I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
(I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
I had bought one of these routers about 8 months ago to have just in case
the freud 3 1/4 hp in my router table was unavailable for what ever reason
and/or my old orange black and decker was too small to do a freehand job.
About a month ago the variable speed in the freud went on me and I figured
seeing as im not in the middle of a project now I would bring it in to be
fixed. So tueday I brought it in to the repair shop. There was a death in
the family and I was asked to make a box for my cousins ashes. So down to
the shop I go tonight planning how to make this box with only tonight to
work on it. I thought the top could be a raised panel so was ready to
start there when I realized I had no router. Remembering my purchase of the
King router I go and dust it off, take everything out of box and go to
putting it into the table. So far so good, looks and feels like a well made
machine. Throw in the raised panel bit, do a couple of test cuts in some
MDF and not too bad, little sluggish, check the speed, its at 1 so I turn it
up to 3, which is what I set the freud at when doing raised panels. Cuts
the MDF ok so procede to cut some ash raised panels with it. Well, at 3 it
stopped the bit right at the start of the cut, turned it to 4, same thing,
stopped the bit. Checked to see if the bit was tight which it was, turned
it up to 5, almost stopped it, slowed it down alot so put it up to 6, top
speed. At 6 I was able to get the cut down without it stopping but it did
slow it down quite a bit. I know this is a big bit but for a rating of 3
1/4 hp it should have more power than what it was putting out. So instead
of taking 1/4 off for first couple passes like i normally do then down to
1/8 I ended doing 1/8 cuts all the way. The panel turned out very nice, no
burning and a smooth with little sanding to be done but it just ended up
taking a lot longer than it should have............kinda like this post.
Anyways, just my 2cents.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
>
I also have a friend in the tool supply business (Belleville, Ontario).
He says that the King brand is a cheap brand with poorer quality
motors, bearings, switches, and such. Not a bad purchase if you only
have one quick job to do with it, but if you plan on this being a
workhorse in your shop, you should by a good name brand.
STeve Aiken
My local tool dealer sells King (I am in Hamilton Ontario), the guy that
talk to always says the King handheld tools are a cheap solution to a single
problem. If you want a longer term solution save your money and buy
something better. Now at the other tool shop they use the King stuff for
their seminars, and the work they do is impressive. I am actually
contemplating the router. For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how
can you go wrong? The support for King is very good, 1 year exchange, but I
don't know about US support. You can check with http://www.allinonewood.com
(the seminar place) or http://www.tegstools.com (the one $99 solution place)
and see if they can help you. The site for King is
http://www.kingcanada.com.
I don't think this helped you but you never know.
Lars
"Clint" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:zta3f.10102$y_1.5323@edtnps89...
> Check out some of the Canadian forums, like www.canadianhomeworkshop.com
> for people who will have had experience with them. In my opinion, they're
> about the same as Grizzly; that is, they're a kind of generic importer of
> Taiwanese hardware. Some good, some not so good. I don't know how you'd
> go about getting support down there in "bellsouth"-land.
>
> --
> Clint
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
>> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
>> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
>> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
>> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
>>
>
>
I do have this router and as Michael says runout is a problem. It seems
worse with the 1/2 inch collet the 1/4" collet is not as bad. Not sure
if something could be done to fix the problem with the collet. I was
thinking I might use it in a secondary/dedicated router table with a
1/8" roundover bit for occaisional use. Meanwile I've upgraded to the
Triton 3 1/4hp. What an awesome router!
Toller wrote:
> "Michael Daly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>On 12-Oct-2005, "Highspeed" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how
>>>can you go wrong?
>>
>>In six years, you'll have no router and will have spent as much as
>>a high quality one that will last a lifetime.
>>
>
> Well, that's probably true; but I expect the bigger problem is runout. If a
> router doesn't cut accurately, it is worthless.
>
>
I have been thinking of getting one myself since they first came out at
Christmas time last year. This was a new product then and there was a
problem with some washers and King support provided a fix for the problem.
I have put off my purchase until a new version comes out. Let them work
the bugs out first! Otherwise a good review on them so far.
Tom
[email protected] wrote:
: I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
: plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
: qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
: (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
: yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
--
"Michael Daly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> On 12-Oct-2005, "Highspeed" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how
>> can you go wrong?
>
> In six years, you'll have no router and will have spent as much as
> a high quality one that will last a lifetime.
>
Well, that's probably true; but I expect the bigger problem is runout. If a
router doesn't cut accurately, it is worthless.
I think I would rather pay $140.00 for a PC 690 that would last virtually
forever rather than $99.00 for something that will last a year.
"Highspeed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My local tool dealer sells King (I am in Hamilton Ontario), the guy that
> talk to always says the King handheld tools are a cheap solution to a
single
> problem. If you want a longer term solution save your money and buy
> something better. Now at the other tool shop they use the King stuff for
> their seminars, and the work they do is impressive. I am actually
> contemplating the router. For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how
> can you go wrong? The support for King is very good, 1 year exchange, but
I
> don't know about US support. You can check with
http://www.allinonewood.com
> (the seminar place) or http://www.tegstools.com (the one $99 solution
place)
> and see if they can help you. The site for King is
> http://www.kingcanada.com.
>
> I don't think this helped you but you never know.
>
> Lars
>
>
> "Clint" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:zta3f.10102$y_1.5323@edtnps89...
> > Check out some of the Canadian forums, like www.canadianhomeworkshop.com
> > for people who will have had experience with them. In my opinion,
they're
> > about the same as Grizzly; that is, they're a kind of generic importer
of
> > Taiwanese hardware. Some good, some not so good. I don't know how
you'd
> > go about getting support down there in "bellsouth"-land.
> >
> > --
> > Clint
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >>I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
> >> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
> >> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
> >> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
> >> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
On 12 Oct 2005 19:27:03 -0700, "Mr Fixit eh" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I also have a friend in the tool supply business (Belleville, Ontario).
> He says that the King brand is a cheap brand with poorer quality
>motors, bearings, switches, and such. Not a bad purchase if you only
>have one quick job to do with it, but if you plan on this being a
>workhorse in your shop, you should by a good name brand.
>
>STeve Aiken
there are situations where such tools are appropriate, such as
environments where the tool WILL be destroyed, maybe corrosive or
abrasive environments, or where theft is a virtual certainty.
I don't want any of those jobs.
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:
> I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
I picked one up to use for a particular station in my production line
up. (All it had to do was cut out sink holes from MDF templates)
The plunge action was wobbly to the point I didn't trust it not hitting
the inside of a bushing. I returned it. I looked at several of their
in-stock units and they were all quite wobbly.
Definition of wobbly: Enough play in the plunge that a 1/2" router bit
will make a 5/8" oblong hole.
Once the unit is locked in place, it appeared to be quite a good deal.
I needed the plunging action.
Another one of our Wrecking Crew is very happy as he uses it in a table
where the plunging action is not required. The motor is very strong and
smooth.
PS. I gave the job to a Hitachi M12V. Best bang for the buck. IMHO
All my precision work is done with Milwaukee routers.
On 12-Oct-2005, "Highspeed" <[email protected]> wrote:
> For $99 even if it only lasts a year or two how
> can you go wrong?
In six years, you'll have no router and will have spent as much as
a high quality one that will last a lifetime.
Mike
[email protected] wrote:
> I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
>
Google for my post on the King Router. I posted it in Summer.
Put metal washers around the Sponge washer on the adjustment knob.
Bad as a plunge router as Robatoy noted.
Good as a bench router -- I just got an Hitachi M12V though -- expect to
retire the King. I suspect the runout is bad on some samples -- so you
may get sloppy fine work.
My setup is on my web site...
King is making continual improvements on their router -- indeed on all
that product line.
--------
WillR
http://woodwork.pmccl.com
Check out some of the Canadian forums, like www.canadianhomeworkshop.com for
people who will have had experience with them. In my opinion, they're about
the same as Grizzly; that is, they're a kind of generic importer of
Taiwanese hardware. Some good, some not so good. I don't know how you'd go
about getting support down there in "bellsouth"-land.
--
Clint
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I stumbled upon a Canadian website touting the KING brand of 3 1/4 HP
> plunge router for $99CAD (about $85.00USD). Does anyone know how the
> qualities/features of the KING compare to, let's say, the DEWALT DW625?
> (I'm completely ignorant on this issue. I'd never heard of KING until
> yesterday). Many thanks for knowledgeable responses.
>