Makita - 3709X Laminate Trimmer 1/4" with aluminum carrying case (Rating: 4)

Bought this from the Home Hardware in Nelson for less than the Amazon price! Never happens.

Anyways the router. I have had it for about a week and have used it exclusively on hard maple to tune some rabbets and route a long mortise for a piano hinge. First impressions the case seems well made for a tool case, not sure about job site longevity but time will tell. All the parts are packed in foam inside the case although the bearing guide space is too small. Taking the router out of the case gives a good first impression. It has a lot of heft for such a small little machine and the plastic molding feels solid and beefy. The rack and pinion mechanism feels pretty flimsy but has performed well so far. I might get a friend to mill up some aluminum replacement parts at some point after my warranty expires as it feels like if anything breaks it will be the locking knob, time will tell. The movement on the r&p is pretty good for moving the base up and down and I found I could make accurate depth adjustments pretty easily.
The base is two parts, a clear acrylic sub base that rides on the r&p and a black phenolic base attached to that with four screws. I would have preferred a clear base but that's a pretty simple fix. You mount the included template guide by removing the phenolic base and sandwiching the guide between it and the sub base.
Turning the router on gives a bit of a kick to your wrist (no soft start) so make sure you are well away from the workpiece or you might nick it. The motor feels smooth and beefy for its size and cuts with a 1/4" upcut and 1/2" hinge mortising bit were very nice. The router is a little top heavy but not as bad as some other trimmers I've used and the small size makes it very easy to control.
The fence… is my least favorite part of this kit, it's difficult to adjust accurately, you have to loosen the knob off so far to slide it that it flops around and it has no micro adjust. Replacing/upgrading that is going to be my first project for this router.
I haven't used the trimming guide and not sure I ever will but it seems functional and well made. The includes single flute router bit could be a gift to a woodworker you don't like.
All in all I like the router and any con's are out weighed by the very reasonable price. The motor feels great and it handles well.