multi tools

[fred henkin]

I have just started looking at multi tools. I have a project coming up where one would come in handy. I'll need to remove some tiles from a wall and will have to cut out some small sections of woodwork along the floor. May question is are the lower end brands (dremel, Harbor Frieght, Rockwell) total junk and should I just bite the bullet and get the Fein? I see this tool getting occassional use as I am a hobby woodworker and do some fixup around the house. Let me know your thoughts and experience.

Thanks

[Mike Henderson]

No, they're not junk. I've used the Dremel and now own a Harbor Freight. Both work well. The HF was on sale and I think it was $29.95. While the tool is very good for certain applications, it's not a tool most people will use every day.

If you use them hard, they get hot. A friend who owns a Fein told me his gets hot also.

Mike

[Jerome Hanby]

HF works fine (no pun intended). I bought the replacement warranty on the first one, then ended up buying a second one to get one of the blades (they were having a tent sale and all the blades were cleaned out). I figure now if I have to use the warranty, I have a spare...

[Keith Outten]

FWIW the blades made by Bosch with fit the Dremel multi-tools.
.

[Joe Scharle]

I have the Fein, and have used it for over 2 hours continously in 2 X 12s and it didn't get hot or overly warm. Also, the Sears tool blades fit. But I have friends who have and use the HF and are quite happy with them.

[Stephen Edwards]

I have the first, cheaper, HF version. I've used it only a few times, cutting into wood and removing old tiles. For my occasional use I think it will serve my purposes well. It seems to be regarded as one of the HF gems, though I don't think that it's been around long enough to know how it'll hold up long term. With a coupon you can pick one up for 30-35 bucks.

[Kev Godwin]

I now have over 25 hours of actual run time on my HF multi-tool without any problems at all. About 5 or 6 months ago I wrote a simple review of the original HF multi and it has well exceeded my earlier expectations.

A search of that post will find that thread as well as many others giving their results as well.
Kev

[Rick Fisher]

We sell the Rockwell at work.. Sell a bunch of them. I dont own one, or any multi tool..

I dont think most of them get used that much.. We have never gotten one back, or had any complaints..

[Myk Rian]

I also have the HF. Blades are low cost, and wear pretty well unless you cut steel screws with the saws. Tool works real well. For $30 it's a good tool.

[Mark P. Miller]

Another tentative +1 for the HF. I haven't used mine a lot, but it's easily done the job when I've pulled it out.

It does seem to get pretty hot when used for an extended time though...

[Steve Rozmiarek]

What are you guys using these things for? I'm having trouble seeing the need.

[Mike Henderson]

I suppose there's a number of uses, but I've used mine when I wanted to cut something off flush. For example, a friend of mine had a built in cabinet and he wanted to remove one permanent shelf. I used the multitool to cut the shelf out flush with the sides of the cabinet. If I had tried to pull it out, I probably would have broken the wood it fit into and I would have had to fill the dado anyway.

I don't know what other tool I could have used for that.

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

I have the Rockwell and use the Fein at work. The Rockwell is not junk, in fact its pretty close competition for the Fein. I've used it to under cut door jambs and casings for flooring and tile work, to scrape up small sections of linoleum, and to make some odd plunge cuts in trim. Its a handy tool for these things, and few other tools will do just what an oscillating tool can. If you need to remove large sections of tile most rental centers have a pneumatic oscilating tool that is purpose made and works better. It looks like an ice breaker on a stick.

I think the Fein is still a better unit, and if I were making my living with it I would probably buy the Fein, but for occasional use, the Rockwell is great and the blades are much cheaper. Do take a look at the blades when considering cost, because Fein holds you over a barrel in that respect.

As a detail sander, they pretty much all suck IMO. Maybe if you want to grind off crusty old paint or brush rust off of outdoor objects. but they have virtually no place in fine wood working that I have found.

[Joe Scharle]

What are you guys using these things for? I'm having trouble seeing the need.

I bought mine to cut out rotted 2 X 12s so I could sister in replacements. Then I had an 'oooops" moment with a cabinet and I use the scraper for squeeze out cleanup. Works cleaner than a chisel and about as fast as I can push it along. I recently bought the sanding pad (round), because my Rotex is a little heavy for an overhead (one handed only) job. That worked great as well. I was causing the triangle to dig in.

[Brian Loucks]

I have the fein. Use it more than I originally thought I would. Works great to sand flush pocket hole plugs that are in tight, but semi-exposed spots.
I was wondering if any other brand blades fit. Thanks for the Sears tip. I learned the expensive way - One hour, 2 beat up blades and 100 dollars later -don't loan it out.

[Matt Lau]

IMHO, Dremels are junk.
Plastic bearings, not enough torque, wobbles all over the place.

Surprisingly, the knockoff dremels are supposed to be better (metal bearings).
If you have the money, I'd suggest a foredom knock off instead.

[gary butcher]

there's a nice intermediary tool, above the Dremels etc. but lower duty/price than the Fein. The Proxxon

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:IXiArgZ_o-UJ:www.pro-polishing-tools.com/38520.pdf+Detail+Sander+OZI+115/E&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbQ1LbXkp9iCeOiviIO4pJYx26pP7g