Multitool advice

[Deaconspike]

Hi All,

Am thinking about purchasing a multitool to help with a few bits at home and want to make sure what I get is good quality and will last. I've looked at the Dewalt and also the Festool (which looks amazing, but is obviously top dollar). Anyone have any recommendations? Guess it will have pretty regular use.

Best,

Ed.

 

[Etaf]

just a diyer
But i have the dewalt cordless - excellent tool and has worked on lots of projects since 2018 ish
cutting plaster - wood - metal

are you on a battery platform at all already ???

purchased when on offer at crewfix i think with a tstak case and various tools
i purchase the replacement blades from saxtontools

 

[Deaconspike]

Thanks Wayne - that's great. Which model did you go for?

 

[porker]

I have three of these, the cheap green Bosch, a corded Fein and a cordless DeWalt. Which do I use most? The cordless DeWalt. The Fein is smoother and nicer to use, but the cordless is more convenient. The Bosch green has a fair bit of vibration but is still a very useful tool for DIY and was the first I bought. It's the tool that you wondered how you managed some jobs. Blades can be expensive but I buy in bulk when on offer and Saxton as mentioned above are a brand I use.

 

[Etaf]

DCS335 - was on offer around £110
not sure if i purchased from screwfix or FFX - but those where the places i purchased all my dewalt tools from, i have a large range now

its actually saxtonblades i buy blades from
https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/

just last year , i purchased some diamond blades for channelling, i had some already used - but the saxtonblades ones are so much better

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have the 18v Milwaukee Fuel, which is an awesome tool. Plus one for Saxton, I get recip, circular and jigsaw and multitool blades form them and find them difficult to fault. I have found better, but at two or three times the price.

 

[Agent_zed]

one of the funniest tool related things I've seen is an article interviewing Sarah Beanie (think it was in the telegraph magazine). They asked at the end what her most important thing to carry with her/in her handbag was. She said a 'Multitool'. The person (or intern) putting the article together just googled 'multitool' and picked a £60 bare bones erbauer one from screwfix with a link to buy it and a picture etc. I chuckle at the thought that someone might just buy one and be stuck wondering what they are going to do with a bladeless, batteryless oscillating multi tool in their handbag just because of the Sarah Beanie article, rather than a folding pliers/pocket knife multitool that was clearly the intended item.

 

[Wilson joinery]

I’d add avoid erbauer, I bought one and it’s poor.

 

[Etaf]

this is the kit i purchased
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-d...li-ion-xr-brushless-cordless-multi-tool/10048
as i say , it was on offer
the 2x 2ah are useful and light - i use on impact driver and combi drill as well - much easier and lighter

 

[Filament]

Just been researching exactly this.
From everything I’ve watched and read despite having Makita everything else I won’t be sticking with them this time
(Their multitools are either a) two models which are a little old school (no light etc.) or b) expensive and only using Starlock Max blades - not backwards compatible with OIS which are the bog standard univeral blades)

If money no object then it would be Fein or Festool, but for value for money it’s going to definitely be the Dewalt already mentioned.

The 366 is it seems pretty much exactly the same as the 355 just with the addition of a 3 speed switch

https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/de...MIvpCG4NSohQMVlYlQBh25rQF1EAQYAyABEgKSe_D_BwE

 

[niemeyjt]

I use Blue Bosch for cutting and sanding - the old model - the new one looks much better - however, it does not offer dust extraction when sanding.

For that I use a delta pad on a Rotex 90 - but beware the sanding paper is not compatible - Festool have done their own thing with the holes..

X-Lock is good - though others offer it too.

 

[recipio]

one of the funniest tool related things I've seen is an article interviewing Sarah Beanie (think it was in the telegraph magazine). They asked at the end what her most important thing to carry with her/in her handbag was. She said a 'Multitool'.

Off on a tangent here but what do people think of Sarah Beanie's house. ? I like her programmes and she has had medical problems to cope with but that house is an example of a horse designed by a committee. Half Georgian , half French Chateau. Houses are too important to be left to their owners . They should have spent the dosh on an architect ?

 

[ChrisWiduWood]

I would go with a corded Fein, it would be a tool for the rest of your life. Yes battery options are great , but for the odd DIY user the batteries are likely to let you down in a few years as well as cost a lot more from the off. Fein are the grandaddy's of multi tools. They are quiet and low vibration. everything annoying about the cheaper options. the only downside... you'll have to use thje quality cutters. no cheap knock offs fit the big boys.

 

[Chief Sawdust Maker]

I debated long and hard before making the leap and went for the Dewalt cordless multispeed
Why I waited so long is a mystery
Use it a lot for sanding and also removing glue when doing chopping board glue ups
Brought mine bare as was already on the platform, I would replace like for like if I needed to

 

[TheUnicorn]

I've got a dewalt, because I had the batteries, it is very noisy but it does the job nicely, tool free blade change and trigger rather than switch are great features. I would choose the three speed model if I were buying again, just occasionally I find the trigger doesn't give me enough control at low speed, which is user error rather than malfunction, hence I'd buy the three speed model, if you shop around it doesn't seem to come out much more. As Etaf says above, the 2ah batteries keep the weight down and help keep it in control

 

[MF1000]

I have the three speed dewalt ….excellent tool

 

[Inspector]

From the title I though this thread was going to be about knives like my Leatherman and Swiss Army knives.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Three speeds? Huh! I have the Milwaukee with the scream wheel.

 

[ChaiLatte]

...only using Starlock Max blades...

...If money no object then it would be Fein...

You should look up the original developers of the Starlock system you so despise.

 

[Bingy man]

From the title I though this thread was going to be about knives like my Leatherman and Swiss Army knives.

Pete

The good old days of the leatherman