# problem with new, cheap, router



## simon1138 (Jul 3, 2020)

hello
i bought a £29 router from lidl in uk. i got a few bits to go with it, template bits for cutting out a guitar body. i have had a few problems from what i thought was a bad collet. i looked at the rear hole and it seemed off centre and i thought that was causing the bit to turn at a slight but noticable angle. so i bought a new collet. that seems straight enough. i fit the bit and it still seems to spin off centre i am not sure if it is because of how i fitted the bit in the collet. how the collet sits in the router or the nut that tightens the collet.
i dont want to buy another new router. this is for diy stuff so i dont want to get a big expensive one. i want to rule out "user error" before looking at a faulty router.
any help would be great
thanks and all the best
simon


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Simon and welcome. There is no way for a user to get the collet off center. It fits in a cone and the cone is supposed to center it as the nut pushes it down into the cone. If it is spinning off center then it was machined that way. By the way, if it is off center it should be vibrating like crazy. You can tell if it is off center from the main axis by clamping something to the base and leaving a paper thin gap between whatever that is and the bit. Then as you slowly turn the bit you should be able to see the gap change. Likewise if it isn't 90* to the base. The gap will be wider at the top or bottom. If either of those is true then the router is junk. Return it and get a refund. The saying that you get what you pay for is pretty much universally true with only shades of gray to it.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Charles test will tell the tale. Collets are actually precision devices and must be withing a couple of thousandths to be usable. I suspect something else is wrong inside the machine, and it is probably junk and should be returned for a refund. You could buy another cheap machine and hope it's better, but as the saying goes, "Good ain't cheap and cheap ain't good." If your second one is OK, see about ordering a couple of extra collets, if you can't find any, well, you have a disposable machine.

Or, see if you can't find a used router online or locally.


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## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

Welcome to the forum what they said


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Simon; welcome! Let me just say kudos to you for coming here and asking the question.
There are a LOT of members here that have seen and done it all with routers, and woodworking generally. You couldn't have found a better resource.
So yeh, what Charles and the others have already said. Good luck, and kep us bookmarked...you may have other questions!!


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## etaf (Jan 10, 2019)

i suspect you have a faulty router, I often buy Lidl tools, when in the centre isle , and unfortunately I very often have to take back for a refund.
I purchased a hand grinder thats was off.
A bench Grinder with 2 stones and that almost jumped off the bench and the wobble in the stones was about a 1/4".
A little weather station that went wrong in a day.
My uncle purchased a Mitre Saw , that was Off square alignment, he also purchased a hammer drill and that was off as well

Some of the products are really really great value , but I have found the electrical ones seem to often have issues, i may be just unlucky, Parkside should be a good make. I now only tend to buy Hand tools that i can check in the shop.
Not been to lidl during the lockdown, as a few days before the lockdown it was pretty unsafe with customers all over the place and in groups along isles, even though they limited the number in.
I suspect it has improved now, I miss looking in the centre isle for the bargains, i guess i bought something from the isle most trips each week, and kept an eye on the website for upcoming items


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## mark greenbaum (Sep 26, 2010)

simon1138 said:


> hello
> i bought a £29 router from lidl in uk. i got a few bits to go with it, template bits for cutting out a guitar body. i have had a few problems from what i thought was a bad collet. i looked at the rear hole and it seemed off centre and i thought that was causing the bit to turn at a slight but noticable angle. so i bought a new collet. that seems straight enough. i fit the bit and it still seems to spin off centre i am not sure if it is because of how i fitted the bit in the collet. how the collet sits in the router or the nut that tightens the collet.
> i dont want to buy another new router. this is for diy stuff so i dont want to get a big expensive one. i want to rule out "user error" before looking at a faulty router.
> any help would be great
> ...


If you are using a router to CUT OUT a guitar body, you may have a bent shaft on the router bit. The router bits are only rotary planes, and can only take off a 1/32" at most. I hope you are using pre-shaped and accurate templates. And I have found out the hard way - bent shaft router bits are very dangerous and can lead to serious damage and injury. Cheap routers are usually not a very good quality - I have made that mistake a few times, too. $30 Harbor Freight trim router is so noisy and hard to adjust, that I had to buy a $100 Ridgid at HD to do the job more quietly, and smoother. Check that router bit to see if the shaft is bent - if it is toss it in the bin.


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## simon1138 (Jul 3, 2020)

thanks for the response, i have since returned the router and bought an erbauer 2100watt with a few nice attachments and cutting bits. much better performance and quality. 
when i meant cut out, i meant fix template and cut round to remove excess left by the jigsaw which was not very much. i like to try the cheaper stuff sometimes as a i may get a bargain. this has put me off of some lidls items though. i look forward to using my new erbauer, its nice and chunky, feels professional and much more comfortable to use. 
all the best
simon


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

simon1138 said:


> thanks for the response, i have since returned the router and bought an erbauer 2100watt with a few nice attachments and cutting bits. much better performance and quality.
> when i meant cut out, i meant fix template and cut round to remove excess left by the jigsaw which was not very much. i like to try the cheaper stuff sometimes as a i may get a bargain. this has put me off of some lidls items though. i look forward to using my new erbauer, its nice and chunky, feels professional and much more comfortable to use.
> all the best
> simon


Glad to hear your had a good outcome . Looking forward to seeing your projects


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

In the end a good outcome; good news, Simon. Enjoy!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

simon1138 said:


> when i meant cut out, i meant fix template and cut round to remove excess left by the jigsaw which was not very much.
> simon


That is the right procedure to use Simon. Routers are not good at removing lots of wood and bits are expensive and don't wear as long as many other wood cutting tools do so use some other tool more efficient at hogging out the waste and use the router to clean up the job. I'm glad to hear you're happy with the replacement.


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

Nice to hear a happy ending Simon. All the best,James jj777746


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