Recomended router for M2?

Hardware Routers/Spindles
1

I am in Thailand
and decent routers are scarce here

a Bosch router is available here, the GMF1600CE
but it is 3x the price of in US, UK etc
($660)
or only other option is a Masaki 3612BR for $60
(which may be unsuitable)
so i will most likely import a decent router

Does anyone have a recomendation for a router for the M2 ?
or can tell me which dewalt is suitable ?
or anything specific i should be looking for ?

according to DeWalt website
they sell a DWE6000 here
but i am yet to find any dewalt retailers here that actually stock it

is this router ideal ?

Thanks in advance

2

Any palm router with a body diameter of 71mm or less with speed control will work fine. Bosch clones are cheap and fit default clamp
Makita clones will need new clamp
Never seen a dewalt clone from China though
You can buy off aliexpress if you can’t find locally
https://m.aliexpress.com/wholesale/Trim-router-speed.html?searchType=mainSearch&keywords=Trim-router-speed&shadingAction=&channel=direct

3

The big issue (apart from it being small enough) is the speed control so you can drop the spindle speed down from 30,000+ RPM to something much lower. I got around this by wiring up a good light dimmer switch and then using that to control the power supplied to my el-cheapo Russian router.

As regards Z-Axis control I’d recommend building your own version of the meticulous z-axis, rather than trying to fiddle around with some knob on the router (unless the deep of cut adjustment is really smooth).

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4

thanks, routers with speed control are what are scarce here, i am also planning to buy the M2 kit which comes with pre built z-axis

5

not really looking for a clone or cheap but more a decent router, i have managed to find a cheap brand that looks like it may be suitable but their products are unreliable and not for heavy use, i would prefer to use what seems to have been used in design process, as M2 is pictured with a dewalt, which it looks like Makermade also plan to sell soon as complete M2 kits, just trying to have it plug n play as much as possible, if i am to import a decent router (from UK), and avoid unique router issues

this is the cheap router with speed control i have found
Zinsano TM-635KIT Router

6

looks like a makita clone


compares the makita to the dewalt.

you can buy the makita clamp here:

7

that clamp looks like the one that comes with the M2
MakerMade M2

8

yes so you can use the same mounting points if you want. it is much better to buy a router locally, that way you can get replacement parts like bushings more easily. No reason to import a dewalt when it won’t really give you any benefits other than led lights on the bottom.

9

can we use the ridgid r 22002 with the new M2 kit?

10

even parts here, i am most likely to import from China than find them locally, the only benefit buying cheap here usually, is when it breaks you can quickly replace it for cheap (warranty repairs take an age)

11

i would expect so
(ridgid is not an option for myself as am outside US/EU)

they have a Maslow to M2 upgrade Kit

12

One will get better results with a smaller lighter router. The Ridgid makes the center of gravity raise and you loose dust collection and will have to make shallower depth of cuts because the router clamp is no longer supporting the end of router

13

if we cannot use the ridgid me personally will loose the biggest advantage of maslow the robust ridgid.
I have made thousands hours of milling with the ridgid r2002 with out any problems.
I do not want to downgrade the router. but I want to use the new kit.
any solution?

14

get a different clamp and use the rigid.

15

The limiting factor in the Maslow is not how powerful a router you have it is the speed and accuracy at the top speed of approximately 48 in./min. at that slow of a speed it doesn’t matter if you have a 3hp router hooked up to your machine it’s not gonna give you any advantage

In fact the top heavy motor is a disadvantage. From experience once you loose that router dust enclosure the z axis better be rock solid or the deepest pass you can make is about 1/8” of an inch

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