GKF125CEN Colt 1.25 HP (Max) Variable-Speed Palm Router

My wife said I couldn't open this gift before Christmas. It's time to open it. now!:) WOW! what a nice, well engineered tool by Bosch. I have an 890 Porter-Cable router for big jobs but never had a palm router for smaller work. I like the LED lights that illuminates the working surface very well (I used to use a Milwaukee work flash light when routing). The "lock" button on the spindle holds it while you tighten the collet. No need for two wrenches anymore. It feels balanced and comfortable in the hand. I like the finger indents in the body that gives you steady routing during intricate work. The indents keep your fingers safely away from the cutting surface. The photo of my pine wood paper plate/napkin holder, shows the ceramic painted "butterfly" inlay I inserted in the front of the holder with the router. This is a nice machine!

My husband really likes this, it's light and well engineered. Seems less dangerous than larger ones.

In my opinion the best trim router on the market. I had the Dewalt but the body was just too large to comfortably fit in your hand. Tried the cordless Milwaukee and the battery made it top heavy and unbalanced. This Bosch fits in my hand well, has simple adjustments, soft start and overall is just a pleasure to use. Edit: If there’s one thing they could improve it’s contrast on the depth scale. I added some white paint to make it easier to read.

This tool is straightforward, easy to use and control, and gets beautiful results. It's simple to adjust depth/speed or change out bits. The router starts and stops very smoothly, which reduces the chance of accidentally nicking the piece you're working on. And it's very lightweight, not a clunker at all. If you are buying this for router carving, which is what i use it for, i suggest checking out the brand Dave's and getting a plate for this model (also available from amazon or at makeawoodsign.com). With this router plus the plate, I've been able to do really intricate designs. Couldn't be happier with it.

Nice router, easy to control and has good power. However, it comes up short where the micro adjustment comes into play. The adjustment just doesn't work well.

The Bosch GKF125CEN Colt 1.25HP palm router that I purchased met my expectations as a first time router owner. I was able to complete my project for which I needed the router. What annoys the heck out of me is the fact that someone slapped a non-removable sticky label (4x6 iches) about Amazon's purchase order of a pallet of these from Robert Bosch Tool Corporation that covers pretty much every bit of of the back of the box printing. This label had nothing to do with my purchase of the tool from Amazon. As if I needed three different bar codes about the serial shipping container code and that this was carton# 278 of 343. I guess I will never be able to read the info on the ack of the box. Since I will store the router in that original box, it annoys me.

Been in a woodworking shop for 9 years and have used many different brands of routers. Bosch has always been an excellent router brand. The grip on this router is far more ergonomic than the cheaper 1hp variant Bosch router. Though it is also heavier and larger than the 1 hp version. For me, (being a smaller guy) the added weight and size do make it a bit more fatiguing to use than the smaller version when doing a lot of routing but if you only need it for a few passes on some material to out an edge on, it's excellent. And I suspect average sized or larger guys would prefer the size and weight of the 1.25hp router over the 1hp. The LED lights seem pointless to me but the clear round base is far better than the square black one on other models. One thing this router has that I've never seen before on any tools is a ball joint that the cord is connected to the router in. Why other tool makers and other product designers in general don't have that feature is beyond me. But it puts far less wear and tear on the cord connection on the router. Overall I'd say the router is well built, plenty of power and the added weight and power makes it vibrate less when using it on hard woods compared to the 1hp variant. Lastly, I read a lot of reviews talking about the micro adjustment is worthless on this router and I was a bit concerned about that. But after using it I realized that while it's not perfect, I certainly have no issue using the micro adjustment properly. People who complain about the adjustment being worthless either don't know how to properly adjust it or they got defective routers.

I used it for the first time the other day, and it blew me away! SO powerful, SO easy to use, SUCH a great design (I’m a product designer!) and so light and easy to control. I did things I’d never attempt with my 1.5hp Porter Cable classic router! Now I can install the big one into my router table and use this sports-car of a machine for the handheld stuff. Now I’ll adapt my radius arm to it and it will be a circle cutting MONSTER! No more install/uninstall routine for my router table. This little bad-boy is my new go-to for 1/4” shank bits! (I still use some big scary 1/2” shank cutters, so thus the table setup with a crankevator!) Soft start is great. Depth adjustment is efficient and precise. Base removal is instant. Collet is super-precise and grips so hard. Speed dial is wide range. Easy to control, nard to accidentally change. On-Off switch is hard to use with gloves, but you shouldn’t wear them for routing anyway! I bought it on sale for a KILLER price. Wanted one for years. DO IT! It will be a favorite. Bosch never misses. I have several things by them: Jig Saw and Crosscut Saw mobile dolly/stand for starters. BOTH are standard setters! They are the BMW of tools. (I have two of THEM, too!)