By Mark Clement
Trim routers are an emerging and quickly evolving category. Born from laminate trimmers (traditionally used just for that sub-trade), trim routers are more general-purpose tools and great for loads of tasks beyond the laminate shop. They're small and powerful, and new designs like Ridgid's R2400 take them a giant step toward replacing larger fixed-base routers on site and in the shop.
I ran the R2400 through a battery of tests in my shop and on a trim site. I tested the tool for power and performance as a router-substitute rather than fabricating laminate slabs.
Design
From the minute you pick up the R2400, you can tell the Ridgid designers were looking to create a new tool category and that they took some big steps to get there. Basically, the unit looks, feels and operates just like a small router, so getting started is a snap.
Bit Change
The collet system on the R2400 is the standard two-wrench affair and accepts 1/4-inch shank bits. At first, the collet was stiff and difficult to either tighten or loosen. I can never remember which way to push/pull wrenches, so I spent a little extra time tightening when I should have been loosening. And, because this is small tool, getting the wrenches in there and turning the nuts is a bit of a pain. I wish there was an arbor lock so I could junk one of those wrenches. However, the collet loosened up and was easier to adjust after several bit changes (and I even remembered which way to turn the wrenches).
Height Adjustment
Like fixed-base routers, the body of the R2400 rides up and down in the base and is fixed in position with a wing nut. But, because the R2400 is so small, Ridgid was able to add a micro-adjustment gear that helps dialing in depth. This is great for matching a round-over or chamfer from an existing piece of stock or setting the tool for proper depth while remodeling a door jamb. Like the collet, however, it was stiff at first and required getting used to. I had to hold the tool just right to move the base the way I wanted. Once I stumbled on how to hold the tool, though, adjustments got easier.
The wing nut for securing everything at a setting holds the setting dependably, but you really have to crank down on it to be sure it's tight. It's small, so after a bunch of adjustments, turning it gets a little old. And because it takes about three solid cranks to get it tight, I worry I may miss a half turn at some point during an adjustment and lose a setting.
Positioning the Tool
The most efficient way to position the tool and run it down an edge was to hold it with the cord projecting away from the work and the "front" (where the label and adjustment knob are) facing the work. The cord was great for this. It's long and gives you plenty of slack between a cord or multi-plug, and the 3-inch cord boot (the rubber sleeve that holds the cord to the tool body) props the cord up so it can hang out of the way. I liked this feature the more I used the tool.
When held in the position described above—in my right hand—the unit also ejects most of the dust away from the work, another nice feature. It worked really well cutting wood from poplar to fir to pine. However, the dust from MDF (who's surprised by this?) was a bit too much to channel out in one direction. No big deal. Another perk is the cord has Ridgid's "hot light" on the plug end which tells you what the tool is and if it's plugged in. This helps in the gaggle of jobsite cords. (It also comes with a hook and loop cord wrap that I don't really use.)
Power Switch and Speed Dial
Overall it's easy to engage the switch and stabilize the tool. The on/off switch is easy to reach and engage with one hand. I also like that the paddle type switch is housed inside the tool body. This means that it's near impossible to start it up by accident.
Variable speed on this tool was a pleasant surprise. A dial on top of the tool is easy to reach and turn, which makes it a breeze when switching speeds for different materials and applications. It was especially handy for opening the mortise on an existing door jamb to accept new hinges: lower bit speed enabled me to gain better control over the tool.
Base
The 3 1/2-inch diameter base with 1 3/8-inch opening for bits was a little on the small side. I had to be sure I was keeping even pressure on the tool to keep it seated on the work. Complaining that the base is small is a little hypocritical; basically the best feature of the entire tool is that it's small. But, I think another 1/2-inch of bearing surface in the base would make the unit easier to use.
Another potential design flaw on the base I noticed was the bit-change opening. When I first used the tool, my natural inclination was to stabilize the base on the work by pressing down on it with my fingers. After running a bunch of trim, I realized that my index finger and thumb were within an inch of the spinning collet. Now, it'd take some extraordinary circumstances for them to get in there. But they could, and it made me nervous.
The fix is easy: Don't put your fingers there. Only stabilize the tool with the hand on the tool body. However, for rookies on the crew, I'd at least spray paint that section of the base red, designating it a no-go zone. A plastic shield or wire guard you could flip out of the way for bit change would be really nice.
Power and Performance
The tool performed well cutting edge profiles, shallow dadoes and hinge mortises. It ran hard and fast in everything I threw at it.
The motor ran smoothly and quietly cutting round-overs in Douglas fir and poplar, chamfers in pine and MDF, cutting small dadoes in pine and setting door hinges in pine, fir, and poplar. The R2400 had ample power for deep cuts and its small, light and comfortable design made it easy to make trim profiles. It was also great making one-off cuts like widening a hinge mortise and cutting in a small hinge mortise for a site-made access panel. I had to be careful using a hinge cutting jig to keep the small base flat on the jig, but it worked nicely. Finally, line of sight to the bit is OK. For such a small tool you can't expect much room to see, and it proved to be no problem on my sites.
Box and Accessories
The box is a blow-mold plastic deal that houses the edge guide, the bearing guide and the guide bars they mount on. Both accessories are nice and easy to install. It also stores the wrenches and has slots for bits. The plastic is hard and stiff, so putting things like wrenches and bits back in their slots is tedious. I'd probably switch out the box for a bag.
www.Ridgid.com
Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at
www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com.
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