Customer Reviews

Hitachi M12-volts 3-1/4-Horsepower Electronic Variable Speed 1/2-inch Plunge Router

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(No, a 12 year old isn't reviewing a router - it just saves all the regestration rubbish).

Yes a good router all round really. Heavy but with lots of power. Shame it doesnt come with a case though - got the plastic one as an extra later on.

What I didn't like was that the well plced handles were made from cheap hollow 2-part plastic and creak when taking the routers weight - I'm tempted to machine out some solid wood ones for it. But they can be rotated to any one of about 8 positions, which is unique.

Also the built in 'spanner' to hold the shaft still when undoing the collet is hard to get to.

After about 8 hours use I found that the plunge mechanism was sticking - spoke to Hitachi and they said NOT to lubricate the plunge rods (it attracts more dust and clogs up further) - just dismantle and clean. Well, I guess all routers have this problem from time to time.

Probably the best feature of this router is the visibility of the bit - looking at others I see how much more of the work you can see with the M12v. The equivalent DeWalt looked more restricted.

So yes - a good solid buy.

Alan.

I first used the router in the free hand mode and liked it a lot. I find it very sable and comfortable to use, it doesn't jump around or make me feel like I need to use a lot of arm strength to keep it under control, and it has very good visibility to see your cut. It came with a good fence that is simple yet precise and thats well made and won't break. Also I like the position of all the controls and the fact that it doesn't have any extra knobs or gizmos. I prefer things that are simple. I prefer to use my mind to figure out how I'm going to build something not how my tools work. I now have it as a permenant fixture in my router table. The router has plenty of power for any type of bit or wood I need to cut, and the speed control knob is easy to get to. I did have to cut off the ears that hold the template guide in place so I could get those big panel raising bits in it. It will take 31/2 inchers now. I also removed the springs in the plunge tubes to make it easier to raise. I added a crank for those times when I need to make fine adjustments, but I seldom use it. I also put a bend in the wrench so I can remove and install bits from the top of the table. Its not a perfect system but its a very good one. I need it back as a hand held so I'm going to buy another one.

After my Dewalt DW621 quit with only 5 years of moderate use and the rebuild was half the cost of a new, I decided to look and see what else was out there. I wanted at least 2hp and didn't want to spend more than what I did for the Dewalt. The Hitachi fit all those requirements. I went to a local tool dealer and reviewed this router along with Porter Cable, Milwaukee, and Dewalt. The P.C. & Milwaukee are top quality but were more than I wanted to pay so I ordered the Hitachi from Amazon. Unlike others, this one came almost fully accessorized - very nice.

After mounting it to my table and making, several raised panels for doors I have to say this is an excellent router. It's much quieter, smoother and much more powerful than the DW-621. I only have three minor complaints:

1. Depth adjustment stop, it just doesn't compare the to the Dewalt. Fine adjustments are made by trial & error with a turn or two of the height adjustment knob, I liked making fine adjustments by a measurement scale (1/64, 1/32, etc). Once I take the time to figure out what the pitch of the screw is and how much a 1/2 or full turn makes I'll be back to making adjustments the way I like.

2. The plunge was a little sticky. At first, it didn't pop back up without pulling on it. Now that it's been used a week it seems to be fine. Just needed some break in, but other brands seemed a little smoother in the plunge function.

3. No dust collection for hand use, since I use this on the router table most of the time this isn't an issue. There is an accessory that mounts down by the bit or plate, but again that is where the DW-621 and other B&D variants have everyone beat.

Good Points:
1. Very smooth & quite motor so far. I have to admit I haven't had a need for full speed yet. I'm making raised panel passage doors and low to medium speed works great.
2. Lots of power. It doesn't bog down at all like my previous router did, this allows me to run it at a lower speed, which has provided a better finish and no burning on the raised panels.
3. Seems to be light enough for hand use too.
4. Soft start - most all have this now, but I thought I would mention it.
5. Easy on/off switch.
6. Depth release/lock is alright but could be better.

If your primary use is on a router table, then I would highly recommend it. In fact, I don't see the more expensive 2.25-3hp varieties having any advantages over this router except some have above table adjustment out of the box. There is another optional accessory for above table adjustments for the Hitachi. So far, it hasn't been needed because my table is large and very open.

If you want it just a hand router, then I would probably recommended another brand, just because of the dust collection and depth stop adjustment. If that doesn't concern you then I would highly recommend this router.

If you want it to do both and price is a factor then I would highly recommend this router. Others that switch bases would be best, but you pay for it and most are less than 3hp.

As a side note I think these HP ratings on all routers are a joke. Two fimiliar forms of measuring power are a watt and Horse Power (HP). Watts = volts x amps. 1hp = 745 watts. Therefore: 15amps x 120volts = 1800watts 1800watts / 745 = 2.41hp not 3hp! Somehow, they're all creating more power than they're drawing, sounds like a perpetual motion machine. Hmmm....

I purchased this router at a woodworking show after watching the CMT people using it to demo their bits and was impressed how it performed. Well, when I got it home and mounted it in my router table, the shortcomings started showing up. The adjustment nob seemed ok, but when lowering the router, I have to practically pull it down while turning the nob. I tried it with the springs in and with them out and did not notice any difference. The collet for the 1/4 inch bits is a pain to get in and even harder to get out. Then the most disappointing was trying to use Viper raised panel bits that just barely fit, and I mean just barely. I never could get the panel bit to fit right.

The next year when I was at the show again, I went to the CMT booth and took a closer look at how they were using the router. I noticed they cut out the wings in the center that were preventing the use of the bigger bits. Also, they did something to extend the lock mechanism and had a bent wrench which allowed then to tighten or loosen the collet from the top side of the table. In fact, they were selling the wrenches they had made up.

Long story, short answer, I cut the wings off, bought the bent wrench and everything except the fine adjustment works fine. I use a Porter Cable router when using 1/4 inch bits. I have each router mounted on its own plate and can change them out faster than I could change collets. It was alot less money than the other routers of its size and power and for the weekend woodworker, it is a good investment.

I have a small fixed base, single speed router that I use freehand. But I wanted to do some raised panel work and needed more power and variable speed to run the large-diameter bits. At first, I kicked myself for not buying one in the first place instead of my smaller router, but in retrospect I think this is the best compromise. The Hitachi has plenty of power, runs smooth, and cuts effortlessly through maple (with Freud bits!) However, it is much bigger, bulkier, and heavier than my other router and I would not like to use it freehand (I keep it mounted in a table). Since I use it in a table, I don't use the plunge feature, but if I ever need it I've got it. The Hitachi is a great router for a great price, but only get it if you need the maximum power, variable speed and use it in a table. Otherwise, get a smaller single speed router, which will be much easier to use freehand and is all you need for smaller diameter bits.