Over at Amazon, they have the Bosch GKF125CEN Colt palm router on sale for $90.19. And, it is also eligible for $20 off $100+ savings right now.
Add a Bosch drill bit set, a 10pc jig saw blade set, or at least $10 of any other Bosch products eligible for the $20 off $100 promotion, and you the price of the router comes down way low.
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$80 for the router and jig saw blades seems like a very good deal. Or the router and 2 impact-rated bit holders… you get the picture.
Other Bosch dealers have the router for $109, and so $90 is a great price by itself.
You might think “I don’t need anything else,” but adding $10 worth of Bosch accessories to save an extra $20 is a no-brainer.
Amazon says the router will be in stock on December 2nd, 2020, which means they’re selling backordered inventory right now. Hurry up before the sell out.
Features & Specs
- 1/4″ collet
- 1.25 HP
- 7A motor
- 16,000 – 35,000 RPM
- Variable speed dial
- Base has “finger support pockets”
- Easy motor release button
- Fine-tunable depth adjustment
Price: $90.19 and eligible for $20 off $100
Buy Now via Amazon
Consider: Router Edge Guide – thank you Fred for the suggestion!
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User reviews seem to be quite popular, as has been true for Bosch’s other Colt-model compact router. If you’re sold on another brand or want to explore cordless options, those are about the only reasons to avoid this model, or, if you want a much more powerful router with 1/2″ collet. Other than that, this is looking to be an unbeatable compact router bargain.
fred
It looks like Amazon is price matching Zoro ($90.19 with free shipping) on this. Unfortunately at Zoro the $20 off promotion doesn’t apply – so Amazon is a better deal when you add in a $10 item.
This is a very nice trim router.
fred
I should have added that Bosch makes a variety of accessories for the Colt – including a plunge base, tilting base, offset base, dust hood, side handle sub-base and edge guide. The Edged guide sells for $15.99 on Amazon – so bundling it with the $90.19 router will meet the threshold for the $20 off.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0771Y41W6/
MoogleMan3
I’m very tempted but really don’t need it. I have 4 M18 routers from the milwaukee home depot sale and still have my two ridgid R2401s (my favorite compact routers).
I can probably hold off, but I *am* somewhat of a router addict…
John
Excellent palm router. I’ve had one since they came out. Also the previous model Colt as well. I usually grab my Makita cordless router most often out of convenience though and the added dust collection.
Mark
For a small palm router, it does seem like compact and portability are key and that’s why I’m waiting for the cordless ones to develop a little more since they all seem pretty new.
A W
I just picked up the Ryobi cordless router, and for $49.00, it is an excellent bargain.
I rounded over 100-150 board feet of pressure treated lumber (building a tree fort) on a 4ah battery.
It’s no replacement for a full size router, but with a small round over bit it’s a great little tool, and I don’t need to use it enough to justify the extra $100 for an M18 model.
Tom D
I’m waiting for an M12 – I see no reason they can’t make something compact in that form factor.
Fusionman
Bosch has one that uses smaller 12v batteries. I haven’t used it personally.
fred
See my comments about the Bosch 12V below
fred
Many folks seem to be using corded trim routers and compact routers like the Dewalt DWP611 for general tasks. This Colt router has an available plunge base that seems to attest to that. While small routers are very useful – you can’t expect that they will be able to hog out lots of material in one pass. I have a PC 7539 3.25Hp router for that sort of task. I also have an older Colt (PR20EVS), and a yet older Bosch 1608 for laminate and edge trimming. I would not think about using them for much else – even though I bought the Colt with a plunge base. More recently I bought a cordless Makita XTR01 router as part of a kit with various bases – and then the diminutive Bosch GKF12V-25N. I can’t say enough good things about the 12V Bosch – that I use for inlay work. But I suspect that if I tried using it for general work I’d be cursing rather than praising. Having 12 routers to choose from – I find that I pick and choose:
the Makita cordless when working on an outdoor project; a Bosch 1617EVS mounted in my router table lift; the Bosch 12V for inlay work; the PC 7539 – for heavy work; the Colt for countertops/cabinets.
For general had routing around the shop – I still usually grab a Rockwell vintage 45 year old Porter Cable D-Handle router. While not as useful as having multiple drills/drivers – having multiple routers does speed up some projects by allowing you to switch between different cuts/profiles without stopping to change out hot bits.
John
I too have 12-13 routers, do client work and need many options on site and in the shop. I love the Makita cordless 18V for convenience and decent power for a palm router. I absolutely hate the Bosch 12V router, the speed is too slow for some things, it chatters often, hate the goofy shape. Have a Festool OF1400 which is smooth and plenty or power. Several of the current Bosch 2.25hp routers. But the best I enjoy is pulling our the variable speed 3.25hp Makita, a beast and never fails to perform.
fred
Most of the time I’m using the Bosch 12V router in place of a Foredom handpiece in a customized router base. The Foredom flex-shaft driven tool has more power and is smoother . But for cutting something like an 1/8 or smaller groove to inlay stringing – the little Bosch is very easy to maneuver and I like it for just that. I don’t use it for edging.
I may have to try a Festool or Mafell router one day – meanwhile I know guys who stick with their old Hitachi routers – and I soldier on with mostly old PC and Bosch.
As a side note – I’m still saddened by the decline of Porter Cable – and don’t think I’d likely buy one of their newer routers. I see that even Betterley seems to be wavering – adding Bosch and Dewalt routers to their line – once exclusively PC.
Luckey Dodge
How about a “primer” on how to rejuvenate Li-ion batteries. Especially when they are dead…….How to discharge completely and then re-charge………and so on. We need this info these days……..
Thanks,
Luckey
Stuart
Too much of a liability.
If a standard/slow charger cannot bring a battery back – and it sometimes will – the cells could be damaged.
I can only recommend that you follow the user manual guidance, which is usually to contact a service center or recycle the battery at special collection centers (such as home centers).
fred
Has the shelf-life of the newer LiIon cells improved? Is there an average life expectancy based on years and/or charge/recharge cycles?
I have a few M12 batteries that I think may be as much as 12 years old and still hold a charge – while I’ve had others seem to fail within 3 to 4 years. I probably had the most issue with early Makita 18V batteries failing quickly. I’m assuming that it may be that 1 cell (the rotten apple so to speak) may be the culprit – rendering the battery unfit for charging.
Nothing lasts forever – but I have machine tools made in the 1940’s and 50’s that can still be easily maintained at modest cost. Whereas the need to replace batteries is the price we pay for the convenience of going cordless. While LiIon seems to last longer and perform better than older NiCad and NiMh batteries – cordless tools are probably not things that will be passed down the generations – except perhaps as museum pieces.
Stuart
Maybe?
Yes, but it varies based on cell characteristics and usage patterns.
Rechargeable batteries are inescapably consumable.
Big Richard
It’s not about their age so much as it is their usage. They are rated for a finite number of discharge cycles, i.e. uses/recharges. Also, running them completely dead, or charging them too hot or too cold will impact their ability to hold a full charge. Using a slower, low output charger whenever possible helps longevity a bit, too. I’ve seen newbies kill a battery in a year or less because they run a battery dead, charge it for a bit, run it dead again, charge it a bit more, then run it dead again. All in one day. It’s tough to watch. It’s like running a water pump dry, adding a little water, running it dry again….and so on.
Dave
Makita RT0701CX7 is $149 on Amazon but there’s is a $25 discount at checkout. It was recommended here a while back and I pulled the trigger on it over the Bosch. I made the mistake of buying a roundover bit that’s too large for the base. This comment on the page explains it quite well.
“The opening on the base plate of the fixed base is exactly 1.26 inches. So for example a 1/4″ roundover bit with a diameter of 1.15″ will work, while a 1/2 inch roundover bit with a diameter of 1.38″ will not fit in the fixed base. This is regarding bit diameter of router bits with a 1/4″ shank. I’m not sure what the exact opening size is for the plunge base as I only have the fixed base model.”
fred
The base opening on the Makita may be a not so subtle hint from its designers that you would be taxing its motor – and/or your grip on the machine in trying to spin a larger bit.
While a 1/2 roundover bit might not be out of the range of a handheld router – as you get up into bigger sizes – you are safer using a table-mounted router – and of course adjusting the speed downward as the bit diameter increases.
Oflannabhra
Lowe’s has a deal the Kobalt router and table combo for $129, I used a code to bring it down to $109.
Not the exact same application as a trim router, but a good deal nonetheless
Mike
Price on point . In Oct they dropped it to 109. So it was 89 with the 20$ off promo. It is rated slightly more power than the previous colt. Which was bottomed at 79$ on sale around holiday I believe.