Fein multitool

[MY63]

I bought this tool from Axminster I did not really have a use for it at the time. In my defence it was on the clearance table at a good price. I had the Aldi version which I could not really use because of the vibration.
Anyway this Fein version is fantastic very little vibration, It has paid for itself 10 times over during the flat renovation.
My issue is the blades, cutting holes for sockets we have worn the teeth off 10 some Bosch some Fein they are all wood and metal blades.
On advice of the Axminster guys I increased the speed of the machine to maximum which has given them a little more life. I have been cutting wooden flooring, plasterboard and plaster lath walls.
Am I buying the wrong blades or using the machine wrong?
Even though we have spent a lot on blades it has still saved hours of work.

 

[Lurker]

Try saxton blades, they don’t last any longer but are cheaper.

 

[chataigner]

Like you I have found the tool to be invaluable - mine is a Bosch, but essentially the same.

As for blades, I feel mine (also Bosch) have done pretty well. Cutting plaster and wood mainly, but also some copper pipe I've used a few blades, but not that many... Main advice is for wood, where I found fine tooth blades clog and heat up, then lose their hardness. Best results were with coarse tooth blades that clear easier, plus withdrawing the blade to let it clear whenever it feels like it's bogging down.

 

[MY63]

Like you I have found the tool to be invaluable - mine is a Bosch, but essentially the same.

As for blades, I feel mine (also Bosch) have done pretty well. Cutting plaster and wood mainly, but also some copper pipe I've used a few blades, but not that many... Main advice is for wood, where I found fine tooth blades clog and heat up, then lose their hardness. Best results were with coarse tooth blades that clear easier, plus withdrawing the blade to let it clear whenever it feels like it's bogging down.

Thanks that is a light bulb moment, I never thought about the blade clogging and heating up.

 

[Woodbloke]

SWIMBO bought me one last year and it's paid for itself already. Just after Christmas I ripped out our old composite kitchen sink where the mixer tap had been leaking for years turning the worktop at the rear into 'mush'. I had to enlarge and 'square out' the existing 'ole;



...and used the Fein to do the job. It turned a really difficult and messy job into one that was relatively easy - Rob

 

[novocaine]

plaster board has glass fibres in it.
you will blunt any blade you buy. so buy cheap for just doing plaster.

 

[AJB Temple]

A cautionary tale. I have posted elsewhere how brilliant the Fein multitool is. The armature then promptly burnt out just outside guarantee. I had it repaired at a cost of £110 and that tool failed in three months. I replaced it with another one which lasted less than a year. The fault in this one appears to be a wiring failure on the switch (which is very tight and fiddly) and I need to strip it and rewire a new switch and control unit. I keep meaning to send our electrical magician some internal snaps of it.

This is DIY use, but because of what I am doing, is probably closer to trade.

The repair guy said they will not stand up to sustained heavy use and you should stop as soon as the gearbox starts to get hot. It will get hot quite fast if you are cutting hard material such as seasoned oak.

I then switched to the much heavier duty Festool version (made by Fein in fact, but industrial spec) which has been outstanding. I find that for cutting things like hardened nails, it is a very bad idea to start on full speed. This just strips the blade teeth in the centre. I almost always start all cuts in anything at low speed, as this reduces the vibration and improves accuracy. In my experience, Festool/Fein blades are a great deal better than the cheap copies, especially for metal cutting. They come up in job lots sometimes on eBay and now and again I stock up.

Starlock is brilliant invention.

 

[Doug]

I don't do eBay or Amazon but a cabinet maker mate gets me multi tool blades from this company

https://www.rennietool.co.uk/collections/saw-blades

I think he gets different types of blades from them & is happy with them, he buys mainly from eBay as they do offers when they are even cheaper :shock:

As for their multi tool blades for what I use them for they are great

 

[Phil Pascoe]

. Main advice is for wood, where I found fine tooth blades clog and heat up, then lose their hardness. Best results were with coarse tooth blades that clear easier, plus withdrawing the blade to let it clear whenever it feels like it's bogging down.

Either Milwaukee or Saxton warn of this (I forget which). I use Saxton blades for the multitool (I have a Milwaukee Fuel ), mitre saw, tracksaw and jigsaw, I've not had a problem with them.

 

[Harv-53]

I’m fortunate to use the fein multi tool professionally and the blades are priced into the job price,I use shark branded blades and buy in bulk, I generally buy 100 wood and 100 wood/metal, I extend the working life of the aggressive wood ones by just nipping them with a thin blade in the angle grinder.
There is massive difference in blade quality but I don’t believe the fein ones are worth the cost, the cheap ones are complete crap, I’ve found that the shark ones good quality
I have still got my first fein multi tool which must be 14 years old now, I keep it for use at home as I’ve repaired it a few times and it is very temperamental.

 

[MY63]

I have ordered some shark blades £16 for three I paid that for 2 bosch blades from Axminster.
When using the tool last week I could not move the switch forward to turn it on, Then I had issues turning it off. It might have been an issue with dust. But concerning when it would not switch off. Axminster have said it needs to go away for a week.

 

[Doug71]

I remember years ago seeing the Fein Multi master being demonstrated at all the trade fairs and thinking it looked a real gimmicky tool. It was always the same chap demoing it and he always cut the heads off some nails with it then put his finger on the end of the oscillating blade and it didn't cut his finger. I always smiled to myself, shook my head and walked on.

How wrong I was! A couple of years later I realised the potential and got myself one, I hate to use the term but "Game changer". Like Adrian I burnt mine out, got it repaired then burnt out again a few months later. I was told you shouldn't run it for more than about 30mins at a time, if you needed longer to get the Supercut which was much heavier duty (same as the Festool).

I have a cordless Makita version, it's not the greatest tool but saves having to plug it in as I normally only need it for a few quick cuts.

I generally use Saxton blades but will be trying the others that have been mentioned.

 

[Doug]

To be honest Doug I’ve used most of the cheap ones & if it wasn’t for them having different brand names on them I’m convinced they are all made in the same factory.
For me in general the multi tool is a roughing out tool so I don’t see the point in buying expensive blades particularly as Sod’s law says as soon as I put a new blade on the machine I’ll hit something like a nail & knock the edge off it :eusa-doh:

 

[Craig Salisbury]

A cautionary tale. I have posted elsewhere how brilliant the Fein multitool is. The armature then promptly burnt out just outside guarantee. I had it repaired at a cost of £110 and that tool failed in three months. I replaced it with another one which lasted less than a year. The fault in this one appears to be a wiring failure on the switch (which is very tight and fiddly) and I need to strip it and rewire a new switch and control unit. I keep meaning to send our electrical magician some internal snaps of it.

This is DIY use, but because of what I am doing, is probably closer to trade.

The repair guy said they will not stand up to sustained heavy use and you should stop as soon as the gearbox starts to get hot. It will get hot quite fast if you are cutting hard material such as seasoned oak.

I then switched to the much heavier duty Festool version (made by Fein in fact, but industrial spec) which has been outstanding. I find that for cutting things like hardened nails, it is a very bad idea to start on full speed. This just strips the blade teeth in the centre. I almost always start all cuts in anything at low speed, as this reduces the vibration and improves accuracy. In my experience, Festool/Fein blades are a great deal better than the cheap copies, especially for metal cutting. They come up in job lots sometimes on eBay and now and again I stock up.

Starlock is brilliant invention.

To add to this, I saw a video of the difference in using dust extraction with the green model and without. With extraction, the blade was cooler and it cut better. its the next thing on my list to purchase.

 

[flying haggis]

I remember years ago seeing the Fein Multi master being demonstrated at all the trade fairs and thinking it looked a real gimmicky tool. It was always the same chap demoing it and he always cut the heads off some nails with it then put his finger on the end of the oscillating blade and it didn't cut his finger. I always smiled to myself, shook my head and walked on.

If i recall correctly they were originally designed to cut through plaster casts on legs, arms etc and the high speed oscillations cut the plaster and as you have seen doesnt then cut the skin as skin can move with the blade.

(I have the fein version, £10 at a car boot complete with case! and a ryobi cordless version. But can I get the blades to stay tight in the fein..... No I can not Oh for the newer version with the lever locking system)

 

[Cabinetman]

Whilst not disagreeing with you I certainly wouldn’t put any part of me up against the blade on mine, (an inexpensive one) it slipped whilst cutting some wood the other day and opened up the side of my finger, yes I know obviously my hand shouldn’t have been there

 

[HOJ]

put his finger on the end of the oscillating blade and it didn't cut his finger

I use the Fein, have for years, I can speak from experience that WITH the CORRECT blade (fine tooth semi circular) it will not cut skin, cut the wedding ring off pub landlady's finger (because it was too tight, that's all) having tried it myself obviously.. :twisted: