I was recently asked for an oscillating tool recommendation. More specifically, I was asked about who makes a good MultiMaster, aside from Fein.
Why not Fein? Because of price.
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Yes, a full Fein MultiMaster kit, with lots of accessories and a hard case, can set you back more than $300. But their START level sets, which come with the same MultiMaster tool but a smaller complement of accessories, can be had for around $200.
I just checked, and you can get Fein’s latest and greatest MultiMaster for just $160!
Buy Now(Sale MultiMaster via Amazon)
That’s an almost unbelievably low price. I bought my Fein 250Q MultiMaster for $170, and that was during a past winter holiday shopping season Lighting Deal.
I’m guessing that the newer 350Q is currently being discounted because retailers are expected newer Starlock-compatible models. The new Starlock version, 350QSL, is available for preorder at the expected price of $199 for a basic accessory START set.
Buy Now(Starlock MultiMaster via Amazon)
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For of the sake of this discussion, let’s pretend that I don’t think the MultiMaster – the one that’s currently on sale for $160 – wasn’t the best oscillating multi-tool right now. Let’s take a look at some of the other options.
Rockwell just came out with their F80 DuoTech Sonicrafter, which has 2 oscillating angles – one for better control, the other for more aggressive cuts and faster performance.
I had always considered Rockwell to be more of a DIYer brand, but a contractor I trust has 3 Sonicrafters and holds them to great praise. I’m sure he’s not the only contractor putting Rockwell Sonicrafters to use on a daily or regular basis.
Price: $159
The new Dremel Velocity has some unique features, but I’m not sure it’s up to the rigors of professional use, based solely on the brand’s focus on the DIYer and homeowner market. I haven’t used it yet.
Still, its high power motor and control foot make it at least worthy of consideration.
It’s priced pretty high, though.
Price: $180
The Bosch MX25EC-21 kit has been around for a while, but it’s a decent tool. It lacks tool-free blade change, which you only get when stepping up to the higher priced MX30 model.
The price for this kit is $140 on Amazon, and it’s eligible for Amazon’s $20 off $100+ Father’s Day promotion.
I’d rather pay more for tool-free blade change, but $120 after discount is a hard price to ignore for a pro brand’s multi-tool.
Price: $120 after discount
Dewalt’s oscillating multi-tool isn’t my favorite, but it’s also a very good model. It has a tool-free blade change mechanism, if you use Dewalt or Rockwell blades, and can work with other brands’ accessories as well if you’re willing to use an Allen wrench.
The price has dropped in recent years, to $139. Take Amazon’s $20 off $100+ Father’s Day promo, and the price drops to $119 on Amazon. That’s a very good price!
Price: $119 after discount
Makita came out with oscillating tools a while back, and I am surprised now to find that they updated their corded model a few years ago. I must have missed that, but I did report when a similar tool-free blade change update came to their cordless model.
You can now buy the TM3010CX1 for $159 on Amazon.
Your Recommendations?
I’m a little out of touch with what professionals want in an oscillating multi-tool these days.
I’d think it would be good power, great control, low vibration, tool-free blade change (this is a big one), and special features, such as depth control accessories.
I presume that’s still true.
But I’ve been repeatedly surprised at the oscillating multi-tools that contractors and remodelers choose and prefer to use.
I would have thought that Fein and Bosch would dominate, and definitely Dewalt as well, and possibly brands such as Makita and Ridgid. Rockwell puts themselves out there, but I’m surprised (but not disappointed) to see their tools embraced by some pros.
Which oscillating tool would you recommend for-pro-use and high bang-for-the-buck?
Jacob Edmond
I have a sonicrafter that I bought on sale at Lowe’s about a year ago and I don’t have any complaints so far. I bought it for remodeling work at home, so I am by no means a full time professional using it really heavily, but it has a pretty easy tool change system, a nice hard plastic case, and overall built well.
Nathan
I have a dewalt thanks to this website and I do like it quite a lot.
it does fit the hand well it has plenty of power – and Mine is the cordless one that was on super sale with the extra blades. FYI Lowes is selling the corded model right now for 129 – which isn’t bad.
The blade exchange is great and there are a few people that make blades that will work with it as is.
the extra guide piece that they include works well and it a nice touch. I mean yes there are easy enough to guide – but why not have a little extra help.
SO I’d also like to plug for the Porter Cable device – I forget the model number but they have a corded model that is almost exactly like the dewalt but has a more traditional speed wheel and on/off switch. So if you don’t like the dewalt method there is that model as well.
Using it I have to say I think dewalt has a good idea – most of the time when you use a OMT you’re going to run it at or near full – or it seems I do.
Mr. Creek
Great research, great post. Humble suggestion, you should put the link to the OMT metal cutting blades test you did about a year back.
Brian
My opinion: If you’re a professional, just buy the high quality tool. In this case you’d probably want a corded and a cordless so I’d say to buy a Fein corded and get the cordless in the brand you have your money already invested. If you buy anything cheaper than that, you’re going to end up replacing it and wasting money…and when it fails you’re going to lose time.
garrick
For professional use, I like the idea of a corded, as well as a cordless tool for almost all types of tools. Typically I will use the cordless one, and if it isn’t powerful enough, or it breaks, or my wife forgets to charge the batteries (just kidding), I know I always have a backup.
Sometimes, I’ll buy a lower brand as the backup(s), if there is little chance I will need it much.
Susano
The dewalt version looks VERY similar to the PC version.
Jonathan
Over the close to 20 year’s we’ve owned our home and all the repairs and remodeling . Two tools that are indispensable~ my DeWalt cordless impact and OMT.
My first was a HF el cheapo version till I found that It incredibly useful. This I soon replaced with a recondition cordless Rigid with VST and led work light. The Variable speed trigger makes delicate area work a joy, where you can start slow and increase blade speed on the fly, while dial speed units are an improvement over the single speed on/off, the VST is far more versatile. Last week My OMT saved my sanity when replacing sprinkler irrigation valves for a client, when the in the ground 25 year old class 200 1″ pvc shattered everytime I tired trying to cut it with my DeWalt Sawzall, PVC ratcheting cutter (even with a brand new blade) and I didn’t have space for a hacksaw , and to have leakfree union when repairing PVC you really need clean 90° cuts esp on lines that remain under constant pressure, i.e before the valves.
Alan
Fein is the way to go, at least in a cord model. Pick your poison on whatever cordless fits your system. I’ve been using a Fein OMT for at least 13 years. Tool fee blade change is nice, but by no means necessary unless you’re burning up blades back to back. I work in composites, and believe me when I say I’ve seen the Fein tools abused.
Adrian
My harbor freight model is loud but very reliable and worms great. One of the few tools that works super
Jon
I have used quite a few different models over the past 4 or 5 years. A guy I worked with had his Rockwell on a jobsite one day and it was the first I had seen with tool-less blade change. That was nice.
My dad bought the Harbor Freight for the drywall repair jobs he does. That was the first one of any I’d ever used. It was eye-opening, but it’s obviously built very cheaply.
I bought the Ryobi with the interchangeable heads when I just needed a basic corner sander. Since then I’ve used it for many things and it has worked quite well for most. See exception below.
My brother has the Milwaukee M18, and that thing is A DREAM. Power switch and speed dial instead of a paddle. Tons of power. Tool-less blade change. Great grip. My only complaint is the stupid battery angle so you can’t stand it on-end. Guess what, Milwaukee: Sometimes we don’t want to rest our tools on their sharp blade ends, both to protect the tool and the surfaces we’re working on! Major flaw in an otherwise incredible design.
My brothers and I build my mother a new kitchen this year. Like a new kitchen in what was the family room, to replace the galley kitchen. She went with strand bamboo flooring. I hate that stuff. She picked up some beautiful flush-mount heat registers/covers in the same bamboo. Beautiful design, but poor implementation, as they weren’t quite square (and each corner had a slightly different angle). That and the fact that no matter how we laid the flooring they would always span at least 2 boards, so it did not make sense to cut the holes for them before installing the flooring. Instead I marked the boards carefully as we installed them, then I went back after the adhesive cured and I cut the registers out with the oscillating tools. Yes, all of them.
That bamboo sucks. It is more resin (basically epoxy) than bamboo, and it is murder on tools. I was aiming for a perfect press-fit, but it’s such a pain to cut that it was hard to maintain the precision I have in regular woodworking. Each register took two blades. And my Ryobi was USELESS. It has enough power, but it has an interchangeable head so you can swap it out for a right-angle drill or impact or whatever. As a result, with this super-hard flooring, adhered everywhere except the vent opening locations, it resonated and flexed at that head connection. It barely scratched the flooring.
So I switched to my dad’s Harbor Freight. No flex problem there, but it still vibrated pretty badly, and there is no speed control. Very difficult to get an accurate cut.
So I borrowed my brother’s M18 and finished with that. It worked great. But again, due to the challenges of the material, I overcut a couple of corners slightly. The dual-angle design of the Rockwell would have helped tremendously here.
I’m not going to get rid of my Ryobi because it’s great for occasional door jamb undercuts or drywall patch work and so forth. But if I were to buy another it would probably be the Rockwell. After this recent flooring experience I am convinced that the dual-angle design is far more usable feature than gimmick.
Incidentally I did try first to do it with all hand tools, including “scary sharp” chisels. It was laughably slow. It would have taken 20-30 man hours that way. I just don’t have time for that. They were priceless, though, for trimming the power saw cuts to get the kind of fit I was looking for. The end result looks good. 🙂
Jerry
I’ve got the Porter Cab!e corded version and my only gripe would be that only certain blades will fit, but aftermarket ones are getting easier and easier to find (same blade interface as DeWalt). The design requires only 2-3 seconds to replace or re position the blade. Right now you can buy it on Amazon for $90 in a soft case with a few accessories, or in a hard case with more accessories plus a depth guage for $104. However, if I were buying one today, I’d probably get the Fien, considering the price drop. When I got mine I think the kit was phishing $300.
Jerry
The Fein was pushing $300 so I got the PC at $130
Nathan
On the blade thing – The dewalt, and rockwell blades happen to work. Rockwell is a SBD company too aren’t they?
I’d almost swear I found a dremel blade that worked too.
Curious – does Irwin or Lennox make OMT blades. I’ve not looked in a while since a I have a large set of dewalts.
Oh another odd unpublished use for a OMT – pruning. Odd but I put a plunge cut wood blade on my OMT and used it the other day to cut a sapling out of a bush that the hedgecutter wouldn’t get through. Ordinarily I’d reach for a hand saw or even my recip – but the OMT was sitting on the worktable and it’s cordless. So I had to try it.
Chris
I got the Dewalt corded OMT for Xmas 2015, and I use it all the time. Mostly for sanding, but I do use it to cut occasionally. I like the use of the tool few mechanism, but if you hold it closer to the head your hand gets caught in it. The light is very bright on the front. Which is nice. I still reccomend it though, nice tool, feels super comfortable to use.
Hang Fire
What tool has the least vibration, and is least fatiguing to use?
jaytkif
Primarily a DIY user, but recently built a deck, garage, and re-framed my Dad’s basement. I have the Rockwell F50 Sonicrafter 4 AMP. Lots of power, good for what I need it for flush cutting wood, door jambs, cutting out hinges, detail sanding etc. It does get hot, but works when I need it. Can easily cut through wood, and used it to quickly flush cut fence boards on an air conditioner cover I made to match my fence. Got it for $99 Canadian, regular $179. So price was right. I have used both the Fein, and Dewalt corded models, and although they are a bit nicer, the Rockwell isn’t too far off. Also, it’s fast to change accessories, so it’s fast to use.
Justin KJ
I do mostly fit and handyman work for church and friends, but my omt has quickly become a favorite tool. On a whim I asked for a cheap Performax model for Christmas a couple years ago. Started to find uses for it everywhere, lent it to my friend and started to miss it, so I bought the Craftsman Nextec 12v one which I like very much, as it’s easy to move around and it’s cordless, at around $70 it’s about the cheapest cordless OMT around. My father has the Porter cable 20v which he bought as part of his major kitchen renovation, he’s been very happy with it, but I seem to remember it being oddly weighted, the blade changing was a breeze though.
I suppose if you’re a pro, just go with the battery system you’ve got.
antonio
See FESTOOL OS 400 VECTURO MULTIFUNCTIONAL TOOL SET.
Better choice.
Nobody put it on comparative tests!
Elbow Dropper
For six-hundo…