Hitachi KM12SC 2-1/4hp Single Speed Router Kit

List Price: $281.96

Features:

• 24,000 RPM
• Electronic Feedback
• Quiet and Smooth 11 amp motor
• Fixed and Plunge Base Included
• 2-1/4 hp

Customer Reviews:

To good to be true [Posted on 2005-12-06]
Ok, I can not believe no one has reviewed this router. So I will go first. I own 2 other routers the Trusty 690 porter Cable and the Beast Hitachi MV12. (My background) I have good amounts of experience with routers and own about 80 different premium quality bits. I have cut all sorts of projects and know what works and what does not.

This setup for Hitachi is good...no make that great. First of all it is quiet. It is a sleeper compared to my porter cable. The audible difference is amazing. The fit and finnish of the setup I give a 4.5. The slides on the plunger stuck a little when I got it but it was easily fixed. The hard and durable plastic where it meets the metal of the bases is slightliy proud. Just a comsmetic flaw, if you can call it that. Although this is of no major concern this is how it is.

It feels very balanced in you hands and the motor switch is a flip toggle on top of the motor housing. The green and blakc is a nice change from teh otheer guys colors. I would not hesitate to bring this over the PC to the jobsite.

No speed control..ok I knew that. So what Its my third router. Besides if i need it that bad I have a speed control box I picked up for 12 bucks that works well. The power is great. Equal if not a little better than the Porter cable 390 rated 1 3/4hp. The soft start of this motor works great. I would have to say I prefer it to the PC because it does not jerk out of your hands when you start and is sooooo much quieter.

Extras.... Free templates!!!! FREE. All the popular sizes. Two bases, with 1 extra base plate FREE. 5 year warranty Free. Orbital Sander FREE! Shipping FREE~!

Combined with the freebies this package would retail around 250+ easily for any othe manufacturer. Its a steal. Amazon Rocks.

If this is your only router you will ever buy I suggest you spend the extra $$$ to get the speed controlled model. If you ever get serious about routing it will come in very handy. If you are buying an extra router so you dont have to take your other one out of the table all the time look no further-

I own all major brands of power tools and have a complete wood shop. I would not hesitate to reccomened this to someone looking for a router wether they were a newbie or professional. Hitichi hooks it up good.

This is the second power tool I have bought from them. The other being the MV12 which is in a league of its own. If you are reading this you might even want to purchase that one instead if you only ever plan ot buy 1 router in your life.

Outstanding value [Posted on 2005-12-15]
This router kit is an outstanding value at 129.99. I own 5 other routers including a PC 690, Bosch, and an M12V. Hitachi is producing the most tool for your money. So, it is a little ugly but the quality is apparent. They have done an excellent job keeping the noise to a minimum and the soft start is a nice feature. I only recommend for table use if you will not be raising panels. You will need speed control for that. Contrary to what the previous poster said, you do not want to attach an aftermarket speed control to a router with soft start technology. This router comes with a bunch of extras including a full template set and an extra sub-base. A great value and an excellent router.

Great router at a bargain price [Posted on 2006-01-04]
I'll have to second the comments by other reviewers. For the money, this router combo-kit is hard to beat. The quality of the tool is excellent and the fact that Hitachi includes 7 template guides is a great bonus. The case is nice as well and is the right size to keep all the tool's equipment together without being too bulky to utilize.

Most routers with soft-start technology are priced significantly higher and do not come with as many accessories. The added sub-base is also a nice addition however, I would have liked to have seen Hitachi include a bit or 2 and an edge guide so that a first-time user would have a place to start from right out of the box. These issues are very minor and with the purchase of a starter bit set, this router will be ready to take on many of the tasks it is intended to do.

Operation wise, the power switch is easy to locate and the motor itself is one of the smoothest and most quiet I have used. I'm not sure if the router is actually putting out the listed 2 1/4 HP; however, I have not come across a single instance where it wasn't powerful enough to tackle the task at hand. I am planning to use this router in a table at some point and fully expect it to be able to handle that as well. As mentioned in a previous review, I wouldn't suggest using this or any other 2 HP single-speed router with raised-panel bits. That type of operation requires a slower speed since so much material is being removed at one time.

Overall, this is one hell of a bargain for a quality router and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again.

Good Bargain [Posted on 2006-02-25]
I bought this router to use in my cabinet shop as a dedicated setup to cut circles. The plunge base works smoothly and is accurate, however I have only been using it a short while, only time will tell if the mechanism works smoothly after serious dust buildup.
The look is very pleasing, for what thats worth, and the motor is very quiet for routers of this amperage. It has plenty of power for what I am using it for. I believe it has plenty of power for most routing applications other than large bit procedures.
The storage case is very nice and roomy and better than other brands I have bought.
Overall I am pleased with my purchase and do recommend it to others.
I also have a Hitachi M12V router and 2 14.4 volt cordless drills and have been very pleased with Hitachi products, currently no one makes a better product for the money.
Buy with confidence.

Easy decision.......Hitachi routers are damn good [Posted on 2006-07-09]
After having such a good experience over the past year with my M12V Hitachi, I ordered this one. My M12V sits solely in the table, so this router is for all my work out of the table. Just like the M12V, it works flawlessly. Hitachi just simply makes good routers, period.

Two big points to make. This thing is really about as powerful as the PorterCable 1.75HP, but lighter. It is also pretty quiet (though I still use ear plugs)........

It comes with about 5 different bushings. That's nice.

The 1/4 collet is solid.

This is a very good router.

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