I'm really pleased with the operation of this tool.
It is true that the blades don't last a long time, however when you take into account the difficult job the blade is performing you realize what a time saver the tool is.
Whether it is better or worse than the Fein Multimaster is debatable. The Fein upper models do have a quick blade change mechanism. If you use the tool every day in a production environment this could be beneficial, however most people only use a tool like this occasionally so blade changes don't really matter that much.
The plastic storage box is adequate in size for the tool and a large assortment of extra blades. Would I prefer a metal case? as a matter of fact I would if it were available.
For my money the Bosch is a better value and excellent quality. Bosch MX25EK-33 120-Volt Oscillating Tool Kit
When my last multi-fx oscillating tool gave up the ghost, i thought of ordering a Fein. However, as near as I could tell from the online reviews, the Bosch was nearly as good @ half the price. I'm satisfied. There aren't as many attachments available as the Fein, but those that are available seem to work fine. Bosch has also attempted to standardize the attachments with their OIS 12-pin system, and has a few major tool developers (e.g., Milwaukee, Dremel) on board, so i predict that additional mfgrs will be producing Bosch-compatible, OIS attachments over time. b.t.w., there are several OIS 3rd-party mfgrs (multitoolblade.com) that have a wide selection of blades built to conform with Bosch's OIS standard. The ones I have work very well. (some of the better 3rd-party blades seem better to me than the Bosch blades).
Two things to note: the few Fein attachments that i have work with Bosch, but not the other way around. Also, the Bosch uses the old-school hex-wrench approach to attachments, which may be important consideration in a production environment. (P-C has a quick-release system in their new MFOT released in 2011, but the attachments were few and far between when i looked into it. If you're considering the Fein, there are a lot of Fein/Bosch comparisons and reviews on the Internet. All-in-all, I'm satisfied with the Bosch. (b.t.w., the plastic box it comes in is well-designed and useful, which really surprised me). If it had quick-release, this tool would be perfect.
Originally I purchase the Dremel oscillating tool - it is nice and light weight but didn't have the power for cutting the copper pipe I needed. The Bosch is a larger, more powerful tool and cut the same pipe with relative ease. It seems very well built and is in a different class from the Dremel - heavier etc. - if you are a hobbyist the Dremel may be a better choice - otherwise the Bosch is the way to go.
I recently decided to remodel my kitchen. To save some money I decided to do a fair amount of the work myself. I'm pretty well equipped in the tool department, but after seeing some demonstrations of oscillating multi-tools, I decided this was a useful addition to my toolbox. Boy was I ever right! I used this tool probably more than all the others combined! Very easy to handle and very powerful as well. I used it to cut the pipe under the sink shorter, make a perfectly rectangular hole under a cabinet for the vent, trim the last 1/16 of an inch under a cabinet to fit a full piece of tile (try that with any other tool!), open the back of a cabinet without touching the wall 1/4 of an inch behind it. Also used it to scrape up the old felt backing that stayed stuck to the subfloor when removing the original vinyl flooring, I even trimmed some screws that were too long for the cabinet handles. I could go on; but I digress, the Bosch handled every task I put it through with ease. It's so easy to handle and control, I was amazed at how easily it was able to do tasks that would have been incredibly difficult otherwise or require some expensive custom tool. The only negative I could find about this particular model was that I was not able to find replacement attachments at the local hardware store, though I realized somewhat after-the-fact that there is an included adapted that allows other attachments to be connected to the Bosch - its just not clear as to what competing bits can be used. Still, it came with a wide assortments of attachments, and I used nearly all of them at one time or another over the remodel. I generally buy Bosch tools because, unlike some of the budget brands, they never lose power and are incredibly durable. I'd like to believe this multi-tool will perform the same way. I'm so happy about this purchase, my wife's been teasing me because I've been telling everyone I know about how cool it's been to use. Highly recommended.
This is a great tool - Smooth, precise and very powerful. Well balanced, and feels good in the hands. Reassuringly expensive :) For grout removal, however, I found the diamond grout removal blade from harbor freight to be better (faster, longer lasting and cheaper) than the supplied blade. I had an initial inclination to always mount the blades symmetrically - but that's not necessary, and you can sometimes get into tighter corners if you mount them more to the left or the right.'
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