Fein MultiMaster vs. Cheap Chinese Clone
Comparing Fein tool, single speed, with Fein blade to Harbor Freight tool and blade. Task: cutting drywall.
Why? 1/8 the price, that’s why.
I use this sort of tool to make cut-outs in existing drywall. The tool allows me great control of the cut, and the lack of vibration in the workpiece means I can almost always save a single piece and use it to patch the hole later.
Both tools were equally fast (not very) and controllable. The cuts were equally nice, and neither tool put much dust in the air.
The main differences were felt in the hand, rather in the results. The cheap tool seemed noticeably noisier, and it was much harder to feel when I encountered wood under the drywall. The cheap tool also produced more ‘felt’ vibration, and the head became quite warm.
Another difference was that blade changing was both quicker and more positive with the Fein. The chap tool needed a little bit of fussing to get the blade to sit just right.
Verdict? I’l be quite happy with the cheap tool until it wears out …. which I don’t expect to be anytime soon … then maybe replace it with a Fein.
Replies
If you don't have one, just about any multi-tool will pay for itself, not that I'm a fan of harbor freight for any mission critical tools - as little time as a multi tool gets used maybe a cheap one will last a long time - IDK of any from any brand that have been used to the point of failure - although almost everyone I know has the Fein.
If I only had a budget for something in the HF price range I'd go to the pawn shops and buy a used one from a better brand - seems about every 5th or 6th pawn shop has one at any given time.
I don't mind HF for some things - my favorite pry bar of all time that gets used extensively on every remodel came from there and automotive jack stands and engine lifts are a good deal, and I have a few air powered tools that I'll never wear out as little as they are used but there's nice to have.
The only power tools I've used from hf are a 1/2" drill, tile saw, and electric hand plane. I was working for a guy with all three and the drill went out in the middle of a tile job and it took 4 man hours to replace the drill and get back to work - the inexpensive drill suddenly became more expensive than a Milwakee!
The tile saw cut many truck loads of slate until on one job the pump went out - 2 man hours to replace, then a day later a capacitor went out - HF wouldn't take it back since it didn't have the hf water pump - 5 man hours all together to sort it out and order the right cap from a supply house - toggle switch that only worked half the time was also replaced. Including the original cost of the saw it suddenly wasn't any cheaper than a much better brand with the lost productivity. A few tile jobs later the bearings went out.
As for the electric hand plane - it was needed to hang a dozen doors and the guy didn't have his plane in the right town at the right time so he picked up a hf to plane the door edges - it worked and the job got done.
mission critical
Regardless of quality, from a military'aerospace perspective, mission critical performance ( 9 nines reliability) requires REDUNDANCY no matter how high a quality or expensive a single item is.
Thus, having TWO HF tools is much better than a single Fein for mission critical tasks.
The drill example is a good one - IF there had been 2 HF drills available, there would not have been a 4 hour down time.
Own philosophy is to try and have 2 or 3 of any specific type tool available, or at least functionality equivalent.
Bearings on any tile saw would likely 'went out' after" many truckloads of slate" - and of all the nerve, HF would not take it back!
Got a MK-101 2 HP tile saw at a garage sale 'thrown in' to an overall $15 purchase - frozen bearings, so even the $1000 machines have the bearings wear out. .
Well, that's a slight exaggeration. Having a "spare" isn't much help if both units die after an hour of use and it's a 3-hour drive to HF to replace them.
MTBF in a redundant situation needs to take into account MTTR and various costs of "repair".
I tried to be as nice as possible, but what I really want to say is the HF stuff is pure crap and a carpenter is always better off getting a decent tool. Period!
It's time wasting bull sh.t to work with someone with pos tools and I've not hired many guys because of it. Professionals use professional grade tools for a reason.
Idaho, I can appreciate where you're coming from; I think we've all had the 'pleasure' of working with tools that performed poorly. I have a particularly vivid memory of a guy who spent half the day fussing with a bargain tool, trying to make it work .... only to return a few days later with a 'real' one, and try to sell the fussy one at a bargain rate.
And yet ...
Since when did everything HAVE to be 'brand name?' I'll bet even you have a fair amount of stuff that you have either made from scratch, or modified to suit your needs. Heck, I recall when most 'ladders' on sites were site-made from framing lumber. Indeed, I have quite a few 'home made' hammers, drivers, jigs, etc. Even some of my kitchen cutlery is made from 'scratch.' Nearly all my furniture, crude and simple it may be, is home-made.
The fact is, technology doesn't stand still. Tasks that were once 'cutting edge' in manufacturing are now routine- which is part of the reason it's so hard these days to find "Made in the USA" nuts and bolts. It wasn't long ago that Korean cars (Hyundai) were perceived as 'junk;' these days they do quite well in the Consumers' Union comparisons. The same principle applies to tools.
I'll submit that there's precious little difference in the skill level of an illiterate Mexican working in an Ohio factory and the skill levels of a Chinese peasant or Mumbai slum urchin. In any of their situations, they're winding motors and molding plastic on the exact same equipment. Any "quality" differences are in design- and, for all we know, the design came off a Siberian computer. That's our world today.
There's a news group that says 'we report- you decide.' That's what this thread is all about. When the HF tools are left out of the comparisons, one is denied the information they need to make an informed choice. I won't quarrel with a man's choices, or question his religion - nor will I make his choices for him.
GM makes Cadillacs and Corvettes; they also had the Corvair and the Vega. Nobody hits a home run every time. Not Milwaukee, not Bosch, not Fein. I'm even willing to grant that HF has some duds. I'm not talking about them - I'm reviewing one tool alone.
So, if you don't approve of HF, that's your privelege. No one is saying you're in the wrong. For everyone else, I have provided a specific review of a particular tool. Let everyone decide what they want to buy.
If you don't believe that significant differences in mechanical quality exist between something from hf and a high quality professional tool then honestly I don't know what to say. Don't take my word for it, ask a tool repair place what they think of how something from hf is built.
You're hitting on the reason I posted this report.
For some reason, FHB does not include HF in their tool reviews. A pity, that, because here I was able to compare the two (HF and Fein) side-by-side ..... and I cannot support any assertion that the 10X expensive tool was 10X better. Or even 5X better.
It is pure foolishness to assume quality based upon a name. For example, there's a German hammer-drill maker who makes marvelous tools ... save for his smaller combo drill/hammer drill, which has been a maintenance pig for decades. Or, as in this case, a mediocre name (HF) manages to hit at least a double. (Some baseball lingo there :) )
Otherwise, the 'country of origin' assumptions have a few faults. Down the road from me is a former Milwaukee plant .... Milwaukee having been bought by the Chinese. For all I know, HF tools come off the same line as today's Milwaukee tools.
Otherwise, the tool you have on the truck beats the heck out of the tool at the supply house. One cannot go out after their first day of work and buy EVERYTHING, and at top quality. Nor is everything worth carrying on the truck.
My own personal rules of thumb are:
1) If I borrow it twice, it's time to buy it;
2) Get the cheap version first. This will teach you whether it's worth having with you all the time, as well as let you figure out what features matter to you. Only THEN can you make the right choice when you buy the good tool; and,
3) Nobody ever steals HF.
Fein is much better than the competition. That said I have a friend who is quite happy with his HF model. I can tell you the dremel version is the worst one out there.
I'm not totally anti-HF, I know several people who have had good luck with certain items. I personally use the HF chipping hammer to bust out tile, as I don't want to wreck the Hilti removing 300 sf of ceramic.
The Fein is only 200 now, really not a bad deal, but I'd probably go with the HF if I didn't already have one. There are certain jobs that only a multi can do, but it is just not used too often. At least for me. The HF works and its really cheap. Just don't expect it to cut through oak stair treads over and over or use it as a jamb saw on a whole flooring job.
But.. I have a dremel...
"the dremel version is the worst one out there" -- that's good to know. I was needing a Fein, but couldn't afford it. Got gifted the Dremel and have not been all that thrilled with it. I don't use it often, so I might swing by HF and see what a better tool (not the best) might cost.
That is exactly the kind of review I'd like to see. And you really presented a great case of why/how one is different from the other... Thanks!
Paul
Really?
Over the years you surely have read the opinions on the Fein MM? I know of no one that gets rid of theres and runs out and buys one of the competition.
?
That's not at all what Paul said. He said he liked my review, that it gave him the information he wanted to see.
Nobody is saying 'throw away a perfectly good tool and get a different one.'
I'll bet there are planty of folks asking this question instead: "I don't have that sort of tool - and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that might not be used very much. Should I try the cheap one first?"
There might even be a few folks asking "OK, I have the cheap one .... should I upgrade?"
To answer those questions, you need facts. You need to know exactly what the differences are - and not just plattitudes along the lines of "German is good, Chinese is bad." I attempted to provide those facts. Each can decide for himself.
Ironically, on this same job I used an expensive angle grinder and an expansive saber saw. Both were purchased as replacements for cheap tools. With hindsight, the saber saw is an awesome improvement, while the grinder is only slightly better. (If you dig deep enough, you'll find my reviews buried somewhere on this site).
IMO - Mr. Fink and I have discussed this a few times, and have differing perspactives - there is a real need to compare the fancy stuff with the bargain bin, and let the consumer decide.
longevity....
One big problem with power tool reviews is that they cannot predict durability. It isn't reasonable to do. Probably the editors figure the pro grade tools are inherently more reliable than the cheapest stuff. That has certainly been my experience.
Having said that I will admit that a HF multimaster makes it's way into my tool truck regularly, but that's the only one of it's kind to do so.
Rockwell Consideration
I own a rockwell mult tool and have found it to be very durable and resonably priced at around half of the fein.. Fein makes great stuff, especially their shop vacs which I own.
With regards to cheap power tools, I used to own a HF metal chop saw. The arm that attaches the saw to the stationary base broke and the spining chop saw seperated into two pieces. I was only saved by having the transport chain still attached to the base. After that experience, I rounded up all of my no name power tools and hand tools and donated or destroyed. That was eight years ago, I decided if I wanted a long career in a difficult and dangerous business as construction, cheap tools would not be a wise investment.
Neither of my electricians would be without a professional quality SDS drill. If they ever need a power tool they buy a good one without thinking twice.
I've yelled at electricans for using dull SDS bits or using a pos sawzall when they should be using a corded tool that cuts 3 times as fast - I don't pay them a dollar a minute to waste both our time and the client's money doing something at half speed because they are too cheap to keep their tools in good shape.
I see hacks in the building trades almost every day that have the worst tools and they are paid accordingly. I suggest that's not a very high bar to strive for.
If I hired you by the hour specifically to drill 100 holes and you showed up with a hf drill I'd send you home - I have guys with good tools that will do it faster for the same money.
HF tools are great for homeowners who aren't getting paid based on performance. Guys in the trades ALL get paid on performance.
Don
I'd like to add to your arsenal.
I still have and use the original Rockwell 315 circular saw bought new when I started 40 yrs ago. Luckily I've found 3 others as recently parts availability is on the wane.
It's still better than any sidewinder available.
I could have bought one of the first offered plastic circ. saws at the time for way less.
Hammer drill from Hilti-purchased in the mid 70's. Still in operation-(8 yrs ago I added a hilti rotary hammer-should have got that way b/4-no comparison in the production.)
Sawzall-still running-'72
Many of the tools I purchased new are still in operation and producing. I never bought used (cept for an old hole hawg), never bought junk, never loaned any out, repaired instead of replaced.
Tools can make you money and if not respected, can cost you money.
Over a span of 40 yrs, how much would the cheap have cost me?
It's a career for us, not a part time job.
Off-topic message for renosteinke
Hi Reno,
I'm sorry for this off topic message, but I came accross some of your posts regarding spray foam during a discussion on this forum from 2006 titled "Icynene + wood ceiling a fire hazard". I came accross the discussion during an internet search. I am trying to research this, as a friend's home burned down a few days ago on the same day Icynene DC 200 closed cell insulation was sprayed in the home. We are wondering if there is a connection. Do you have any resources, links to information, or advice for us? We greatly appreciate any information you may be able to provide and again sorry for being off-subject here. Thanks, Edo
I'm probably not telling you anything that you don't already know if you are looking into this, but when I hear of house fires of any kind the first thing that pops into my mind is wiring. If your friends house had a number of wires, especially old undersized wires with poor connections, the spay foam insulates enough to make a warm wire hot, and a hot connection or wire super hot.
If the spray foam was especially thick in any one area, they are supposed to spray it (at least some foam formulations) in layers because it generates heat as it cures and too much thickness becomes a fire hazard. I honestly don't know off the top of my head what the thickness is and it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't apply to all foams, or if the information I recieved was in error, but many chemical reactions make a little heat and so it seems plausible in my mind.
We'd all be interested in hearing what becomes of the investigation (both offically and what you find out) so keep us up to date on what you find out!
Thank you so much for your reply, IdahoDon. I will pass this info on to my friend and I will keep you posted on the investigation!
I have discussed the flammability of foam many times at this forum.
Yes, it gives off heat as it cures. Yes, it insulates well. Yet, it is neither the curing nor the wiring that concern me.
First off, foam requires moisture to cure. It generally produces (and traps) a non-flammable gas in those little bubbles in it. So, it's not particularly flammable when it is curing, as compared to when it is 'old.'
NEMA - a trade group that includes wire makers - has examined the effects of foam insulation on wiring and concluded that there is no need for any concern. The key is that their opinion is based upon a proper electrical installation, and not one that has been used, abused, and tampered with.
No, I worry about the flammability of foam because foam, even cured 'fire retardant' foam, burns like rocket fuel in industry-standard fire tests. Look at the instructions, and every foam will tell you: protect it!
Yes, there are certain situations where you're not required to bury the stuff in drywall - but those are very limited exceptions, limited by both circumstance and specific product details.
There's no substitute for actual data. Thus, I will protect my foam. Maybe excessively.
The "electrical fire" canard has been around for decades, and the simple fact is that very little serious research has been done, and the statistics supplied by fire departments are quite misleading. Probably the best look at the issue was a detailed 'dissection' of some old homes, with the materials re-evaluated. The results of that study are no surprise to those in the trade: when something goes wrong with a home's electrical system, it's because rules were broken, rules that were 'old news' even when the house was built.
With that in mind, I suspect the fire you mentioned was not the fault of the foam itself. If the crew foamed over a light bulb, and the bulb lit the foam .... well, you can't fix stupid.
Yes, we're off on a tangent. Feel free to open a new threadin 'general' for a greater discussion of these issues.
"Facts" are what this thread is all about. I didn't open it to draw sweeping generalizations I fully recognize that not everyone has the same priorities. But ....
I can share with everyone the results of my experience comparing a specific pair of tools, on a specific task. I report, you decide.
Buy the HF tool, or not. I don't care. Now, though, you can make a better informed decision.
One interesting 'sidebar discussion' regards the various cordless multi-masters out there. It is interesting that Milwaukee has come out with one, putting their name behind a tool that Fein has found unacceptable. Fein has tried designing a few cordless multi-masters, and discarded each as not being 'up to their standards.' Yet, several posters at FHB have come out in support of their cordless versions.
Again .... it's probably best to let folks make their own decisions.
Despite what the others have said, if the house had any old K&T wiring, or just old 40s-50s romex then it could easily have been disturbed sufficiently to cause a fire.
The big question is the care of the installers. If they took care to avoid any K&T, were careful to not cover any boxes, or (what at prior times were legal) open splices, AND they were careful to not install the foam in a way that would stress old wiring, then the foam is likely not at fault.
Several considerations
There are many things to consider, including:
How often will you use the tool. Usually, it doesn't take too many uses for the tool to pay for itself. I'm not a plumber but I recently bought a cast iron pipe cutter for $500. I figure it will take 10 days of use to pay for the tool. Daily rental is only $20 but I have to factor in the time it takes to go get the tool and then return it. I used it for three days last month.
Storage. I have five sections of pipe scaffolding. It's great to have and it has paid for itself many times over but I would never buy more because it takes up so much space. When I need more, I rent it. It's important, by the way, to know who to rent from. I rent from a scaffolding company at about 1/3 the cost of renting from a general tool rental company.
Your Age. Like Calvin, I've got tools that I bought forty years ago and these tools have paid for themselves many times over. Now I'm in the fourth quarter of the game. Knowing this factors into some tool purchases.
Safety. Cheap tools are often (not always) less safe to use than quality tools. I would never buy a cheap circular saw for this reason. If you consider the cost of a trip to the emergency room, the extra $50 for a professional-quality saw is peanuts.
Enjoyment of Use. I have a friend that always buys cheap. Like me, he's in the fourth quarter and his only criterion is a cold economic calculation of how soon the tool will pay for itself. For me, that's just part of the equation. I enjoy working with good tools and I find it frustrating working with low-quality tools. Even if buying a nice tool doesn't immediately translate into profit, it makes me happier. And to me that's worth something.
Quality of Work. Good tools don't always pay for themselves in enhanced productivity or even durability. With some tools, the pay-off is higher quality in the finished job. And even though my customers can't always see it, this also makes me happy.
Mudslinger, those are very good points, well expressed, and I agree with you completely.
It may make me sound a bit schitzo, but I've been learning the error of being 'cheap' and advocating 'buy right' all my life. I do come from a background where only the absolute cheapest price was considered. Nearly every experience I've had since then has contradicted that attitude.
Yet, I've also learned that neither a high price tag nor 'going with the crowd' guarantee success either.
It all comes down to GIGO: garbage in, garbage out. Your decisions are no better than the information on which you base them.
I am fond of 'cheap' tools for two reasons:
A) The tool you have on the truck beats the nice one left in the store; and,
B) Often you don't really know what features matter until you experiment some. Thus, there is a role for a rental, borrowing, or using a cheap tool as you learn more exactly what your needs are.
I am unhappy with the 'usual' tool reviews in that I maintain they geprive us of relevant information when they omit a comparison to the 'cheap' or 'homeowner' tools out there. This lack of information only serves to make the cheap price all the more tempting. General comments that 'you get what you pay for' are meaningless without the details to support them.
Just as a side comment, when it comes to the buy vs rent decision (for, eg, a tile saw that you will only use a few days), I've become an advocate of the buy/sell strategy. Buy a decent (not cheapest) model of what you need, use it until the job is done, and then sell it on Craig's list for about half the new price.
You usually come out much better off, price wise, than renting, you get the right tool for the job, and you aren't faced with how to store it for next time you'll need it (which will be in another 5 years). And usually, if priced at half of new price, the tool will sell within a couple of days (if not hours).
Many variables
Reno,
I agree with you. Comparative reviews often exclude the cheaper tools even though they can be quite adequate. I'm not a mechanic but I occasionally use wrenches and sockets. I've bought some super cheap wrench sets from Harbor Freight and they've worked fine. If I were a mechanic and had to work with these tools all day long, day-in and day-out, I'd probably spring for Snap-On.
No matter what they review, the tool reviews can't predict how long a tool will last. Once in a while they discover a real dog in their tests but, by and large, they don't test the durability of the tools.
I' ve found that you can get some pretty good info--both on price and on the performance of the tool--by looking up the tool on Amazon and checking out the reviews there. These reviews come from people who have had the tool for a long time and used it extensively. One funny thing is that, after reading a dozen glowing reviews, someone invariably comes in and completely trashes the tool. I expect that and, like Olympic judges used to do, I throw out the highest and lowest marks.
What attracted me to this discussion is that it's about the multi-tool. I've used the Fein and think it's great but that price gives me pause. I've also used cheaper products and didn't like them near as much. I'm leaning towards the mid-price brands, especially the Makita and the Bosch. If anybody reading this has either of these tools, I'd like to get your take on them.
>>I'm leaning towards the
>>I'm leaning towards the mid-price brands, especially the Makita and the Bosch.
Makita has a multitool? First time I've heard about it; I'll have to look for it here in Japan.
Later Edit: Sure enough, both the corded and cordless versions are available here, too.
I have both Fein and HF
I am a homeowner but I like good tools. First bought the Fein, but on a visit to HF the corded variable speed multi was on sale at $39.99, so figured what the heck. My impressions:
The Fein has a quick tool change, but unless you push the bolt in tightly while the other hand operates the stiff release lever, the blade can jiggle and the vibration will wear the elevated ridges that fit in the blade. Quick change is nice, but if you're sanding on either model, you have to remove the sandpaper before you have access to the bolt.
The HF is equally pleasurable to handle, with a soft start feature that lets you start a groove smoothly. I really am equally comfortable using either tool.
I get great pleasure owning a quality tool like the Fein, but it would be cheaper and more convenient to have 3 HFs and keep a different blade on each. Only drawback is that the HF case doesn't hold the tool with the blade attached.
Quality always pays for itself over and over and over. I have a Fein multimaster I bought 4 years ago. At the time the $400 was a hard swallow, but after using the tool at least once a week with zero problems or regrets, it was well worth the price. A sub showed up with a HF multi tool one day on a job site. He was using it to cut out some damaged hardwood flooring. The tool sounded like a clothes dryer with a pound of marbles running in it. The kid had to wear a glove because the head of the tool got to hot to hold. Yes, he probably only paid $49 bucks for it. But, I am not sure if used regularly how long it would last. HF is good for a home owner to do a small job then sell their tool on craigslist when they are tired of seeing it collect dust in their garage.
I won't quarrel with your account - I gave my report, and you have yours.
I will say that this, again, stresses why tool reviews need to consider these 'off brand' tools.
Looks like the tools have come a long way. Not only was my experience with the HF a lot better than yours ... the Fein has dropped in price. It's like magic!
Verdamnt Screwshaker!
I had to instal a porch light, which meant installing a box, which meant notching a stud to make room for the box .... so I bought the HF tool.
Well, the good news is that the thig sure ate throught the wood a whole lot better than a chisel. The cut was precise, controlled, and nearly perfect. The only problem was ....
The screw holding the blade on kept coming loose! No matter how I tightened it. On the last such event, the entire screw / washer assembly simply vanished. Some day I may find it in Himmel - it surely wasn't to be found anywhere on the job. I had to finish up the 'traditional' way.
Maybe the thing works fine for drywall, but ordinary framing lumber seems to scare it to pieces.
So, until I find a fitting screw and replacement washer, the tool serves best as a weight to hold the lid on the garbage can.
Lock washer? Loctite? Lock Ness?
For want of a screw, the tool was lost.
I have the old original MM with the Allen screw to secure the blade, and have never had it work loose except once when I was too hasty putting it together.
thanks
there's one example of a tradesman losing time and money with the chinese clone.
I had to keep tightening my first gen HF MM too - I agree that sucked. The newer variable speed has teeth to keep the blade from rotating and loosening the screw.
I posted this under the Magazine feedback too:
I saw a really interesting set of reviews in a car magazine at the doctors office today. It compared a similar car spec wise with a much more expensive luxery or performance model. It was a facinating comparison.
For example, they compared the Camero LS1 to the BMW 6 series. They both make about the same HP (about 560 vs 580), but the LS1 costs $60,000 and the BMW 6 costs $120,000. So the price difference is 2... is the perfomance and value more or less than 2? In other words, is the BMW twice as good as the Chevy? The answer was close, but no it wasn't twice as good, so the Chevy came out on top.
An even steeper comparison, a Bently vs a Cadilac. Here the price difference was like 5... in this case, the Bently won because it was easily more than 5 times the better car.
So here is a challenge: Compare a super cheap tool like a VS Harbor Freight Multitool
http://www.harborfreight.com/variable-speed-multifunction-power-tool-67537.html currently at $45
vs:
Fien Multimaster 250
http://www.amazon.com/Fein-MultiMaster-FMM-250Q-Top/dp/B000U8S3QA currently at $400
So here the spread is about 10 in price... so is the Fein literally more than 10 times better as a tool?
Paul
In order to compare, you'd have to adjust for the box, the several more pcs (blades etc) and the dustless feature of the Fein. This would make the "tool" less than 10 times the cost.
HF warranty-3 month.
Fein warranty-3 yr.
big difference, no?
ok
So the 10 times as much is not true, no?
You get more, it of course costs more.
The tool body is for sure more expensive. Mine is 10 yrs old in heavy use by a carpenter. So I consider it was a deal.
Just saw the article again today, it was in the October 2012 edition of Car & Driver.
Looked at it again and came across one review I missed, Comparing a Mercedes Benz G550 (I think) with a big Jeep Rubicon.
Here the review may be closser to what we are talking about here, as these are old war horse machines, barely a paint color beyond military grade. Their job is carrying around people in comfort AND being able to traverse the desert during the Zombie Apocolypse.
While the price differential was 2.1, the experience factor was 1, meaning the they both did their job equally well - one just cost 2.1 time more to accomplish the same task.
BTW, The Fein MIGHT be worth the 10x premium - but it's not like I can buy once on a whim like that. This magazine does have that clout/resources though to help a dumbazz like me determine the difference. I'm glad your experience has led you to believe it is worth that!
Paul
You understand where I'm coming from. I do this for a living. Lost time because of a broken tool COSTS money. I've had none and I should look when I purchased the MM-it's liable to be more than 10 yrs. I use it very often and don't baby it. I have pushed it many times.
Not hot, always runs, and makes me money while allowing me to do some tasks easier, better and sometimes makes them possible as well.
No doubt in my mind that it was worth the money. I'll temper all this in that there wasn't any competition at the time.
There were a couple times when I didn't buy the best but did purchase what I thought was close.
Those tools are not in the van anymore. Now that was a waste of money.
Rating my Bosch multitool
I ended up buying the Bosch and couldn't be happier. Bosch has two versions--the 2.5 amp and the 3 amp. As is my wont, I opted for the more powerful one. I have $270 in the kit, which includes the Xbox. I've worked with a Fein and I find the Bosch to be every bit as good. In the kitchen remodel I'm working on now, I had to cut the plywood subfloor along the toe kick. (The house has a double layer of plywood and the cabinets were built on the top layer). The Bosch beat my co-worker's Fein, hands down, on this difficult task. The Bosch was cheaper than the Fein, works every bit as well and, unlike the Fein, I can pick up blades for it at Home Depot or Lowes--both of which are a short drive from my house.
I was browsing at the local box store yesterday, and was surprised to see that they were selling the Makita version of this tool for $130. Internet sights show it got about $160.
I've done allright with Makita, especially with their corded tools. So, I have every confidenct that their multi-tool is of reasonable quality and performance. Call me grumpy, but another brand's claim "as seen on TV" never filled me with confidence.
$130. Double the price of the variable-speed Harbor Freight. Now we're talking.
Fein itself has come down considerably in the past year. Isn't competition a wonderful thing?
I started this thread trying to make the case for tool reviews to evaluate the 'cheap stuff,' if for no other reason than to give us a baseline for comparison. Now there's another reason.
Simply put, the decent performance of the 'clones' brought down the price of the 'premium' model. By ignoring the economy versions, magazines retard the effect of the market, help keep prices up.
Cutting existing drywall
I have an original Roto-zip, spiral cutting tool that speeds through drywall (maybe a little more dust). Kind of pissed off since Bosch bought the family owned company in Cross Plains, WI., shut down production and left with the patents; but it works great. I also have an original Fein tool and use Harbor Freight cutters because they are cheap. The Fein tool is slower and the cutter clogs with dust. It is also harder to make curves. The Fein is the best for cutting out trim when you are adding something like flooring or whatever. Try a Roto-zip. It is indespensible for new drywall installation for cutting out electrical boxes and pipe openings!
Buy good tools
There is another thing to take into consideration, another way of looking at buying tools concerns resale value. If you buy the $179 Bosch Rotary Hammer and use it where it's still going to function well when you sell it you may get 2/3 of your money back plus having used a good quality tool, plus helped out a good European quality toolmaker. If you buy the cheap Chinese crap rotary hammer from Harbor Freight you are dealing with a subpar tool, but not only that you're profiting the Chinese who merely copied from the American, European, or Japanese tool manufacturer who put in the initial research and design and paid for the marketing costs. Plus, when you sell it you're lucky to get $10 for it if you can sell it at all.
Take a Fein Multimaster tool for example, if you pay $180 for a new Fein with the Quick Change blade system with a few blades you can use it a year and resell it in good shape for a good price (probably $100-150 depending on condition and accessories) and they are snatched up on ebay! You can save some money and buy a Rockwell Sonicrafter new for around $100 but you can buy a remanufactured one on ebay for $35 shipped, so how much do you think you will get when you sell it? $20, maybe? And you don't see too many used HF tools on ebay because no one gives them much of a chance of any longevity. Plus, if you buy a used Bosch rotary hammer or Fein Multimaster on ebay for a good price, you're chances of them lasting and performing well are very good because they're a quality tool, as well as being able to sell it for approximately the same price when you go to sell it! So use your head, if you buy a new HF rotary hammer for $89, use it a year, you can sell it for $10 maybe, if anyone would actually buy it. Or you can buy a used Bosch rotary hammer on ebay for $89, use it for a year, and sell it for $79. Do the math!
Not only that, you're helping out your fellow craftsmen by offering them the chance to buy a nice tool at a good price on ebay! I think it's a no brainer for anyone except those that have no bank account. Buying cheap tools is for people who are in the same situation as those that have to get their furniture from Rent-To-Own stores, and they face the same fleecing from an investment standpoint.
Who sells their tools and why would you? I wear mine out and throw them away.
hf tools
I just appreciate owning fine tools, Harbor Freight sells the Chinese oscillating tools for $20 for the non variable speed one, and $40 for the variable speed one. I really doubt that you could resell it, and it's probably not going to last through too many jobs, so you're investment was $40 (for the variable speed one). You buy a used Fein for $100, use it on as many jobs as you like using a quality tool for a year or two, and then sell it on ebay for $80-90 (plus $10 transaction fees). You're investment was $20-30 and you used a quality tool. No brainer, IMO. But, Harbor Freight has it's appeal with those that are on a very tight budget just as Rent To Own stores do, and that's sad because they're both a bad investment.
Well, I spent 20 bux, and it does the job. It's not like I use it much, and the jobs I bought if for are all done. I've had pretty good luck with HF myself. And so, you would buy a used fein, gamble that it works good, sell it for up to a $30 loss, and not have an oscillating saw, while I'm out $20, but still have my tool. It's a no brainer for me to buy the HF tool.
I've got tools I bought 30 years ago just waiting for the day when I'll need it again. For guys who use tools it's usually cheaper to let them sit unused than spend the time and energy to go get another one 20 years later. If I've ever sold a tool I don't remember it and I don't collect them for fun either. .
Problem is, I don't have room for any new tools, because of all the tools I bought 30 years ago taking up space in the garage.