Harbor Freight Multifunction Power Tool

[JimD]

I don't have a detail sander and have been looking at the adds for the HF take on the Fein vibrating tool that sands, scrapes, and cuts. The coupon from Wood Magazine was for $29.99. About 10% of the Fein price. I questioned whether it would be worth even $30 but went ahead and bought it. I didn't do much with it after getting it home but I think it is easily worth $30. The sandpaper is pricey, I bought two packages of 6 pieces for $3.99 each. But it fairly quickly took paint off some scraps I had. Next I tried the wood cutting blade. Again it worked fine. It is slow to cut but for the kind of cuts that nothing else will do (say cutting flush to the surface), it could be handy. Mostly I wanted it for sanding none of my other sanders will do. For that I think it will be handy. It is only for a pretty narrow range of functions (unless you are very very patient) but for those purposes, I think it is worth the price.

Jim

[volozhin]

I also bought one. In spite of HF's reputation it is a very good tool and looks like it will last.

[Knottscott]

I bought one for $30 too and think it's well worth that. I wouldn't want to make my living with it, but it works pretty well on everything I've tried.

[crokett]

I also got one at the 29.99 price. It was worth it at the time, I needed it to get me out of a jam. I've used it for a couple other jobs and I think it is worth it.

[cabinetman]

I bought one thinking I would never use it. It has gotten me out of jams twice. Being able to cut up flush alone, makes it worthwhile to me.
.

[iceman61]

I bought one for $30 too and think it's well worth that. I wouldn't want to make my living with it, but it works pretty well on everything I've tried.

I bought one to try out on remodeling jobs. At the time I was thinking if I use it alot & when it tears up I will buy a good one. Well I have definately got my money out of it & it hasn't laid down on me yet. We use it all the time.

[leehljp]

Need to cut outlet/swicth holes in sheetrock? Do cutouts for a fan or light? When the room is already finished and you are just making modifications, the GREATLY reduced dust that comes from this thing is well worth the cleaning saved. That alone was worth the price of a Fein 10 years ago. Even LOML approved that!

The specialty flush cutting was extremely helpful too!

[docrowan]

I bought one a few months ago with the same Wood ad, and have used it a couple of times. Very handy, well worth the $30 to have in your "back pocket" for those odd jobs. However, don't use it on plastic. I had a plastic mug I wanted to cut the handle off of and it did the job but melted the plastic as it cut it.

[vanguard]

They've got a new model with variable speed now. I recall seeing on sale for $49.99 in the most recent flyer.

[woodturner]

I don't have a detail sander and have been looking at the adds for the HF take on the Fein vibrating tool that sands, scrapes, and cuts.

Interesting coincidence - I was trying to use mine as a sander just yesterday. First time I tried to use it as a sander. Noticed that the sandpaper wasn't moving much as soon as I touched the work with the sander. Seemed like the velcro style "fingers" on the pad were a little short, so I tried the pad from the second one I bought, with the same result.

The problem appears to be that the pad is moving too fast for the sandpaper to keep up, so the friction between the work and the sandpaper holds the sandpaper stationary while the platten continues to oscillate.

I concluded the problem was the sandpaper, not the platten or the tool. The sandpaper shipped with the tool (or at least the specific model I have, at the time I bought it) does not have enough of a backing for the platten to grip it well. When I tried a different brand of sandpaper with a thicker backing on it (i.e. more "fuzzy" to better grip the platten) it worked better.

[conwaygolfer]

I have a Fien tool for tile work, but the cost of the different blades is outragious. I started buying the ones made for the H.F. tool and they work great. And the cost is about 1/5th of the Fein blades.

Conwaygolfer

[parnelli]

I bought one a few months ago with the same Wood ad, and have used it a couple of times. Very handy, well worth the $30 to have in your "back pocket" for those odd jobs. However, don't use it on plastic. I had a plastic mug I wanted to cut the handle off of and it did the job but melted the plastic as it cut it.

Might be the type of plastic- I used it to cut the plastic like shower surrounds are made of. Worked even better than I hoped. I bought it thinking I'd use it once or twice and have probably used it a couple dozen times already.

One of those how-did-I-live-without it things.

[JimD]

Sanding was the first thing I tried with mine. I bought a couple packs of replacement sandpaper but have only used one of the ones it came with. I was able to sand latex paint off a piece of scrap fairly quickly. Seemed to work fine, in other words. Maybe some are better than others.

Jim

[woodturner]

Might be the type of plastic

Different plastics have different melting temperatures, and some plastics don't melt at any reasonable temperature. So plastics that melt at low temperatures such as PVC will tend to melt if cut with tools that generate significant friction (e.g. the multifunction tool). When the same tool is used to cut plastic that has a much higher melting point, the same amount of heat is generated but the melting point of the plastic is not reached, so it doesn't melt.

[tseavoy]

I make sanding pads out of 6" hook & loop sanding disks from the rental shop (for random orbit floor sanders). I just cut them to size. Sometimes a dust hole will be in the pad, but I can work around that.

Tom