A trim router is great forย Formica and getting those small details on doorย stiles. I do someย custom kitchen doors, and a smallย laminate router comes in handy. Really, this type of tool is for anything that doesnโt require the removal of a lot of material. Biggerย jobs takeย a larger shaft and motorย as these smaller trim routers arenโt made for harder pulls. The Ridgidย cordless trim router is a new tool that gives you a lot of freedom. Operating on the companyโs 18V battery platform, this is only the second cordless trim router Iโve seen. Aside from the Ridgidย R86044B, thereโs just the Ryobi One+ model P600G whichย sells for less thanย $50.
Having never previously used either cordless router, I like the design of the Ridgid a little better. It seems to center the weight, and Iโd surmise thereโs a bit more power available due to the brushless motor.
One thing is for sure, a cordless router is a step into the future. Of course, for us older guys, even a corded router is a godsend. Before routers were invented youโd use hand planes. Guys in their shops would have 25 different planes with unique profiles to make the shapes they needed. It was a slow, arduous process.
Ridgidย Cordless Trim Router Features
The first thing I noticed about the Ridgid cordless router was the thick acrylic shoe. The size of the shoe on this router is about the same as theย Bosch Colt palmย router I currently use. Theย sizeย stabilizes you as you pullย without getting in the way. Ridgid also includes a circular acrylic shoe which you can install to replace the square one. A square base is often more convenient when youโre using a straight edge during a free-hand cut. Aย round base can yield mixed results if itย isnโtย perfectly centered on the router blade.
Compared to my Bosch Colt, the adjustment is aย tad harder for using the included fence or edge guide. Thereย areย two set screws instead of a single centered screw. Still, the set screws hold it nice and fast, and the Ridgid cordless trim router depth is easy to adjust.
Aย handy rheostat atย the top of the router lets youย adjust the speed. I donโt think I tend to back off the maximum RPMs with smaller bits, butย if you wanted to, you could.
The Ridgid 18V router stands up niceโright on the battery. The pull switch takes some getting used to when you first start it up. After I did it a few times, I actually liked the safety of the design. Thereโs no way youโre going to accidentally turn that motor on. Itโs also easy to turn off.
Ridgid 18Vย Router Specifications
- Battery: 18V
- Collet size:ย 1/4-inch
- Speedย (variable): 17,000-25,000 RPM
- Softstart motor
- LED light
- Micro-adjust depth dial
- Quick release depth set lever
- Weight: 3.1 lbs
- Includes:ย Edge guide,ย square (attached) and round base,ย wrench,ย 1/4-inchย laminate edging bit, soft zippered bag
Using the Ridgid R86044B Cordless Laminate Router
Before using the router I set the depth of the bit we were using. It was a small contour bit I use to make the outside edge of custom cabinet doors. It just gives them a nice look, and itโs a great fit for the smooth, even grain of poplar. The clamp for the depth set was a bit too loose out of the box, so I adjusted the clamp screw with a 5/16-inch wrench to give itย a surer grip.
When holding the Ridgid cordless router, itโsย certainly controllable. The grip isnโt exactly as comfortable as a Hogue combat pistol grip, and you may have to figure out the best placement for your fingers. Overall, none of this detracted from using the tool accurately.
So long as youโre doing smaller trim jobsโroundovers, detail trim, laminate trimming, etcโthis tool is going to rock your world. Youโre not going to wantย to plunge route with a 25,000 RPM trim router. Iโve seen guys do that, and itโsย a good way to get hurtโlike givingย a monkeyย a chainsaw. These small trim routers should be held sure.
Also, you donโt want to use a larger bit in this (or any other)ย trimย router. When you do need to get deeper rabbet cuts, for example, you shouldย probablyย do it in two passes. Itโs not that the power isnโt available to get the job done in a ย single pass, itโs just a safer and smarter way to work.
The Ridgid cordless trim routerย definitely gave me as good a cut as my colt routerโbut without the cord. The RPMs are certainly there, as is the power and control.
I route all of my hinges and locksets with a small trim router like this. Usingย thisย battery-powered routerย will be really handy when mortising thoseย hinges and locksets.
Conclusion
Theย Ridgid cordless trim routerย is a great tool with lots of promise. The only negative is the design of the included fence. Whileย easy to set up, the individual threaded rods take a little more time to install and remove. They also require the complete disassembly of the fence as opposed to simply unscrewing a single stud and removing the wholeย thing as a single unit.
In a place without power, this is a great addition to all the other tools Iโm now able to use without a plug.ย Itโs also just convenient. I remember when I never thought Iโd use a cordlessย orbital sander, and now my corded tools just sit in the garage unused. A tool like this Ridgid R86044B makes the job quicker, soย my in and out time improves, and I get home in time for the game.
