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My immediate application is for cutting out bits of soffit and other rotten exterior woodwork, but I can imagine future jobs like cutting holes in the floor, and in th back of wardrobes to access hidden sockets etc etc.
I’m quite attracted to the Bosch one as it seems to have a good ecosystem of attachments for doing different jobs, but I know there is some nose-turning-up at Bosch kit, so I’d be interested to hear of folks advice for something that’s relatively future proof but not excessively speedy. I’m a ham-fisted DIY’er, not a professional joiner! Thanks for your thoughts!!
Why don't people like Bosche?
They only Bosche thing I have is a food blender but its lasted loads longer than the Smeg one it replaced and is still going strong
I bought a budget Draper one. It is loud and vibrates quite harshly , but the attachments seem to be universal, so I can get replacement blades/new bits easily from anywhere.
Do you already own power tools with batteries? That’s usually a good place to start. Doesn’t really matter which system you use for DIY but staying with one is normally the best way.
I use DeWalt for what it’s worth (with Saxton blades usually) it’s see’s professional use daily and has lasted well so far.
Got the Bosch green one. Love it
I bought a Mac Allister one from Screwfix for £40 to do a task in the bathroom that really couldn't be done easily any other way - it paid for itself in one use, to be honest.
My understanding is that most, if not all of the tools have compatible mounting plates, so you can pretty much swap tool pieces between manufacturers. I could be wrong on this, but they all look very similar.
I borrowed a Bosch tool from a friend a few years back & that was perhaps a little smaller (and more ergonomic) than the Mac Allister one I purchased, but as an occasional DIYer, it didn't seem worth spending any more money.
Nowt wrong with Bosch.
I've got a Makita cordless but had a corded one before that.
Both very good and incredibly handy when you need them.
I keep meaning to try to cut dovetails with it 😀
If you've already committed to a battery platform get that. If you're going corded then one with the best deal and the more common fitting system I suppose.
Tip- When cutting with the saw type blade, make sure to move the blade around a bit. It allows the waste to clear the teeth and is less prone to burn.
Do you already own power tools with batteries?
Yes, Some Bosch ones :-). But I was looking at the mains multi-tool. Do folk recommend spending the extra on a battery model?
, so I’d be interested to hear of folks advice for something that’s relatively future proof but not excessively speedy
whether its corded or cordless will be a factor for this - cheaper multi tools seem to have a smaller stroke and cut slower as a result - that means more time to make a cut but if you're running off a battery thats less cutting per charge. If its a cheap battery thats less cutting again and if its a cheap charger then recharging can take a long time.
Being tethered by a cable curtails a lot of the flexibility of the tool really as they're ideal for awkward access and weird angles and so on
If the things you do with it really are quite internittent then thats fine that the cheaper ones can't do a lot of work - but they can be good tools for things like detail sanding and so on and for that purpose you'd want a longer run time
Been really happy with my Bosch corded one. Fits all the other brands of attachments, which I usually just pick up at Screwfix on the cheapest basis as I need them.
A decent starter pack usually comes with a couple of blades plus the sanding attachment. Can do an amazing amount with very little extras.
Do folk recommend spending the extra on a battery model?
For something like this, yes. You are usually trying to get into awkward spaces and not doing huge amounts of cutting or sanding so it is perfect for a battery
Do folk recommend spending the extra on a battery model?
Yes. The corded ones are a pain as soon as you get them away from a workbench or a nice open work area.
Which, TBH, is exactly what they are designed for.
Thanks all - very useful and reassuring 🙂
I got a cheap Aldi mains powered one and it's great. Only issue is that it only works with certain types of blade fitment. Can't remember which brand/pattern now but I remember buying some cheaper earauber blades and they didn't fit.
Got the Bosch green one. Love it
Me too, but pretty much the opposite. Screams like a banshee and prone to jumping about at the lower speeds. Other than that and the fact i got it new for 15 quid, it does the job.
FWIW, i got the dewalt one, double discount, so it wasn't too painful to buy.
I got the grey screwfix one AGES ago..corded...
Works great, as you would expect...
If I were to live that particular decision of my life again, I'd get a bosch pro cordless one as I've already got 2 4ah batteries....
DrP
also got the bosch green one. Works fine, but its a fairly slow tool to use generally. Quick on things like plasterboard, takes forever to trim down a wooden skirting to get flooring underneath it
A follow up question - for cutting bits of 1/2 inch plywood to patch the soffits, I’m guessing the multi tool may not be sufficient so do you recommend a reciprocating saw or a circular saw?
(I’m discovering that power tools are fun and also not as expensive as, say, bike bits, and definitely cheaper than photography kit!!)
I'd tend to use a jigsaw with a fine blade (high TPI count) for plywood.
Circular saw should be fine, get ad many teeth as possible on the blade.
You won't get it straight with a reciprocating saw
I would only ever use my oscillating cutter when there's no access for any other kind of saw. Its an absolute winner when thats the case, but a bit rubbish for other jobs.
for soffits I'd use a circular saw as its easier to get a straight line than with a jigsaw.
I bought a cheapo one from clas ohlson when doing up our last house. Killed it in a couple of months, think it had some rubbish gearing. Upgraded to dewalt one, far better. Great for renovating sash windows etc, cutting out rotten wood but never manage much precision from it.
(I’m discovering that power tools are fun and also not as expensive as, say, bike bits, and definitely cheaper than photography kit!!)
This sounds like the beginning of a deep and expensive rabbit hole🙂
Why not get a bare Bosch cordless one and use with your existing batteries?
I've got an older Bosch corded tool and it is decent. The only issue I have is the velco on the sanding pad is not very strong, it is also a little chonky to hold compared to some of the other options nowadays.
I suspect that a tool-less attachment change is a good feature to pay for: especially when sanding, you could then have a couple of sanding pads and are more likely to go through the right sandpaper grades.
Im going to point the OP away from hand held circular saws. Theyre a dangerous bit of kit and you really should know the ins and outs of using one. Too many DIYers have cut off their fingers so its completely unlike an oscillating saw or jig saw.
Oh and of course, you do not want to be doing long cuts with a multi tool.
A jigsaw should do fine for cutting 1/2" ply. If the old soffits are not completely falling apart then you could just screw those onto your sheet stock to saw around as a template
Sure a circular saw will do straighter cuts, but is a relatively big bit of kit to keep around, you do need to take quite a bit of care to use it safely, and soffits don't tend to be things people get to see up close.
Had the Bosch one - it failed within 3 months. Bought a makita one (with chuckless blade changing) and it’s done years of service.
Im going to point the OP away from hand held circular saws. Theyre a dangerous bit of kit and you really should know the ins and outs of using one. Too many DIYers have cut off their fingers so its completely unlike an oscillating saw or jig saw.
Good point. Thanks. I’m ham-fisted enough even with the standard number of fingers. No sense making it worse unnecessarily!!
I had a basic green Bosch corded one and it was fine, only switched to cordless Makita because it came up cheap and I found I mostly used it for quick little jobs where running an extension was a faff.
Just make sure it takes the (cheap) generic flat blades, some have gone to Starlock which is a great system if someone else is paying but locks you in to that type.
why don't people like Bosch?
Worth bearing in mind there are effectively two Bosches - Blue is the pro stuff which is generally of very good quality, and the Green stuff for domestic use which can be a bit more variable. Some of it is great, some of it is pretty ropey. Most of my cordless stuff is DeWalt, but I have two cabled Bosch routers and they've both been dependable bits of kit.
I've got a cabled blue Bosch one. Works fine, but I slightly wish I'd got a battery one, as its one of those tools that when you need to use it, you generally need it ready to go, right there, right then, not have to faff around with sorting out a powersupply first. (mine does have a 4m cable on, so its not too much of a PITA)
The other thing is to make sure you have plenty of blade options ready to use. Once I'd worn out the original supplied blades, I managed to avoid buying any new ones for a while - and then ended up doing stuff the old, hard, slow way with hand tools as it was still quicker than doing another Screwfix run for more blades for the expensive powertool that was sitting in its box collecting dust.
FWIW I have a whole load of Green Bosch. Routers, drills, sanders and so on. All corded. And it has all been totally faultless. Used for this house renovation plus frequent DIY/ general maintenance.
I went down the Makita cordless line a while back due to a recommendation from here. Again, no worries at all except for a disintegrated chuck that was a real faff to rebuild. Now I'm bought into the Makita cordless line I'll be buying their cordless stuff from now on.
Makita cordless has been a lifesaver numerous times.
I’ve got a cabled blue Bosch one. Works fine, but I slightly wish I’d got a battery one, as its one of those tools that when you need to use it, you generally need it ready to go, right there, right then, not have to faff around with sorting out a powersupply first. (mine does have a 4m cable on, so its not too much of a PITA)
Good point.
I used mine for the first time in ages to help with demolishing a wall. Then I got to the bits where light switches were (there's a whole other thread about that already!), turned all the power off and then had no multicutter. A battery one would have been great