Find the router or planer that suits your needs — from cutting cable channels in walls to making furniture and wooden structures.

For cable and pipe channels in the wall

When running new cables or moving outlets during a renovation, a wall chaser cuts a straight channel into plaster and brick, saving you hours of work with a chisel and sledgehammer. The Ingco WLC15008 cuts channels up to 30 mm wide and 29 mm deep, enough for electrical conduit.

With the dust extraction system, you can connect a vacuum cleaner and collect much of the dust as you cut—an important feature when working in an occupied home. The side handle helps you keep the tool’s 5 kg weight steady against the wall, so the channel stays straight from start to finish.

The package includes 4 diamond discs, so you can get started as soon as you open the box. See more wall chasers with a dust extraction system.

For deeper channels, such as those for water pipes, the Bulle 1700W Wall Chaser reaches a depth of 50 mm and a width of 42 mm with a 150 mm disc. It is the cheaper of the two and does not have a dust extraction system, so you will need to clean up the dust afterwards.

For edges, profiles and hinges

The palm router is a compact router you hold in one hand: it rounds shelf edges, cuts profiles in frames and routes recesses for cabinet hinges. The Bulle 710W Palm Router weighs 1.9 kg, so you can guide it along an edge without tiring your wrist.

With variable speed control up to 30,000 rpm, you can reduce the speed when working with hardwood or larger bits to prevent scorching the edge, and increase it for a clean finish on softwood. Its 710 W output delivers more power than most palm routers, which are limited to 600 W—a difference you’ll notice when working with beech and oak.

It has remained one of the most popular choices among users for a long time, with plenty of reviews from people who use it for small DIY projects at home.

For Furniture and Woodworking Projects

For grooves in the backs of cabinets, rebates in shelves or decorative carving on a table, you need a plunge router: the motor moves vertically down, allowing the bit to enter the wood wherever you need—not just at the edge. The Einhell TC-RO 1155 E has a plunge depth of up to 55 mm, so you can make deep cuts in solid wood over several passes.

Use the parallel guide to cut a groove parallel to the edge without marking a line first, while the dust extraction system keeps the cutting area clear so you can see where you’re going. It accepts bits with 6 mm and 8 mm shanks, so you can also use sturdier bits for wider cuts.

Its 1100 W motor and variable speed control of up to 30,000 rpm handle everything from fine carving to routing tabletops with a large bit.

For doors that stick and pergola timbers

A wooden door that has swollen in the damp and rubs against the frame, a pergola beam with an uneven surface or an old plank that needs a freshen-up: the electric planer removes wood in even layers. The Total TL1108236 removes up to 3 mm per pass across an 82 mm width, so you can rough-plane quickly and then reduce the depth for the final pass.

The 1050 W motor provides plenty of power, even for harder woods, and with a rebate depth of up to 24 mm, you can cut a step along the edge for joints and finishing. Weighing 4.5 kg, it sits steadily on the wood, helping you achieve a straight surface on long pieces.

For cordless work

On a construction site, on a pergola in the yard or up a ladder, the cord gets in your way and catches on edges. The Makita DRT50ZJX2 runs on Makita 18V LXT batteries: if you already have a drill driver or angle grinder from the range, you can use the same batteries. This is the Solo version, supplied without a battery or charger, and comes in a durable Mak Pac case.

The case includes a tilt base, an additional base and a straight guide, so the same motor can round over edges, cut straight grooves and make bevel cuts. The speed control reaches 30,000 rpm, the built-in light illuminates the cutting area, and it accepts 6, 6.35 and 8 mm bits. At 2.1 kg, it’s comfortable to hold even on vertical surfaces.

For walls, you need a wall chaser. For wood, a laminate trimmer handles edges and hinges, a plunge router tackles grooves and furniture, and a planer smooths surfaces. Whichever you choose, make sure to get the bits or blades suited to your material.

This article was created with the help of AI and reviewed and edited by the Skroutz team.