Metabo killer router motor.

[Max Metz]

Looking through all the different spindle options one inevitably finds a couple of wonderful Metabo offerings.



The 1.4kg 710 Watt Electronic Router and Grinder Motor, FME 737, would take some beating in the capability to weight ratio stakes.

The unit has Metabo's famous Vario-Constamatic full-wave electronics, I used this on what was my Fathers most treasured tool, now my equally proud son's drill. You dial up the speed, half press the trigger till the rear lights indicate its ready to go and then with a full trigger press its constant speed no matter the material. With my brother included the four of us spent an hour or so merrily drilling away in pressure cured traffic-able manhole covers when Dad first got the machine - amazing stuff. I doubt if there is a wait now on the newer tools like this router motor.

My brothers slightly smaller clutch-less version of the same drill threw him off the roof when using it to put in roofing bolts - not as much power as this FME 737 router motor either, just set to lower gears. Metabo is beautiful gear, the bearings and collets on this motor are similar to the Proxxon standard of their ib(s)/e, just bigger and longer lasting.

On the non constant speed or standard speed control end Metabo have a G 500 die grinder, again 1.4kg, with a full load speed of 16,000 revs at 500w.

The price of these Metabos, fme 710 240v around au$350+ and the g500 240v au$300+. For our fine young Americians, the g500 110v is on Amazon for around us$180 (couldnt find the 737), with the Ozzie dollar at parity I might just look at getting a step-down transformer.

I own a 2400w Router, a Triton, its a monster - but from the Metabo tools I have used I bet these two small Metabos are just as impressive in their own way. As you may have gathered - I believe a good ramble clears the soul.

[Tom Smith]

Now that looks like a tool with some serious grunt - are you planning on using one on your ShapeOko? They do look pricey, but I guess the power makes the cost a trade-off worth considering...

Tom

[Max Metz]

Tom, I would love to own one of these, sometimes around Christmas Metabo puts different tools on special, I might get lucky.

Its a tough call picking a suitable spindle for the Shapeoko, accuracy verses power, I'll likely start with a Dremel type tool and move on from there once I get the feel of the machine. At the moment its all anticipation, fuelled by looking at what others have done with their machines.

The Dewalt spiral saw looks a great price performance option - though its flat out all the time. Some sort of speed control would seem preferable though there are few bigger appropriate tools with it. We don't get many spiral saws here, reason unknown, the Makita 3706 being the exception but at 2 1/2 times the US price. A 2000w step down transformer is about au$80 so even though I can buy 120v tools on Amazon I have to add that to the initial cost - though I could use the step down for other things.

At least the Metabo 737 shows what can be done within the weight constraints and it may be a matter of getting closest to that in a cheaper option.

This forum is a great place.

[zerblatt007]

Did anybody buy and try one of these Metabo 710W FME 737 220v spindles on the ShapeOko?
Seems to be one of the few I can find in Norway and has a 3 year warranty: http://www.metabo.no/Produktkatalogen-h ... efa.0.html