Multi tool blades

[Crofter]

I'm going to be using my oscillating multi tool a fair bit, and the prices for blades are a bit eye watering. 

 

Anybody got a heads up on an economical source for these things? I'd rather do a bulk buy of half decent cheap ones than get a few premium blades, because you never know when you're going to hit a nail...

 

If it helps, I'll be mostly cutting plasterboard and softwood framing.

[Onoff]

https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/

[Conor]

+1 for Saxton, I get mine off Amazon. Gone through a fair number of Thier angle grinder discs as well, and recip blades 

[nod]

The genuine ones are better But as soon as you hit a bit of concrete or a nail They are knackered Get a big bag full of cheapest off eBay 

[G and J]

My multi tool is the only bit of Makita kit I’ve ever worn out, but it has done ridiculously long hours of use, staggeringly helpful bit if kit.  Still going but it’s on its last legs.

 

I bought a load of cheap star blades before I discovered quick change blades but a couple of seconds with my angle grinder converts one to ‘tother.

[ProDave]

22 minutes ago, G and J said:

My multi tool is the only bit of Makita kit I’ve ever worn out, but it has done ridiculously long hours of use, staggeringly helpful bit if kit.  Still going but it’s on its last legs.

Don't throw it away. Easy repair.

 

I was given 2 by a joiner, both "worn out" and replaced for free by Makita under guarantee.  In both cases it was the front bearing of the motor that had worn out.  I bought 2 replacement motors for about £20 each from ebay.  Mine is still going strong, the other went back to it's original owner.

[Super_Paulie]

On 16/08/2024 at 23:09, Crofter said:

I'm going to be using my oscillating multi tool a fair bit, and the prices for blades are a bit eye watering. 

 

 

I just bought 20 for a tenner on Amazon next day delivery, not sure it gets much cheaper. Use them, bin them, get more.

[crispy_wafer]

7 hours ago, Super_Paulie said:

 

I just bought 20 for a tenner on Amazon next day delivery, not sure it gets much cheaper. Use them, bin them, get more.

Echo this, 20 of amazons finest, I keep the worn ones for plasterboard, and cutting into blockwork.

[carlos21]

How usefull are these tools? Not sure whether i need one( would only be getting a cheaper end makita one)

[JohnMo]

I bought a DeWalt main powered - during the build I used it loads. Great tools.

[Oz07]

Thought they were a bodgers tool before I bought one. Great bits of kit. 

[Super_Paulie]

Best tool in the box when you're in a scrape. I've got a corded one but also a battery one at work which is significantly easier to use without the daft cable.

 

For reference I've used it loads this week to cut waste pipes, plasterboard cut outs, small adjustments to timber, floorboard removal and sanding. Really is a "multi" device.

[G and J]

Rather than repair my beloved Makita multi tool again I bought a new one with tool-less blade change.   I will repair the other one then sell it, but I’ll never go back from tool-less blade changing, it really does help.  Rather than sort of struggle to do a whole job with a single blade I now happily swap blades and it speeds it up.   
 

I would never, ever think about a corded one though.  

[Oz07]

10 minutes ago, G and J said:

Rather than repair my beloved Makita multi tool again I bought a new one with tool-less blade change.   I will repair the other one then sell it, but I’ll never go back from tool-less blade changing, it really does help.  Rather than sort of struggle to do a whole job with a single blade I now happily swap blades and it speeds it up.   
 

I would never, ever think about a corded one though.  

Beware the tool less change does start to play up after a few years i scratch around with a screw in the hole then tap and blow the dust out seems to sort it. 

 

I'm running 2 atm. One for rubbish dusty work and a new one for cutting timber. 

[ProDave]

43 minutes ago, G and J said:

Rather than repair my beloved Makita multi tool again I bought a new one

I have a Makita cordless multi tool.

 

The reason I have it, is I have a joiner friend who had 2 of them that had failed, basically the mechanism had jammed.  So I took them to see of I could fix them.  The front motor bearing is the weak link and had massive play causing it to jam.  A bit of searching and I was able to buy a new motor for £20 on ebay.  So I bought 2 new motors, fixed both, and my payment was I got to keep one.

 

Before that I had a Parkside mains powered one, still working fine but of course I use the cordless in preference.

 

These are one of those tools you don't realise just how useful they are until you use one, then you wonder how you managed without.

[gaz_moose]

brilliant tools, just make sure you buy one that you can easily find cheap blades for. i bought a middle aisle one and the blades that should fit don't fit properly.

[saveasteading]

11 minutes ago, ProDave said:

how you managed without.

I remember helping my dad make stuff. The drills were manual. For big stuff it was like a car starting handle, with a wooden end tucked in the oxter (haven't used that word for a long time.) Just imagine using that while balancing on a roof.

For small stuff the drill was like a whisk.

When power drills arrived there was no regret for old times, but occasionally the manual ones were preferred... I'm thinking it allowed 'feel' for furniture etc.

[ProDave]

I still have 2 or 3 hand drills, not used one for a very long time.

 

Sitting under my bench collecting dust is my dad's old hand cranked bench pillar drill.  Choise of 2 gearing rations depending on the size of hole you were drilling, and a mechanism that each rotation of the hand wheel, advances another wheel one notch that slowly winds the drill downwards.

 

I can't imagine ever using it, and don't want to send it for scrap which is probably what will happen to it when I am gone.  I also doubt it is worth anything.,

 

It's like this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/298358926466?

[torre]

I'm surprised how much use my oscillating tool gets, but I bought cheap and don't like the vibration or noise level (wear protection!) so it would be interesting to know how much better those aspects are in an expensive model.

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

I still have 2 or 3 hand drills, not used one for a very long time.

 

Sitting under my bench collecting dust is my dad's old hand cranked bench pillar drill. 

 

My Dad seemed to collect or 'attract' brace-and-bit drills. I have now inherited them. Like @ProDave I'd hate them to go to scrap but I have used one of them once in the last 20 years!

 

@ProDave's pillar drill sounds like one I bid for at an auction nearly 50 years ago. I had £5. Someone else bid £6 and I did not have £7. Beautiful bit oof kit it was, with a big heavy flywheel. Again, not at all sure what I would do with it now but some things are, in engineering terms, just lovely things to have!

[carlos21]

Cool, thanks for the replies, well i ordered one so i will soon know what i think, i have never used one before, but i can see it being handy for awkward cuts etc.

Thanks again,

Carl