Oscillating Multi Tool?

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
I have a Fein corded multitool that I've had for several years and it has worked very reliably for wood and grout work. Bosch should also be a good choice -- be sure to check CPO for good prices.
WOW!
That is pretty CHEAP! (especially for a Bosch!
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
I've owned two HF's that only lasted a little over ten years in my repair business. Sorry things. Both suffered from brush spring failure. Replaced them with two more HF's. Son rescued a Fien from a dumpster and gave it to me several years back. Still haven't used it, as HF's did what I needed. Used the HF's week before last to cut some PVC pipe for installation of our new water softener. Buy my blades from Northern Tool, using a $5 off $15 coupon, which they send me every month.
 

mkepke

Mark
Senior User
Mike, I'm with PeteM and Bruce on this one. Go buy yourself a HF version and a carbide grout blade and go at it.

You could buy something more expensive, sure but they have proven to be durable little beasts. I was given a 12V PC multitool and it is a toy (woefully underpowered) compared to the HF.

I haven't used the "spider" blade, but I imagine my Sawzall would take my for a ride with that blade.

-Mark
 

Chris C

Chris
Senior User
I have the cordless brushless Dewalt. I bought it on sale last year at big blue box because I already had the same 20v drill and driver. $100 with a battery and charger....I thought that was a deal. You can never have too many batteries or chargers.

I have no complaints and I've used it more than I thought I ever would.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
I got a Harbor Freight thinking I wouldn't use it much. I used it more than I thought. It vibrated so strongly it made my hand numb. Noisy, too. Gave it away and bought a Fein. A world of difference in smoothness and noise level. Those are the only two I've had experience with. My wife has taken my Fein outside to cut up small roots sticking up. I'll hand re-sharpen the blades to a coarser tooth pattern. It works.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
what 3 tools and what failed?
Hammer drill, cordless impact driver and angle grinder. SCR in the Hammer drill physically broke. Terrible design as it was not secured. Gear box in the others. Where PC used to be a premier brand, I think they are now more like B&D or Ryobi.

Looking at replacing my corded Dremel, with a cordless Makita, but I'll be darned if I can make any sense of what blades it is compatible with. It comes with two adapter rings. I hate fiddley adapter rings. I would prefer one that can use StarLock. I am minimizing by battery and charger brands, so everything is migrating to Milwaulkee 12V and Makita 18 V.
 

jerrye

New User
Jerry
I've had several brands of saws. In my experience, as with many tools, your satisfaction will vary with the quality of blade used. Bosch and Dremel if bought at box store; Imperial or MultiFit if ordered online.
 

Ralrick

New User
Rick
Mike - Can't guarantee your experience will be similar, but I tried one of the curved grout removing blades on my Makita Oscillating tool to remove grout in a shower area. The grout lines are much thicker with 12x12 tiles than on a kitchen backsplash but I can tell you it would have take a year to remove the grout in the shower with that oscillating blade and I would have needed a new blade for each tile. An angle grinder with a thin multi-material blade is a much faster option. If possible, I'd try to borrow a tool to try it or at least make sure it is returnable to the store if it doesn't work :)
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
In objective testing. the Bosch blades do come out very well. I have some Dremel, and not as impressed. I wil check out Imperial and MultiFit.

An angle grinder can be much faster and dustier, but it can also slice through the tiles just as quick.

As far as speed, I think these carbide grit blades are for minor repair. Clearing out around a couple cracks or a new faucet. If the entire surface needs repair, tear it out and start over.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Multi-Fit WEB is the only source I found that has definitive listings of fit compatibility. Why companies can't get together on this? Even companies have changed over time.

One sawsall blade. Only two jig saw, and Bosch "T" pretty much won. A few diamond for 7 1/4, circ, but almost all round blades have standard arbor. (Except Festool of course) Chucks hold drill bits.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
This is the old countertop she wants to remove. She want to leave the vertical tiles standing at the back of the counter, not like a sink wall back splash. But, grouted tiles just the same.

What I'm afraid of is breaking or loosening the tiles when I pull out the countertop.

I will never match that odd color grout. So, Think making a clean cut between the top and the back will let me pull out the top without hurting the back. then i can slide the new wood top in under the backsplash tiles.

Now that I look closer it seems the line is very tight. Maybe no grout in there?




350EDA4B-B831-42B7-9CCA-97C7FB8EF4E2.jpeg
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Now that I look closer it seems the line is very tight. Maybe no grout in there?
Agreed Mike, it looks to me like there's no grout there. Likely a bead of clear caulk, that could (should?) be cut with a flexible longish knife blade.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Looks like it was just surface grout fillet. Run a this blade through there. That kind of joint should never be grout as it wil crack and leak. It should always be compliant. I can verify that as I have to fix that problem in my kitchen. Grout cracked. Water seeped in. Ants moved in. Did the ants in, dried it out, now have to seal it. Houses move. Just one more fun thing about an older work I did not do.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
Few years back I bought a HF for a one off job. Washer broke first time I used it. Vibrated like heck (maybe not good for your hand). But it was cheap and did the job.

Replaced it with a cordless Milwaukee - nice tool.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Bob, 12 or 18V? I was sort of thinking for the light things I do, the M12 might do the trick. Considering the Makita XMT03Z, but bigger and heavier.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I have 4 oscillating tools. A corded Fein, a corded HF, a cordless Ryobi, and a cordless 12V Milwaukee. The HF and cordless Ryobi are similar and not very useful unless you are cutting drywall or you have a lot of time. They work but slowly. The Milwaukee and Fein are also similar. I actually did a timed test cutting a small board and their times were near identical (and about half the time for the HF or Ryobi). Both also have similar tool less blade change systems and both take the same blades. Bosch and Fein use a special type blade, I think it is called star lock, that others do not use. My Fein is older so it uses the same type blades the other tools use. Star lock blades are backwards compatible but I do not think the newere Bosch and Fein tools can use the older blades. You may want to check to be sure that the Bosch you are considering does not lock you into these special blades only available from Fein and Bosch, I believe.

I highly recommend the cordless Milwaukee. There is an 18V model too that is similar. At least the 12V is similar to the Dremel in price, even if you need the battery and charger. Cordless oscillating tools are handier. I reach for the Milwaukee virtually every time I need a tool like this. Nothing wrong with the Fein but it is just handier to use a cordless that cuts just as fast. I like Fein and Bosch blades but I've been using Milwaukee's blades too and they work quite well. I think I may have also used a dremel blade and it worked fine. If you need to cut metal, the carbide blades last a LOT longer than the bimetallic, but they are more expensive too. Blades for cutting wood last longer and I don't think the brand matters as much. Not sure about grout blades.
 

DavidP

New User
David
31030567-7FBE-49DD-A4D3-C751236B2F38.jpeg9C6926BF-84CA-4D54-9CDD-94ED9E69F30A.jpegTo jump in with my own question, we replaced an over stove microwave with a nice ducted fan. The backsplash of subway tile only came up to the base on the microwave. We bought several months ago a stainless "Tree of life" design tile set to go in the middle over the stove. I need to cut the existing subway tile on the wall. I was going to research the best way to do this for the weekend. Don't have a multi tool, but figured it was the way to go. Thoughts?
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
OK Jim, now I am at a quandary. M12 Milwaukee which is lighter, smaller and probably much handier, ( I have M12 tools) or the 18V Makita. Bigger more powerful. ( I have batteries) . M12 Fuel is actually a little more expensive @ $150 vs $120 for the bigger Makita. Run time is not an issue, cutting performance, vibration and noise. In that order.

Three different starlock formats. The basic version I believe Makita can also use. If so, maybe the M12. The higher torque versions are Bosch and Fein only. At least as I can figure out.
 

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