Your creativity and crafting skills are tested in woodworking, whether you can deliver satisfactory results with the given materials and output design. However, those two factors are not enough for you to consistently produce positive and successful wood projects. If you’ve been practicing professional-grade woodwork or running a business out of woodcrafts, you know that a kin observation of what an excellent wood router is vital to win you more work. If you’re a starting hobbyist in this field, you’d learn more about it as you go on. And if you’re ready to make a purchase, this article shall serve as your guide.
In this article, we’re not just recommending you a random set of wood routers you should include in your options; we’re going to show you a router category you might want to consider: units with a brushless motor. Moreover, you’ll get to know about the best budget brushless combo wood routers on our list towards the end.
What’s a Brushless Motor?
In recent years, power tools that feature brushless motor emerged in the industry. Some were hesitant to try this new kind of tool release, and some immediately checked out what’s the deal with it. Those who tried felt the change in usage right away, and others went from brush motor tools to brushless ones. So, what’s with a power tool that comes with a brushless motor?
To start, brushless motors can operate without utilizing the components that a standard brush motor uses: mechanical brushes and commutator. A brushless motor is better than the traditional motor so that the materials that make it run don’t get worn out too quickly, even with frequent use. Without the commutator, the motor’s commutation process is handled by a computer program; this way, the tool has more electronic control and can go for higher running speeds without exhausting the motor and causing sparks. Because it’s found to be more advantageous than a brush motor, tools with brushless motor tend to be more expensive; however, if you’re getting serious with construction work, this might be a reasonable investment you can take on.
Product Review
Below, we have a short list of our picks that may expand your option for brushless motor combination wood routers. The items that we’ll mention are also on the budget-friendly tier, so these products are definitely up your alley.
Makita XTR01Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Compact Router
The first product we recommend to you is this XTR01Z unit by Makita. This model comes with powerful 18V Lithium-Ion batteries, which allows you to use the tool for up to 50% longer run time. These batteries have a Star symbol; this means that the wood router is protected by Star Protection Computer Controls from overloading, over-discharging, and overheating. The Star protection aims to upgrade the router’s usability by prolonging your tool and its battery’s life from wear brought by frequent use. In addition to its durability factor, the router also has housing and a base made of aluminum.
The XTR01Z has a speed range from 10,000 to 30,000 RPM, allowing you to use it on various project applications in a broader set of materials. Its variable speed setting dial also lets you use smaller and larger bit sizes for a design that has strict requirements. To help you produce accurate and highly precise cuts, this unit comes with dual LED lights to provide you with a better vision of your work area. It also has a smooth rack-and-pinion fine adjustment system for an easy and accurate bit and depth changes. Lastly, the XTR01Z comes with a Soft Start feature to reduce the initial torque that a router releases after being switched on; this function lets you gain more control and security over the tool as you operate it.
Bosch 12V Max EC Brushless Palm Edge Router (Bare Tool) GKF12V-25N
Our next product is a palm router model from Bosch: the GKF12V-25N. This wood router boasts a unique physical design that makes it perfect for palm handling. Its shape allows you to hold and grip it securely without any tool slipping issues from your hand. The unit is also lightweight to handle at 2.2 lbs and is cordless, so you can easily maneuver it across the material you’re working on. Additionally, this design also provides you with improved stability and accuracy when performing trimming and edge-forming operations. As for its speed and power, the GKF12V-25N has a maximum 13,000 RPM speed, which is enough for you to handle small to medium scale wood projects.
Bosch ensures that the GKF12V-25N helps you maintain excellently accurate cuts by including convenient features like a depth-adjustment system, a depth adjustment lock, and an easy-change spindle lock. These features allow you to make accurate and easy bit changes and depth modifications.
Makita XTR01Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Compact Router
For our last product recommendation, we have Makita’s XTR01Z again; however, it’s advertised to be “renewed” this time. This means that the product is under Amazon’s new program, “Amazon Renewed”, wherein they inspect pre-owned products and ensure that such units still look and work well as new. They perform maintenance measures like diagnostic tests and part replacements on the items before they release it. The unit is also backed up by Amazon’s 90-day guarantee upon your purchase, so you’re in good hands. We recommend this product if you’re eyeing Makita’s XTR01Z, but you’re short in cash or try the tool out for your workshop.
This XTR01Z still has the same features as the original one we’ve mentioned previously. It has a variable speed dial that lets you adjust the router’s speed from 10,000 to 30,000 RPM. The unit also comes with a Soft Start technology that assists you with its initial torque upon being switched on. It also has the dual LED lights, providing you enhanced bit visibility as you closely work with your project and material. Technically, every feature that the original XTR01Z has is also here; the difference is that it’s pre-owned and repacked by Amazon with insurance that the unit can still provide quality performance.
Conclusion
Wood routers with brushless motors are on the rise today. With the benefits and improved features that this developed motor brings, people are changing their preferences from using traditional power tools with the standard brush motors. If you’re searching for the best options for this category, we hope that our recommendations helped you out.