Katsu 18V Router Review – UK Tried & Tested

I used this to cut hinge recesses into a run of new cupboard doors and put a bullnose profile along some pine shelf edges, and it saw both jobs through without any drama. What struck me straight away is how much of it is built on the bones of a well known Makita trim router, sharing bases, collets and even the motor closely enough that I could grab a spare part or a base off either tool and it would fit the other. That lineage explains almost everything else worth knowing here, what fits it, what it’s good at, and where it falls a little short of the tool it’s copied from.

I checked the collet setup before ordering bits. It covers 1/4in, 6mm and 8mm shank sizes, all three included as standard, so whichever size the bits already owned happen to be, they’re covered from the first job. Wrenches and guides came in the box alongside them.

Overview and first impressions

I ran the speed dial up for the pine bullnose, which stretches from 10,000 up to 30,000rpm, and the motor pulled roughly the same weight as a corded unit rated around 700 watts would. On that bullnose it felt close to a corded tool, no noticeable dip in power through the cut, which surprised me more than it probably should have for something this size.

I wound the depth in for the hinge recesses. It runs rack and pinion, maxing out around 20mm, with a quick locking system split across two separate buttons, one for lock and unlock, a second for on and off. Splitting those two functions rather than combining them into one control means the tool can be locked against accidental depth changes regardless of whether it’s switched on, worth knowing rather than assuming one button does both jobs. Net diameter without the trimmer base attached comes in at 64.8mm.

Hinge recesses and small edging jobs are exactly what I reached for it for, and both jobs confirmed that’s where it’s good, not just assumed from the category. Bullnose profiles on shelving went through cleanly too. It’s a tool for quick, precise cuts rather than sustained heavy work.

Specifications and scores

How it performed in our tests

Checking what battery it takes was the real standout for me. It runs proper Makita 18V batteries straight in, no adapter, no compromise, a real bonus if you’re already sitting on that platform for other tools. No new charger, no new battery, straight onto whatever’s already on the shelf.

I found the battery a bit stiff to remove the first time I went to swap packs mid job. Not a big deal once you know to expect it, but it caught me out that first time.

Battery system and runtime

I’ve heard mixed things from other owners on power specifically, and it’s worth carrying both sides honestly. Set against a full sized router, it is a bit underpowered, and if general renovation cutting is the plan rather than small trim jobs, a bigger router does that better. Run within the class of tool it is, though, someone who’s had one running for four or five years alongside the genuine Makita equivalent calls it a brilliant bit of kit at less than half the price, fit and finish not quite as refined but nothing that got in the way of it working.

That same long term comparison flagged the real gap from the Makita as thinner plastic on the sub bases, and no three year warranty the way the genuine tool carries. Everything else, from someone who’s run both side by side for years, comes down to fit and finish rather than performance.

Performance and limitations

Worth being clear about what this size of router is for and what it isn’t. For hinge recesses specifically, a small trim router like this one is genuinely the better tool over a bulkier plunge router, less cumbersome and easier to control for that one repeated, shallow cut. For cutting sheet material down to size, melamine or laminate boards, that’s not a router job at all, not this size and not even the bigger half inch collet routers used professionally. A circular saw with a fine tooth blade and a straight guide fence is the right tool for that, and knowing the difference before buying saves being disappointed by a tool doing a job it was never built for.

I learned properly on the pine bullnose that variable speed matters more than it looks like it should. Push a small radius bit too fast through certain material and it scorches rather than cuts clean, purely down to rpm rather than technique or feed rate. Dialling back solved it instantly, the difference between a clean profile and a burnt one on the exact same pass.

I’d check collet type directly on the actual tool rather than trust a listing alone. Proper collets split into four segments grip bits securely through repeated use, against cheaper collets shaped like a circle with a piece missing that never hold as well regardless of anything else the tool offers. None of what I’ve read specifically confirms which type this one uses, worth looking at directly rather than assuming either way.

I noticed where exactly the power switch sits matters more than you’d think. A hand naturally rests on top of a router like this to keep it steady during edge work, and a top mounted switch gets knocked off by accident as a result. Worth checking against your own grip before assuming any position works the same as another.

I reached for it in a dim corner of the kitchen for one of the hinge recesses, and the two LED lights built into the base earned their keep, genuinely useful for close, detailed work where the tool’s own body blocks natural light right where you need to see it most. Dust extraction is built in too.

Fitting the parallel fence for the shelf edges, it’s included as standard, and the wider accessory range stretches to plunge and tilt bases sold separately, both compatible with Makita parts rather than locked to one small manufacturer’s own stock. That’s a real comfort factor at this price point, since spares and upgrades aren’t a dead end if something wears out.

I checked charging time on the version that comes with a battery, a 4.0Ah pack topping up in about an hour. For a tool built around quick, repeated small jobs rather than long sessions, that fast top up matters more day to day than a bigger, slower charging pack would, since the jobs this size of router does tend to be measured in minutes.

I found this size of router suits more than hinges and shelving edges once you factor in sign lettering, light chamfers, roundovers, and clearing waste for dovetail keys and inlays, small controlled cuts rather than anything needing serious stock removal. That matches exactly what I’ve used mine for, a useful check in itself.

I handled it rather than just reading the listing copy. Construction feels like a lightweight aluminium body doing what it says on the label. Worth checking that against more than the description though, and every account I’ve come across from people who’ve held one independently describes a quality feel, a solid piece of kit, exactly as described. Nobody mentions anything feeling loose or hollow straight out of the box, worth noting on its own since a genuinely flimsy budget tool rarely goes unmentioned.

I registered no such thing as a three year warranty here, unlike the genuine Makita equivalent, a real trade off against the lower price rather than a hidden catch, since it’s named plainly rather than buried anywhere.

Every job I’ve used it for, hinges, shelving edges, small profiles, matches what real owners describe buying it for too, DIY and hobby scale work rather than daily trade use. Nobody’s reaching for it to replace a full sized router for general cutting, which lines up with the one clear piece of advice worth repeating: this does one job well and isn’t a substitute for a bigger router doing a different one.

Final verdict, is it worth it

I finished both jobs, the cupboard hinges and the shelf edges, and it did exactly what I needed from it, quick, controlled, repeatable cuts rather than raw stock removal. Know that going in, know which battery it takes and which collet the bit needs, and there’s very little to catch you out.