I use mine to cut drywall in my
house, it’s very useful for that
absolutely, they're cheap and amazing for plunge cuts, remodeling, and nibbling down trim to fit weird shapes
precision straight sided plunge and flush cuts with minimal risk to surrounding materials, finishes and body parts. Allows things like existing door casings to be cut to fit new flooring without removing them or risking damage from a traditional handsaw blade motion.
Can do much of the same work as a chisel, but faster and with less stress to the work being cut and in very tight spaces...like notching framing members inside of walls without having to tear out a huge access hole.
Also great for precision sanding where other tools cant reach, like for furniture refinishing and detailed moldings.
Precision scraping of paint and adhesive residue from floors, walls engine parts, etc. in areas that other tools can't reach and/or are too powerful for the material/ object being cleaned.
If you cant think of ways to use one then you probably dont do enough work where they're nice to have, and wont miss not having one...
but if you have any one process you do semi-regularly where they're advantageous and get one you won't be sorry and will likely find other uses that you never thought about, and will wonder how you lived without it.
Thanks anons. I mostly do small jobs, and I've been disappointed with tradies, so I'm probably gonna grab one. Cheers!
Blade selection is more important than any particular tool, so even if you get a cheap one you can test out whether you like any particular thing about them fairly easily.
>doesn't know what an oscillating tool is >"I've been disappointed by people who know what this is"
now you have an opportunity to be even more disappointed in yourself
For normal long cuts, getting the sheets to size, yeah scoring and snapping it is the way. This is more for the things you'd typically use a drywall saw for. Cutting irregular shapes and notches in it, cutting out holes for electrical boxes, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/xMaH0iX.jpg
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can't beat an instant outlet hole cutter
The way the tool oscillates, I can only see that making an awful mess of an hourglass-shaped hole.
it's obviously not meant for people who are gonna do it once in their own home, but if your job is installing 100 outlets a day then it's gonna be a huge advantage
cutting drywall, cutting caulking, making one cut on an installed piece of trim, cutting somewhere you don't want to get your jigsaw out, plunge cutting somewhere you can't reach, finishing a circ saw cut that the blade can't get to the end of, carving out material, scraping off a whole bunch of loose paint somewhere you can't pressure wash, using the sanding attachment. It's a tool you'll find many uses for.
Good for sanding in tight corners too with the triangle head. Even the little detail sanders don’t fit so well in those spots because you need your whole hand on top of the thing.
precision straight sided plunge and flush cuts with minimal risk to surrounding materials, finishes and body parts. Allows things like existing door casings to be cut to fit new flooring without removing them or risking damage from a traditional handsaw blade motion.
Can do much of the same work as a chisel, but faster and with less stress to the work being cut and in very tight spaces...like notching framing members inside of walls without having to tear out a huge access hole.
Also great for precision sanding where other tools cant reach, like for furniture refinishing and detailed moldings.
Precision scraping of paint and adhesive residue from floors, walls engine parts, etc. in areas that other tools can't reach and/or are too powerful for the material/ object being cleaned.
If you cant think of ways to use one then you probably dont do enough work where they're nice to have, and wont miss not having one...
but if you have any one process you do semi-regularly where they're advantageous and get one you won't be sorry and will likely find other uses that you never thought about, and will wonder how you lived without it.
got one on sale, hated it. grudgingly used it again later and realized how great it is in the right applications. I've used it a lot for trim work especially doing flooring in my house
It's for specific applications. It's absolutely not the tool to use for long straight cuts or even round cuts or anything large (except very soft materials), but it's the only tool that can reach into tight spaces to clear out concrete, slightly enlarge a hole in tile to fit a new socket/light switch without breaking anything, to plunge cut small square holes in wood/plastic/drywall/softer metals. It's extremely useful for a lot of niche applications.
Make sure to get a whole bunch of different attachments so when the day comes, you actually have the right one to do the job. Chinkshit ultra cheap ones are fine for casual use.
>different attachments
Speaking of that, I got a couple of the carbide grit ones at HF because they were on clearance for like $2. I paid like $20 or $25 for a single small little finger carbide grit one from Lowe’s when I was in the middle of the job, so now I snag that consumable shit when it’s on sale for cheap. Got a mispriced Milwaukee hole saw set for like 60% off retail awhile back too. Nice thing about having them around is also that you’re not forced to run an old burnt out blade or bit if you’re working it harder than expected.
It was frickin $30 and the only carbide grit multitool blade they had in stock… meanwhile $2 at HF, and I’m sure the DeWalt lasts longer than the Warrior brand, but still $30 is nuts.
It was frickin $30 and the only carbide grit multitool blade they had in stock… meanwhile $2 at HF, and I’m sure the DeWalt lasts longer than the Warrior brand, but still $30 is nuts.
It was frickin $30 and the only carbide grit multitool blade they had in stock… meanwhile $2 at HF, and I’m sure the DeWalt lasts longer than the Warrior brand, but still $30 is nuts.
>Chinkshit ultra cheap ones are fine for casual use.
Can confirm. I got a mastercraft on sale for a song and it's already paid me pack ten times over with all the home repairs I've done with it. It's my second most used power tool second only to my cheap chinese drill
Had to cut some acrylic out in a specific shape, really large piece.
Friend says he was going to just use a sawzall and drill for holes, I knew better but I didn't have any alternatives.
He had one of these and it worked extremely well. ended up putting the holes in with a soldering iron afterwards.
you don't need it until you need it, and some times you won't even know it's the best tool for the job
it's called a multitool for a reason. it has multiple uses. aside from what was mentioned ITT, I use mine at work for scraping Dicor off shit as well as making cuts in weird spots. if you can hold it level you can even cut plumbing with it in a pinch.
They're great cutting into things, eg: making a square for an electrical outlet. They're also great for hobby work where a dedicated sander or reciprocating saw would be overkill.
I use mine very little.
But one time I needed to remove a cracked pvc toilet flange that was on the outside of a 3" pipe, with bad access (2nd floor). With this, it was no hassle, took 2 minutes.
initially i hated that tool. The first time i used one i was a plumbers apprentice and i was making a larger cutout in a fiberglass shower/tub. Trying to cut a big oval hole in fiberglass with an old corded version of the tool? God it was the most abrasive and jarring experience i had in the industry up to that point. The whole tub and bathroom were vibrating and there was fiberglass dust flying everywhere, even with ear plugs and a mask it was not fun. Then i got older and i bought a new cordless one and sure enough it keeps proving itself useful for making tiny fairly precise cuts in tight places. I like the metabo cordless one, good value, smooth operation, pretty good tool free blade change mechanism.
Yeah, one caveat is that if the piece being cut is flexible or mounted flexibly even a tiny bit, a vibrating cutting tool will mostly just vibrate it back and forth much the same way that a Sawzall will jerk an unsupported pipe back and forth with minimal cutting action...except that a much smaller bit of movement will prevent the vibrating tool from working.
the 25 year old Oscillatoor >constantly renovating his house >never cuts anything straight, ever >plunges into the work even when doing through cuts >permanent white knuckle syndrome >"you know an oscillating tool would make that job really easy"
AAAHH I'M OSCILLOOTING
I cut out a cabinet to install a dishwasher and that tool came in very handy for getting the bottom and the back out. Useful for cutting out door trim to install flooring as well.
>Is it worth getting one?
Absolutely. They are for anything where an angle grinder is overkill and a dremel is too awkward/imprecise. Anything plastic. Any wood trim. Plunge cuts. Quick flush cuts if you're not worried about surrounding scratches. This is a tool I bought on sale because I didn't have. I had no specific use case in mind for it at the time but it has quickly become my most utilized tool outside of a drill. It addresses most situations where every other cutting tool isn't quite right.
if you can pick up one with some blades for 40 bucks jump on it. you may never use it, but when you need one it will be a godsend tool. I used mine enough to pay for 3 already.
cordless or corded? i'm already in bosch blue but the price difference is around $50 for used corded vs $250 for cheapest cordless. using it for a kitchen renno
Corded ends up being a bit of a hassle when you want to use it out around a property, but if you're always gonna be near a plug then it's no problem.
I used mine today to trim the tops off some fence posts and winding the extension cord out was a bit of a pain in the ass. Not a 200 dollar issue though.
I got a corded model, a Ridgid for like $80. Whenever I use it, I regret not spending an extra $40 on the cordless version. Same with my jigsaw except that was a bigger price difference because the corded jigsaw is a cheap Craftsman. I know the luddites will complain, but not having cords when you’re cutting in goofy tight spots is so nice.
acquired. it comes with a 5ah batt by redemption which softens the wallet hit slightly
I bought a Milwaukee M12 for plunge cuts, drywalling, etc. the battery vibrates itself out every minute. Kind of annoying. Used it for 1-2 jobs and haven't used it since.
Hey nice. I have the corded green bosch and it's a nicely built unit. I can imagine removing the cord and shifting to the slightly heftier cordless version is gonna be a big win.
Dope. Make sure you get the right blades. Bosch and Fein and some other multitools have the Starlock system, and I believe it’s a bit different than the universal blades that fit all of the non-Starlock tools.
I got a corded model, a Ridgid for like $80. Whenever I use it, I regret not spending an extra $40 on the cordless version. Same with my jigsaw except that was a bigger price difference because the corded jigsaw is a cheap Craftsman. I know the luddites will complain, but not having cords when you’re cutting in goofy tight spots is so nice.
cordless or corded? i'm already in bosch blue but the price difference is around $50 for used corded vs $250 for cheapest cordless. using it for a kitchen renno
Also the OMT comes out often for one random stupid cut. Slapping a battery in is way easier than unrolling extension cords. And when you’re using multiple corded tools, you have to run tons of extension cords or keep swapping plugs. So gay.
Still want 18V multitool, jigsaw, and full size 7-1/4” circ saw even though I have functional corded models
I have the Fein model. I am a home improvement contractor. I use mine for undercutting door jambs for installing new flooring, plunge cutting drywall for electrical boxes, and removing grout when replacing tiles.
Anyone try the Warrior 12v one? Yeah I know, "Warrior 12v" but these aren't heavy duty or high volume tools, and it seems smaller than anything else (even brushless) and cheap as frick.
I bought a Milwaukee M12 for plunge cuts, drywalling, etc. the battery vibrates itself out every minute. Kind of annoying. Used it for 1-2 jobs and haven't used it since.
Not so good as a clit toy it’s too powerful for real pleasure. Good for cutting bones though. You can even leave most of the meat and skin intact while making femurs foldable.
I had the perfect use case for this thing a few weeks ago. Instead of pulling all the door trim and casing off, I just did a plunge cut with the same attachment OP posted and replaced the rotted bottom 10" of the casing with minimal effect on the surrounding wood. saved me a couple hours at least.
i think the most satisfying use i have for one is when you install a new window or door and you have to spray foam around the jamb and it oozes out into the room a little bit and you can zip it all off in big pieces. Ew frick i had to use it on one job installing faux stone for this retired couple who were too cheap to rebuild their chimney, so they veneered it in this foam shit that needed to be cut to fit. Product was terrible but the zip tool worked perfectly.
cutting shit and yes
There's certain applications where they are really handy, but whether its worth getting one for you is a decision that only you can make.
This is like asking if a floor sander is worth getting..... If it would be useful for your work or applications, then Yes. Otherwise, no.
Thanks anons. I mostly do small jobs, and I've been disappointed with tradies, so I'm probably gonna grab one. Cheers!
Blade selection is more important than any particular tool, so even if you get a cheap one you can test out whether you like any particular thing about them fairly easily.
>doesn't know what an oscillating tool is
>"I've been disappointed by people who know what this is"
now you have an opportunity to be even more disappointed in yourself
I use mine to cut drywall in my
house, it’s very useful for that
Literally the best thing for drywall if one is careful
Only drawback with drywall is how much dust it produces. Good for detail work, but the old score'n'snap method is better for basic shaping.
Can't say I've ever seen someone use it unless the drywall is already hung.
For normal long cuts, getting the sheets to size, yeah scoring and snapping it is the way. This is more for the things you'd typically use a drywall saw for. Cutting irregular shapes and notches in it, cutting out holes for electrical boxes, etc.
The way the tool oscillates, I can only see that making an awful mess of an hourglass-shaped hole.
it's pretty good actually
it's obviously not meant for people who are gonna do it once in their own home, but if your job is installing 100 outlets a day then it's gonna be a huge advantage
cutting drywall, cutting caulking, making one cut on an installed piece of trim, cutting somewhere you don't want to get your jigsaw out, plunge cutting somewhere you can't reach, finishing a circ saw cut that the blade can't get to the end of, carving out material, scraping off a whole bunch of loose paint somewhere you can't pressure wash, using the sanding attachment. It's a tool you'll find many uses for.
chase it with a vacuum while cutting
can't beat an instant outlet hole cutter
holy kek. I can feel the vibrations from here.
>pull too hard
whoops just blew out some drywall
>cut the edge
whoops it's fricking janked now
Yeah I might be a skill-let but a multitool just works.
I use a 3/16 drill bit and my drill for drywall.
absolutely, they're cheap and amazing for plunge cuts, remodeling, and nibbling down trim to fit weird shapes
Good for sanding in tight corners too with the triangle head. Even the little detail sanders don’t fit so well in those spots because you need your whole hand on top of the thing.
precision straight sided plunge and flush cuts with minimal risk to surrounding materials, finishes and body parts. Allows things like existing door casings to be cut to fit new flooring without removing them or risking damage from a traditional handsaw blade motion.
Can do much of the same work as a chisel, but faster and with less stress to the work being cut and in very tight spaces...like notching framing members inside of walls without having to tear out a huge access hole.
Also great for precision sanding where other tools cant reach, like for furniture refinishing and detailed moldings.
Precision scraping of paint and adhesive residue from floors, walls engine parts, etc. in areas that other tools can't reach and/or are too powerful for the material/ object being cleaned.
If you cant think of ways to use one then you probably dont do enough work where they're nice to have, and wont miss not having one...
but if you have any one process you do semi-regularly where they're advantageous and get one you won't be sorry and will likely find other uses that you never thought about, and will wonder how you lived without it.
got one on sale, hated it. grudgingly used it again later and realized how great it is in the right applications. I've used it a lot for trim work especially doing flooring in my house
>what are they for
Nothing. Everything.
>worth getting
Not until you need one, and then you'll wonder why you ever didn't have one.
Knower.
It's for specific applications. It's absolutely not the tool to use for long straight cuts or even round cuts or anything large (except very soft materials), but it's the only tool that can reach into tight spaces to clear out concrete, slightly enlarge a hole in tile to fit a new socket/light switch without breaking anything, to plunge cut small square holes in wood/plastic/drywall/softer metals. It's extremely useful for a lot of niche applications.
Make sure to get a whole bunch of different attachments so when the day comes, you actually have the right one to do the job. Chinkshit ultra cheap ones are fine for casual use.
>different attachments
Speaking of that, I got a couple of the carbide grit ones at HF because they were on clearance for like $2. I paid like $20 or $25 for a single small little finger carbide grit one from Lowe’s when I was in the middle of the job, so now I snag that consumable shit when it’s on sale for cheap. Got a mispriced Milwaukee hole saw set for like 60% off retail awhile back too. Nice thing about having them around is also that you’re not forced to run an old burnt out blade or bit if you’re working it harder than expected.
It was frickin $30 and the only carbide grit multitool blade they had in stock… meanwhile $2 at HF, and I’m sure the DeWalt lasts longer than the Warrior brand, but still $30 is nuts.
nice blog post cuck
Wew buddy you think that’s a blogpost? Ask me which brand is the best!
who cares?
>Chinkshit ultra cheap ones are fine for casual use.
Can confirm. I got a mastercraft on sale for a song and it's already paid me pack ten times over with all the home repairs I've done with it. It's my second most used power tool second only to my cheap chinese drill
Your mother oscillates when I come over
Had to cut some acrylic out in a specific shape, really large piece.
Friend says he was going to just use a sawzall and drill for holes, I knew better but I didn't have any alternatives.
He had one of these and it worked extremely well. ended up putting the holes in with a soldering iron afterwards.
you don't need it until you need it, and some times you won't even know it's the best tool for the job
it's called a multitool for a reason. it has multiple uses. aside from what was mentioned ITT, I use mine at work for scraping Dicor off shit as well as making cuts in weird spots. if you can hold it level you can even cut plumbing with it in a pinch.
>t. RV tech.
clit rubber 9000
you need a special attachment for that
Probably one of the best tools you could have, next to a drill, a saw and hammer.
Even on drywall I use it more than a cutout tool.
what you do is order one, get an adapter from ebay, and attach a dildo at the end. lube it up and go to town. low speed only!
This. Someone should 3D print a hitachi magic wand accessory standard adaptor for them.
You’d be a millionare.
The original wand was corded with a 65 watt motor.
They're great cutting into things, eg: making a square for an electrical outlet. They're also great for hobby work where a dedicated sander or reciprocating saw would be overkill.
I use mine very little.
But one time I needed to remove a cracked pvc toilet flange that was on the outside of a 3" pipe, with bad access (2nd floor). With this, it was no hassle, took 2 minutes.
Just get a keyhole saw
initially i hated that tool. The first time i used one i was a plumbers apprentice and i was making a larger cutout in a fiberglass shower/tub. Trying to cut a big oval hole in fiberglass with an old corded version of the tool? God it was the most abrasive and jarring experience i had in the industry up to that point. The whole tub and bathroom were vibrating and there was fiberglass dust flying everywhere, even with ear plugs and a mask it was not fun. Then i got older and i bought a new cordless one and sure enough it keeps proving itself useful for making tiny fairly precise cuts in tight places. I like the metabo cordless one, good value, smooth operation, pretty good tool free blade change mechanism.
>The whole tub and bathroom were vibrating
Yeah, one caveat is that if the piece being cut is flexible or mounted flexibly even a tiny bit, a vibrating cutting tool will mostly just vibrate it back and forth much the same way that a Sawzall will jerk an unsupported pipe back and forth with minimal cutting action...except that a much smaller bit of movement will prevent the vibrating tool from working.
vibrators for real men
the 25 year old Oscillatoor
>constantly renovating his house
>never cuts anything straight, ever
>plunges into the work even when doing through cuts
>permanent white knuckle syndrome
>"you know an oscillating tool would make that job really easy"
AAAHH I'M OSCILLOOTING
I cut out a cabinet to install a dishwasher and that tool came in very handy for getting the bottom and the back out. Useful for cutting out door trim to install flooring as well.
>Is it worth getting one?
Absolutely. They are for anything where an angle grinder is overkill and a dremel is too awkward/imprecise. Anything plastic. Any wood trim. Plunge cuts. Quick flush cuts if you're not worried about surrounding scratches. This is a tool I bought on sale because I didn't have. I had no specific use case in mind for it at the time but it has quickly become my most utilized tool outside of a drill. It addresses most situations where every other cutting tool isn't quite right.
Think of it like a power chisel combined with a sander.
power chisel is actually a really good term i'm surprised i've never heard anybody use it
if you can pick up one with some blades for 40 bucks jump on it. you may never use it, but when you need one it will be a godsend tool. I used mine enough to pay for 3 already.
They are great! I use mine for all kinds of stuff. Get one and discover the magical world of oscillation Anon.
cordless or corded? i'm already in bosch blue but the price difference is around $50 for used corded vs $250 for cheapest cordless. using it for a kitchen renno
Corded ends up being a bit of a hassle when you want to use it out around a property, but if you're always gonna be near a plug then it's no problem.
I used mine today to trim the tops off some fence posts and winding the extension cord out was a bit of a pain in the ass. Not a 200 dollar issue though.
acquired. it comes with a 5ah batt by redemption which softens the wallet hit slightly
send it back and tell them to fix their shit
Hey nice. I have the corded green bosch and it's a nicely built unit. I can imagine removing the cord and shifting to the slightly heftier cordless version is gonna be a big win.
Dope. Make sure you get the right blades. Bosch and Fein and some other multitools have the Starlock system, and I believe it’s a bit different than the universal blades that fit all of the non-Starlock tools.
I got a corded model, a Ridgid for like $80. Whenever I use it, I regret not spending an extra $40 on the cordless version. Same with my jigsaw except that was a bigger price difference because the corded jigsaw is a cheap Craftsman. I know the luddites will complain, but not having cords when you’re cutting in goofy tight spots is so nice.
Also the OMT comes out often for one random stupid cut. Slapping a battery in is way easier than unrolling extension cords. And when you’re using multiple corded tools, you have to run tons of extension cords or keep swapping plugs. So gay.
Still want 18V multitool, jigsaw, and full size 7-1/4” circ saw even though I have functional corded models
I have the Fein model. I am a home improvement contractor. I use mine for undercutting door jambs for installing new flooring, plunge cutting drywall for electrical boxes, and removing grout when replacing tiles.
Anyone try the Warrior 12v one? Yeah I know, "Warrior 12v" but these aren't heavy duty or high volume tools, and it seems smaller than anything else (even brushless) and cheap as frick.
I bought a Milwaukee M12 for plunge cuts, drywalling, etc. the battery vibrates itself out every minute. Kind of annoying. Used it for 1-2 jobs and haven't used it since.
Good for cutting tongue and groove hardwood floors to pull out broken boards for replacement.
Not so good as a clit toy it’s too powerful for real pleasure. Good for cutting bones though. You can even leave most of the meat and skin intact while making femurs foldable.
I use mine mainly for cutting johnny nuts and bolts after they get stripped/rusted out on toilets.
Good tool.
Yep, that too.
I had the perfect use case for this thing a few weeks ago. Instead of pulling all the door trim and casing off, I just did a plunge cut with the same attachment OP posted and replaced the rotted bottom 10" of the casing with minimal effect on the surrounding wood. saved me a couple hours at least.
i think the most satisfying use i have for one is when you install a new window or door and you have to spray foam around the jamb and it oozes out into the room a little bit and you can zip it all off in big pieces. Ew frick i had to use it on one job installing faux stone for this retired couple who were too cheap to rebuild their chimney, so they veneered it in this foam shit that needed to be cut to fit. Product was terrible but the zip tool worked perfectly.