What do you use your multitool for?

[cambournepete]

Simple question really, but what do you use your multi-tool for?

Apart from cutting through in situ skirting board, doorframe trim and coving (for which it excels) I've hardly used my Fein Multimaster. Am I missing something?

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Pete,

Apart from cutting through in situ skirting board, doorframe trim and coving (for which it excels) I've hardly used my Fein Multimaster.

+1

Cutting in-situ plasterboard with the tiles attached. Grout removal, sanding and removing wooden ceilings.

It paid for itself with the first job.

Thanks,
Neil

 

[trsleigh]

Cutting out for electrical boxes in old lathe & plaster. Far less collateral damage than any other way.
Cutting the blind cross cuts for sash weight pockets in sash box frames.

I don't use mine exactly every day, but when I do use it it really ticks the box.

 

[petermillard]

Plunge cuts in wood/plasterboard/brickwork; tile/grout/adhesive removal; lopping the heads off stuck but inaccessible bolts. As said above, I don't use it every day, but when you need it, you need it; wouldn't want to be without mine.

 

[mailee]

As above and also, cutting worktop to release pipes, sanding in tight corners, and I also cut the back out of a unit to house a fridge last month. I would be lost without mine now.

 

[Mark A]

Has anyone tried cutting dovetails with theirs? They're quite good for morticing if you feel lazy :roll:

 

[Tinbasher]

Splitting seized nuts.

Removing rusty hinges by cutting the screws.

Removing a plaster cast on my wrist.

Cutting welded brackets off.

Plus all the normal things.

 

[dickm]

Multitool is another of those (quite expensive) items that probably only get used once a month or less, but when they do come in, they save hours of swearing, skinned knuckles and general mess.
Mine's only the fairly cheap Bosch one - has anyone tried the even cheaper one that Lidl were selling a few weeks back?

 

[paulm]

Got a lot of use stripping out our cloakroom recently, cutting screws and nails holding wooden battens and boxing to walls and floor (saved a lot of plaster damage from jemmying them off), cutting plastic waste and copper water pipes, removing mortar and plaster snots from walls and floor, sanding back small areas of new plaster, removing old tiles and grout etc.

If you don't do much refurb'ing or installation work it might not get much use, but very handy to have around if you do a bit of diy now and again, or if you are a pro' of course !

Cheers, Paul

 

[studders]

Cutting off stuck plumbing fittings, without damaging the pipe, in places where no other saw would be usable.

 

[cambournepete]

You probably guessed the reason for asking was that I was thinking of getting rid of my Fein,
Now you've reminded me of when I would have regretted doing so I think I'll keep it.

I certainly don't use it very often and probably won't use it often, but it is good for the jobs mentioned.

Thanks

 

[Harbo]

If you can get a good price, sell your Fein and buy the cheaper Bosch.
Then you won't feel so guilty about not using it as much?

Rod

 

[turnamere]

I have the Bosch variant and have been very pleased with it so far.

During part of the refurb of my old Cornish Farmhouse I had a run of old floorboards to remove; I would have loved to save them but during previous ownership they had been butchered by an electrician whilst re-wiring the place. Unfortunately the lath and plaster walls were built over the floor so I was left with a long run that needed trimming flush with the sole plate. After persevering with various hand saws I discovered the multitool which made very short work of the task and left a much better finish than my hand tool efforts. I have also used it to sink electrical boxes and trim old pipework, the detail sander also works well.

I have of course already identified loads of previous jobs where I could have avoided swearing and blood loss if I'd known about it. Expensive but I wouldn't be without mine now.

 

[murrmac]

Splitting seized nuts.

Removing rusty hinges by cutting the screws.

Removing a plaster cast on my wrist.

Cutting welded brackets off.

Plus all the normal things.

All these are angle grinder tasks IMO ...except maybe the plaster cast removal ... :wink:

I don't concur with the views that the Fein itself is expensive, but the tooling costs are exorbitant ...

 

[chippy1970]

I use mine quite a lot I bought one about 3 or 4 years ago. I had seen one probably 15 years or more ago on a job up in London and thought wow thats handy Im getting one of those but I never did until 3 years ago. I use it for most of the things other people have mentioned. I save all my old blunt blades for plasterboard and I have cut some blades with tin snips to make narrower custom blades for various jobs. 3 other chippies that I work with have now bought them after using mine.