Dewalt router. What am I missing?

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Right now I am really confused. I have purchased 3 of these units now. 2 online and 1 from screwfix. All have a far too big collet. The boxes say 1/4 - 8mm but they are far too big.

Each time I have purchased I have needed one urgently. Each time I have then had to go and borrow one to get the job done. I run dewalt tools so don't want to go to another brand but it looks like dewalt are not going playing ball here.

Does anyone actually have one of these that holds a 1/4 bit?

 

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V

 

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[big-all]

are you sure its a 1/4" [6.35mm] cutter and not a 6mm ??

mines works fine with 1/4 inch

ok looking back thought the thread ignore my comments
i note it says 8mm 1/4" on the box without an "and" inbetween will check what it says on my box tomorrow

 

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Definately a 1/4" bit.

 

[big-all]

sorry edited above will check what its says on my box tomorrow in case different

 

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Reading a few threads on other sites it looks like there is a GB specific model with the 1/4" collet but most that are sold are euro spec with an 8mm collet.

I have had to order the 1/4" collet part Dewalt DE6951 I hope this works. I shouldnt have to do this but I really can't be bothered to send another unit back

 

[Old Salt]

Try an 8mm bit, 1/4 is actually 6.35 mm.
8mm is 5/16

 

[big-all]

if you got it from screwfix it must be a return where someone has been caught and swapped the collet with a screwfix one and returned for a refund at screwfix ???

 

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I did think of that but it came in a sealed/tagged case. Surely they don't re seal returns do they

 

[big-all]

iff it was sealed maybe returned to dewalt checked and resealed or a batch wrongly set up with the wrong collets

 

[big-all]

checked my box today everything on the label identical to the above on your box including the 8mm[1/4"] and n593986 so no subtle clues there

 

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I ordered one of these >Dewalt DE6951< yesterday and it was sat on the matt when I got home this evening. Its a genuine part and appears to be a direct replacement for the 8mm collet that came with the router. It's £25 I should not have had to spend but it has solved my issue and I have been routing away all evening.

Looks like dewalt do 3 different size fitments for the same body.

Nice little bit of kit in its palm held form.

 

[big-all]

yes indeed 6m/8mm and 1/4"
jxk will know better but i suspect at 5/16th being 7.937mm the collet can take up the .063 slack or perhaps no market for both ??

 

[Deleted member 174758]

yes indeed 6m/8mm and 1/4"
jxk will know better but i suspect at 5/16th being 7.937mm the collet can take up the .063 slack or perhaps no market for both ??

Nobody in the non-metric world made 5/16in collets, at least not in my working lifetime - Imperial sizes were 1/4in (6.35mm), 3/8in (9.53mm), 1/2in (12.7mm) and 3/4in (19.05mm) - above 1/2in was static pin routers only and 3/8in became defunct at least a couple of decades ago. Metric were 6, 8, 10 and 12mm (don't know about anything bigger because imported pin routers using metric arbors were/are relatively uncommon) - but, again, one size, the 10mm, dropped out of favour several decades back.

In fact in the UK that leaves you with shank sizes 1/4in, 8mm (probably as a result of Elu's intervention in the UK market in the 1970s) and 1/2in whilst in mainland Europe it's 6, 8 and 12mm. So a small router designed in Europe would probably be designed to take 6mm, 1/4in (6.35mm) and 8mm shank cutters.

If you look at Bosch's (blue) routers you'll see that the GOF900CE, GOF1250CE and the now defunct GOF1300ACE are all designed to accommodate those 3 sizes (likewise the deWalt DW613, DW615 and DW621 as well as the Trend T5). But just to mess things up last time I looked the Bosch GOF600 only accommodated 6mm and 1/4in collets in 110v, but the 230v version also takes 8mm collets (so a different collet design...)