Comments on: Hot or Not? The Fein MultiMaster

By: Gordon

Gordon — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:08:32 +0000

Didn’t Fein’s patent recently expire, and that’s why you now see less-expensive clones from Bosch and Dremel?

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:35:09 +0000

I like it alot better when shes holding it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL7xAqwmvVE&feature=related

By: MeasureOnceCutTwice

MeasureOnceCutTwice — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:55:35 +0000

P.S. By the end the teeth on the blade were almost worn away, but that doesn’t affect the cutting action in the concrete foam block. Win!

By: MeasureOnceCutTwice

MeasureOnceCutTwice — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:53:28 +0000

I just finished another job using one of these, and it was awesome. Here in China most non-loadbearing walls are made of lightweight foamed concrete block - easy to cut with a saw. It’s skim coated with plaster. I had to make a hole in a wall for a cat door in a finished area of a house. There was a ZERO dust tolerance policy, and not enough room to put up a proper dust room. I drilled a ring of holes around the perimeter of the hole and popped off the plaster (the brown coat is too hard for the Multimaster) and then went to town with a wood/metal tongue-like saw in the Fein. It cut like butter, and the shop vac easily captured the little dust it made. I ended up with a nice smooth tunnel that I skim coated, and the cat door covered the chewed edges where I used the drill on the plaster. I can’t think of a better way than the Fein.

By: jim fursdon

jim fursdon — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:19:43 +0000

The Multimaster is brilliant tool. It will do everything it is advertised to do, BUT.
Dont bother to use it a a sander. It merely orbits and soon clogs the paper. For sanding use a random orbit sander. Much faster, more effective and the sheets cost much less.
Sawing. Brilliant with any of the saws. It will plunge cut where no other tool can get near the job, it cuts sheet material beautifully. It is as precise as a surgeon’s knife. It will cut whole sheets of brittle plastic laminate without a chip or split. BUT! BUT! BUT!
Only use it if you cant do a job any other way because the cost of the blades is disgraceful. They are a disgusting rip off. The blades cost at least three times what they should.
Why don’t the management realise that if their blades were sold at a fair price the Mulitmaster would be used much more frequently by many more people, so they would sell more machines and many more blades. We could also then love the company, rather than detest them for their greed. Their attitude and policy just makes me very cross and exasperated.

There is a big opening here for someone to produce ‘compatible’ blades. Please advise if you hear of anyone doing this.

By: Mike lee

Mike lee — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:41:47 +0000

This tool is too expensive for me. What I did was to buy the knockoff from dremal. It cost me $99. I haven’t used it het. When I do, I will let you guys know how it works.

By: ricketyclick » Blog Archive » Tool Find: Fein Multimaster Vibrating Saw

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:41:28 +0000

[...] What? Oh, of course Toolmonger’s discussed it. The key to loving it, though, is to see it as a saw, not a detail sander, which is apparently how many folks were introduced to it. [...]

By: Dave Moore

Dave Moore — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:38:57 +0000

Just FYI, this tool is based on what doctors know as the Stryker saw. Not only does it cut casts without cutting the skin, it also cuts bone without damaging surrounding soft tissue.

I want one.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:32:10 +0000

My dad has one of these, we weren’t to impressed with the sander, but as a saw, wow, there is nothing that even compares to this tool. This tool will cut in areas where you simply can’t get any other tool. It’s loud and annoying and expensive, but worth it’s weight in gold.

The really crazy thing about this saw is, with the correct blade, due to it’s vibrating motion, it will not cut skin, but will cut rigid materials, like wood. This is why some doctors use it to cut off casts- they can cut into the cast without fear of hurting the skin underneath.

Anyways, I want to get one of these saws soon, after all the difficult cuts that I can’t get to any other way besides chiseling, which would be so easy with this saw.

Oh, and there is a saying that you can judge tool quality based on cord length, and these things come with a really long cord.

By: Manuel Z

Manuel Z — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:51:23 +0000

Ok this has become a discussion on nothing to do with this AMAZING TOOL!
I work in the home remodelling industry, I’ve used this tool for demolition It plunge cuts which you can’t do with a reciprocating saw “SAWSALL”. if you need to make a quick cut in drywall or a long straight cut it will give you an almost perfect line cut (Depends on your steadiness).
I’ve used this tool while laying out a shower pan, if you have a high spot you can smooth it down with the diamond grinding head and there will not be a room full of dust as with a MINI GRINDER. When I have a chipped, broken or offset tile. this tool will cut the grout so I can chip out the tile then it will grind away the old thin-set with no problem.
I refinished an old hardwood floor that had a lot of rotten boards. with this tool I was able to add toungues and grooves to any place I plunge cut a board away.
I bought mine used for about $150 (Tool plus a couple blades) but it made me over $700 the first time I used it! and in the past 4-5 months I’ve owned it… I’ve made several thousand dollars and saved countless hours of labor with it. When someone needs it they say “BRING ME THE MASTER!” one of the guys still refers to it as “That Neat-O tool”
The blades are very expensive but I discovered ways to make a lot of my own blades. Here are a few ideas, Pizza cutter head is like a utility knife with an attitude. I purchased a laminate saw, removed the handle and hut it into 4 pieces, thr rounded end a 1″, 2″ & 3″ blades. I bought a buck brothers replacement planer blade and it works amazingly with this tool.

BUY ONE, you won’t regret it. All my co-workers want one but can’t afford it (YET) I tell them to buy a used on on ebay like I did.

If you need more ideas or have Q’s… E-mail me
Search for “Manuel Z” on the internet (I’m a fisherman)

By: Brock

Brock — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:56:04 +0000

I forgot to add, the new model with tool-less blade change also has more juice. The ‘Top’ seems to be the replacement for the ‘XL’ adding; tool-less blade change, more accessories and more power. The box changed from the old gray metal to a new orange plastic and apparently cost about $100 less.

By: Brock

Brock — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:44:06 +0000

I picked up one of these mack daddies a couple of month ago (doing research is how on it is how I came across this sight, nice work). They are AWESOME. I have the new model with the star mount (no tool required to change attachments) and variable speed.

The kit Fein MultiMaster Top FMM 250 Q comes with vented and unvented hook and loop mounting pads, 5 each of 60,80,120,180 sanding sheets (perforated and unperforated, 5 of each), universal E-cut saw blade, HSS segmented blade, carbide grout blade, carbide rasp (this bad boy eats every thing in a hurry), rigid scraper blade (they make a flexible blade too), profile sanding kit (6 different profile plates), dust extraction device and a solid plastic case with separate removable compartments for the blades and sanding sheets. There are several other attachments they make as well (soon to be added). Oh yeah, I found it at a local supplier for about $50 less than any web price I could find, plus I got a hat. How cool is that?

I bought it because I’m in the process of remodeling a log house my parents bought and this tool claimed to be the solution to many of my headaches. So it is getting the full treatment. I will post pics when all is done.

You probably know someone like me, if the manufacture says it will survive a 10 story drop on concrete, you’ll find me 10 stories up with a wet receipt still in my pocket. What can I say, if it’s gonna fail, I’m going to make sure it does during the warranty or not for 10 years. So far this little beaut is all Fein says it is “the universal system for remodeling and renovation”. It is also touted as the ‘hobbiest favorite’. We’ll see, after the renovation comes the build and install of 4 trains and couple thousand feet of track, landscape, city scape and other miscellaneous model RR paraphernalia for the parents.

So far it’s rapidly replacing more and more hand tools and a couple of power tools as a ‘must have in reach’ tool.

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http://win4d-with-kumantong.blogspot.com — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:35:57 +0000

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By: Toolmonger » Blog Archive » Hot or Not Roundup

Toolmonger » Blog Archive » Hot or Not Roundup — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:34:25 +0000

[...] The Fein MultiMaster: Hot. All commenters who actually had their hands on one of these uber-priced multi-tools had good things to say about it, while everyone else carried on none-less-interesting discussion on the terms “reciprocating” and “oscilating.” Check it out. [...]

By: Bob H

Bob H — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 02:00:04 +0000

I’ve used one while doing detail work on log homes, where nice clean, splinter free cuts were required in the logs to fit in the trim. It worked fantastic, though something bigger would have been nice. Its worth the price if it saves you time and money, like it did for my boss. The blade could come loose a bit, which was a small, tolerable problem. I’ve not used it as a sander, but as mentioned above, if you don’t have a variable speed model I suspect this puppy is a bit overpowered.

The saw blades are spendy, even on line. The seemed to crack and break before they got dull. The metal might be a bit too brittle. But they worked great and did the job better than anything else I’ve encountered.

Problems aside, I still lust after one of my own. I’ve had several instances where it would have been the perfect tool for the job at hand, and not having it was a pain.

By: john f

john f — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 01:46:19 +0000

This is a great tool. It really does work as advertised, and if you need to cut small openings in sheetrock with minimal mess this is really the tool to have. Yes the expendables (including saw blades) are not cheap, but what is your time worth? How about the money saved not ruining expensive materials. Oh and by the way, it comes with a really long power cord.

By: F451

F451 — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:35:42 +0000

I own the variable speed model. The price is high, as are the expendables. However, that should not dissuade potential buyers as the results are well worth it. The tool itself is well-made and unique in it balance and cutting ability. A real time saver like no other when this tool is called upon.

By: wm sanders

wm sanders — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:30:44 +0000

I have one and I love it. Works great with the stock sanding pad and the saw blades, haven’t had so much luck with the scraper ( well to be fair I was using in on multiple layers of paint some of which had to be 90 years old, NOTHING works well on that). I did try the detail sanding attachment and was VERY disapointed, runs so fast that it almost melts the rubber platens and sandpaper lasts about a minute. I think it would work better on a multi-speed model.

By: Blind

Blind — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:12:35 +0000

“os·cil·late /ˈɒsəˌleɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[os-uh-leyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
–verb (used without object)
1. to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does.”

First time in my entire life I’ve ever heard that oscillate specifically refers to a reciprocating motion through an arc, but ok.

By: MrFixit

MrFixit — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:48:57 +0000

I’ve had a multimaster for a while, and for remodeling, it’s invaluable. I cut in some new trim (doors and windows) into existing base molding and wainscoting. The multimaster with the cutting attachment made quick work of the job, and the cuts were very clean as well. Sanding works as advertised; I prefer the tool for the scraping/cutting aspects.

I also used the cutter for removing the bottoms of old trim when I put in new tile. Again, quick and painless - well, after a while the vibration gets to your arms, but heck, it was better and faster than cutting with a japanese saw. Funny thing is, that’s what a journeyman carpenter that I have help me calls this thing - an electric japanese saw!

The grout remover worked better and *way* faster than I thought it would. Be careful not to press hard or you’ll do some serious damage!

By: Kitchen

Kitchen — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:31:40 +0000

I’ve used one and used to sell them too. My personal experience with them has been in detail sanding, and it really can get into some tight corners and remove material very effectively.

The store I worked at always had homeowners and contractors coming in for more blades. Apparently as a scraper or sort of mini trim saw they can do some great work. The price was high, but usually we were selling them to contractors who were doing a lot of trim or trim restoration.

By: Matthew Spitzer

Matthew Spitzer — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:23:54 +0000

I’ve used one on the job for a couple years- mainly renovation work. Works great as a detail sander - it can really move some material with a 60 grit pad.
The REAL beauty for the Fein is with one of their cutting blades. It is really unbelievable - plunging vertically into 3/4″ oak to make a flooring patch, plunging into lapped cedar siding to make a new scarf joint for a patch. You get the idea. We even use it to quickly cut all the shims flush on a newly installed door or window. Its works equally well as a detail cutter as it does as a detail sander.
They also sell a dust collection attachment, but I was not very impressed with it and would probably skip it.
I don’t personally own it, so I too have balked at getting one of my own. But I know the moment I need one and I’m with out, Amazon may finally have to cough up the one they’ve been holding for me.

By: stellabotamy

stellabotamy — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:28:25 +0000

Works great when doing detail sanding work. Hopefully the new version that has a star shaped blade connector will help keep really expensive saw blades from slipping so much. The scraping and grout removal tools are great.

By: John Laur

John Laur — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:09:14 +0000

It’s got a movement like an orbit sander. Price seems really steep though and I hate having to do velcro-backed sandpaper… Do they try to gouge you on the “sanding pads” too?

By: Julian Tracy

Julian Tracy — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 21:19:52 +0000

If you do any kind of remodel work or custom work this tool will be invaluable to you.

It does everything it says it will and most of those things would not be possible with any other tool with the same end results.

HDTool.net had a great deal going on them recently, otherwise Coastal tool is always a great place to get em. I’ve used mine for every concievable task, often to the point of it being hot to the touch - it is an industrial quality tool that will be replaced immediately if it ever gets lost or stolen.

Hot - no question.

Oh, it does a decent job of sanding too.

Julian