oscillation News & Reviews

The Fein Multimaster has been around for years and it was not uncommon to see one on a jobsite every once in a while. They have been a popular tool to those who could afford them, yet seem an unnecessary tool to those of us who had never before used one. Of course that all changed when every brand in the world started making them after Fein's patent exclusivity ended. Now in an effort to keep the cash coming in, Fein has launched a new consumer package for their FMM 250Q.

It is my opinion that if you are a professional carpenter, you should own both a corded and a cordless oscillation tool. The corded for when you need to do a lot of work, and a cordless for quick cuts and when you need to move around a lot. Unfortunately we cannot all afford to spend $300 to get both tools. Today only, Amazon has the cordless Dremel Multi-Max for only $73, and that is for a New kit. The kit includes a couple blades and a sanding pad to get you started, and also comes...

I am still amazed at the amount of jobsite issues an oscillation tool can help me solve, and I am very thankful to have this technology. I also think back to jobs where an oscillating tool could have saved me a ton of time and energy. But as great as these tools are, the blades seem to be the weak link. Is the future of oscillation tools in blades? Maybe titanium blades?

All of the major brands, and many of the smaller brands, have oscillation tools on the market, except for Makita. A few rumors have been circulating around the internet that Makita is coming out with something in 2012, possibly 18V cordless, but I have not heard anything official from Makita just yet. However, a recent patent discovery tells us that Makita is at least working on an oscillation tool, and it could have a universal blade mount.

The Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Association trade show has just come to a completion and Marc from Homefixated was there to cover all of the latest tools news and after show parties. Marc discovered some really cool tools while making his rounds, one of them being the tool-less blade change Bosch Multi-X that I wrote about a couple of months ago.

Are you ready to throw out your hex-wrenches and go tool free? After I just finished my review of both Bosch multi-tools, Dremel comes out with news of their new tool-less MM40. This lack of a tool-less feature is one of complaints with the current Bosch offerings, but not because they require tools, only because they require tools that can easily be lost. The new MM40 from Dremel also gets a power boost up to 2.5 amps from 1.5amps. This puts the power rating up with the big boys, and offers a variable speed...

Bosch sent me out their Cordless PS50 Multi-X a few months back, as well as their Corded MX25E Multi-X. Since I got them both around the same time, and have used them both on the jobsite, I figured it would be best to do a single article that reviews and compares both models together. Oddly, Bosch's introduction into the oscillation tool market was done with the 10.8/12-volt cordless PS50, while other manufacturers and even their own tool subsidiary, Dremel, all introduced corded models. But even though the PS50 is a few years old, it is still...

The one features that everyone is still waiting for on oscillating tools, is tools-less blade change. Fein, the originator of the tool has had this feature for a few years now, but at this point, Fein and Porter-Cable are the only ones with the tool-less blade change feature. Now it looks like Bosch Germany is releasing a tool-less oscillation tool of their very own. This is good news if the tool eventually makes its way to the US, but that can only happen if it doesn't violate any current patents. It likely doesn't violate any Fein...

In a market now flooded with oscillating tools manufactures need to try and set their tools apart from the rest. The big advantage for Fein, the original oscillating tool, is their massive head start. Because of this, they have features such as tool-less blade changing. This is the feature Porter-Cable has chosen to use to set them apart. Besides Fein, Porter-Cable is the only other brand that offers a tool-less blade change system. Fein still holds a patent for their tool-less design, but it looks like Porter-Cable's own design differs enough to get around it. ...

We knew a corded version of Bosch oscillating multi-tool would be coming eventually, then we saw it a few months back when it hit the European store shelves. We had our hopes high thinking it would be coming soon to the US, then we found out from CopTool back in December that Home Depot had an online exclusive to sell the tool. That is right, you could only get the MX25E if you ordered it from HD online. But now finally the wait is over. Next month the MX25E will be available for everyone at tool dealers and home...