Oscillating Multi-tools: What do you have? What's good? What's bad?

[Charles Wiggins]

Question: Which oscillating multi-tool(s) do you have and what do you like and not like about it?

Background:
I am looking to replace an older Fein Multimaster with the hex key post to hold the blades. I keep having to buy replacement posts because the hex hole wears out, and even when the post is new it takes a lot of force to hold the blades in place and my wife just can't do it.

We're using the multi-tool a lot right now doing renovations, but when we're done with that it will sit for months, so I don't want to spend a mint on it, but I need something relatively reliable.

I bought the new Bauer from HF to get us by. I liked it, generally - reasonably powerful, tool-less blade change, soft start, 6-speed, but right out of the box it had a problem. After the first few seconds it would stop oscillating. Something in the drive mechanism, I guess. We got a replacement, but while I was doing that a bystander said that he was on his second one. The cutter would just flop around loosely like the drive was completely broken. I have a little under 90 days to return it.

So, I started my research, and after watching the only real head-to-head test and review that I could find on YouTube (which is two years old) (https://youtu.be/O4BYomqusxk), I thought I wanted the Dremel MM45. Then I learned that the attachment mount only works with Dremel and Imperial One-Fit. Other aftermarket blades don't work because the head on the mounting post is too small.

For what we do and no more than we use it, those two blade brands are expensive, and I live in a tool desert. We have a HF, and a poorly stocked sLowe's, so having a tool with limited attachment options isn't good. Right now they have very little select in Dremel brand and no one around here has Imperial.

So, I am looking for a reasonably reliable brand with easy, tool-less attachment change, that will accept most aftermarket attachments, and inexpensive as possible.

[Paul F Franklin]

I had an early model of the Fein....it always seemed underpowered to me and eventually the little fork that creates the oscillating motion broke, and Fein wanted 90$ for the tiny piece.
So I bought the dewalt cordless and love it. It gets intermittent use on various home improvement projects, but it works better than the fein ever did, and cordless is ideal for a tool that often gets used in odd places for odd jobs.

[Jim Becker]

I bought the Ridgid last year, ostensible for a one-time home improvement use. I pull it out every once in awhile for that same kind of activity and the tool, for the price and the lifetime warranty is just fine. I grab the cutters from Harbor Freight. :)

[Mike Henderson]

I purchased the DeWalt cordless. My other tools are cordless so when I went to purchase the multi-tool I went DeWalt to share the batteries.

Having it cordless is nice. I had a corded one previously.

The DeWalt is tool-less blade changes but you have to get the blades with the open end. It came with an adapter to use the blades that are not open ended. If I remember correctly you have to use a tool to use those blades.

Mike

[Mark Bolton]

They are a lame tool that is too often being used for a precision tool, I dont really know how there would be a need to shop for one unless you had a need for a specific task. I never thought I would own one in a million years and trying to hit free shipping on an order I pulled the pin on a Makita LXT cordless version. I cant count the times its bailed me out. That said, I see people cutting miters, holes (circles), and using them on a daily basis like its a precision tool. They do nothing well other than chop something off, a bit of scraping, great at grout removal, but they pretty much fall short on anything else. Speed=terrible, quality of cut=horrendous, blade cost=mortifying, right on down the line.

Id say just pick whatever you have reasonable availability to. The "for as much as we use them" to me would mean stick to a cordless or corded format of a tool brand your happy with. Sorting out the best of the best would seem to suit someone who uses one for hours a day. I feel for that individual.

[Jon Endres]

I have the Ryobi multi-tool, which also uses the Ridgid heads. I get blades from everywhere - Home Depot, Harbor Freight, eBay, Amazon, search and ye shall find. I don't use it a lot but it works great when I do. I'm currently using it to install flush-mount electrical receptacles in my living room floor. Makes the rectangular cutout very easy to do.

[Frank Pratt]

There are not many times there isn't a better tool to do the job, but when you need it, it's a life saver. I bought a Fein Multimaster several years ago that has the starloc post & it is a very good tool. So smooth & reasonably powerful. I haven't had to use it much but I have given it a real workout on several occasions. It doesn't get overly hot in the hand like I've heard some do.

[Marc Fenneuff]

I have a corded Rockwell and find a use for it on quite a few projects. I wouldn't want to go without one; they're so easy to whip out when cutting or notching things in awkward places.

[Bernie Kopfer]

For as often as I use it around the house the HF one is fine and actually quite compact b

[Bert McMahan]

I have the Rockwell one and it works well. It vibrates a decent amount but I don't use it for hours a day. It's *fantastic* at cutting drywall. It also saved my bacon when I had the head of a screw round off in some subfloor. One of the wood/metal cutting combo blades cut the screw and wood out in a few minutes.

Note that Milwaukee's cordless lines differ in a few features (if you decide to go that way). Some have hex screws to change the blade and some are toolless.

[kent wardecke]

It's my favorite tool to hate. It's loud it cuts horribly and it burns through blades. I went through 2 HF cutters the motor on one and the mounting head on the other. I got a cordless Dewalt to go with my other cordless tools. It's head and shoulders above the HF

[Terry Therneau]

I have the Fein. No complaints at all.

[Jack Lilley]

I have an 18 volt Makita, it gets used allot. It has tool-less blade change, has worked well for 4 years now of heavy use and no problems of any kind.

[Paul F Franklin]

One lesson I have learned: The blades heat quickly because they don't clear the sawdust well, they just move it back and forth. Using the coarsest blades you can helps, as does backing the blade out often. I only use the fine blades when I know I am cutting nails. Holding a vacuum hose close helps a lot too. Not forcing the cut, but being patient and letting the blade cut slowly minimizes heat build up. I usually run the blade near the slow end of the speed range to avoid heating it quickly.

[Lee Schierer]

I have the Bosch and I love it. I've had zero problems with it and it accepts a lot of different brand blades. It has plenty of power and variable speed.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I've had Fein Milwaukee and Ridgid. All worked equally well.

[Bob Cooper]

Just bought the dewalt cordless. Really like it

[Mike Kees]

I have a Dewalt corded one that I picked up in a pawnshop in as new condition. My experience is completely the opposite of Mark Bolton's post. I constantly use this tool for fine finish cuts doing high end finish work and cabinets. I find it extremely accurate .It also gets used to cut all kinds of stuff in tight spots in renovation work etc.

[Joe Jensen]

I have a Festool. Agree on not needing for the shop, but for remodeling and install it's been fantastic. Love the tool-less change...joe

[Warren Lake]

Fein, Lamello etc. Id rather stick with people who invented stuff than people who knock them off.

Needed on a roof and facia rebuild to cut stuff hard to get at. Forget I have it in the shop and so far havent needed it, always a number of ways to do things in a shop.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

After to struggle with myself for years I got Makita multitool. It is a brave little tool, not so much used but afforded some abuse and long continuous use.

It isn't tool less but it is fast and simple to change blades and I never needed a lot of changes for any job so it isn't a nuisance.

Recommended.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

We've had pretty much all of them at various times within the company. We're carpenters, lots of remodeling, and they get heavy use. Some don't last long (craftsman, HF, porter cable), some are clumsy to use (milwaukee), and two are very good (makita and dewalt cordless). We all like the cordless for obvious reasons, and the Makita and Dewalt both have good variable speed triggers and are well balanced. Dewalt is better than the Makita because the blade change is better and the batteries are superior. For us, everyone has switched or is waiting for theirs to die to upgrade to the Dewalt cordless.

Some blades are better than others, we exclusively use Imperial. They are cheaper and last longer than the others locally available (tool brands generally). As one of the posters said, let the dust get out of the cut and they last a long time.

As a sidebar, I thought I'd never use one of the stupid things for anything serious, until I had a good oscillator around. Sure is a heck of a lot safer than some of the ridiculous stunts I used to do with a utility knife.

[Alan Lightstone]

I have the Fein. No complaints at all.

+1, but I use it once in a blue moon.

[John Powers]

Got the Bosch corded. No complaints. I’m heavily invested in hitachi batteries so I’m looking at the Metabo. Feels big in the hand but still tempting. Sometimes it’s the only tool for some jobs.

[Patrick Fleuret]

I have the Bosch corded. Really like the no-tool blade change. Never any issues and lots of blades available.

[Jack Frederick]

I’ve had the Fein for quite a long time. I call it the “tool I can’t afford to use” due to blade cost. I am buying HF blades for it now. It has been excellent and I have done some close exposed work with it that turned out well. When we rebuilt the house my GC had the HF. I used it regularly. When one craps out he spends short money on another. If my fine craps out, I’ll go HF or possible Milwaukee cordless.

[Michael J Evans]

Another vote for the DeWalt cordless, it's the only one I've had but blade change is super easy, variable speed trigger is nice and overall it seems like a well built tool.

[Richard Mellor]

I use mine on a regular basis installing cabinets for a living. I have 2 Feins, a cordless Bosch, and now a cordless festool. Yes the festool is ridiculously expensive but I wouldn't think twice about having to buy it again. Its a joy to use, powerful, handles well and most importantly very much quieter than the others, a real bonus when using it in peoples homes.

[John Goodin]

You might ought to look at HF and your Lowe’s for the type of attachments they stock and work back from there. It is not a tool that you plan on using so much as to solve a unexpected problem you come across. Having to wait for Amazon to ship the right attachment to fit your tool would be frustrating.

[Ken Kortge]

Consider if the model you buy will take common blades. I a the corded Bosch, but in hind sight I think I should have purchased a cordless version (I'm pretty much locked into the Bosch cordless world).

If it helps, here is some information I found online about the STARLOCK system of blades. I gather that the system was developed by Fein & Bosch.

The Starlock mounting system will come out in three variations for reasons of backwards compatibility:

STARLOCK - fits a majority of the corded or cordless oscillating multi-tools on the market (including the Bosch MX30E multi-tool or any Bosch OIS-compatible tools). Fit ALL multi-cutters. This includes Bosch, Fein, Makita, Metabo, Hitachi, Milwaukee, AEG, Einhell, Ryobi and Skil. DeWalt multi-tools require an adapter. (OIS = Oscillating Interface System)

STARLOCK PLUS - fits the Fein MultiMaster FMM 350 Q. Fit ALL Fein multi-cutters, ALL new Bosch Starlock multi-tools and some old Bosch oscillating tools with OIS interface. This includes the Bosch GOP 280 CE SL, GOP 300, GOP 250, GOP 350 CES, GOP 350 CE SL, PMF 350 CES, and GOP 18 V-LI SL. Other brands require an adapter. GOP 280 CE SL

STARLOCK MAX - reserved for heavy duty tools and accessories. Fit ALL new Bosch Starlock Max multi-cutters and ALL new Fein Starlock Max multi-tools. Other brands require an adapter.

All three are trademarked by Fein.

Noticeably absent are any solutions that will work with tools requiring a slotted accessory, such as the Dremel Multi-Max, Porter-Cable PC250MTK, or DeWalt’s newest oscillating multi-tool.

[Randall J Cox]

I've had a corded Bosch for years, works great, no issues at all... Randy

[Tom M King]

Tailed Makita here. No complaints, and it's seen some Dirty abuse, but never falters.

[Charles P. Wright]

I've got a Fein, but pre Starlock; so I can grab other blades at home depot or wherever in a pinch and am not limited to only Starlock blades. I have no big complaints, but there are times I would like a cordless instead and if it is for occasional use if you are already bought into a battery platform that might be a reasonable decider.

[Nathan Johnson]

I have a corded Dremel. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've used it, but I actually broke it out last night.
I was cutting openings in cheap Sterilite plastic tubs to use as litter boxes for the cats. It was awful.

I got it as a gift. I'd consider other brands if purchasing myself.

[mike stenson]

I also have a Fein, I don't use it often but when I need it.. it's really worth having.

[Mel Fulks]

I had to replace a window sill and the 2 vertical pieces of brick mould were rotted. Went to Harbour Freight, wanted to
oscillate ,...NOT vacillate, and they were able to facilitate . Now my mould ....is not moldy, but supported with beautiful mini mahogany plinth blocks. Unlike the rental
places....HF gives you ALL of needed pieces ,so you don't waste gasoline. Might try the thing on my toe nails.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I’ve had the Fein for quite a long time. I call it the “tool I can’t afford to use” due to blade cost. I am buying HF blades for it now. It has been excellent and I have done some close exposed work with it that turned out well. When we rebuilt the house my GC had the HF. I used it regularly. When one craps out he spends short money on another. If my fine craps out, I’ll go HF or possible Milwaukee cordless.

The Milwaukee cordless is unfortunately not much good. Won't stand up on the battery because its mounted on a slant for some reason, the switch us not user friendly and the blade change is awkward. Do yourself a favor and try the Dewalt.

[Phillip Mitchell]

I have a corded Fein 350 with the Starlock plus blades. Quick, tool less blade changes. I’ve used HF, Dremel, couple Rockwells, 18V Makita and my Fein is my favorite by a long shot. Only thing that would improve it is if it had no tail, but I didn’t really like the price of the cordless Fein. I’m a professional and have several 18V Makita tools and chose not to buy the 18V Makita after having used one for a few years that belonged to a coworker because it’s very heavy and long with a battery. The balance is way off.

One thing that took me a while to realize is that you really have to keep the blade moving back and forth or in some way to help encourage the dust to come out of the cut. The design of the blade and the way it moves does not lend itself to this so it will overheat blades so fast if you aren’t active about this. Another thing I’ve also found is to change around the orientation of the blade closer to 90 degrees to the handle for certain types of cuts where you need more control. For precision plunge cutting, using a guide block / “paring” block really helps and can make all the difference.

I wouldn’t be without a nice one, but only because I use it fairly often in carpentry work to make my living when working on job sites.

Imperial blades in large pack sizes are the blades to buy if you’re trying to be cost efficient.

[Frank Washer]

I have the dewalt & m12 milwaukee, both great but I always go for the smaller m12, light & agile.

[kent wardecke]

I noticed 2 members recommended imperial blades as an economical choice
At $7-10 each they are 5x no name blades. Are they that much better? Do they last long enough to be worth the extra $$$

[Bert McMahan]

The Milwaukee cordless is unfortunately not much good. Won't stand up on the battery because its mounted on a slant for some reason, the switch us not user friendly and the blade change is awkward. Do yourself a favor and try the Dewalt.

Are you talking about the M12, M12 Fuel, or M18? The M12 and M18 don't look great but the M12 Fuel looks like it solves a lot of problems. It's not going to be as powerful as an 18/20V version but it might be OK for less frequent use.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Are you talking about the M12, M12 Fuel, or M18? The M12 and M18 don't look great but the M12 Fuel looks like it solves a lot of problems. It's not going to be as powerful as an 18/20V version but it might be OK for less frequent use.

The M18 is the one we have around that no one here likes.
https://www.cpomilwaukee.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-cpo-master-catalog/default/dw39f2f408/product_media/mil/miln2626-20/images/medium/miln2626-20_a.jpg
This Dewalt is unanimously the best we've ever used, as per the 7 of us active carpenters in my biz.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61kkjPKftJL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[Nathan Johnson]

I had to replace a window sill and the 2 vertical pieces of brick mould were rotted. Went to Harbour Freight, wanted to
oscillate ,...NOT vacillate, and they were able to facilitate . Now my mould ....is not moldy, but supported with beautiful mini mahogany plinth blocks. Unlike the rental
places....HF gives you ALL of needed pieces ,so you don't waste gasoline. Might try the thing on my toe nails.

Oh man, I was really digging your post until the end there.
2/10. Would not read again.

[Jim Becker]

I had to replace a window sill and the 2 vertical pieces of brick mould were rotted. Went to Harbour Freight, wanted to
oscillate ,...NOT vacillate, and they were able to facilitate . Now my mould ....is not moldy, but supported with beautiful mini mahogany plinth blocks. Unlike the rental
places....HF gives you ALL of needed pieces ,so you don't waste gasoline. Might try the thing on my toe nails.

https://sgepwq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4mybTci9KE1XVU6zXuO1TAQtTSOp0F4TQqf06k4jbzEs9CdVQ V5pWN0ukS_n-wjIGBl-YG5nNhC0I6-nLl4Ea1DISKvldjmWaF78vHW35fU1z_LijAeM0LYrV2XFYex5r YhXObOakTEn1MbXbuc1LudHyfT3EinkvRNNcCOB11gxOWc3EsV NKNrFoXXtdAZIcpbfw9zsWgkXNtyQ1gMWgqyQ?width=300&height=279&cropmode=none

[Ole Anderson]

I have the Dremel MM20. it works fine for me. "Hand me the buzz saw". More useful for carpentry and drywall than woodworking.

[Dave Sabo]

I noticed 2 members recommended imperial blades as an economical choice
At $7-10 each they are 5x no name blades. Are they that much better? Do they last long enough to be worth the extra $$$

I’ve tried them all at some point and have found that Bosch’s blades currently offer the best value for price / cut / longevity.

[Paul F Franklin]

I noticed 2 members recommended imperial blades as an economical choice
At $7-10 each they are 5x no name blades. Are they that much better? Do they last long enough to be worth the extra $$$

I use the imperial blades; they are a little cheaper if you buy the multi-packs. I did buy a pack of no-names from the big A just to try. I doubt the imperials are 5x life if you are just cutting softwood. In harder or more abrasive materials, like MDF or drywall, the difference is more noticeable. As I mentioned earlier, the best thing you can do to extend life is to get the dust out of the cut and not let the blades get too hot. I was cutting some rectangular floor register openings out of some new flooring today, and I alternated between two blades. When one got hot, I swapped for the other. That worked pretty well. On the dewalt it takes a second or two to swap blades, so no real penalty for doing that. I could have used a different tool, but wanted to avoid generating a cloud of dust in a finished space, so the multi-tool got the nod.

[Jack Frederick]

Thanks for that, Steve. I mentioned Milwaukee as the alternate as I have pretty much gone m12 & 18 on my cordless tools. Once I said that I figured I'd go check it out and the reviews on that tool are abysmal. Hopefully the Fein will last.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks for that, Steve. I mentioned Milwaukee as the alternate as I have pretty much gone m12 & 18 on my cordless tools. Once I said that I figured I'd go check it out and the reviews on that tool are abysmal. Hopefully the Fein will last.

I'm surprised that Milwaukee hasn't updated this. They are pretty good at updating tools as needed, I think this one needs it.