MattF
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They do wear out quite quickly, on hardwoods.
You're best making one full depth cut, then inching along the cut line, without using quite the full blade width, on the following cuts.
- Thread starter steveo3002
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They do wear out quite quickly, on hardwoods.
You're best making one full depth cut, then inching along the cut line, without using quite the full blade width, on the following cuts.
From videos I've watched performance on the Milwaukee multi tool is excellent but blade replacement on the Dewalt far outweighs that. I would say the Dewalt blade replacement is the best on the market.
I used to be in the "Stick to one battery" camp but the reality is if you want the best tool often you will need to switch platform.
I have Snap On 14.4 when working on cars and that stuff just feels good in the hand.
Most of my other stuff is Dewalt but I have a Milwaukee grease gun because they cost half what a Dewalt one does and my eldest has about 6 Milwaukee chargers so all I needed was a bare tool and battery.
Milwaukee stuff is the flavour of the month but when you see a range of stuff back to back you see stuff which is nowhere near as a good as other brands.
I used to be in the "Stick to one battery" camp but the reality is if you want the best tool often you will need to switch platform.
I have Snap On 14.4 when working on cars and that stuff just feels good in the hand.
Most of my other stuff is Dewalt but I have a Milwaukee grease gun because they cost half what a Dewalt one does and my eldest has about 6 Milwaukee chargers so all I needed was a bare tool and battery.
Milwaukee stuff is the flavour of the month but when you see a range of stuff back to back you see stuff which is nowhere near as a good as other brands.
The world has gone mad with whole big battery situation. 100% they can provide better performance in some tools but when I see people running 12-AH batteries on drills it makes no sense unless you are doing for a specific reason. It makes the tool heavier and more cumbersome and you can probably buy 3x 5ah batteries for the same money. If I was drilling holes all day I take 3 5ah batteries over a 12ah every time.
The_Yellow_Ardvark
https://www.death-clock.org/
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Yes it does, plus any grout.
MattF
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I even have a 2AH, specifically for my compact SDS. Would defeat the point of why I got that tool, if I shoved a big battery on there.
Wouldn't mind getting some large Procores for the saws, but their price still makes my @rse pucker.
MattF
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& in reply to my own post, a gratuitous photo.
That's with a 5Ah battery on there. Note the large, easy to grasp, silver colour blade unlock lever too. They truly thought that design out well.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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- 230V Draper with a non standard blade fitting. Consigned to history.
- 230V Parkside. Was my go-to one.
- 20V Ferrex, dead, bought to convert to Makita batteries and killed it. Good only for parts.
- 18V Duratool, converted to take Makita batteries.
- 18V Fakita, my go-to tool now.
- 230V Parkside. Was my go-to one.
- 20V Ferrex, dead, bought to convert to Makita batteries and killed it. Good only for parts.
- 18V Duratool, converted to take Makita batteries.
- 18V Fakita, my go-to tool now.
Screwdriver
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Re: blade life. It is all about heat management. The tool does not need to be pushed into the workpiece, it can slowly nibble away at nails, boards, plaster etc. If you push into the workpiece the blade dies instantly. Similarly when they are used for a plunge cut, there's nowhere for the heat to go and they get HOT inside a slotted cut. Heat destroys the temper in the blade and even bimetal will suffer from softening.
Use them gently and while it might take a little longer, the blades will last a lot longer.
Use them gently and while it might take a little longer, the blades will last a lot longer.
I bought a Fein when they were the only manufacturer so must be 15 years old it has been invaluable easily outperforms my detail sander but it does eat blades when cutting FWIW I buy cheap blades when on offer in toolstation etc. and use them for anything questionable I save the Fein blades (best blades IMHO) for use in wood I am confident does not have nails etc. I will try some Saxon blades in future.
Blue Chips
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I have two oscillating tools:
- Cordless Bosch (early model, without the blade quick-change feature).
- Corded DeWalt (with a very good blade quick-change feature).
My primary use is for various home renovation/restoration tasks, but occasionally for metal work. There are far too many applications to mention, but here are a few quick examples:
- Sliding the blade under or between boards to cut off nails or screws, using carbide-teeth blades.
- Cutting rectangular holes in baseboard moulding for electrical receptacle boxes.
- Removing lime-putty mortar between bricks or grout between tiles, using a carbide-grit or (preferably IMHO) a diamond-grit blade.
- Etc.
For 90% (rhetorical figure) of my tasks, I use my corded DeWalt. My old cordless Bosch is handy when I'm working in a tight spot, or outdoors where a cord isn't always practical or convenient.
If you're going to cut off nails or screws, carbide-teeth blades are the way to go. However, from what I've found (so far), carbide blades tend to have smaller teeth, so if I'm cutting clean wood (free of any nails/plaster/mortar), I'll switch to a bi-metal blade with larger, more-aggressive teeth for quicker cutting. As alluded to above, I also use carbide-grit or diamond-grit blades for harder materials like plaster or mortar, and sometimes a diamond-grit blade for shaping openings in tile, etc.
You'll want to experiment with speed settings and pressure to get a feel for what combinations cut best and are easiest on the blades.
I've had pretty good luck with some of the aftermarket carbide-teeth blades, but I don't recall the brands offhand, and TBH, I haven't attempted to make any scientific longevity comparisons with major-brand blades. Generally, there is a tendency to get what you pay for, but there can be exceptions.
Overall, they're very useful tools.
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MetalMonkey
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Saxton and Shark used to be the brands recommended by a lot of people on various forums - I bought some Saxton ones, they are OK for the price.
I like the Bosch blades, but not at Bosch prices. I think Bosch are all swiss made.
Nomad
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I got a Milwaukee M12 as a gift (local Howdens furniture place often has offers in January to tempt in new trade accounts), very handy especially to cut something set deep with poor access (behind skirting boards etc, also as a light sander / detail sander.
A mate has a 240v mains one, I used that when I was putting down laminate and it has a lot more grunt but it's also a lot heavier.
Mine needs a hex key tho change the blades which is easy enough but a faff, some newer ones have a tool-less blade change system that would make things a lot nicer.
A mate has a 240v mains one, I used that when I was putting down laminate and it has a lot more grunt but it's also a lot heavier.
Mine needs a hex key tho change the blades which is easy enough but a faff, some newer ones have a tool-less blade change system that would make things a lot nicer.
Barking Mat
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Indispensable for 90° tight corner cutting in floors and a world of other uses.
steveo3002
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is there a link pls
500e
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Cheap blades, But they do get through blades buy the best
And don't forget they can be sharpened by putting slits in with a cutting disc in a grinder.
