Has anyone out there used the Fein Multimaster? Please tell me what you all think if you have. Looks good on TV but then again so does a lot of other stuff that is junk.
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Replies
Kind of depends on what you intend on using the tool for?
If you ask this question over at Breaktime (aka. Fine Homebuilding) you will get many responses telling you the tool is the best thing since sliced bread..
If you need to make a plunge cut into hardwood in a next to impossible to reach spot, or remove grout, or remove hardened putty it's the tool to have.
Used as a sander, when building furniture or cabinets, I didn't find the tool too useful. It is very aggressive, almost belt sander like (really!).
Edited 5/14/2009 5:12 pm ET by BOBABEUI
Edited 5/15/2009 8:04 am ET by BOBABEUI
I agree this is more a Fine Homebuilding tool. If you have such a need there are now multiple clones, since the patent expired, for half the price. I like the sonicblaster; comes in great for remodeling work.
I bought one when nothing else would work for undercutting doors etc in inaccesible spots for home improvement. Since then it's been gathering dust since it's not useful for furniture making. Even as a sander it tends to mark adjacent walls when you use it in tight spaces. The cost of blades was brutal, though given that there is now serious competition from dremel, bosch etc. that may change.
Jim
I own the original Multimaster. The tool is very useful for several home remodeling tasks, but as the others have said, doesn't have much application in furniture making. Fein's website is loaded with information regarding the tools uses. https://www.getmultimaster.com/vcc/feinpowertools/multimaster/190756/
If you truely have a use for the tool think about the Bosch or Dremel clones. They cost half as much and have all the same blades and functions.
gdblake
It's one of those tools that doesn't get much use, but when nothing, absolutely nothing else will do the job, it comes thru. The blades and other bits are crazy expensive. I've tried cobbling up cheap imitations, but they don't work.
I can't comment on it for sanding as I've never used it for that. I know someone who has, and felt there was no substitute (that was some years ago)
I've used mine long enough, and hard enough, that most, if not all of the stick-on labels have wilted off. The thing can get real hot cutting screw after screw. I also found it very effective for removing caulking from between planks on a woodenboat, with no damage to the plank's caulking bevels.
My biggest complaint (besides the crazy cost of the blades, etc) was that they would tend to rotate on the attachment point and loosen up. This has been corrected on newer models.
They are quite bulletproof. You might look for a used one, but do get one with the 'star' styled mount for the blades.
Ed:
Why would I look for a used one when, per my reply post, I already own one. I think you meant to send your message to the original poster.
gdblake
Oh dearie me, I hope he figures it out.
I was doing a carpentry job recently where we were replacing 24 fixed glass windows - big suckers, about 46x76 inches. The guys from the glazing company were using a MultiMaster to cut through the old caulk on the exterior stops.
It worked well and was pretty fast. The old caulk was so tough and stiff that we couldn't cut it very well with our utility knives. Their tool sliced right through it, though it took a couple of blades over the course of a couple of days of work.
I can't think of an application where I'd use it for cabinetmaking, though it might be something to have if one were doing on-site installations of kitchen cabinets, for instance.
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
I've owned one for over a year and keep wondering why I don't sell it.
It is an expensive (to buy and to operate) tool that works where not too many others will do.
I dunno about the clones, I'm kinda locked in. Searched and searched for alternative or cheaper blades to no avail.
Toasted the first 80 dollar blade in a few minutes when it hit a brad in some baseboard. 'Spensive learning curve
Toasted another blade from overheating.
Hey, the blade only vibrates, so the sawdust don't clear, you gotta rock the blade (swivel the tool) to give the blade opportunity to kick out the sawdust,
The blades are so hardened that they are brittler than a feller would expect.
'XSpensive lesson #3, left a blade on the machine, musta bounced around in the truck, cause when I opened it up next time, another 80$ blade was broke in half.
In retrospect, 240$ will buy a heck of a lot of the hypersharp olfa knife blades, but now I have the beast, and has paid the price of learning some of it's drawbacks, I accept it.
As a sander, I've used it to sand off paint from window sills- it is aggressive. but it will go into corners fairly well.
The scraper blade works well too
The carbide tools are a tad rough, I dunno if it would be good to use to clean out grout- methinks it would trash the tile real quick.
The literature makes mention of diamond blades, but no-one seems to stock them. They may be good for tiling, but who's to know?
On the safety side, I've used it to cut through layers of floor coverings, some of which might be the asbestos type, the oscillating blade don't raise dust like a circ saw would, so a HEPA vac hose beside the blade sucks up everything. Just gotta check for nails screws etc with a magnet first, or else there goes another blade.
Despite my use of it, I'm equivocal as to whether I would buy it again. Kinda like battery operated tools, Once you got the tool, yu gotta pay the price to get the battery that fits.....
Eric in Calgary
Read though the thread and cost seems to be the problem here.....
I will repeat an old comment but slightly update it.Buy a machine from Harbor Freight. The machine itself cost under $40.00 which is less than a Fein blade. Even better - a set of three HF blades (two different scrapers and a saw blade) cost $ 7.00!!!At these prices you can afford to buy a bunch of blades and throw them out as they get dull. For that matter, based on the cost of a Fein blades you could buy the HF tool use it once and throw the entire thing out and that would be cheaper than tossing one Fein saw blade! HF is the Rodney Dangerfield of tools, but then again I like Rodney (wow look at that shirt!! - but it looks good on you!)and HF!TT
I like good, well designed tools. I have tried the Multi Master. Next time I remodel a house, I will have one. I don't have one yet because I don't see a benefit for fine furniture making.
I used a MultiMaster to plunge cut a notch in a beam. It was like slicing through hot butter. And much cleaner than a SawZall.
I have looked at the knock offs at 1/2 to 1/4. You get what you pay for. The MultiMaster is a tank. The others are cheap Asian tools.
Fein is awfully proud of their blades.
Greg
•••••••
Exo 35:30-35
PS: Fine Homebuilding or the Journal of Light Construction did a comparison review of these tools. I know I read one. Do a Google search.
Edited 5/15/2009 9:05 am by Cincinnati
The Multimaster is a "fine" tool. You know immediately it's built to a higher standard than most power tools. Long cord, tough, ergonomic housing, great power and operation. It cuts through oscillation, the blade just buzzes back and forth, same with the scraping feature. As a sander, it's not random orbit so it leaves marks and can whack adjacent surfaces.
I used it installing cabinets. If I need to cut a piece of baseboard in place, a clapboard or trim some shims flush, it's great. It's not the type of saw where you would want to cut anything of much size. For example, a window frame that was projecting too far out from the drywall. Something like that would take many hours and be difficult to control and give a rough cut. If you had to cut the bottom of a door casing for hardwood or tile, it would be a good choice but not for more than a few cuts.
The commercials make it look more useful than it really is. A hand jab saw is much faster when cutting an outlet box in drywall. The blades are limited in reach. When I cut something in place, I have to be real careful not to cut whatever is behind and getting into corners is a bear. They make it look like a multi application tool, and it is, but those applications are fairly special. If you are a remodeling contractor, you would want one for those special uses that come along once in a while. As a home owner, DIYer, it's doubtful you would find much use for it.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I sell ( and own) the Fein Multimaster and would highly recommend it ----if you need it . I totally agree with the comments that it is not really a woodworking, or furniture tool. That said, I have seen a lot of trim and cabinet guys use it a lot on the jobsite. There are times when nothing else will do as others have stated. I have used mine cutting bolts off in concrete, notching metal studs, scrapping junk off the floor, cutting holes in sheetrock, etc. The biggest drawback I see is the price of the blades, which has been covered well here. There are cheaper alternatives, but I'm not sure the quality is there like Fein. For homeowner use I'm sure the others are fine. The Dremel seems light weight and maybe underpowered, but again that might work well for limited use. The Bosch is very convenient because it's cordless, but long term how much could you spend on replacement batteries? I've heard good things about the Rockwell, but don't have any personal experience. I have not sold a Fein yet that they didn't come back bragging on it.
I own one.
All of the previous comments are spot on.
It's a remodeling tool, and not for furniture making.
I have used it as a sander, on teak boat parts covered with peeling varnish. The convex and concave attachments turned a two hour job into ####15 minute job.
It is very well built, and will be around for as long as I'm wood working. For me, the cost, spread out over 40+ years, makes it a worth while purchase.
My 8 year old son won one in a raffle... he uses it to sand away while I work in the shop... he loves it!
we/he used it to sand his pinewood derby car this year.
I don't really have much use for it for furniture- though it did come in handy for sanding in some tight spot on some chairs I recently built
Jeff
"I don't really have much use for it for furniture"
I keep reading that it doesn't have much use for furniture making but I disagree. I keep it loaded with 400 grit sandpaper. It does a great job of sanding in hard to reach places. I had some runout of glue on a shelf dadoed into the side of a case that I didn't notice until it dried. It was just the ticket.
Even with 400 sandpaper it is pretty aggressive. I can't even begin to imagine what it would do with course grit.
"...Even with 400 sandpaper it is pretty aggressive. I can't even begin to imagine what it would do with course grit."
This statement is why others have said this has virtually no use for the fine furniture maker.
Are you saying you can sand into a corner without damaging the 90 degree side?
Does the MultiMaster have a hook and loop pad so I can cut Abralon 600 grit for it?Greg
<!---->•••••••
Exo 35:30-35<!---->
For me it's not only the aggressive grit that's the problem. The triangular pad is attached to a thin metal base that comes right to the edge of the pad, and contacts adjacent sides. It doesn't help that the sides of the "triangle" aren't straight, so that you're always presenting a narrow face to the sides, more likely to cause marring. Personally I'd use an old chisel or a scraper for glue lines.
Jim
The Fein Multimaster is a fine tool with many uses. However, since their patent ran out, several other companies have entered the market with cheaper alternatives. Bosch, Dremel, Rockwell, and even Harbor Freight have their own versions of the tool. To figure the relative merits, go onto some of the other woodworking forums (WoodNet, for example) or Google the names of the tools to get opinions.
Greg,I am pretty sure that Fein, has a H&L pad for the Multimaster, reason I say this is way back when I bought my Multimaster (the original model). I talked to Fein technical support about how aggressive the machine was, my Multimaster had a pressure sensitive (adhesive) pad that technical support said that made the unit even more aggressive. Fein shipped me a some H&L pads and a embarrassing large quantity of sandpaper for nothing, as much as I would love to say the H&L made a great difference, it really didn't.I will say that I was unbelievably impressed with Fein customer service.Edited 5/17/2009 10:14 am ET by BOBABEUI
Edited 5/17/2009 10:15 am ET by BOBABEUI
"Are you saying you can sand into a corner without damaging the 90 degree side?"
Yes
"Does the MultiMaster have a hook and loop pad so I can cut Abralon 600 grit for it?"
Yes
Jeff - thats a nice story about your son.
Him having a Fein power tool at 8 will lead to a lot of stories in the future and hopefully a lot of quality time together.
TT
I bought the Bosch a couple of weeks ago, and am using it on my kitchen remodel. Like others here have said, it has limited use, IMHO, but for some wierd cuts, nothing else will do. I read all the reviews of the Fein/Bosch/Dremel/Rockwell tools and decided on the Bosch for less than half the price of the Fein. I think the Bosch works quite well, but the battery life is only about 10 minutes of cutting. That's not a big deal for me, since I have 2 other Bosch tools using the same batteries, and I haven't needed any more run time than that at any one time. The Fein is certainly a much beefier tool, but at quite a premium price. I'm glad to hear about the Sears and Harbor Freight blades being much less expensive.
Yep, no way I would have spent $ 500.00 on a machine I might not use - regardless of what Bill & Judy on the informatials had to say.........
But having a knock off - I will say this. I love it! I have had two really difficult jobs to do that stopped me cold, and the only answer was this gizmo.
My wife just came home on Thursday with new "beautiful" trim tiles for the bathroom - to replace what we put in six months ago.........You know what tool I am going to pick up!
Best
TT
For what my opinion is worth. Hardly anything I would suppose...
I have one and only use it on 'special' projects that no other tool I have will do it easier. It IS a GREAT tool when you NEED it. I for one think it served me well!
The poster above said his Son uses the sander. I never used it for that. In fact I have never used it for sanding. Not that it will not do it well, Just never have. I only use it for cutting 'impossible' tasks.
The last time I used it, it was to replace some rotten cedar siding (very old wood). I could cut it out and hand fit a new section. I could find no other tool that worked as well. It is a bit expensive, but like any good tool... They are worth the price and mostly pay you back on a few 'jobs'.. Maybe even one job!
Edited 5/16/2009 2:28 am by WillGeorge
I picked up the harbor freight knockoff for 40.00 and use it and love it. Wouldn't love it for 300. I build chairs and find it very useful. Cutting legs parallel to floor for example; cutting off protruding legs and spindles. All kinds of things. don't like the sander though.
Does Harbor Freight sell blades that will work with the Fein?Also, does anyone know if the blades for the Bosch are compatible with Fein?There is a guy on Ebay who sells Fein style blades for about half the cost (of Fein), and they are very acceptable substitutes.On a general level, I've had the Fein machine for years, and I agree with other comments in this thread: great tool for remodeling and sometimes cabinet installation, but I've yet to use it for any cabinetmaking tasks.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Bosch blades fit old style Fein, but they don't fit the star shape on the new fein blade holder. BruceT
Are the Bosch blades less expensive than the price Fein charges for their brand?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
No, Bosch blades are not less expensive, but they have some sizes that Fein does not; 3/8" x 1 5/8", for instance; about $11.BruceT
I bought the Dremel clone and it stopped working after an hour. Dremel replaced it with no issue. I have only used it for sanding on a rather complicated set of chairs I am almost finished withand was happy I had it.
FYI
from the Dremel web site.
Q: Is the Dremel Multi-Max system compatible with other oscillating tool systems?
A: The Dremel Multi-Max tool only uses Dremel accessories. Dremel Multi-Max accessories are compatible with Fein Multimaster model 636 and Bosch Multi-X model PS-50.
ASK
Edited 5/20/2009 4:28 pm ET by ASK
Hi Knothole,
Old post but new Info!
Just bought a knock off at Harbor Freight for $ 39.00 And an extra set of blades (3)for $ 5.99!
Fabulous tool - there is a waiting list in all the stores for this tool. It is robust, and the attachments are excellent!!
I bought it to specifically remove Formica glue from a large area of sheet rock after a new granite counter was installed. It removed the glue in minutes with out damaging the wall, and it removed it all completely. Honestly, if I hadn't bought the took, I would have cut out the wall board and reconstructed the surface which would have taken a lot more time.
Go to Harbor Freight store or web site and but one, you will love it!
At this price you can afford to own the tool even if you use it rarely.
TT
I just made blades for mine from a buck "back" saw. Dumped the handle, cut the blade in to 1" wide strips with the angle grinder, bent to shape, drill a mounting hole with a 10mm diamond bit.
Tried a standard drill bit and the hardness of the steel was too much.
The HF tool works well and looks very much like the early Fein.
Edited 5/30/2009 7:43 pm ET by USAnigel
Hay USAnigel - that's a great idea to make your own blades, I plan to try it!
TT
I am constantly finding new applications for the Multimaster. As a cutting saw, I think it adds a rather unique dimension to the furniture makers arsenal. Here's a photo of me cutting out the waste in a butterfly mortise.
It is by no means junk. It is indeed finely crafted. But most of it's functions are impractical for the money. It does do a lot of neat things, but the bits and blades don't last very long. And they are pricey. You can definately get along without it unless you just have to have. I guess it does have it's place but I was not impressed. Sorry. :-(
Sears blades/scrapers FIT!!!!!
Just picked up a few.
HSS cir w/ flat, cuts drywall just a good as Fein @ 1/4 $$$
E-cut not so good, but plenty adequate at 1/4 $$$
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