How Pros Use an Oscillating Multi-Tool

When you’ve got a job to do, you want it to go quickly and smoothly, and more importantly, successfully. Whether you’re making improvements around your home or working on a building project, equipping yourself with the right tools is an essential part of any job well done.

Professionals know the ins and outs of a well-stocked tool kit. Setting up your own collection, however,  can be costly and take up a lot of space that you may not have. When you work with an all-in-one or multi-tool, you get many functions without the expense of buying individual tools, and without needing a huge workshop to store everything.

This guide will explore one of the most useful tools that any handy person should have in their toolbox, the oscillating multi-tool. Let’s dig into learning more about this indispensable tool, what its uses are, and how to choose the best one to suit your needs. We’ll show you how the professionals use these versatile tools and give you the information that you need to use yours to achieve the same results yourself.

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What Is An Oscillating Multi Tool?

An oscillating multi-tool is a must-have for any handyman or woman who loves tackling projects around the house but doesn’t want to own a shed full of tools. With an oscillating multi-tool, you can accomplish a variety of jobs with its all-in-one capabilities. As the name suggests, there are many uses for this tool, powered by a battery or electrical cord. The oscillating multi-tool comes with a number of various attachments that you can add on to complete different tasks and projects.

Whether you are working in your bathroom, on your floors, doorways, basement, or making repairs or improvements to any area of your home, consider the oscillating multi-tool an essential part of your tool collection.

Per its name, the tool rotates rapidly from side to side, approximately 20,000 times per minute. This gives you the power that you need to complete tough jobs that are otherwise impossible to do on your own, or without the help of professionals. It’s cutting motion is unlike other power tools in that it doesn’t spin or move back and forth in a saw-like motion.

Its flat blade is what moves in a controlled, rapid side to side motion. This allows you to complete your job without the kickback that you may experience when using other saws or power tools.  Another added benefit of this side to side motion is that it does not spread dust and debris all over your work area like most other conventional power tools. 

6 Common Uses For Oscillating Multi-Tools

The oscillating multi-tool is well known for its ability to make straight or curved cuts with great precision, even in tight spots. With the right attachment, you can use your oscillating multi-tool in any room of your home, and on nearly any project, whether its plumbing or construction-related. Even cramped areas like corners or along flooring are accessible with an oscillating multi-tool. Here we'll explore some of the many uses for this multi-talented tool. These six projects become no-brainers when you work with a versatile oscillating multi-tool:

1 – Sanding Furniture

When you have a piece of furniture that you want to re-stain or paint in another color, it’s essential to prep it first with a good sanding. Doing this by hand can be extremely difficult in the case of large pieces, and it’s hard to apply even pressure when completing a job manually.

Handheld electric sanders are great tools to have. However, you’ll find yourself needing several of them in different sizes to get the job done, particularly if there are curved edges or intricate details.

While this tool can’t replace industrial sanders used for sanding large areas, an oscillating multi-tool with a sanding attachment gives you the precision and control you need when working in small areas.

2 – Making Plunge Cuts

Plunge cuts, whether in your decking, flooring, or areas that need notches, are a breeze with an oscillating multi-tool. This type of tool gives you the power you need to make deep cuts, along with the accuracy you want to achieve a professional finish.

An oscillating multi-tool is also ideal for making cuts in drywall without damaging the surrounding areas. This is a great function for electrical projects that require you to access areas behind your walls.

3 – Trimming Pipes

An oscillating multi-tool can work wonders in the bathroom or kitchen remodel or repair job. With the appropriate blade attachment, they can cut through pipes and trim screws to the exact size you need.

Normally, you’d need a professional to complete this type of task. But using an oscillating multi-tool gives you the power and detailed precision you need to get your cuts right on your own.

If you’re working on any type of home plumbing job, you’ll want to have good quality oscillating multi-tool to make your job easier and more successful. This gives you professional and reliable results that you need in these important areas.

4 – Cutting Floorboards

DIY flooring projects can be a major undertaking. With an oscillating multi-tool, however,  they’re greatly simplified. This type of tool allows you to cut floorboards or baseboards to your exact specifications for a level, even finish, without gaps or uneven edges.

Depending on your hardwood or tiling project, you may also need to undercut your doors to allow for enough clearance. You can easily do this using the right blade on your oscillating multi-tool.

5 – Removing Grout

Ask anyone who has done repairs to their kitchen or bathroom, and they’ll tell you that removing grout from shower walls or tile flooring is one of the most dreaded and loathed tasks. This is because of the painstaking labor that it takes, but there is an easier, and quicker way to get the job done, thanks to the oscillating multi-tool.

Whether you are scraping adhesive, removing old grout, or stripping old caulking, the oscillating motion makes these tasks easy and prevents damage to the surfaces beneath.

6 – Stripping and Scraping

It’s a fact of owning a home: things get old and worn out. This goes for metal, furniture, flooring, and fixtures throughout your home. Oscillating multi-tools allow you to perform tasks like removing rust from various metals, stripping paint of walls, removing wallpaper, or stripping floorboards to help restore them to a beautiful finish.

You can also use your oscillating multi-tool outdoors in removing old stain or paint from wooden patio furniture or deck boards in preparation of applying a fresh coat before the summer season. 

Alternatives to Oscillating Multi-Tools

There are other choices available to you besides purchasing an oscillating multi-tool, and there are instances where you will require other equipment for certain jobs. If you’re not working with an oscillating multi-tool, you can expect to use a separate orbital sander, grinder, and several types of saws for making plunge cuts, cutting into drywall, trimming floorboards and baseboards, or undercutting doors.

If you don’t have the space to store your tools or set up a workshop in your home or garage, you can always hire a team of professionals to do your jobs for you. While this makes things easier on your part, the downside is that you’re paying someone else for their time and labor which quickly adds up. Additionally, if all you need is a small repair job completed, hiring a professional might not be worth it. Most contractors charge a minimum of two hours to work on a project.

Why Oscillating Multi-Tools are Your Best Option for Any Job

Owning an oscillating multi-tool means that you can forget about overpaying professionals to do your job or shelling out your hard-earned money on a shed full of power tools. As we’ve seen, there are dozens of uses for this practical and handy tool that nearly anyone will need when maintaining their home and yard.

Oscillating multi-tools are easy to use with a small learning curve, and no professional training required. All you need is to purchase your tool and follow the instructions. There are also many videos and tutorials available online, giving you all the education and support you need to complete your jobs successfully.

Oscillating multi-tools are customizable to your needs, given the range of available attachments. Depending on your projects, you can pick and choose the attachments that will work best for you. This will give you total control over the types of tasks you can tackle.

Source: Jet Cloud Live 

What to Look For In an Oscillating Multi-Tool

Over the past ten years or so, oscillating multi-tools have become part of mainstream hardware and power tools. This is great news for you as a consumer because it means that you can buy them in any hardware or home restoration store. Plus, you’ll have a wide variety to choose from. While having plenty of options is a plus, it can also make choosing the right tool overwhelming.

Apply these basic buying guidelines to help you narrow down your options and find the best oscillating multi-tool for your needs:

• Reputation

No matter what type of power tool you’re purchasing, making sure that you’re buying from a reputable manufacturer is a must. There are plenty of big brands that we’re all familiar with, and these typically make good starting points when looking at oscillating multi-tools. You should also consider the retailer that you’re purchasing from and look into what their customer service policies are around returns, exchanges, and customer support. 

• Cost

Everyone loves a bargain, but when it comes to buying an oscillating multi-tool, the cheapest isn’t always best. While cost is certainly an important factor in your decision-making process, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not sacrificing quality for the sake of saving money. Since an oscillating multi-tool has so many practical uses around the home, you can be sure that you’ll get plenty of use out of it. Buying the best you can afford will be a great investment.

• Reviews

Today’s modern consumer relies heavily on reviews from other users. The ultimate reason for this is that consumers give honest and transparent opinions, rather than relying on a retailer or brand’s sales pitches or product descriptions. Before purchasing an oscillating multi-tool for yourself, take some time to do your research online.

There, you can read about the various options that are available and see what other homeowners, like yourself, have to say about the product. If the reviews are questionable, you’re better off choosing another tool with a better reputation among past consumers.

Availability and Selection

Here at Defiance Tools, we offer a wide range of products to choose from. C Larboard offers a variety of tools and gadgets that can make your life easier in many ways, and they’re all available for easy online purchasing. A retailer with a good range of products can be trusted to provide you with the tools you need in any area of your life, or for any job around the house or yard.

Adding an oscillating multi-tool to your collection is exciting because of the many practical applications it has. You’ll save money in the long run because you are buying ten tools to do the job that this single one can do.

You also won’t have to hire professionals to complete repairs or remodeling jobs around your house. You’ll also get the flexibility, precision, and control you need to give your projects a professional look and feel. You can trust the results every time, even when working in difficult, tight areas.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that any handyman or woman can use an oscillating multi-tool in their tool kit. Buying the right one for you doesn’t need to be a stressful task if you follow the steps above that make it easy to find the perfect tool for your needs.

Once you’ve selected the best oscillating multi-tool for your budget and requirements, you can look forward to getting started. With a new oscillating multi-tool in your tool collection, the biggest challenge will be deciding which home improvement project to tackle first.