In the lines of the woodcraft industry, it’s important to point out that excellent skills and high-quality materials are not enough to work on a project successfully. Both of these things can be acquired; you have to find a reliable tool that would help utilize your skills on your task and work on your materials at hand with ease, efficiency, and convenience. Lastly, you need the best equipment that could cater to your project application’s requirements.
A wood router is one of the common must-haves in a workshop that mainly focuses on woodworks. There are so many routers available in the market today, considering that more and more people, whether enthusiasts, novices or professionals, are starting to figure their way in the woodworking industry. In this article, we’re going to give you a recommendation by providing a review of a wood router manufactured by Kobalt: the Kobalt Fixed Corded Router with Table Included K11RTA-03. From below, you’ll learn about the features and functions that this unit could offer you, and we’ll discuss why it’s potential as one of your wood router options for the next time that you buy one.
Product Overview
Kobalt takes their line of wood routers onto the next step with this corded router model. The unit utilizes a 12-amp motor that provides enough power for you to work on a wide array of projects, from simple to complex. The router also offers decent ergonomics to allow you to manage your woodworks with comfort, no matter how rough the applications may be. We’ll get to the specific features of this corded router later on this article, but additionally, this model comes with a routing table. We think that the table is one of the factors that make this unit better than competing fixed-base routers in the market. Proceed to read along to find out more about the product.
About the Brand
Kobalt is a brand that promotes a line of products that mostly consist of hand tools, mechanical tools, power tools, and storage; it was introduced in the industry in 1998 by the Lowes Company. The brand was launched as a competitor to rival manufacturers, namely, Sears for their brand “Craftsman”, and The Home Depot for their tool brand “Husky”. Throughout the years, Kobalt has progressed by extending its products to cater to a broader market and began to have big suppliers to distribute the brand’s tools across the industry. In 2011, Kobalt made a product expansion and started to include cordless power tools in its existing line of products. In the current times, Lowes’s Kobalt continues to release high-quality and reliable tools for their consumers.
Features
Speed
Kobalt’s K11RTA-03 boasts an excellent speed of 25,000 rpm at maximum. This speed rate allows you to utilize the router with various bits with different sizes to be worked on diverse wood materials. The unit doesn’t come with a variable speed setting; this means that the router’s speed is constant, so you need to be careful in cutting with it to avoid compromising your project. Additionally, the RPM speed works best with small bits, but the router can take on larger bits as well.
Power
This wood router model utilizes a 12-amp motor that kicks out 2HP when being operated. This impressive horsepower rate makes it applicable to a wide range of wood projects because it delivers a substantial amount of torque and power. Whether you’re cutting hardwood or softwood, the router could handle both materials smoothly.
The K11RTA-03 also features a Soft Start Technology, which helps you avoid the sudden surge of power when you switch the router on. This function works such that it reduces the initial torque and power made by the unit to let you gain better control as the router gradually increases its power. The Soft Start feature protects the router from wearing out due to stress and prolongs its usage life.
Ergonomics
As mentioned, Kobalt’s K11RTA-03 provides excellent ergonomics. The router comes with rubber-molded handles on either side to prevent you from losing your grip, especially when handling complex and rough wood materials. The handles are angled such that it’s close to the router’s base control point, allowing you to have stable control as you move the machine to cut from across your project’s surface. This feature also lets you operate the wood router, even without gloves on, because the texture improves your grip to help your hands avoid from slipping as you work.
On the other hand, this wood router’s base is 6 inches in diameter, which means it can support a large working surface for your woodwork. The base and motor housing of this router are also made out of cast-aluminum material to extend the machine’s usage life. Because of this factor, the device is lightweight to work with, allowing you to maneuver with comfort and ease.
Additional Features
For fast and easy bit changes, the K11RTA-03 has collet sizes of ¼-inch and ½-inch diameters and a decent spindle lock. It also has micro-fine depth adjustments for much more accurate setups and precision-driven project results. This wood router also comes with a routing table in its set, proving it to be a fair package.
Price and Warranty
Considering that Kobalt’s fixed-base router comes with a complementing table, we think that this unit comes with a reasonable price of $194.55. Some of its rival wood routers with the same base and features, but don’t include a routing table, are more expensive than what we have here.
On the other hand, Kobalt offers a good deal when it comes to the router’s warranty. Upon purchasing the product, you get a 5-year warranty from the company. This means that Kobalt would maintain the router to be free from defects for five years from the date of your purchase. However, this warranty does not include any maintenance for unit damages caused by several factors, including neglect and abuse, and unauthorized repair or accessory alteration.
Conclusion
If you’re just getting started in the woodworking platform, this router is one of the best options you have. Otherwise, the K11RTA-03 is also a great additional routing package in your workshop, especially if most of your projects require applications from fixed-base routers. While cordless routers are an option, corded tend to allow for more power and often more precision. This whole set and its feature would let you work on more woodcrafts that vary on different levels of complexities.