I had two of these, first one lasted maybe one hour of use, bad switch still under warranty. Got a second on the recommendation of a sale person in HF store, he said they don't get many returns with these. Mistake, second one went belly up after maybe two hours of use, just quit running, out of warranty. Mine where junk. I do like the oscillating tool concept and just ordered a Bosch I hope it holds up better.
I highly recommend this tool. I have both the electric and air versions. I dread to think what remodeling my kitchen would have been like without it, especially for trim and framing around the paneling and laminate flooring. It also was nice for cutting around outlets and light boxes. And it is safer than a router or sawzall or skil saw.I use it a lot more than my other power tools.
Adapters are available so you can fit a fine, bosch, dremel, rigid,etc. blade on the harbor freight model and vice versa. Great for cutting out new construction vynal windows without disturbing the sheet rock or siding.
these are prety kool. i own this one and a rigid, wouldent put them head to head because of the price difference. i like them both and they will get you out of the occasional jam where anything else may cause unwanted damage to other finished work. the only down side i see with them is that the blades wear out very quickly and are not priced to be disposable.
I have this particular brand tool and it works great. It doesn't have be this particular brand but the occillatting multi-tool it probably one of the best investments any DIY or pro can have.
Great review man! My father and I are general contractors and used this tool almost every day! It's great for cutting door jams when laying hardwood floors. Thank GOD for Harbor Freight!
I'll cut-n-paste my reply to the other guy who couldn't figure it out, either....
"The finger test is to show that this device will not cut you.
In case you can't tell from the video, there is no blade guard on this tool. Some people might be concerned that the blade could cut you if you lost grip on the tool and perhaps it fell onto your leg or against your body."
@mikeadiddle It was a joke Mike, you mustn't have been able to figure out the smiley face at the end of the post :)
I perfectly understand why you do the finger test but you wouldn't have to worry about dropping or losing grip if you wore the proper safety gear now would you Mike.
Us the tools on your materials not on your body.
You can cut-n-paste my reply to the others who couldn't figure it out as well.
@TopGear6666 I guess I have a lose trigger finger in dealing with all the ignorant replies from people who don't know what they're taking about... many of which I've deleted because people were just being jerks. I apologize for lumping you in with those.
But I have trouble believing it was truly in jest since you felt the need to further clarify with your second & third paragraphs, which are pretty silly statements considering the very test I demonstrated.
@mikeadiddle It was genuinely meant in jest It's a shame that you appeared to take it so personally, Aside from all that great vids and keep up the drumming and woodwork.
Im sold ! Im in the middle of doing my kitchen floor at this time using that thick Alure flooring from Home Depot. Wasted 2 sheets at $10 a sheet trying to cut around the doorways. 3 more doorways and Im gonna wait till Harbor Freight opens this morning so I can get this tool. Looked at it for a long time and should have bought it a while back. Under-cutting the door trim to slide the tile in will look 100% better than what Im trying to do. Thanks for the great video !
Do you have one of these? If you do, I encourage you to try it. Do you realize that high speed, short travel reciprocating saws have been in use for decades for cutting off casts from people's bodies, precisely because they *won't* cut flesh? The distance the blade moves back and forth isn't far enough to cut skin. The blade just moves the skin with it. The only thing it does to you is tickle. I'm sure if you pushed hard enough, it would cut, but who's going to do that?
hey, this tool work without problem and the most important part is that at the end of the day you still have money in your pockets, compare one from any other brand and you'll see.
All these multi-tools are copied from the medical profession's 'cast-cutting saws'. I remember the sound from when I had a cast cut off my arm when I was a kid.
I haven't really put it to any hard, prolonged use. There was HF coupon, recently, to get this thing for 20 bucks. This thing is certainly very loud, gets very warm, and numbs your hands a bit. I don't know if that's any different from the more expensive ones. There seems to be a few of the "name brand" ones going for $100.
I think this HF is worth 20 bucks to have as a spare, even if you have one of the other, more expensive ones.
Read too many bad reviews, i.e. motor fails, crappy plastic motor parts failing, etc. Believe me, get the $99 Rigid Jobmax! 3 yr/lifetime parts/batteries etc Warranty. Rigid is one of the best I've seen, not like the crap from Harbor! You pay more for the Rigid, but it will last longer than 10 cheap tools. Plus, it's quality built, solid, powerful, comfortable, no irritating noise, and battery is truly a convenience for cutting where there's no outlet! in life some things are worth it!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Just wondering what the "finger test" is really trying to accomplish? When you turn it on and it makes a loud noise I use the "ear test" as satisfactory evidence that the unit is on. I guess if you have an itch on your finger that's 1 way to get at it, otherwise just seems like an unnecessary risk.
The finger test is to show that this device will not cut you.
In case you can't tell from the video, there is no blade guard on this tool. Some people might be concerned that the blade could cut you if you lost grip on the tool and perhaps it fell onto your leg or against your body.
That was my polite response, if case you weren't trying to be a jerk.
Nice tutorial. I just did a video on the variable speed HF model. It handled my grout work with ease. I found that the $14.99 grout cutter was ok... Felt the diamond coating should last longer, I used light pressure. I really wanted a Fein but I simply can't afford for the occasional use. Just starting a china cabinet refinish so I'm interested to see how it holds up.
hey guys before you do buy the fein as i was thinking of doing go price their replacement blades then youll decide to go with harbor freight my brother just bought one and it did everything we needed it to do now i might get the variable speed one but still its blades are alot cheaper to buy!!
Thanks for posting this, I've been wondering about this thing for awhile now. Should be very helpful for my basic DIY projects. I'll give it a go. Just tried their Cutout Tool -- JUNK! Do not buy!
Harbor Fright just came out with a variable speed Multi-tool for around $69.00. It also has soft start,and Case like the expensive brans, buy the Extended service plan$19.99 and your still under a hundred bucks,!!!! . Ive tried a couple other brans on job sites, Have to say Harbor Freight rates a good " 7 ". on a scale 1-10.
Mike, where'd you get that nifty looking bench dog on the right?
Thanks for posting the video. With the oscillating motion I find the tool works best if you are plunging it directly forward rather than from the side. So if I'm cutting something low or want to come at it sideways I love the option of placing the blade in various angles for the best combination of convenience and cutting power.
This tool has been great for me, way better than the much more expensive and less powerful dremel version. I bought it to cut some molding out of a wall and find I'm using it for all the purposes they show on TV. The rounded blade is great for drywall with perfect straight cuts and little mess.
Try reading all the negative feedback on Amazon concerning the Fein - like 30% of the people. I'm avoiding the fein for those reasons. Maybe they WERE great at one time, but it seems now German manufacturers sold their country down the river by pissing away their manufacturing jobs to china just like we did. So basically the Fein Multimaster is a chinese tool, sold at German-built prices. Why bother ? Just buy a Rigid or the equivalent. I wouldn't give Fein a plug nickle.
this video was helpful and made me really think about buying the harbor freight instead of the more expensive fein bocsh and rockwell multi tools my dads friend has a fein multi tool and it is amazing but for 400 hundred bucks i just cant afford it but with the harbor freight multi tool i can do basicly the same stuff
This tool has quickly become one of my favorites. The things it can do well that other tools don't are flush cut and easily cut studs out of walls. I used it to flush cut my sub-floor along the cabinets and it went like warm butter. I do A/V work so I often have to remove studs for in-wall speakers and this is the best tool for the job I have found so far. I believe it will be the first tool I try if I ever have to remove grout. It's worth every penny.
I have to say that I like to buy from HFT, and that not all it 100 % perfect, (that's true) I have lots of tools from there and I'm happy with them , specialy if something go wrong they changed fast and ease, last time I got a husky jumper unit, $100.oo from Home Depot and after a year of occasional use the unit broke I went there and they said SORRY BUT IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM ANYMORE, equal unit from Harbor cost $50.oo + around $20.oo for 2 years replacement, so, can you see the difference ?
I have the same multi tool, in the begining I was considering the original but to way expensive, so I went with this one and it work well, maybe not like the $400.00 but hey, I still have $355.00 in my pocket :-) the tool it's perfect and pay 2 years replacent plan for $9.99 if something go wrong or even if I drop it they will replace it with no shipping shits or questions ask, beside they said Fein is germany but how can we 100 % sure that it has not labor or material in some parts from china
I really appreciate that you posted your video here. I was also deciding on whether I should get the Fein Multimaster or the Harbor Freight Multitool. Of course, I went with the less expensive one. By the way, it would be great, if you could also post a video on the sanding pads. I really found your presentation very instructional in the most practical terms. Thank you very much. :D
How can we compete w/ these cheap chinese machine tools?we can't!!!! The FEIN multi-tool is $399,And while I think that is a little expensive, It is very well made.I remember when i bought some wrenchs from H.F. back in 1992,thinking I was real thrifty. I work w/ large complex machinery,and those cheap tools caused many a busted-knuckle.I melted them w/ ox-acet.torch and learned my lesson:BUY AMERICAN!! DONT BE A JAP-ASS!!!!!!!!
I had two of these, first one lasted maybe one hour of use, bad switch still under warranty. Got a second on the recommendation of a sale person in HF store, he said they don't get many returns with these. Mistake, second one went belly up after maybe two hours of use, just quit running, out of warranty. Mine where junk. I do like the oscillating tool concept and just ordered a Bosch I hope it holds up better.
strawdog3571 1 month ago
I highly recommend this tool. I have both the electric and air versions. I dread to think what remodeling my kitchen would have been like without it, especially for trim and framing around the paneling and laminate flooring. It also was nice for cutting around outlets and light boxes. And it is safer than a router or sawzall or skil saw.I use it a lot more than my other power tools.
umajunkcollector 2 months ago
Adapters are available so you can fit a fine, bosch, dremel, rigid,etc. blade on the harbor freight model and vice versa. Great for cutting out new construction vynal windows without disturbing the sheet rock or siding.
MWElectric 3 months ago
these are prety kool. i own this one and a rigid, wouldent put them head to head because of the price difference. i like them both and they will get you out of the occasional jam where anything else may cause unwanted damage to other finished work. the only down side i see with them is that the blades wear out very quickly and are not priced to be disposable.
MWElectric 3 months ago
I have this particular brand tool and it works great. It doesn't have be this particular brand but the occillatting multi-tool it probably one of the best investments any DIY or pro can have.
strumpeteer 3 months ago
Great review man! My father and I are general contractors and used this tool almost every day! It's great for cutting door jams when laying hardwood floors. Thank GOD for Harbor Freight!
terun1978 4 months ago
what about metal conduit? think this tool can handle it?
urbtactics 7 months ago
@urbtactics
They have a metal cutting blade for this, but I haven't tried it.
mikeadiddle 7 months ago
@urbtactics air duct? yes it can, just need to use the proper "head/blade". but i personally rather use a good pair of cutting snips.
hitachi088 2 weeks ago
Thanks for posting. I was thinking about buying one from Harbor Freight but would have liked to have actually seen one in operation. Good job!
mydogsthree 8 months ago
Good review! Thank you.
dennisamackey 8 months ago
Good review! Thank you.
dennisamackey 8 months ago
THE FINGER TEST......Do you test all powered tools with your finger? Chainsaws, Lawnmowers, Angle grinders etc :)
TopGear6666 9 months ago
@TopGear6666
I'll cut-n-paste my reply to the other guy who couldn't figure it out, either....
"The finger test is to show that this device will not cut you.
In case you can't tell from the video, there is no blade guard on this tool. Some people might be concerned that the blade could cut you if you lost grip on the tool and perhaps it fell onto your leg or against your body."
mikeadiddle 9 months ago
@mikeadiddle It was a joke Mike, you mustn't have been able to figure out the smiley face at the end of the post :)
I perfectly understand why you do the finger test but you wouldn't have to worry about dropping or losing grip if you wore the proper safety gear now would you Mike.
Us the tools on your materials not on your body.
You can cut-n-paste my reply to the others who couldn't figure it out as well.
TopGear6666 9 months ago 3
@TopGear6666 I guess I have a lose trigger finger in dealing with all the ignorant replies from people who don't know what they're taking about... many of which I've deleted because people were just being jerks. I apologize for lumping you in with those.
But I have trouble believing it was truly in jest since you felt the need to further clarify with your second & third paragraphs, which are pretty silly statements considering the very test I demonstrated.
mikeadiddle 9 months ago
@mikeadiddle It was genuinely meant in jest It's a shame that you appeared to take it so personally, Aside from all that great vids and keep up the drumming and woodwork.
TopGear6666 9 months ago
Im sold ! Im in the middle of doing my kitchen floor at this time using that thick Alure flooring from Home Depot. Wasted 2 sheets at $10 a sheet trying to cut around the doorways. 3 more doorways and Im gonna wait till Harbor Freight opens this morning so I can get this tool. Looked at it for a long time and should have bought it a while back. Under-cutting the door trim to slide the tile in will look 100% better than what Im trying to do. Thanks for the great video !
dannyg40 11 months ago
I just bought one i really like it, kinda renders the reciprocating saw useless.
kurtgainz 11 months ago
you should not use tools if you do not know how to use them, the finger thing is stupid,
aragonesm 1 year ago
@aragonesm
Do you have one of these? If you do, I encourage you to try it. Do you realize that high speed, short travel reciprocating saws have been in use for decades for cutting off casts from people's bodies, precisely because they *won't* cut flesh? The distance the blade moves back and forth isn't far enough to cut skin. The blade just moves the skin with it. The only thing it does to you is tickle. I'm sure if you pushed hard enough, it would cut, but who's going to do that?
mikeadiddle 1 year ago
hey, this tool work without problem and the most important part is that at the end of the day you still have money in your pockets, compare one from any other brand and you'll see.
jojuma91 1 year ago
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((( SAFETY FIRST ))) Always unplug your power tools before changing bits, blades or wheels!!
MavStone 1 year ago
@MavStone
While that is a good rule-of-thumb, it's not really necessary with this tool as you can see from my demonstration of how it won't cut you.
mikeadiddle 1 year ago
All these multi-tools are copied from the medical profession's 'cast-cutting saws'. I remember the sound from when I had a cast cut off my arm when I was a kid.
tediam1 1 year ago
it's been over a year... any long term use update?
MetaView7 1 year ago
@MetaView7
I haven't really put it to any hard, prolonged use. There was HF coupon, recently, to get this thing for 20 bucks. This thing is certainly very loud, gets very warm, and numbs your hands a bit. I don't know if that's any different from the more expensive ones. There seems to be a few of the "name brand" ones going for $100.
I think this HF is worth 20 bucks to have as a spare, even if you have one of the other, more expensive ones.
mikeadiddle 1 year ago
@mikeadiddle thanks for your reply.
I heard all of them get hot after a few minutes of use. That's supposed to be normal.
MetaView7 1 year ago
does the e-cut blade just do plunge cuts or can you saw through the wood all the way like the moon blade?
c976061 1 year ago
Black Friday sales for 20 bucks
I am waiting for that sale
otunca 1 year ago
I like mine. It's really great for drywall, trim, grout removal, etc. It's nice to have a tool you don't have to be afraid of, too.
4sineweaver2 1 year ago
Read too many bad reviews, i.e. motor fails, crappy plastic motor parts failing, etc. Believe me, get the $99 Rigid Jobmax! 3 yr/lifetime parts/batteries etc Warranty. Rigid is one of the best I've seen, not like the crap from Harbor! You pay more for the Rigid, but it will last longer than 10 cheap tools. Plus, it's quality built, solid, powerful, comfortable, no irritating noise, and battery is truly a convenience for cutting where there's no outlet! in life some things are worth it!
shawnspeed3 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Just wondering what the "finger test" is really trying to accomplish? When you turn it on and it makes a loud noise I use the "ear test" as satisfactory evidence that the unit is on. I guess if you have an itch on your finger that's 1 way to get at it, otherwise just seems like an unnecessary risk.
abqgolfer 1 year ago
@abqgolfer
The finger test is to show that this device will not cut you.
In case you can't tell from the video, there is no blade guard on this tool. Some people might be concerned that the blade could cut you if you lost grip on the tool and perhaps it fell onto your leg or against your body.
That was my polite response, if case you weren't trying to be a jerk.
mikeadiddle 1 year ago 9
Nice tutorial. I just did a video on the variable speed HF model. It handled my grout work with ease. I found that the $14.99 grout cutter was ok... Felt the diamond coating should last longer, I used light pressure. I really wanted a Fein but I simply can't afford for the occasional use. Just starting a china cabinet refinish so I'm interested to see how it holds up.
mrwiggles2 1 year ago
hey guys before you do buy the fein as i was thinking of doing go price their replacement blades then youll decide to go with harbor freight my brother just bought one and it did everything we needed it to do now i might get the variable speed one but still its blades are alot cheaper to buy!!
speedwayman100 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this, I've been wondering about this thing for awhile now. Should be very helpful for my basic DIY projects. I'll give it a go. Just tried their Cutout Tool -- JUNK! Do not buy!
thebigsee 2 years ago
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MrItalyguy 2 years ago
Harbor Fright just came out with a variable speed Multi-tool for around $69.00. It also has soft start,and Case like the expensive brans, buy the Extended service plan$19.99 and your still under a hundred bucks,!!!! . Ive tried a couple other brans on job sites, Have to say Harbor Freight rates a good " 7 ". on a scale 1-10.
ElCarisoHS 2 years ago
Mike, where'd you get that nifty looking bench dog on the right?
Thanks for posting the video. With the oscillating motion I find the tool works best if you are plunging it directly forward rather than from the side. So if I'm cutting something low or want to come at it sideways I love the option of placing the blade in various angles for the best combination of convenience and cutting power.
thegallery 2 years ago
The bench dogs can also be found at Harbor freight.
tralphaz1 2 years ago
This tool has been great for me, way better than the much more expensive and less powerful dremel version. I bought it to cut some molding out of a wall and find I'm using it for all the purposes they show on TV. The rounded blade is great for drywall with perfect straight cuts and little mess.
thegallery 2 years ago
Wow that's a copy of dremels original one
caradetaco67 2 years ago
I believe Fein was the inventor of the original.
mikeadiddle 2 years ago 7
@mikeadiddle yup and believe me ive used other ones and fein is the best of them all its like a a ferrari among hyundais
reap62 1 year ago
@reap62
Try reading all the negative feedback on Amazon concerning the Fein - like 30% of the people. I'm avoiding the fein for those reasons. Maybe they WERE great at one time, but it seems now German manufacturers sold their country down the river by pissing away their manufacturing jobs to china just like we did. So basically the Fein Multimaster is a chinese tool, sold at German-built prices. Why bother ? Just buy a Rigid or the equivalent. I wouldn't give Fein a plug nickle.
applejak2000 10 months ago
@mikeadiddle Could be, but it costs 400$, and the HFT one was on sale for 19$ this xmas!
umajunkcollector 2 months ago
@caradetaco67 Which was a copy of Fein's original one.
statelypenguin 1 year ago
It's a good review overall...
But I think you have the half moon blade on backward perhaps.
I think the recess is for the nut to set into so you can use it flush on a surface.
I don't know (almost think not) that this makes any difference in use or cutting ability.
What I really wonder is if other blades work with this.
thelastmike 2 years ago
Good eye, Mike, but your assumption is correct... it doesn't matter.
The teeth are the same either way. The recess on the blade is there for flush cutting, like you said, but the blade works in any direction.
Sooner or later, I'll try some other manufacturers' blades on it, when I can get some one sale.
mikeadiddle 2 years ago
look in car mags for coupons there is one for this tool in a recent motor trend
liveforrock1 2 years ago
this video was helpful and made me really think about buying the harbor freight instead of the more expensive fein bocsh and rockwell multi tools my dads friend has a fein multi tool and it is amazing but for 400 hundred bucks i just cant afford it but with the harbor freight multi tool i can do basicly the same stuff
scotsrule08 2 years ago
This tool has quickly become one of my favorites. The things it can do well that other tools don't are flush cut and easily cut studs out of walls. I used it to flush cut my sub-floor along the cabinets and it went like warm butter. I do A/V work so I often have to remove studs for in-wall speakers and this is the best tool for the job I have found so far. I believe it will be the first tool I try if I ever have to remove grout. It's worth every penny.
BriansVideoHobby 2 years ago
I have to say that I like to buy from HFT, and that not all it 100 % perfect, (that's true) I have lots of tools from there and I'm happy with them , specialy if something go wrong they changed fast and ease, last time I got a husky jumper unit, $100.oo from Home Depot and after a year of occasional use the unit broke I went there and they said SORRY BUT IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM ANYMORE, equal unit from Harbor cost $50.oo + around $20.oo for 2 years replacement, so, can you see the difference ?
jojuma91 2 years ago
I have the same multi tool, in the begining I was considering the original but to way expensive, so I went with this one and it work well, maybe not like the $400.00 but hey, I still have $355.00 in my pocket :-) the tool it's perfect and pay 2 years replacent plan for $9.99 if something go wrong or even if I drop it they will replace it with no shipping shits or questions ask, beside they said Fein is germany but how can we 100 % sure that it has not labor or material in some parts from china
jojuma91 2 years ago
I agree with you on the quality of Fein vs. Harbor Freight stuff. But if a tool that cheap does the job, I'll buy it and consider it disposable.
By the way, just a little geography lesson...
"Fein" tools are made in Germany, not the USA, and Harbor Freight tools are made in China, not Japan.
mikeadiddle 2 years ago 2
I really appreciate that you posted your video here. I was also deciding on whether I should get the Fein Multimaster or the Harbor Freight Multitool. Of course, I went with the less expensive one. By the way, it would be great, if you could also post a video on the sanding pads. I really found your presentation very instructional in the most practical terms. Thank you very much. :D
courtneydev 2 years ago
How can we compete w/ these cheap chinese machine tools?we can't!!!! The FEIN multi-tool is $399,And while I think that is a little expensive, It is very well made.I remember when i bought some wrenchs from H.F. back in 1992,thinking I was real thrifty. I work w/ large complex machinery,and those cheap tools caused many a busted-knuckle.I melted them w/ ox-acet.torch and learned my lesson:BUY AMERICAN!! DONT BE A JAP-ASS!!!!!!!!
jaghoff 2 years ago
Good video thanks!
YooTooDude 2 years ago