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Makita router collet sizes DRT50ZJX3

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EDIT: Original thread below, but for internet searchers, the conclusion is that the DRT50ZJX3 has been shipped in the UK by at least 2 different retailers in a configuration with two collets in the box, one 1/4” (with four slots) fitted to the machine and the other an 8 mm cone (with 1 slot) in the bag with the spanners.

EDIT 2: Makita UK and retailer have both confirmed that the router comes with 1/4” and 8 mm collets.

EDIT 3: The DRT50 JX2 set (DRT50RTJX2) also comes with 1/4” and 8 mm collets

DRT50ZJX3 is the Makita LXT 18V trim router (DRT50) in a box with multiple bases and accessories, but no batteries.

ORIGINAL:
The Makita UK website says that their DRT50 router is a “6/8 mm” router (even in the ZJX3 config with all the accessories; for example https://www.makitauk.com/data/sr/productinfo/generated/drt50zjx3_2.pdf).

However - and someone please correct me if I’m wrong - they don’t ship 6 mm and 8 mm collets with it. They seem to provide 1/4” and 3/8” collets in the box.

I feel pretty silly buying these 8 mm router bits now.

Can anyone else who has this machine confirm that I’ve not gone crazy. What collet sizes did you receive with your router?

If anyone would like to speculate about why Makita is too cheap to mark the sizes on the collets (or even on paper that’s near the collets), I’d enjoy hearing the theories.
 
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Is that the cordless trim router? Sorry, not good with part numbers.

My Makita LXT 18V trim router came with two collets: a 1/4" one & an 8 mm one.
 
Windows said:
Yes, it’s the cordless trim router. How did you confirm the sizes of the collets it came with?
Click to expand...
Urmm... I can't remember. I think I probably just assumed that the one that was fitted was 1/4" and the bigger one was 8 mm as the blurb had said it came with both. I've used both (with 1/4" and 8 mm shank cutters respectively) and they're a good sliding fit (before tightening, obviously) on the shanks of those tools. I've also made an extension chuck thing with an 8 mm shank, designed to go in the bigger of the two collets and again that fit very well.
 
These are the collets that came with mine.

IMG_3215.jpeg

The one on the left seems to hold 1/4” bits and is too small to hold 8 mm bits.

The one on the right seems too large to hold the only 8 mm bit I have here at the moment.
 
I guess it’s possible I just haven’t tightened the larger one enough. The smaller one holds 1/4” with finger pressure and the larger one doesn’t hold 8 mm under the same conditions (I was reluctant to crank it given the confusion over sizes).
 
They look very similar to mine. Are you sure your 8 mm bit definitely has an 8 mm shank?

I did some very crude measurements on your picture by drawing two lines and measuring the length (in pixels):

1742054352748.png

Mine has an outer diameter of about 14 mm. If yours is the same, then the bore of yours is somewhere in the region of 14×114/204 = 7.8 mm, which sounds pretty close to 8 mm given the inaccuracy of that measurement method.

Here's mine:

1742054476617.png

Windows said:
Just had a look at the retailer website and it says:

“Collet Capacity: 3/8" and 1/4"”

www.dm-tools.co.uk

Makita DRT50ZJX3 18V LXT Brushless Cordless Compact Router Kit, at D&M Tools

Makita DRT50ZJX3 18V LXT Brushless Cordless Compact Router Kit, at D&M Tools.
www.dm-tools.co.uk www.dm-tools.co.uk
Click to expand...

Ah, just seen that. Perhaps you got a different kit to mine then. Probably worth ignoring what I said above!
 
I just checked through my email history and it looks like the kit I bought had the same number (DRT50ZJX3). However, I bought it from FFX (now defunct), so I can't check what they listed it as.

Looking at how thin the wall is at the smaller end of my 8 mm collet, I'm quite surprised a 3/8"/9.5 mm collet is even possible. If the outer diameter is the same, the walls would have to be only about 0.35 mm thick! I wonder if the spindle has been upgraded to a bigger size since I bought mine (and hence can support the bigger cutters).

1742054781911.png
 
I don’t think I have calipers here. With my eyeball and a ruler, I’d say that the interior of the two collets are 6mm and 8mm when no pressure exerted on them. I’d also say that the shank on the 1/4” Trend bit is 6mm though, so I can’t distinguish sufficiently. (The 8 mm Bosch bit looks like an 8 mm shank).

I’m going to contact Makita and DM Tools to see what they say.

I have a Bosch router with 6mm, 8mm, and 1/4” collets (all nut and four-slot collets). These collets all start gripping the bits early and 1/4” bits do not fit in the 6mm collet at all, so I guess I assumed the Makita collets would have similar behaviour. Maybe they don’t. The problem is, I definitely don’t know what size collets I have when the manufacturer says one thing and the retailer says another and there’s no markings or documentation to make it clear.
 
If you want to explore how well different diameters are gripped in the collets you have, a set of drills might be a good thing to use, especially if you have metric and imperial sizes.
Sorry if I'm stating the obvious.
 
8mm is uncommon but 3/8" is a really unusual size to come across when it comes to router bits, you can get them but they're nowhere near as abundant as 1/4" and 1/2" bits.

Screenshot 2025-03-15 at 23-23-41 DRT50 - Router Trimmer LXT®.png
Looking at Makita's site for the DRT50, it does show that there is indeed a 3/8" cone to be had.

For around £9 posted you can get the 8mm collet from here: https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-763618-5-collet-cone-8mm-for-rt0700c-rp0900
 
I’ll have another look later today. Drill bits is a good tip Andy.

I may end up buying collets just to be sure. Thanks for the link Trevanion.
 
I found some calipers and satisfied myself that it comes with a 1/4” and an 8 mm collet (just like Dr Al’s). The small collet is clearly a touch larger than 6 mm; it’s close to 6.3 mm. The large collet is clearly much smaller than 3/8” (9.5 mm); it’s close to 8 mm. That really only leaves one realistic combination: 1/4” and 8 mm. It’s annoying that the 8 mm bit doesn’t get any friction from the 8 mm collet until the spanners get involved (unlike the 1/4”), but I guess that’s just the way it is.
 
I’ve successfully used the thing for cutting a 1/4” wide groove in the edge of an oak floorboard (using a 1/4” bit and two passes, 3 mm deep each time) so that’s going to make life pretty easy. I used the trimmer base and the straight guide that came with the kit. Moved through the wood very smoothly.

Turns out the kit is supposed to include two plastic dust nozzles. I have one for the trimmer base, but don’t have the one for the plunge base, so I’ll have to get that sorted, but pretty happy with it. Much easier to wrangle than my green Bosch 1400.
 
The other thing I noticed today is that Makita’s instruction manual suggests that you might move the offset base’s plate to the trimmer base so that you have a larger surface area for better balance. It’s just a matter of unscrewing and rescrewing four screws. You also have the option of attaching a handle from the plunge base. I’ll have to remember that for next time I need to span a gap.

IMG_3219.jpeg
 
I had a very nice email from D & M Tools confirming that the router comes with 1/4” and 8 mm collets and offering to send the missing dust port, so that was a lovely customer experience.

EDIT: and Makita UK also replied confirming 1/4” and 8 mm collets come with the Makita trim router DRT50ZJX3
 
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Mine (DRT50), and the RT0700 before it, came with 1/4in and 3/8in. Metric collet sets can be had cheaply from AimTools (directly, eBay and Amazon) in 6 and 8mm, etc - these are for the Katsu routers, which are copies of the Makita originals. I can testify that they work with the Makitas (as do the Katsu router bases, although they sometimes require a bit of filing to get a perfect fit)
 
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