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145 of 147 found the following review helpful:
 The incredible hulk Sep 15, 2002
By iwoodknot
"iwoodknot"
I did my homework before buying my larger 3+hp router for my router table. From the Internet, woodworking books, local stores and personal opinions the Hitachi M12V 3-1/4 HP router time and time again came up to be the router of choice or best for its price. I have a mid-size plunge router already, (the DeWalt 621-a fantastic router, read the MANY reviews) and needed a heavy duty machine for my table.This router at it's normal everyday price is a good value. I'm not allowed to disclose this price unfortunately, (sorry Amazon's policy). When purchased with the accessory package and the height adjustment knob it's a great deal. I got mine at Amazon with all the above and an additional twenty five percent off. This unique Amazon offer was a terrific (once in a lifetime??) deal! 3-1/4 hp is more power than most people are going to need unless you plan to use it for panel raising or using 3" diameter bits. I just used it in my router table for cutting 3/8" deep 1/4" dados in purpleheart, a very hard/heavy exotic hardwood I plan to join for a heavy duty cutting board. The cutting was flawless. Earlier I used a 3/8" radius bit for rounding off corners in some pine shelves and a 3/4" straight cutter in redwood for some 5/8" deep dados. The soft woods of course did nothing to arouse the Hitachi beast's attention. The Hitachi M12V has been around a long time and has proven itself in countless professional and school woodshops and of course at home with the everyday woodworker. It has a long and positive track record. While some might argue getting a plunge router for a table is not a good idea because of their inherent design (you have to fight gravity and the plunge springs to adjust). This router is easy to convert. The plunge springs are quickly removed with the loosening of a couple allen head screws. The height adjustment knob is easily attached with the refitting of a nut/washer assembly on the threaded adjustment bolt attached to the router base. If you wish to run larger bits of 3"+, simply turn the router/base upside down, hold it secure and cut off the magnesium tabs that hold the template guide with a jigsaw. (If this is your only router you may wish to keep this useful feature for hand held routing, otherwise its not really necessary.) The whole conversion time including cutting is a little over ten minutes. The height adjustment knob works adequately for most table routing but it's a little slow and can be awkward to bend down each time you wish an adjustment and measurements are done by hand (meaning literally your hand holding a ruler from the table top to the tip of the bit). You may wish to purchase the Router Raizer system, I plan to. This system then is essentially the same as buying a 3hp fixed base router+router raising assembly at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost! And for those of you Tim Taylors, those large 3"-3-3/8" bits can be used to hog off a small forest in your next cabinet or door project. The fit and finish is adequate. I've seen better from Porter Cable and DeWalt but it's the performance and reliablility I'm after here along with a good price. This incredible hulk is lurking under my router table unseen anyway, ready to chew through anything I can throw at it. The accessory package aside from the height adjustment knob and included 1/2" carbide straight bit is of questionable usefullness to me since mine is primarily for the table. The quality of these items is average. The Pros: **Unbelievable value (when purchased on sale), otherwise still a good value
**Incredible 3-1/4 hp power
**Soft start, electronic speed control and feedback
**Well designed, simple to use plunge lock
**One touch spindle lock
**Easily converted to table use
**Long track record as a proven workhorse The Cons: **Fit and finish average
**Macro and micro plunge adjustment action fair when used freehand
**Base opening < 3" diameter (to fix, see above) Summary: A terrific big mean green machine for the table and the most bang for the buck available. Just don't get it angry.
87 of 89 found the following review helpful:
 Good product and good value Dec 06, 1999
By Dave Carmichael
This is a well-made and powerful tool. The spindle lock makes bit changing easy and the built-in depth setting mechanism uses a ruled gauge which can be preset to zero in order to measure the required depth with a great degree of accuracy. The accessory pack is good too. My only gripes are the lack of an electronic brake and there is no fine height adjustment screw handle, but you can buy the latter as an accessory. It is slightly lighter than my Makita 3612 and I think I like it better overall. At the price it is a much better deal than Porter Cable's clunky 690 series plunge router.
67 of 68 found the following review helpful:
Great Value for a Solid Router Jul 07, 2001
By wamp66
This is truly a Clydesdale among the industry 3HP+ router workhorses. Built like a tank, yet nimble enough to be comfortably used with the Leigh dovetail jig. The soft start is a tremendous help for this type of operation. It is a heavy but well-balanced machine, which is an asset when maximum stability is desired. The edge guide is top quality, easy to install and accurate. I used this router to plow out 3" raised panels in oak without phasing the beast. This was possible due to the variable speed settings for any sized bit. The router is also equipped with an adapter that accepts PC guide bushings. The height adjustment knob is a bit flimsy, but it works well and provides good accuracy. The only complaint I have is that the 1/4" collet will not sufficiently hold any of my 1/4" bits. I purchased an aftermarket slotted collet that does the job. The Hitachi collet simply was not ground accurately. However, now that the kit comes with the height adjustment knob, I'd say jump all over it. This is a great deal, and I'm elated with my decision to go with Hitachi's green machine. Wish I could give it 4 1/2 stars.
83 of 87 found the following review helpful:
High quality router at a very low price Dec 08, 1999
By Christopher
Light weight and significant power make this an excellent choice for all around use. I have used it to mill over 150 rafter tails out of 3"x8" stock. My only complaint is that the linear bearings needed some silicone lubrication occasionally during the project. The variable speed is a plus; the large bit that I was using cut best at less than maximum speed.
36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Hitachi M12 3 1/4 HP variable speed 1/2" Plunge Router Jun 26, 2000
By Guy S Woodward
I recently attended a woodworking show where I saw first hand the many router bit suppliers using this router to demo their router bits. I asked them why they weren't they using Porter Cable or Dewalt routers and the typical response was this was the best router for the buck! They literaly abused this machine and it plowed right along. I did the research and this is the cheapest(dollar wise)router thats built very well. It is a little heavier than other models of the same caliber, but it was very comfortable and easy to handle. I would definitely recommend this product.
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