Harbor Freight Wood Router

Harbor Freight Tools is a privately held company that has created a market where everyone can have access to the many tools that are often unaffordable to the general public. Harbor Freight makes everything cost-effective for the person who can not put a lot of money out for tools but wants or needs them to get certain projects done. This company began as a small start-up in 1977 in California in a little shop. They were established by a father and son team who began this venture as a mail-order tool company. They turned a profit by offering liquidated and returned tools to customers through the mail. Harbor Freight company is no longer a small company working out of an unknown shop. The business now has 1000 stores where their brand and sub-brands are sold along with a busy mail and ecommerce side to it as well. They employ over 20000 people throughout the company and continue to grow.

Harbor Freight, while known for its deep discounts on tools, has a flourishing business. They have their own factories both in the US and overseas and carry many sub-brands that compete in the mainstream market. They keep their prices low through their own production and selling what they produce directly to the public. There are no in-between costs. They are not out to topple the big boys but to broaden the spectrum of who buys tools and does their own work. They give tool accessibility to the do it yourself folks allowing them to actually be able to work on projects in a financially affordable way. One of those great tools is a wood router. This particular router is under its sub-brand Drillmaster and offers a good product at a discount price.

Wood Routers

Wood routers are a tool that not everyone will have in their workshop. It is a great woodworking piece but can be one of those tools that people are not willing to spend an excessive amount of money on. It is a tool that is somewhat specialized and can be pricey especially if you are looking at the high-end brands.  However, those that know how beneficial this tool is in a woodworks kit, will want to purchase one that is sturdy, reliable and reasonably priced. It is a handy tool to have as it not only is great for those who do woodworking as a hobby, but it can save a substantial amount of money on home projects like cupboards if you can do the work yourself. It can offer a great amount of savings when it comes to labor costs.

When deciding to purchase a router, make sure you are looking for the one that you meet your particular needs.  Routers can be a hand or power tool that is used to hollow out (rout) a specific area in a material that is hard in nature. The material could be something such as wood or plastic. Routers are most often used in woodworking areas such as cabinetry. Usually, people have the preference to buy a power router as they tend to be more efficient.

There are typical spindle routers that have a base housing with a motor that is mounted vertically. It usually has a collet (chuck) at the end of its shaft. Different routers have different means of adjusting the bit height, but no matter how it is done the bit needs the ability to be adjusted so it can protrude through an opening in the sole plate that is flat.

There are routers that are either plunge or fixed. The plunge-base router means that sole of the base is put on the face of the project while the cutting bit is raised above the work. When the motor is turned on then the cutter is lowered to begin the work. In contrast, the fixed base router has its cut depth set before the tool is even turned on. The wood is clamped tight to a work area with the sole plate of the router on the work but without the bit touching it. The bit will come in from the side of the work once the motor is on. The other option with this type of router is that you can put the bit above the work and put it in once it is going.

Both routers cut into the material with the plunger router being a little more refined when it does it. After either is used then you can finish up the project by hand with a chisel or with sandpaper. These both smooth out any rough edges or bits left where the router did its work. Routers are great tools offering a great project finish.

Tool Description

Harbor Freight offers a router under its sub-brand Drillmaster. It is a solid product for cabinet making and other woodworking projects that offers professional-level work. This particular router is one that can be trusted to make very clean cuts without leaving chips behind. The motor of this tool offers a single speed and turns at 28000 RPM to create cuts up of 2 3/8” deep. There is an adjustable depth control that is graduated in 64ths. It's aluminum housing 2 1/2” cylindrical shaped and can be mounted into shop built jigs and fixtures. Its housing is combined with good comfort grip handles which lessen vibration to make extended work not only easy but smooth as well. Along with low vibration, it is also low noise. It reaches a max of 85 dB but usually runs around the 77dB mark. The comfort grip handles are low on the machine to give the user maximum control. It has sealed bearings and a rocker switch that is dust-protected so it will have a longer life. The spindle lock is great for easy bit switches and the product has a 5 ¾” base plate.

• 11 Amps
• Both ¼, 3/8 and ½” collet size
• 28000 RPM (rotations per minute)
• 2 HP
• Plunge depth 2 3/8”
• 5 ¾” base plate
• 7.9lbs
• Sealed bearings
• Comfort grip handles
• Comes with ¼ and 3/8” collet chucks, carbon brushes, straight trimmer guide, ½” straight router bit and 2 wrenches

Pros of the Harbor Freight (Drillmaster) Wood Router

This tool is quite surprising when it comes to what it can accomplish.  You would expect with its low cost the product may be a little wobbly when put to use but in reality, it is solid and efficient. While this Harbor Freight router is not meant for heavy professional shop use for hours on end, it is a solid product for home projects and general woodworking.  It is also good for cutting small rabbets, mortises and round over or ease edges that can not be done with a router that is mounted on a table. Harbor Freight products do not have lengthy warranties and are limited to 90 days, but this should cover any particular issues that are going to crop up early in the work.

Once you purchase this product make sure you do some practice before actually starting your project. Make sure the router works as you expect. Every tool has its own quirks and ways of working so it's important to know what works and what does not for you personally. You do not want to be delayed by mistakes that may not only cost you time but money.

• Price – There is no getting around Harbor Freights pricing. They are low cost and really can not be beaten in this department. While this particular router is not really for heavy-duty long term use, it is great for the do it yourself homeowner or hobbyist who are looking to do some woodworking projects that take a little more finesse.  It is a solid product that is a great bargain. It would be hard to find another tool on the market that can beat it when it comes to price and usability.
• Manufacturing Quality – This particular product works well and seems to have solid durability. Harbor Freight does test in their own labs to cover both quality assurance during the production planning phase and quality control during production itself. Their brands are not full of bells and whistles but are generally a good budget brand that will accomplish the task you set before them. This router's aluminum body is sturdy,  and the tool overall is comfortable to use. You will be hard-pressed to find comments about its lack of usability.
• Ergonomics – The design of this router is comfortable and usable. It is aluminum housing is fairly light, and the low handles let you have good control over it. The comfort-grip handles reduce vibration meaning there will be less stress on the user over extended work periods. Ergonomics are important when using any woodworking tool that has some vibration simply because the more comfortable using the product is, the longer the period of time you can work with it without breaks. No one wants to use a tool that ends up taking a toll on them.

Cons of the Harbor Freight (Drillmaster) Wood Router

Harbor Freight makes no excuses about being a budget brand. They know their goal is not to offer all the high-end perks that you get with a router costing a small fortune but to offer a product that is affordable, works well and is financially accessible to most people.   This particular router is a great deal, but you still need to be aware that it does have some limitations.

• Manufacturing Quality – While the wood router itself is generally solid, there is a bit of a design flaw at the base. There is a hollow area that tends to fill with the finer shavings that the machine gives off as you do your routing. This can become a problem as it reduces your visibility while working. To solve this, you can take out the  4 screws at the base to clear the shavings, but you really do not want to have to do that over and over again. This issue can be solved long term by simply removing screws, then the shavings and sealing the small area up with some clear silicone. This silicone will allow you to see what you need to while keeping the excess shavings out of the way.
  

• Single-speed – While this is not a critical issue to all users, it is problematic for some when using larger bits as you can hear the motor slow and lag.  However, once again there is a solution to this. Harbor Freight has an external speed controller that you can purchase to use with this product. Using this should help solve the lag issue and make the product more adaptable for each project is done.

Final Thoughts

Harbor Freight’s wood router is a really solid product for a great price. Even if you add in a speed controller you still have an amazingly good deal. While this product is not going to take the wear and tear of a major woodworking shop that is using it all day every day, it does just fine for those who are doing woodworking at home, as a hobby or needing to do basic jobs. It was never meant to be the heavy-duty router but it more than proves itself for all the basic jobs it promised it can do. If you are looking to upgrades your kitchen or bathroom cabinets or may put some storage drawers together, this will get the job done.

Harbor Freight is not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes by making crazy claims about their products and what they can do. They clearly state what the product is, what it can do and then offer you a great price to go with it. You really can not beat that type of deal. You get a good product and a low price while saving money by doing the woodworking yourself. This  router is a great add to your woodworking tool collection. It is an all-around win.