So in the US getting the router is easy because it’s the commonly available DWP611, but in countries with 240 volt power grids it seems to be somewhat harder to find.
In particular the issue is that most of them seem to have the power cord going the wrong way. It’s not the end of the world, but it might require a different PCB mounting solution and the cord is going to pull on the router funny when the machine is used in the upright position.
I just spent a bunch of time on the phone with DeWalt and they can’t figure out the difference between the part number for the one that we want and the one that we don’t want.
I was thinking that this could be a place to post links to good sources if we can find them for different countries, and also try to sleuth out what we need to be searching for to get the better option.
Anyone have any good sources for the 240 volt version with the correct cord orientation?
Edit: I know that the 240 volt one isn’t just them using the wrong photograph in the listings because @RomanG bought one and it’s correct.
Great topic!
I had set up price trackers for the Dewalt 26200 router at the time I backed the kickstarter campaign and thanks to your post, I discovered I was tracking the wrong version all along.
After looking into it more closely, I am afraid it doesn’t look good for Europe. I checked the official Dewalt websites .BE, .NL, .FR, .DE, .IT, .ES and CO.UK and I haven’t found a single picture with the power cord on the side.
The D26200-QS is listed in most countries but that is the version with the power cord on the top. It sells for 230€ VAT incl and upwards.
The one on your amazon.de link looks good but when you zoom in on the pic with the cable on the side, the label reads DWP611 so it’s probably the wrong picture. It’s also too expensive at 385€.
This link even mixes pics of both versions.
Same goes for webshops of hardware stores: most have pics with cable on top, some mix pics of both versions but, whenever I find a pic with cable on the side, it is actually a pic of the DWP611.
So, I start to doubt that there are Dewalt D26200 routers with cable on the side.
@RomanG , can you share a picture of your version? If you have, barcode, EAN number, …?
Thx!
Did I get it right that a d26200-QS, with the cable on the top, won’t fit without changing the design of the PCB mounting?
If so, why not redesign for the Makita RT0702 instead?
+ The Makita has the cable on the side.
+ The Makita does 10,000-34,000rpm (very similar to the 10,000-35,000 of the Lowes Kobalt) vs 17,000-27,000 for the Dewalts DWP611 or D26200
+ It is available from 130€ which is significantly cheaper than the Dewalt at 230€.
+ There are plenty of knockoffs/clones (Katsu, Vevor, …) on Amazon and Ali for as little as 50€
- The only disadvantage I can see is the power: 710W vs 900W
I did side by side tests with the Makita and a couple of the clones and the DeWalt when I was first picking which one to go with and the DeWalt struck me as a way better router in pretty much every way.
On both the Makita that I tested and the clone I found that the router bit itself becomes quite hot (too hot to touch) when running under no load (not touching anything). I’ve used the Makita that I have for a while as a palm router and I’ve found that it builds up heat WAY faster than the DeWalt leading to it burning the wood while cutting. For a palm router that get’s used only for a few minutes at a time usually that might not be a big issue, but for CNC work where we’re pushing it for a long time and heat build up is an issue it’s going to make a pretty big difference.
I didn’t dig too deep into what’s going on inside the routers, but it seems like maybe the cooling system for the DeWalt is better or the rotor design is better.
Edit: I very much wanted to design around the Makita from the beginning and actually bought it first because of the strengths you listed above (plus others…notably you can buy clones for $15), but while testing it just didn’t seem like the right tool.
Here’s a picture of when I was testing with both at the same time:
Is this PCB mount a 3D printed part? If not, I guess at least variants could be printed parts.
As far a I can see from here, the Dewalt DWP611 and the Makita RT0701C have a very similar price of around $150 (~€140) in the US. So, if the Dewalt is better, that makes it a no brainer.
Here in Europe, the Dewalt D26200 is around €230 and the Makita only around €130. If €100 is the price to pay for not burning down your workshop, that is still a no brainer, I guess .
I have a few Makitas (too lazy to swap bits all the time ) and never had issues using them as a palm router. But, you’re right, that is a few minutes at a time and doesn’t proof it’s a good choice for a CNC.
I really wonder which Dewalt version Roman bought and if it really is 240V with power cable on the side.
Based on what I found out so far, I am afraid Europe will need a different PCB mounting plate.
Most likely same for other 240V zones. The one from NZ looks identical (and only available as the extended set including the plunge base).
The real selling point on the Makita in my mind is that you can buy $15 knock offs which is a pretty huge savings and from looking inside them they seem pretty much identical to the real deal…but they also have the same drawbacks of the real one.
I also got a comment on the last update from one of the other CNC router manufacturers who use the Makita a lot that they say not to use the locking button to tighten down the collect like I did in the video because they’ve been having issues with the entire Makita router body cracking because the casting isn’t that strong which seems like a red flag…but then again if the $15 clones work even kinda OK you can go through a lot of them before it’s really a problem.
I double checked with @RomanG that his router is in fact the kind which has the cord coming off to the side and he realized that it actually does come out upwards, but that he bent it over and it hasn’t been an issue. He’s going to double check everything tomorrow and make sure it all fits, but it seems like maybe the cord coming out the top might work fine as is, and if it doesn’t we WILL find a solution to make it work.
Roman sent me a quick video showing how his power cord is routed:
We’ll work on finding something a little more elegant than the zip ties, but it seems like it’s quite flexable and it shouldn’t be an issue. Roman literally forgot that his cord went up
I assume that Dewalt uses H05RN-F or similar neopreen sheathed power cable so it should withstand flexing quite well. But, I agree, the zip-tie solution won’t win prizes for elegance .
When I use my Makitas as palm routers, I always use the 2 wrenches that are supplied with it rather than the locking button, because it doesn’t feel that solid. That might not be possible when built in the Maslow.
Im from Denmark (Europe)
I just got my Dewalt D26200 -QS on a deal.
Www.Staypro.dk - 280usd.
I could only find like two online sellers in my country of the d26200-model.
They had the machine pictured with the cable coming from the side online with stock pictures. This is also what the cardboard box itself shows. But the machine inside has the cord coming from the top. I hope it won’t be a problem and I hope you guys can make adjustments accordingly since many people will likely get the same model?
Now I am also wondering if anything else might have been changed and could cause other issues?
Do you need me to take any additional pictures or measure anything, then let me know. I keep my fingers crossed everything will be fine
Hmm, curious! I bought a D26200 last month, in the UK, and as per the attached the cable is definitely vertical. Hopefully bending and tie-wrapping will be OK, or you’ll manage to find a solution;-)
I have a cordless Makita and, as with Bar, the tool definitely gets very hot and burns okoume ply - a surprise I haven’t had any combustion!
UPDATE: for those of us with 3D printers and experience printing TPU filaments (happily that’s me) it could be an option to design an alternative sheathe with an integrated 90° angle. Obviously installing it will require the router to be opened up so invalidating the warranty, but I expect it will be a straightforward mod. I’m not at home but it looks like the top cover just has a few screws to undo before being able to lift it off.
Hi Bar, Roman, please could Roman take a measurement and suggest what should be the maximum distance above the yellow casing of the D26200, within which to fit a modified cable sleeve between the router’s plastic case and your PCB’s connector?
I am at home now so can have a go at designing a 3D-printable right-angled sleeve in TinkerCAD. I have also had the thought that it might be simpler and more efficient to “break the wheel” rather than fully “reinventing the wheel”! To be hopefully much clearer, my new thought is to re-use the existing sleeve but cut it just above the yellow plastic casing, so that a printed part is only required to form a 90-degree elbow piece with the cut ends of the De Walt sleeve being glued into that elbow piece. If being really careful it might then be possible to cut the sleeve without opening up the router to remove it. We’ll see!
Thanks again for your regular and helpful updates…
Hi Adrian, I’m away from the workshop right now, but I’ll take some measurements as soon as I get back.
Great idea overall, if you end up succeeding I’m sure it’ll help a lot of people with the same model.
Pending Roman’s measurement, I decided to see how easy it would be to open up the D26200. I am pleased to report that, in my limited experience, it is the simplest power tool to open:-). There are four screws on top of the case to remove (Torx T-15 size (two short and two long) but also compatible with a flat-head screwdriver). Then the top cover simply lifts off without needing to touch any electrical or control component. I recommend holding the flexible rubber sleeve in place and pulling off the cover first, before sliding the sleeve off of the cable, as otherwise there is high friction between the sleeve and the cable due to it being cinched by the hard plastic of the cover around the sleeve.
I have decided to take the option of reusing the original sleeve, cutting it at the correct point and modding it with a 3d-printed elbow piece - there just seems no point in printing a full new sleeve. But, when I temporarily replaced the cover without the sleeve, a thrid and even simpler option appears viable. The cable is quite robust and in our use-case I expect that the root of the cable will not be subject to constant flexing, especially if secured with a tie-wrap, and it should be safe to use the router with the sleeve either fully removed or simply cut very short.
I’ve attached a couple of photos to show the case being removed, and with it refitted without the sleeve. As above, I will be designing and sharing an elbow piece when I have the measurement available.
It is nice to see how serviceable the internals are. I hadn’t actually opened one up yet, and it’s nice to see that there are no unfortunate surprises in there.
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) and never had issues using them as a palm router. But, you’re right, that is a few minutes at a time and doesn’t proof it’s a good choice for a CNC.
