This little Colt is little only in size. It's 5.7 amp motor gives you all the power and speed of a big bruiser, with a variable speed of 16,000 to 35,000 rpm. Weighing in at just a hair over 3 pounds, it feels like a feather, so one-handed control is absolutely perfect. Bosch's soft grip design is intuitive, and whether your hands are big or small, it fits just right, giving you complete control. Don't worry about torque at startup, either, because the soft-start feature cushions it beautifully. The base has indentations that Bosch calls "finger support pockets," and they really do lend a great deal of control.

The collect accepts standard -inch bits, so you're virtually unlimited in the bit department, with a surprising maximum diameter of 1-5/16 inches. There's a spindle lock on the front, so changing the bit out is a simple one-wrench operation. The speed dial is mounted on top of the tool body, and while some would prefer it closer to the grip, we don't see a problem, since you're gripping the tool with just one hand anyway.

Depth adjustment is among the easiest we've seen on a router. Just turn the motor till the triangle and "unlocked" symbol align, lower the motor to desired position, turn the motor so the triangle lines up with the "locked" symbol and close the clamping lever. If fine adjustment is necessary, it's a breeze, courtesy of a wheel on the back of the base. Done.

We can think of hundreds of uses for this little workhorse, but those who've previously been intimidated by routers will absolutely love it, because it performs like a full-size router, yet it's a fraction of the size and weight. It would be perfect for rounding-over deck planks and railings, hinge mortising, making decorative edges on hobby wood, and furniture, cutting slots, for use with a dovetail jig, making window cutouts, decorative inlays, trimming laminate and more. Pros, do-it-yourselfers and hobby woodworkers will all wonder how they got along without this little tool. -- Kris Jensen-Van Heste

What's in the Box
Router, straight edge guide, carrying case, fixed base, -inch self-releasing collet, drop-forged wrench