Will the Makita handle it?

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

Hey LoneCarver,

@LoneCarver

Or would that just be asking for (best case) a burned up router?

the Makita hand trim router is a universal motor (= a commutated series-wound motor) which is a type of motor that gets hotter the slower it runs. And it is slowed down by a high mechanical load, e.g. by

• a too large diameter bit like a surfacing bit, or
• a too big stepover, or
• a too deep cut, or
• a too big feedrate.

See here for a diagram of motor characteristics:

@Aiph5u

– Source: Traute Meyer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (rotated and mirorred to reflect axes of Image 2 and with comments added by Aiph5u) Image 1: Motor characteristic (speed/torque diagram) of a Universal Motor (=the hand trim router): When you have torque, you have no speed, and if you have speed, you have no torque .

The secret of using the hand trim router is to give it a mechanical load so that it stays in the nominal load (nominal torque/speed pairing), which limits it to a specific speed (unlike a spindle, which can deliver its high torque over a wide speed range that you can select from, often from 6000–24000 rpm).

See router/spindle comparison.

@Aiph5u

Makita knows about this, it says:

CAUTION:

• If the tool is operated continuously at low speeds
  for a long time, the motor will get overloaded,
  resulting in tool malfunction.

16. Use bits of the correct shank diameter suitable
    for the speed of the tool.

CAUTION:

• Since excessive cutting may cause overload of the
  motor or difficulty in controlling the tool, the depth of
  cut should not be more than 3 mm (1/8") at a pass
  when cutting grooves. When you wish to cut grooves
  more than 3 mm (1/8") deep, make several passes
  with progressively deeper bit settings.

NOTE:

• Moving the tool forward too fast may cause a poor
  quality of cut, or damage to the bit or motor.
  […]
  The proper feed rate will depend on the bit size, the
  kind of workpiece and depth of cut.

– Source: Makita RT0701C trim router Instruction Manual

When milling wood, you need high torque AND high speed, so if you use a universal motor and no spindle, the universal motor should be chosen to have its nominal torque at a high speed, e.g. by using one of the best milling motor solution for hobbyists and semiprofessionals.