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Bosch Colt PR20EVS vs Makita 3709: Which Router Fits Your Bit and Guide Setup?

The PR20EVS is the documented choice for an adjustable speed dial and can use common threaded template guides through a separately purchased PR110 subbase. The 3709's comparison-chart entry shows a 30,000-rpm setting and a proprietary one-piece guide arrangement; confirm the current package and guide match before buying. Neither router has a supported cut-quality advantage here.

Published by Pickoryx · Published 2026-10-22

Source checked 2026-10-22 12:49 UTC

Products compared

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The buying question

Do you need an adjustable speed dial or a router that fits the template-guide system you already use?

The Bosch publishes a variable-speed dial and an optional path to common threaded template guides; the Makita 3709 is listed at one 30,000-rpm setting and its guide-bushing setup is proprietary, so the exact guide and current kit matter.

Quick verdict

Choose Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router if

  • You want a published 16,000–35,000-rpm dial range rather than choosing a tool listed at one 30,000-rpm setting.
  • You already own common threaded template guides and are willing to add the PR110 subbase; Bosch lists the PR001 fixed base in the PR20EVS package.
View Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router on AmazonPaid link

Choose Makita 3709 Laminate Trimmer if

  • A 30,000-rpm setting suits the bit maker's instructions and your template uses the 3709's proprietary one-piece guide system; verify the exact current listing includes the required guide.
View Makita 3709 Laminate Trimmer on AmazonPaid link
When the recommendation changes
  • If your templates require common threaded bushings, the Bosch route depends on adding PR110 and the correct guide; if you already use the 3709's proprietary one-piece guide, that accessory fit may matter more than the speed dial.
  • If you cannot confirm that the exact 3709 listing includes the guide you need, treat the included kit as unknown and compare only after checking the seller's package contents.

The differences that matter

Speed Control And Bit Setup

Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router

Bosch PR20EVS variable-speed dial; 16,000–35,000 rpm.[1]

Makita 3709 Laminate Trimmer

Makita 3709 listed at 30,000 rpm; the cited manual gives 30,000 rpm no-load and describes an on/off switch.[5, 3]

What this changes: The Bosch is the documented option when an adjustable speed dial is a purchase requirement; verify the 3709's current instructions if variable speed is essential. No cutting result is inferred.[1, 5, 3]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Guide Bushing Accessory Fit

Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router

Bosch lists the PR001 fixed base as included and identifies PR110 as a separate subbase for common threaded guides; those guides are not included with PR110.[1, 2]

Makita 3709 Laminate Trimmer

The WOOD chart marks the 3709 with a proprietary one-piece guide; the exact current seller package is not established by that older chart. The exact 3709 manual describes installing a templet guide.[4, 5, 3]

What this changes: Choose according to the template-guide system already in use and confirm any accessories that must be purchased separately.[1, 2, 4, 5, 3]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Best for your routine

A buyer who needs to adjust router speed to the task and bit maker's instructions.

Best fit: Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Bosch documents a variable-speed dial and a 16,000–35,000-rpm range; the sources do not establish better cut results.

View Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router on AmazonPaid link

A buyer selecting a router around an existing template-guide system.

The better fit depends on your priorities

The Bosch PR110 route fits common threaded guides but adds a subbase and guides. The chart documents a different one-piece guide arrangement for the 3709; confirm that the current listing supplies the guide your template needs.

Value and trade-offs

One or both observed offers have eligibility conditions, so no unrestricted price difference is shown.

Compare current offers for the exact router and the additional guide components each setup requires. A higher offer is relevant only if its speed control or compatible guide workflow is useful to your projects.

No price-history window is available here, so this comparison does not recommend buying now or waiting.

Limitations

  • No hands-on or matched cutting test was performed; the listed speed figures and guide systems do not establish cut quality or speed in a particular material.
  • The WOOD chart is an older model comparison. Use its guide-system entry to identify the 3709's documented proprietary arrangement, then verify the exact current seller package before relying on included accessories.
  • The Makita 3709 manual linked here is hosted on Makita's Mexico site and notes that specifications may differ by country. It is used for the exact 3709 guide-installation workflow, not as proof of the U.S. package or electrical specifications.

Questions shoppers ask

Does the Bosch PR20EVS include the threaded template-guide subbase?

Bosch lists the PR001 fixed base in the PR20EVS package. The PR110 subbase is a separate accessory for common threaded template guides, and Bosch says the guides themselves are not included with PR110.

Can I use standard two-piece guide bushings on the Makita 3709?

The cited trim-router chart marks the 3709 with a proprietary one-piece guide rather than a standard two-piece opening. Check the guide and package listing for the exact 3709 you plan to buy before relying on compatibility.

Methodology and sources

The comparison focuses on the published speed controls and the template-guide systems documented for these exact router models. It does not rank cutting performance.

Automated research assistance helped locate and organize the sources; the linked manufacturer pages and model-specific documents were checked for the facts cited here.

View 5 sources
  1. 1.Colt Electronic Variable-Speed Palm Router PR20EVSBosch Tools U.S. · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-22 12:49 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product specifications: Variable speed and no-load RPM; Includes; Works With: Bosch identifies the exact PR20EVS, a variable-speed dial with 16,000–35,000 rpm, the included PR001 fixed base, and PR110/PR009 compatible subbases.
  2. 2.PR110 Subbase for Threaded Template GuidesBosch Tools U.S. · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-22 12:49 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product highlights and further information: Bosch says PR110 works with the PR20EVS/PR001 for common threaded template guides; the guides are not included and mounting screws are included.
  3. 3.Instruction Manual: Trimmer 3709Makita · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-22 12:49 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • English original instructions, PDF pages 2 and 5–6: model/speed and templet guide; manual notes specifications may differ by country: The manual identifies model 3709, gives a 30,000-rpm no-load speed, describes its on/off switch and templet-guide installation. It cautions that specifications may differ by country, so it is used only for the model's guide workflow, not U.S. package or electrical facts.
  4. 4.Trim RoutersWOOD Magazine · Independent testing · Source checked 2026-10-22 12:49 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Sections ‘Speed ranges’ and ‘Guide bushings’; by Bob Hunter, page updated December 19, 2024: This bylined trim-router test guide discusses variable versus single-speed routers and template-guide compatibility as selection questions; its observations are not treated as a comparative cut-quality result for this pair.
  5. 5.Trim Router Comparison ChartWOOD Magazine · Independent testing · Source checked 2026-10-22 12:45 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • One-page chart: corded Bosch Colt PR20EVS and Makita 3709 rows; footnote (*) defines proprietary single-piece guide: The chart lists the Bosch at 16,000–35,000 rpm and Makita 3709 at 30,000 rpm. It marks the 3709 guide-bushing-ready with an asterisk whose legend describes a proprietary single-piece guide rather than a standard two-piece opening. It is older and does not verify today's seller kit.