HF MultiMaster knock-off, $32

[Alex Franke]

Mentioned most recently in this thread, the HF multimaster knock-off is down to $40 again, plus if you're on their mailing list they send out 20% coupons for use today and this weekend. Thanks to woodinville guy for spotting the $40 price again! $40 - 20% = $32 total.

I wanted to get this new price in the subject line so it's more obvious that a newer deal is to be had.

They must have gotten a new container recently -- the local store here has dozens. So I just picked one up for $32. Hopefully it'll be worth it!

[jhgrady]

Congrats - good tool, good price. Still a good price at 10% of the Fein multimaster .

John

[tjr]

Picked up the very last one at my store - the guys were reserving them for customers with rainchecks. So, I finally got to use the raincheck I had been hanging on to since Black Friday.

Ran out of time to test it tonite, will fool around with it a bit tomorrow. One idea I had for plumbing repairs with Sharkbites it might be easier to cut off the busted pipe with this saw than with a tubing cutter, if it leaves the cut end in good enough shape. Will test it out on some scrap copper and see what happens.

[jgscott987]

You'll definitely need to smooth out the edge, but there are certainly places where you just can't get a tubing cutter.

[tjr]

Yup, need to smooth tubing with emery roll or a very small file or something. Does cut fast.

One puzzler: I noticed my blades have 4 small holes around the center hole as tho they should fit on 4 index pins on the arbor. But my arbor has no pins. I also got an "addendum" to the instructions that says to crank the blade bolt very tight. Alex, does your new one have 4 pins on the arbor?

On the plus side, for the cutting gusto it has it's mighty low power (1.5amps) so should not be fussy about extension cords. Really a very simple tool, I wonder if Black&Decker or Skil will be selling these for 20 bucks by next year.

[jhgrady]

tjr,

You need to punch down the 4 pins in the arbor so that the blade will be held securely.

John

[tjr]

John -

Are the pins in the "spindle" (part # 5 in the manual? Did you have to take the unit apart to punch them?

Thanx

[jhgrady]

tjr,

I used the point on a drill bit to punch them down. They were difficult to do, but I got them down. When I store the tool I put a washer on the bolt so I don't push them back in by mistake.

Hope this helps,

John


PS; If you find an easier way, please let me know.

[tjr]

Looked very closely and there's no pins on mine. Perhaps it came from a different Chinese factory. Aside from the Harbor Freight sticker, there's a molded-in number on the plastic housing PA6-GF30. Could be a part number - or maybe the type of resin used in the housing.

Also, the spindle has flats for a wrench as on a saw arbor like whoever designed it was thinking it would go around rather than vibrate. Or maybe it's a leftover part from some sort of small saw.

[jhgrady]

tjr,

I'm sure it has pins, perhaps if you used another light.

Here is a picture.

John

[Luckbox]

I was just at HF yesterday try to buy this tool. The only one they had was the floor model and it to does not have any pins. It had the sander attachment on it and it was very loose and there where no holes in it. Because of this I am now thinking I will go with the Dremel version just because I am use sure of the quality of this tool, seeing that there are either multiple versions or they have altered their design.

I have noticed in the past that power tools at harbor freight seems to have versions that are good but if you pick up the wrong box you get the same tool but a different version and it is no where near as good.

[jhgrady]

Luckbox,

The index pins were there on mine but I had to punch them out.

John

[Luckbox]

If you punched them out then how do you you use the sanding attachment. From what I saw ther sanding atachment was totally smooth with no place for the pins.

[jhgrady]

Luckbox,

I added a washer to protect the pins.

John

[Alex Franke]

Alex, does your new one have 4 pins on the arbor?

I'm pretty sure there are no pins on mine either.