Recommend me a 240v multitool

[mangocrazy]

My beaten up old Bosch PMF180 240v multitool is getting ready to shit its pants. It's vibrating like a bastard and smoking 20 Marlboro a day. So I need to find a successor. I'm not interested in top end of the market (i.e. Fein and the like) but want a good quality, reliable piece of kit for not silly amounts of money. I'm agnostic regarding brands, but I'm not interested in Aldi/Lidl cheapies, as I've had bad experiences with them in the past.

Oh yes, nothing cordless - good old 240v for me.

Waddya got?

[KungFooBob]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233462380658

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Buy another Bosch one, what you've described is pretty much Bosch territory, I've got a cheap one, can't remember the brand, but it works.

[KungFooBob]

Jeez, I must have been pissed last night, my first post is NSFW btw.

[mangocrazy]

I was looking at the 'green' Bosch (PMF 220) as my earlier example of that model had put up a fair bit of abuse, but in the end went for a DeWalt - the catchily named DWE315SF-GB. It's got a 300w motor (compared to the Bosch's 220w) and doesn't force you to use the Starlock plus tool mounting system, which all current Bosch models do. This means I can use all my current accessories on the DW. And the kicker was that I got it for about the same price (£77) as the Bosch.

When it arrives and I've had a chance to use it, I'll post up some impressions.

[Screwdriver]

Whichever you get (I have the Bosch version) you probably want to go cordless and get a battery powered one. They do not lack power, in fact they're probably overpowering the available blades plus its one of those "once in a blue moon" tools you only need to use for a few minutes for that odd job.

[Mussels]

That's ok until the next blue moon job is in five years time and the battery is kackered.

[Screwdriver]

That's ok until the next blue moon job is in five years time and the battery is kackered.

Modern LiPo batteries have a very long shelf life. Ten years plus, same battery type as found in Teslas. A typical Tesla battery pack is umpteen thousand 18650 cells...

[mangocrazy]

I've never felt the need for a cordless multi tool, and I've never been in a situation where I couldn't use corded. If I had gone cordless, it would have narrowed my options to Hitachi (Hikoki) and blue Bosch as I'm certainly not about to start on a third battery platform. Bosch are out, as I don't want to go Starlock and I can't remember the last time I ever saw a Hitachi cordless multitool for sensible money.

My usage profile is almost entirely indoors or outdoors where mains power is readily available, so there's no real driver for cordless. And cordless tools inevitably weigh more than corded, especially with higher Ah batteries, so that's another minus point.

Corded for the win! (And I'm a cheapskate...)

[mangocrazy]

[Modern LiPo batteries have a very long shelf life. Ten years plus, same battery type as found in Teslas.

I think you mean 'service' life. Leave any cordless battery for even 2 years without charge and it will almost certainly be toast,

[Screwdriver]

[Modern LiPo batteries have a very long shelf life. Ten years plus, same battery type as found in Teslas.

I think you mean 'service' life. Leave any cordless battery for even 2 years without charge and it will almost certainly be toast,

You mean definitely probably?

I don't know how true that comment is. Modern LiPo batteries, left on half charge will gradually decline but if hooked up to a battery maintaining charger will last indefinitely. My laptop does ok, my iPhone, iPad, torch baton. Anyhow, I'm just saying for that particular tool, in my opinion, battery power make a lot more sense than mains power for the reasons stated.

And even if that leaves you disappointed once every two years so be it, it's worth the risk for the times you're up a ladder, in a field or (especially) when working on mains installations which require holes for sockets...

[Mussels]

My expensive battery lawn mower didn't come with a maintaining charger, just 2 batteries and a fast charger. The first battery was dead after the first winter and the other battery was reduced to five minutes use after 5 years. Not great when replacements are over £100 each.

Made me wish I'd bought petrol.

[mangocrazy]

It's always a source of amusement/bemusement to me when I explain the reasons for a decision I've made (in my case that I'm never far from mains power, plus I appreciate the lighter weight of a corded tool), and the other party disregards my reasons and suggests I use their requirements (which are always very different to mine) as a basis for my purchase...

[Screwdriver]

It's always a source of amusement/bemusement to me when I explain the reasons for a decision I've made (in my case that I'm never far from mains power, plus I appreciate the lighter weight of a corded tool), and the other party disregards my reasons and suggests I use their requirements (which are always very different to mine) as a basis for my purchase...

No I am not insisting on anything. You were asking for opinions.

Rather than criticise my reasons because they don't suit your application, it might be nicer if you were actually reassured that the "advantages" I might suggest do not apply in your specific case. That's why you're asking for opinions isn't it?

Had you said "lawnmower" I would never suggest batteries. But the multitool is a very particular example of a very compromised tool. It only really does one thing but that is something no other tool can do.

FWIW, mine lives in a case along with several other Bosch 12v tools so the batteries go around in circles, visiting each one in turn. Even if I don't use the multitool until Christmas 2035, I will still have known good, perfectly usable batteries because they're the same as the ones I use all the time anyway.


...and as I write this, I literally just noticed you specifically state 240v in the thread title. oops. My bad. Ignore everything I said.

[mangocrazy]

OK, glad you've noticed the thread title.

I also reinforced the point in the first post:

Oh yes, nothing cordless - good old 240v for me.

I'd also make the point that I didn't say you 'insisted' - I said you 'suggested'; very different tone.

When asking for recommendations I was asking for make/model suggestions, not whether I should go cordless or not.

If Hitachi had a model of cordless multitool that cost significantly less than £200 bare (!) I might have considered it, as I have 4 Hitachi/Hikokl batteries currently in service, but they don't so I didn't.

Anyway, the die is cast, the cash has been splashed and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it...

[Yambo]

I was looking at the 'green' Bosch (PMF 220) as my earlier example of that model had put up a fair bit of abuse, but in the end went for a DeWalt - the catchily named DWE315SF-GB. It's got a 300w motor (compared to the Bosch's 220w) and doesn't force you to use the Starlock plus tool mounting system, which all current Bosch models do. This means I can use all my current accessories on the DW. And the kicker was that I got it for about the same price (£77) as the Bosch.

When it arrives and I've had a chance to use it, I'll post up some impressions.

I have the DeWalt DWE315KT. I guess it's pretty much the same model as yours but labelled differently for this market.

Sometimes it's the only tool for the job and mine is mostly used for boat stuff - the last time I used it was to cut some fins off the bottom of a SUP, I was replacing them so a flush cut was ideal. I mostly use it for cutting large holes in vertical boat panels (to provide better access) and it's good at that. The triangular sander attachment is also a good addition for getting into corners - I have a B & D mouse sander and that's often the wrong shape for small spaces.

I considered a battery version when I was buying but I usually have 220V on hand and this was on offer at a very good price, about the same as you paid, so I snapped it up.

[mangocrazy]

Yambo, yours was a very very good price, as it's for the kit including lots of accessories. Mine was just the tool in a box with a couple of blades.

[Screwdriver]

They are amazing tools that can just do stuff no other tool can. Plunge cuts and flush trims in awkward spots etc.

The Achilles heel is blade life though so if anyone discovers a brand/type that is unusually robust, I'm all ears.

[mangocrazy]

Yeah, it's one of those tools that when you need it, no other tool is a substitute. And blade life is the killer. Project Farm on Youtube did a blade comparison test and some brand that is only available in the US (EZARC) came out best.

[Mussels]

A bit embarassing for DeWalt.