, work efficiently.
Had the exact same thing happen. Stayed with makita since it was one for one replacement.
I recently replaced my Carbide router with the ER-11 collet version. I like it much better. The original had .005-.007 runout even with the precision collets. Very frustrating. The ER-11 is less than .001. If you use both 1/4 shank and 1/8 shank I would also recommend getting another collet nut. Swapping the collets isn’t quick. Hopes this helps.
Also there is a rumor that there is a supported spindle coming!
Rich:
Thank you for this post. I agree that overtightening is probably the culprit. And use quality collets. Unfortunately I do not have the credentials you do to back up this statement. Twenty years a hobby woodworker. I do, however, use two wrenches on my Porter Cable 690 mounted in a lift in my router table because I cannot access the locking pin. Same for my hand held Bosch 1617. I tighten by squeezing the two wrenches with one hand. I have a DeWalt 611 in my woodshop which I use the locking pin and one wrench with no problem.
I am a novice CNC user. I have the Carbide3d router in my Shapeoko 3 XL The only time I had a router bit come out was when I did not pay attention to my feed rate and tried to make a contour cut at 3050 ipm 
And whether CNC or traditional router watch your Depth of Cut. Another lesson learned when making a 3/4" dado for a miter gauge slot in one pass using my table mounted router. I still wince at the memory of that experience.
Bill
Thank you to all who have taken the time to respond with comprehensive suggestions.
Short back story - I retired end of 2021 so its been about 2 months. My family gifted me this CNC, bought used from a private owner. It was tested and used for a month by my son who owns a huge metal milling machine. When I got it, it represented the first time I ever used one. So my experience is not consistent with the name of the machine - PRO. I do have framing experience in woodworking but not much else. Thus, having no OM and only some of the supplied accessories, I never found a single thread about not using the little red button to change bits.
My ignorance has now caused me to buy a new router after only 2 months of ownership.
To the member who regards $80-$150 pocket change, my world is quite different living on a fixed annuity and at my age. I am going to buy the Carbide router considering I have had nothing but outstanding support from them and their $80.00 router has a 1 year warranty. I know they will be much easier and cooperative if I need to replace it. I am not opting for the more expensive Carbide router because I will never use a collet bigger than 1/4".
Again, the support from Carbide 3D is extrordinary and the support from this community in my short time here has been overwhelming to say the least.
Thanks - Jack
I was surprised by Makita’s response regarding the repair of my router. See below:
So they are stating the Makita RT-7010C is not compatible with CNC machines/tables or you void the warranty.
I’m sure you all know how to circunvent that by simply not telling the mfgr. how the tool is being used.
I have used many different routers in the past 45 years. I vested a lot in the earlier Craftsman routers from the small palm routers to the larger routers. I also have several Porter Cable, Dewalt corded and battery operated routers and one Porter Mate router. All these brands have worked well over the years and they all have been pushed past the normal limits a few or more times.
I am using the Carbide router with my Shapeoko Pro and I did purchase an extra carbide router when I ordered my machine. When using any of these routers if you can use two wrenches instead of the built in button lock please do. This takes all the stress off of the housing and places it on the shaft. You should also keep the collets and bit shanks free of any rust or built up sawdust/chips. The collet on the CNC does build up small powder shavings in the slots of the collet and in the flange of the nut. This can lead to over tightening and sometimes bit spinning in the collet. and when this happens and you are using the lock button it will damage or crack the housing.
As far as voiding warranty on a product, that may be a reason to not make a repair. If you think of how you use a palm router in your hands, your grip is not as strong or steady as the mount on a CNC. When I worked for a wood working tool company we never asked how the tool was being used when it came in for repairs.
Anthony
If the router manufacturer did not want you to use the lock button then why did they put it on the router? The problem is not the use of the lock button but rather the cheapness of the casting that is the real problem. Now best practice is to use the wrenches but why put the lock button on in the first place if it is best practice to use the wrenches. The real issue is these routers are made in China by the low cost maker. On top of being the lowest cost maker the Chinese factories cheat and make the products even cheaper then the specifications call for. Whirlpool had their dishwashers made in China. The Whirlpool engineers went to China and helped set up the manufacturing line. About a year later Whirlpool started getting warranty claims about the dish washer doors falling off. Upon investigation the Whirlpool designed hinges were replaced with a cheaper version that made more money for the manufacturer but less profit for Whirlpool having to honor the warranty claims. Whirlpool brought their manufacturing back to the USA for dish washers. The same thing has been going on all over China, the company specifies what they want and the manufacturer substitutes inferior parts when they think no one is looking. I hope the world starts to smarten up and start making their own products for their own markets.
The lock button is useful to initially tighten things so that they will stay in place while one fully tightens w/ a pair of good quality wrenches (just a firm squeeze — monkey tight, not gorilla tight).
From the Makita 701 user manual:
Insert the bit all the way into the collet cone and tighten
the collet nut securely with the two wrenches or by
pressing the shaft lock and using the provided wrench.
To remove the bit, follow the installation procedure in reverse
So the Makita User Manual says you can use either the lock button or the two wrenches. As far as the C3D router I did not look for a user manual but the Makita seems to be ok with using the lock button.
Thanks. Great insight!!
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