HF Multifunction Tool Update

[cabinetman]

I read the other thread and thought a new thread with a user update might be helpful. Yesterday I picked one up and there was a whole endcap full of this tool. Doesn't seem to be a shortage in this area.

I'm doing some remodeling in one of the bathrooms and had to remove some wall tiles. The "sawblades" included are just steel toothed blades. The round one did eventually cut through the grout, but it took forever. It didn't cut through thinset (mortar based) too well. The accessories, like the straight sawblade is also a toothed cutter. The Fein blade that they use in the ad is a carbide faced blade. It looks like one of those edged wet saw blades...no teeth.

I haven't tried it on any wood yet. As for the "Fein" blades fitting the HF, I doubt that they would work. I watched the Fein TV ad, and the blades are flat with slots that mount on the arbor. The HF blades have a round indention in the blade that fits a pod on the arbor. Another difference is the Fein blades mount with a push in locking pin, whereas the HF blades mount with an allen head machine bolt.

I paid just under $40 for the tool, no coupon needed. I'm not giving it a thumbs down yet, as there are other procedures that I haven't tried.
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[WayneJ]

The store that I work at,gets about 100 at a time. Most are waiting for those with rain checks to pick them up . About two weeks ago we got in the extra blades . We had to special order them, got about 300 of them in. We can't get enough of them to have stock on hand . Most of the people that get them are happy with them, only had a few of them returned.
Wayne

[Crash2510]

Of course it didn't work C-man You were using wood blades on grout and tile. As with any tool you have to have the right accessories for the job. I've used the hf blades and found them to be very good (hold up as good as the bosch). Get the grout blade you will have much better luck.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=65983
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Attachme...aspx?pid=MM500

[just started]

That sounds like the way the blades mounted on the Fein originally. They came out with the thru bolt/locking lever system only about 2-3 years ago. The Fein ads at that time said the blades would work interchangeably.

[sweensdv]

Alright, you guys talked me into getting one. I just got back from HF where I picked one up for $31.99 using a 20% off coupon. I also picked up the #65983 diamond blade Crash2510 recommended, an extra #65981 Half Moon Cutter, and an extra #65985 pack of sandpaper. They were out of the #65979 3 blade sets but seeing as I haven't even taken the tool out of the box yet I doubt if I'll need those until I break the ones that come with the tool.

I think I'll go play with it for a while and see what it can do.

[cabinetman]

I just got back from HF where I picked one up for $31.99 using a 20% off coupon. I also picked up the #65983 diamond blade Crash2510 recommended, an extra #65981 Half Moon Cutter, and an extra #65985 pack of sandpaper.

The store I was in didn't have the diamond blade, or any extra blades. How much were they?
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[Crash2510]

cab the three pack with two scrapers and the wood blade is 5.99 as is the diamond blade. I use the dremel or the bosch for grout removal because of the offset more money, but worth it.

[windmill]

I picked one up last week. The sander looks nice, for those troublesome areas that are too big to sand by hand and too small for a ROS.

The horizontal saw blade is AWESOME. So many uses for it. The obvious one is trimming door jambs, but I was modifying a jig today and being able to make stopped cuts without the problem of a circular blade is terrific. The tool is worth it for that function alone.

The circular blade looks to be good for cutting thin materials. It works decent notching thin wall PVC pipe. Not so good for cutting anything heavier than 1/4" plywood.

Haven't used the scraper yet, or bought any other accessories. But I'm pleased with the way the tool feels and handles. It gets a little warm, but nothing excessive.

[Alex Franke]

I haven't tried it on any wood yet.

First thing I did with mine was turn it on and plunge it into the center of a 2x4. It worked like a charm, and it cut quicker than I expected.

[sweensdv]

The store I was in didn't have the diamond blade, or any extra blades. How much were they?
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#65979 3 Blade Set $5.99
#65981 Half Moon Cutter $5.99
#65983 Diamond Cutter $5.99
#65985 Sanding Paper $2.99

[Uncle Hook]

The latest HF flyer shows a new diamond grout cutting blade for $14.99 which I haven't seen in the Saddle Brook NJ store near me.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=67059

[poolhound]

I picked one up last week. The sander looks nice, for those troublesome areas that are too big to sand by hand and too small for a ROS.

I was thinking of getting one for the same reason. Have any of you owners used it much this way. I was thinking primarily for getting inside corners and boxes.

I think the spec says its 9" long so that still makes it tricky to get inside small boxes.

[master53yoda]

I bought mine about 2 weeks ago for the purpose of cleaning the coating off of the roof of older motor home that we bought this spring. The old owner didn't clean the old roof seal before he put on the new coating so it just is semi floating. anyway the scraper did an excellent job of removing the coating and cleaning the roof joints down to the original metal without cutting through the metal. I was a little afraid that it would cut through the aluminum roofing but it didn't it feathered the metal to the coating in the areas that the coating had good adhesion to the metal.

I also used it to cut the molding off so I could lay the tile in a small bathroom. The half circle blade worked OK and gave good control. I bought the extra blades that they had at the store. they are the same blades that come with it. My only complaint is that it is very load. It is in the sound range of a router due to the high speed of the motor.

I played with the sander and it works well.

[BigguyZ]

I used mine recently to do the cutout necessary for an electrical box in a built-in I've been working on. Worked extremely well for this. I was able to plunge cut to the exact size I needed, with control and ease. I think this'll be my new tool for these types of cutes- no more needing the dremel!

[leehljp]

I used mine recently to do the cutout necessary for an electrical box in a built-in I've been working on. Worked extremely well for this. I was able to plunge cut to the exact size I needed, with control and ease. I think this'll be my new tool for these types of cutes- no more needing the dremel!

I have the original Fein and what you just wrote about was a great help to me. The fact that it cut straight, clean and precise, was super, but the fact that it did not throw dust into the air was the icing on the cake!

Then there was the grout removing without the dust! There was the flat/flush cutting, the sanding into corners, the cast removal (Don't ask ).

If the HF model is only half as good as the Fein it will be WELL worth it, even if the HF were twice it's current price!

This tool and impact drivers are two great tools to have - that were not common tools 10 years ago. Both are exceptional tools that do their jobs well!