Tools that work & Etc.

[ebb]

not bad! Better than $440 bucks.

When looking at inverters do we need to know how much juice THEY use?
I mean are there other inverters that are more efficient.... if that's the term?
But cost more.

Harbor Freight.
hmmmmmmm, must be a marine outfit.

[Stephan]

Yes Ebb, your concern is valid.
1. The power draw on idle - I haven't measured it yet but it's probably wise to keep this thing off the batteries when not needed. It might also emit some RF noise. And I'd rather keep an eye on it when it's connected in case it starts burning or something.
2. Power loss when working - The specs state 'up to 85% efficiency' which is of course a pretty idiotic statement since that would also cover 0% efficiency. This inverter is probably not the best one on the block when it comes to efficiency. That said, it didn't even get warm when I ran my power tool (and the tool got *plenty* hot). Which is a good indication that it's efficiency ought to be around the stated 80%-85%. For my intended use it's working well, and cheap.

[CapnK]

A month or so ago I bought a Rockwell Sonicrafter, and can say that I am both impressed by and pleased with this tool. Makes cutting tabbing, plunge cutting, and cutting in tight spaces really, really easy, and puts out minimal dust. Took a few minutes to figure out how to best use it, but wasn't hard to do so - fairly intuitive. It does heat up pretty good when used for several minutes at a time (like on longer cuts), so be careful when changing blades or you can get smooth fingertips.

[ebb]

[Hope Kurt doesn't mind my piggybacking on the subject here.]

The Rockford SoniCrafter looks like a TRUE CLONE of the Fein at about half the price -
with all the accessories and a VACUUM PICKUP available.
While these tools don't produce much airborne dust, there are jobs that require no dust.

When you punch in the above title you get a million Harbor Freight hits.
Harbor Freight has at least three versions of a multi-function tool for between $30 and $70.
Guys complain the attachments are poor quality (blades) and none have a vac pickup.
They are all made by the 6 Foot Power Cord factory in China, and sold under the rubric 'Chicago'.
None have VARIBLE SPEED - single speed only.


My Multi-hundred Dollar Fein Multimaster has dial variable speed.
But we get shafted by the price of replacement accessories, altho the blades, by forum consensus, are the best available.
The hard edged tool case this multifunc comes in has exterior hinges on the bottom!
so that it will unbalance and tip over on any but a dead flat horizontal surface. Fancy case, not a clever design but will take the tool WITH an attachment.

Now the SoniCrafter has a soft bag. Great idea. But one guy said it's too small to put the tool away with a blade attached, so he said. This is a huge gripe with me. Tools that make you remove the accessory to put it away are thoughtless and stupid.

Most of these tool cases are just big enough for the tool, have hardly room for a stiff kinky cord and never enough room for the compliment of attachments.
Just bought a very high-end Bosch lithium drill ($100 cash back) that has NO place inside for their own plastic index of drill bits. For crying out loud! I think it's this kind of thing that has fried my brain.
The midget onehanded Porter Cable belt sander comes in a bowling-ball style case and has no storage for the belts. What's the matter with these jerks?
My little cordless Hitachi hammer drill lives in a hard case that also doesn't stand up on the nobbles at the opposite end of the case handle.
And every time the case is opened there is a jumble of bits in every corner.
You know why....? Because the lid molding doesn't match the tray compartments when closed!

The Dremet Multimax ($100) sized like the other oscillating multifunction tools has no vac attachment.
Another point to look at is number of oscillations per minute. The assumption is the more OPMs the smoother the tool does its thing. Fein says theirs vibrates at 21,000 OPMs. You'll find others at 10,000.

One other thing: my Fein multi is a LOUD tool. I don't know how others fair on that score.
I find it NASTY - to say the least. And will only use the tool when I absolutely have to. NOT often!

One guy said the CHEAP tools here are "OK for cutting pumpkins."
In some ways you get what you pay for.
In one case, the multi speed Fein Multimaster and expensive blades and number of nearly useless accessories like the tile degrouter, the concrete scraper, the nasty rasp thingy, the half round 'saw' blade, the hook and loop sanding grits that don't stay on the plate, the useless molding sanders - it's not a tool I reach for very often working on the boat, and definitely NOT worth the insulting $$$$$$$$.
The SoniCrafter like the Fein comes in various versions, each 'kit' more expensive the more accessories they toss in. It may be worth while to buy just the basic tool and add only the attachments you want.


Kurt,
I've read that the SoniCrafter (this may be true of other VARIABLE SPEED RO MULTIs)
can be cooled off by running them at high speed NO LOAD for 2 - 3 minutes.

[CapnK]

Interesting about the cool-down idea, Ebb - I will definitely try that & let y'all know how it works out.

The Sonicrafter I bought was a kit priced for $119 (the same one pictured above). It does have a hard case that can fit the tool with blade attached, and the case has lots of extra storage, so maybe they have been listening to the public about this.

So far I have used the half-round saw, straight saw with small teeth (wood & metal), and straight with big teeth (wood only). I did look online and found blades to be much cheaper than by buying them from the local Ace store. The Sonicrafter kit itself was *not* more expensive buying from Ace local instead of online, however, so it is worth looking local.

PS - Yes, noisy - earplugs are a must!

[Frenna]

On the subject of multi-tools, I recently bought the Dremel Multi-max for a carpentry job that required it. Used to have the variable speed Fein tool years ago, which was stolen from a job back when the meth addicts were routinely hitting construction sites. It was the only tool I did not replace since they were/are so damned expensive and I do not need them often. The Dremel version is available for $99.00 at any home depot. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was every bit as good as the fein, especially for cutting. And the blades are a fraction of the price. Includes variable speed, which is sort of a must, a 6' cord which is about 4' too short and a case which is almost worthless since it has so little room to stock supplies in. But running it, it does not feel as chintzy as the price would suggest. I would only pony up for a fein if I was using it in a constant-use production setting. Even then, it might be more cost effective to burn through dremels. The positive locking teeth on the blades is a big improvement over the old Fein, which would rotate during hard cutting. Perhaps they have upgraded that by now. For the money, I am very pleased with the Dremel. A good value.

[Tony G]

A month or so ago I bought a Rockwell Sonicrafter... Makes cutting tabbing, plunge cutting, and cutting in tight spaces really, really easy, and puts out minimal dust.

I'd like to see some proof of this claim

The angled head looks a tad bulky. Does the blade stick out far enough to 'reach' into tight spots? Any chance of a simulted action shot demonstrating how tight?

[CapnK]

I'll get you a shot or two soon.

The blade can be put on at many angles to the head - straight out, 90* to one side or the other, basically any approximate increment of say 30 degrees around a whole circle. So at say 90*, you can stuff it into about a 3-4" wide space and cut away, to the left or the right...

Also, it is good at flush cuts, so tabbing against the hull comes away very cleanly, leaving little to have to sand. That sort of thing...

[Tony G]

Thanks in advance for the shots, Kurt.

I wish I had one of those things a couple of years ago 'cuz that sort of thing is exactly the sort of thing that would have made a lot less of one thing and afforded me a little more of something else outta this whole thing. Ya know what I'm saying'?