Aldi/Taurus Router Table and Router

[damienb]

I've owned an Aldi branded Taurus router for 2 years, and always thought it was horrible. One of the nastiest habits is that the cam that locks the plunge is made of plastic and strips rapidly. The plunge likes to jump up half way through the cut. Add poor speed control, and poorly manufactured chromed parts, and you have a winner!

For some reason in the recent sale, I decided to buy a Taurus router table. Don't know why. Maybe to get use out of an almost useless router. The table is just awful. It's badly cast/machined aluminium, set on pressed steel legs that move all over the place. The fence is PVC, and completely inaccurate, and useless in every way. Maybe you could pull out the on-off switch, and use that in some way. Frankly, you're better off hand routing (even with the awful Aldi POS router) than trying to feed timber into this. I lost the receipt, otherwise I would return it as not remotely fit for purpose.

That's it with Aldi tools and me. I will continue to buy cheap brands like Ozito for non-critical purposes (e.g., belt sander) (and keep the receipt), but for Taurus/Aldi, the journey is over.

[dakotax3]

Damien Damien Damien...

No matter how much money you think you save upfront in purchase costs in buying cheap tools, you will soon lose in multiples.

I offer you a challenge: Buy one single, solitary high quality no-expense-spared tool, be it router or some other powered or unpowered hand tool. Research if you have to, but not too much; just get one high quality item. Then, get to work with that item. Your answers will soon become obvious and you will be cursing yourself for being so naive before.

[damienb]

I've got plenty of tools (too many!) from Norbar and Stanley to Ozito/GMC, but the Taurus stuff is in a class of its own.

[woodsurfer]

Mostly agree,i have the angle grinder, its good enough for cutting nails and bolts out of timber, the set of f clamps are good value ,they dont slip overnight on glue ups, but the winner was the german jack style smoothing plane , probably made in the muji chinese plane factory, excellent value and probably good for a lifeline . wouldnt touch the circular saws , routers etc tho, regards Ross

[fletty]

Earlier this year I visited my daughter and son in law on the northern NSW coast. I didn't take any tools (just in case I was ASKED to do anything) ..... but the toilet door wouldn't close properly.
I went to a local tool shop to buy a plane to remove a bit off the door. I looked at the Groz no4, I would need to sharpen and fettle it .... looked at a chinese diamond stone ... the price was building .....
The nice man in the shop then whispered that Bunnings was selling an Ozito electric palm sander for (I think) $29 ...... bought it, fixed the door, back to the wine!
These tools definitely have a market niche but I doubt that anyone would design, manufacture, import and sell a power tool just for father's who are caught short .....,?
fletty

[damian]

Fitness for purpose is the key.

I am a motor mechanic by trade, or was 20 years ago. I bought a full set of stahwille spanners, top quality screwdrivers etc. After a while I started looking more closely at my tool purchases as the gloss started to wear off. I bought a set of no name 3/8" drive sockets. Chrome vanadium, and some quality rachets. Some people laughed at me, I was working on F250 ambulances. Never broke a socket and I've still got every one of those tools today.

So the lesson is you can skimp if you know what your buying and it's fit for purpose. Some cheap power tolls are fine, others aren't worth the petrol to drive to teh shop let alone the purchase price. You don't always need the best to do good work.

Read the threads on the ozito hammer drill.

2c.