Fein Multimaster Look Alike Tools at B&Q

Topcat47 said:
I've got the Bosch 180e. Don't buy it. Mine's been back for repair under guarantee and twice more in the last two years, despite very light use. If it were as capable as the Fein, I'd use it a lot more but it's not really man enough.
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I have one of these Bosch tools, and it's been brilliant! It's done huge amounts of work, and hasn't missed a beat. The concept of these multitools is great, they're just so versatile, and until you have one you don't realise just how many applications they have.
 
chinita said:
nigelmercier said:
On the contrary, a 240V device is not made for Europe, but for Australia. It may only work upside-down. :D The UK hasn't been 240V for (guess) 10 years.

Really,

http://www.toollineuk.com/product.php/site/froogle/sn/FEIFMMSELECTPLUS240V

+ many other suppliers. Are they selling us duff Ozzie kit!!!
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The UK quietly downgraded from 240V to 230V as the reference voltage years ago when we started importing electricity from mainland Europe, mostly the French nuclear power generators IIRC.
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Boreades said:
The UK quietly downgraded from 240V to 230V as the reference voltage years ago when we started importing electricity from mainland Europe, mostly the French nuclear power generators IIRC.
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We won't be piping it across the channel at a measly 230 / 240 volts, though, so that's a bit of a red herring.

My understanding is that they changed the standard from 240 to 230, but with a large upper tolerance so that an actual measured 240v is still "officially" 230v and nothing really needed to change.

Pete
 
My multimeter says my mains socket in Essex, UK has 236 volts across it today.

I've had a Bosch one of these for a while now, bought in a B + Q offer. No problems with it although the blades get blunt if abused. which happens with some of the jobs I use it for, so it's handy to be able to buy blades locally in time of need. I Like the look of the two blade websites posted though

Invaluable for cutting holes starting in the middle of a panel eg for mounting instruments, particularly if there's not the space behind to do the drill and jigsaw method, and/or you don't want to risk trashing wiring that's already behind the panel (mark the panel thickness on the blade with masking tape and plunge no further ).

Non boaty uses have included trimming the bottom off architraves in situ when retro-fitting engineered wood floorboards, and reaching down between joists to saw out a first floor stair newel post in bits prior to replacement. Both jobs would have been much longer, more difficult, and more damaging to the surroundings with other power or hand tools.

It's not a substitute for a real jigsaw or circular saw though, as it's much slower for jobs where those tools can be applied.
 
ProDave said:
For me, it's the ability to plunge cut into wood. In my trade as an electrician it's about the only way to cut a hole for a socket box in a solid block of wood.
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Isn't that what a router is for? Or have I misunderstood what you're trying to do?
 
prv said:
We won't be piping it across the channel at a measly 230 / 240 volts, though, so that's a bit of a red herring.

My understanding is that they changed the standard from 240 to 230, but with a large upper tolerance so that an actual measured 240v is still "officially" 230v and nothing really needed to change.

Pete
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Just moved the standards to harmonise a little.

The UK used to be 240V +/- 6%, now it is 230V +10% -6%.

ISTR that the cross channel interconnects are DC, to solve the problem of slightly different voltages/frequencies.
 
lustyd said:
Isn't that what a router is for? Or have I misunderstood what you're trying to do?
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This is what I mean by plunge cut http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWi8xMAhCl4

You can cut a deep square hole with nice straight edges, depth only limited by the depth of the blade you are using.

Yes you could do similar with a router, but a router is much larger (might be hard to get tight into a corner) and much more expensive.
 
ProDave said:
This is what I mean by plunge cut http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWi8xMAhCl4

You can cut a deep square hole with nice straight edges, depth only limited by the depth of the blade you are using.

Yes you could do similar with a router, but a router is much larger (might be hard to get tight into a corner) and much more expensive.
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Thanks that explains it perfectly. I don't think you'd get a square like that with a router so looks useful.
 
Topcat47 said:
I've found the "multitool" does jobs no other of my power tools will touch. It's just as well I don't have to use it too often.
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Indeed. When you need one, nothing else will do. The last time I used mine was when I was fitting some extra power outlets to our boat. I needed to cut a neat square through the top of the shelf next to the existing socket - trouble was that access was very limited - the existing holes had been cut before the shelf was fitted. With the multitool, I just fitted the narrowest cutting blade set at right angles to the body and gently plunged it in.
 
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