Professional milling: With the Power X-Change cordless router and cordless edge router

A shelf, a delicate wooden box or wall decoration such as signs, picture frames and more – DIYers who don't want to buy furniture and home décor in stores and prefer to make their own unique items, will count a router as part of their basic equipment. With the versatile wood milling machine, you can work decorations into the wood or create stable connections between two wood elements. Various routers are used. New, and long awaited by die-hard Einhell fans, it is now available: the first Power X-Change cordless router TP-RO 18 Li BL. And the cordless palm router TP-ET 18 Li BL also finds its way into Einhell's range.

Thanks to the battery power, even large workpieces can be machined with the practical tool, without restriction due to interfering cables. In this article, we'll show you why the two cordless devices are still a much-needed addition to your workshop and show you where they differ!

The cordless router is infinitely flexible and can be used in the workshop without annoying power cables.

What is a router?

With a wood milling machine, especially a router, you can mill wood, but also other machinable material such as non-ferrous metals. In the workshop, the devices are usually used when it comes to creating grooves, milling decorations or machining edges. Here, skilled craftsmen can mill by hand, but also make do with templates. Accessories such as a rip fence or a compass tip are also helpful for milling straight grooves or circles, for example, depending on the use.

Through the use of various routers, grooves, profiles, bevelled edges and much more can be simply milled into the respective material. The routers can be mounted with the aid of the collet chuck. The router is then driven by the powerful brushless motor, which is connected to a drive spindle. How deep into the wood is to be milled can be precisely determined with the help of various settings on the device. Thanks to the stable base plate, the handy machine can then be easily and safely guided over the workpiece.

The Einhell cordless router TP-RO 18 Li BL sits comfortably in the hand thanks to its compact, stable design.

Here's what the Einhell router is used for

  • Freehand milling: With the help of the sturdy two-hand attachment with the ergonomic handles, the clamping lever and the cordless freedom, the new cordless model can also be used perfectly for milling hands-free.
  • Round milling: Circles and round shapes can easily and very precisely be milled into the respective material in conjunction with the compass tip.
  • Groove milling: For precise, straight milling – for example for producing a groove – the rip fence can be mounted on the router without great effort.
  • Milling templates: The new cordless model TP-RO 18 Li BL operates with a stroke height of 35 mm. In this way, it is also possible to work optimally with templates.

This makes the Power X-Change router convincing in the test

We have summarised the biggest advantages of the new Einhell router. First of all, the battery-powered device impresses with its performance: A high-quality and durable brushless motor ensures maximum power. Brushless motors are not only more efficient and more powerful than electric motors, they also do not require any maintenance work because, unlike brush motors, they are not subject to wear due to friction. The brushless motor pushes the maximum working time of a battery charge to the limit and is protected from damage by the integrated overload protection. Brushless motors impress with a long service life and maximum performance.

Another important factor when it comes to routers is the exact milling depth. The cordless model is equipped with several adjustment options. With the help of the infinitely variable fine adjustment, it is possible to determine exactly how far the router is to travel into the wood. In addition, the turret stop is equipped with three different heights. If you set your milling depth correctly, combined with the turret stop and the fine adjustment, you can easily mill gradations with the help of the stop points on the turret stop or remove harder material layer by layer.

Einhell Brushless Motor
Turret stop and fine adjustment

Precise milling thanks to practical features

  • Adjustable speed for perfect adaptation to material and routers
  • 2x collets for use with all standard 6 mm and 8 mm routers
  • Spindle lock for easy router change in combination with included spanner
  • LED light for best view of the work area
  • Extraction adapter for connecting an external dust extraction system, e.g. a wet/dry vacuum cleaner
  • Two-hand attachment with softgrip for comfortably guiding the router
  • Clamping lever for fixing the milling depth for effortless work

Benefits of cordless use as a Power X-Change device

Without an annoying cable, you can also machine large workpieces with the cordless Einhell router, because thanks to the battery, you can move within an infinitely large radius of action. You don't have to make sure that a power cord is long enough, or that there is a power connection nearby. As a member of the Power X-Change family, you can combine the cordless router TP-RO 18 Li BL with any battery or charger from the system family. So, if you already have batteries and chargers, the wood milling machine is the ideal device for expanding your workshop. If you are a newcomer to our world of batteries, you can easily get started with any starter set consisting of battery and charger.

Differences and similarities with the cordless edge router

In addition to the cordless router, the cordless edge router TP-ET 18 Li BL is also new in the range. Both devices look similar and perform similar tasks, but differ in certain points. So, depending on what work you do in your workshop and how much you want to use the milling machines, it may make sense for you to buy only one or both devices.

The cordless edge router TP-ET 18 Li BL looks similar to the router, but differs in some respects.

Similarities

First of all, both devices consist of the same base, i.e. the same motor block with the powerful brushless motor. This means that the cordless edger also works at a speed of up to 30,000 rpm. It is also supplied with two collets for 6 mm and 8 mm routers.

Differences

The two models differ especially in terms of accessories. The edge router is supplied with an edge attachment. The supplied guide roller can be mounted on these so that routers without a stop ring can also be used for chamfering edges. In addition, a copying sleeve is supplied for working with templates. A rip fence and a compass tip are also included in delivery of the cordless edge router, but also with the router.

The edge router can be used to work especially on edges in order to bevel them, for example. It is also possible to mill from one edge to the next and, for example, to create a continuous groove. However, if you want to mill directly in the workpiece, you must "dip" into the surface with the router. This is only possible with the router. The cordless router is therefore more the all-rounder you can use to work both in the workpiece and on edges – but it is trickier to handle than the cordless edge router.

Cordless router & edge router set

Ultimately, it's up to you. If you do a lot of wood milling, it makes sense to buy both devices, because then you do not have to constantly adjust the settings for milling depth, etc. If you only carry out milling work occasionally, you should make the decision depending on where the tools are used in your workshop, i.e. whether they are used more for chamfering edges or also for milling work in the workpiece. You can buy the perfect combination of both devices in the form of our cordless router / palm router set TP-RO 18 Li BL set. The set consists of the router, the two attachments of the main and edge router and all accessories that are included in delivery for the two individual devices. For proper storage, the set comes in a practical bag.

The set of cordless router and cordless edge router can be stored in the supplied bag.

Summary: Cordless and efficient milling

DIYers who like to work with wood often use the router. Working with the handy machine is much more flexible if you use the cordless tool. This is exactly what the new Einhell Professional cordless router TP-RO 18 Li BL is for. Powerful thanks to the high-performance brushless motor and versatile thanks to the accessories, it is the perfect addition to your workshop – and at an affordable price-performance ratio.

Picture of the author Marina Liefke.
Written by Marina Liefke
Published on 14.12.2022

Marina Liefke is an Online Editor at Einhell, where she deals with virtually all texts related to tools, garden equipment, and accessories. She acquires the necessary know-how through practical product training and close collaboration with the Einhell product managers. Her favorite tool is the PRESSITO cordless compressor because when the air is running out, it pumps it right back in.