The Renovator from BIG W

[artme]

You have probably all seen this advertised on telly?

We have been doing some renovations around the house and I am sick and tired of making do and working in awkward and unsatisfactory circumstances so I bought The Renovator.

The unit is compact and solid. It runs on 240V and works on the principal of rapid oscillation to cut. The noise level is acceptable but in confined spaces, like a corner where there is reflected sound, I would suggest earmuffs.

The unit comes well packaged with a good range of attachments, and a good instruction manual.I found that it cuts well and removes material like vinyl floor tiles well. It makes neat cuts in Gyprock and pine timber. It removes grout very effectively.

Some tips when using:

Follow the instructions
Let the tool do the work. Do not foce.
Tighten the attachments well before using otherwise they will easily vibrate loose.

[Ian Smith]

Artme,
You must have bought he last one.

According to their web site they are "unavailable online and in store" :rolleyes:

How much is/was it?

Ian

[Ironwood]

They are still being advertised on TV by BigW up here.

[LGS]

Maybe you could buy the French one...The Renault-vator?:rolleyes:

[artme]

Cost was $158. Worth every cent IMHO.

[dabbler]

The guys at Masters power tool section tried to talk me into one when I was looking around last week. Can't remember price or make but it was upwards of $150 and not a 909 or renovator (they said it was 'like the one on tv').

I wanted to do three or four cuts to threaded rod so decided to use my angle grinder.

[Com_VC]

Makita have one as well now for $199. Seems good value for a well known brand.

Makita TM3000CX7 320 Watt Multi Tool (http://www.gettoolsdirect.com.au/multi-tools/makita-tm3000cx7-320-watt-multi-tool.html)

[damian]

And bosh have about 3 including a green one, and ozito hve a corded one, and briefly had a cordless one. A friend bought the cordless ozito plus drill (I think) in a special offer for $130. If I recall correctly the ozito corded is $70ish.

BOSCH MULTI TOOL SAWING-CUTTING-SANDING PMF 180 E DISC ACCESSORIES BOOKLET-CASE | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BOSCH-MULTI-TOOL-SAWING-CUTTING-SANDING-PMF-180-E-DISC-ACCESSORIES-BOOKLET-CASE-/150876307130?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item2320edbeba)

Bosch GOP250CE Multi Tool 1 Years Bosch Australia Wide Warranty | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bosch-GOP250CE-Multi-Tool-1-Years-Bosch-Australia-Wide-Warranty-/170890396876?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item27c9dc84cc)

Bosch PMF 10.8 LI Cordless Lithium-Ion Multi Tool Kit - Two Year Bosch Warranty | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bosch-PMF-10-8-LI-Cordless-Lithium-Ion-Multi-Tool-Kit-Two-Year-Bosch-Warranty-/160837884468?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item2572af5a34)

Those aren't the cheapest just examples of type. Fein obviously picked a winner with that tool and now everyone is copying it.

Replacment bits are expensive but bunnings have (had?) a kit of cutters for 20 or 30 and there are suppliers online that do them. See other threads.

[Mr Brush]

The Fein Multimaster (and especially the attachments for it) are now looking distinctly overpriced.....:rolleyes:

It is a quality tool, but I refuse to pay the fancy prices for their attachments. Far cheaper alternatives to be found online, e.g.

FITZALL BLADES | OSCILLATING MULTI TOOL BLADES | REPLACEMENT AFTERMARKET TOOLS (http://fitzallblades.com/)

Has anyone else had genuine Fein rubber sanding pads fall apart after very limited use?? If so, whats the best thing to stick the rubber back onto the metal backing plate?

[Master Splinter]

The $70-odd variety of the tool from Ozito (and the $20 blade packs) are worth a look too.

[nosnow]

Hi

The latest Home Hardware catalouge has the Xceed 3 piece kit a drill ,impact driver & multitool with 2 batterys for $99 dollars could be usefull for part time use
Cheers Rod

[peanuts]

Makita have one as well now for $199. Seems good value for a well known brand.

Makita TM3000CX7 320 Watt Multi Tool (http://www.gettoolsdirect.com.au/multi-tools/makita-tm3000cx7-320-watt-multi-tool.html)

looks like a winner, at 320 watts it seems to be the most powerful apart from the fein supacut at 400watts, (which is $1000.)
all the others seem to be between 180 & 250 watts.
next time my green bosch one dies(on my 2nd one) i'll grab the makita.

[SAISAY]

Hardly Normal have them for $159
Cheeres
Wolffie

[Com_VC]

Reviews on the makita look promising as well. They are saying it's better than the fein & bosch.

I will pick one up maybe this week. :) I think it is going to be a popular going by the price.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Makita TM3000CX5 Multi-Tool Set (http://www.amazon.com/Makita-TM3000CX5-Multi-Tool-Set/product-reviews/B00836IWD0)

[Scally]

I bought the Fein at the Wood show a few years ago. Very handy for tricky spots.

A few of the rubber pads fell off. I didn't have any success glueing them back on. I mentioned it to the guys at the next wood show. They said they had a batch with that problem and he gave a few replacements for free.

I would like a few other attachments to have on hand but the genuine ones are expensive.

I'll check out the cheaper options now.
thanks for the tips.

[damian]

Maybe we should all wait for the makita to hit $150 locally. The first review on amazon looks like he's tried most of the tools available and reckons, apart from the switch, the makita is miles ahead. I expect makita will get on to the switch thing in due course.

[vk4]

HI all,

The RENOVATOR TOOL, Ozito, Makita, Bosch , are all clones of the "OLD" FEIN MULTI-MASTER TOOL.

FEIN redesigned their tool 5 years ago , with a new gearbox switching and attachment system for accessories.

Expensive hell yes, best on the market , depends on the person holding the tool , and his/her ability to use the tool to it's greatest potential .

For myself , I would look at the OZITO , as a casual user , they have a 3 year warranty, more power and replacement blades are reasonably priced.

All these brands offer basically the same tool , there will be differences in quality, but you have to reconcile quality , power ,price ,warranty , accessories, to your actual needs.

I would be happy to buy the OZITO, as I do have a specific task for the tool , but only 1, and it could be used for some sanding tasks in the workshop.

As for the sanding pads, clean the alloy and key it with 180Grit paper then double sided tape.

Jeff
vk4

[artme]

Saw a Ryobi cordless at Bunnies the other day.Exactly the same star shaped hole pattern ithe attachments as the ones for The Renovator. Didn't check on cost.

Did note though that the unit was a bit ungainly due to the location and size of the battery.

[Homeleigh]

Have Bosch now works really well. Prior one was an Ozito but the locating pins fell out after some but not a lot of use.

[vincentvega]

I have had the green bosch for a couple of years and absolutely love it. My builder has the same unit and gives it a flogging. No problems so far.

If this one ever dies I will be upgrading to the new bosch blue unit. Much smoother and quieter.

[Ashore]

The aldi $29 does the same job. But you have to be there quick to get one.:roll:

[Superbunny]

If this one ever dies I will be upgrading to the new bosch blue unit. Much smoother and quieter.

I have the Bosch blue one I got it at the www show and I love it, but crap blades is the problem. I use it for sanding in the workshop and it does a better job on small stuff than a ROS:D:D

SB

[Superbunny]

Anyone know where I can get decent blades for this thing, the Bosch ones were crap.:D:D

SB

[Pat]

There was a mob at the Sydney woodshow flogging blades, but for the life of me I cannot remember their name.

My Bosch blue one gets used a bit and I am also looking for reasonable quality and priced replacements.

[Ty B]

The reason why Big W stores are filled to the rafters with this product and are not selling it is due to the poor quality.

They have had so many returns and complaints because it literally "rattles" to pieces.

[alex252]

It seems that the renovator is good as it comes with its accessories. I'm also thinking of buying one of them for renovating my house. Will they give the renovator on direct bargains?

[ubeaut]

I'm guessing that you, with your @directbargains.com.au email address would already know the answer to that question. :~

Neil Ellis
ADMINISTRATOR

[eisbaer]

Anyone know where I can get decent blades for this thing, the Bosch ones were crap.:D:D

SB

I've heard imperial blades are ok but I haven't tried them yet. If you google them they should come up. Made in the USA for what it's worth.

[Master Splinter]

According to a review by Fine Homebuilding, the Bosch blades were one of the good performers - Preview - Torture Test: Multitool Blades - Fine Homebuilding Article (http://www.finehomebuilding.com/tool-guide/articles/torture-test-multitool-blades.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp)

And the mob from the woodwork show were this mob:
Swarts Tools (http://www.swartstools.com.au/)

I've got some of their blades but haven't needed to use them yet!

[nrb]

My take on this tool (and others) is that a big thing is made of all the bits that go with,(so it's good value?) in fact you often only use a couple of these,buy the cheapest and then get the bits you use often.
I talk here of being a DIY guy and not a tradie.

[Handyjack]

I work part time as a handyman. Yes I have a multifunction tool in the back of the car. Mine is a green Bosch. It has done jobs that I may not have been able to do using other tools.
One of the times I have flogged it hard was removing a broken mirror from a metal cabinet door using a scraper blade. The body started to get hot. The cause was probably all the adhesive on the blade. I kept stopping to clean the blade with turps (and to give the machine a rest). The machine still works.
In my case having a variety of blades (and papers) is essential as I can not always pre-plan what I will be using it for and when it will be next used.
I have used it in conjunction with a circular saw to cut openings in boards; neat straight cuts with out over cutting.
So far I have only used Bosch blades, and except for cutting metal or pushing in hard wood they are holding up.

[Superbunny]

I just bought the new Fein 115mm sanding disk attachement after seeing a demo at the Brisbane TWWW show on the weekend. It fits to the bosch blue with an attachement. I gave it a go during the week and it is now my new finishing sander for wood projects, and if this is all I got from the show it was worth it, does a nice job indeed.:D:D


SB

[peter56]

I have both the Ozito MFR250 & Fein Multimaster. I bought the Ozito first just to get an idea of how the tool worked. It has come in handy at times to have them both set up with different attachments, although tool changes with the Fein are very quick.

The Fein segment blade (circular serrated with a flat cut off) has been ideal for removing putty from old timber windows – the main reason I bought it in fact.
I’ve found the standard wood cutting blades good for cutting flush & in confined spaces – the main thing is to keep the blade moving to clear the sawdust and prevent heat build-up. Also the nature of the blade motion makes it unlikely that you’ll cut through something you don’t intend to. I’m not so fussed on what they call precision blades – I find them less precise than the standard blades.
The sanding function is actually pretty good, though the Velcro backing on the sanding sheets doesn’t stand up to repeated removal & reattachment to the sanding pads. Dust extraction works. You can get in nice & close but once again need to keep the pad moving.
I don’t like the profile sanding set, a good idea but poorly designed & implemented.

The Ozito does the same things as the Fein. The blades supplied are not high quality but Bosch blades fit. It doesn’t have dust extraction so sanding can create a lot of fine dust. The instructions & tool nameplate state clearly that it is for DIY use only, so I don’t give it too hard a time.

So far I haven’t been impressed with the Fein universal bimetal blades, which can cut through metal as well as wood. I bought a Bosch blade which was cheaper & I think superior. I ran into a nail cutting through a tenon in a hardwood floor joist using a handsaw, so completed the cut using the Bosch blade in the Ozito. A 3 inch nail had been put through at an angle so the section of cut was 8mm long by 4mm deep – no problems at all, but once again the blade was kept moving in the cut to clear the sawdust & give all the teeth a go at the nail.

Given my experience so far, I’d recommend both of them with some reservations. The Fein has a good reputation, a nice big case, a longer lead & a 3 year warranty, but the blades are overpriced. If I was buying one new now, given there is a blue Bosch & others available, the choice would be pretty confusing I think.

Peter:)

[darsev]

I bought an AEG Multitool about 2 years ago, primarily for the right angle head screw driver and drill - the blades just came along for the ride. I was making a lot of repairs in spaces that a normal driver/drill couldn't get into, which meant a lot of disassembly and re-assembly for relatively simple jobs. It is now a standard part of my tool kit and am surprised at how often I use the blades for cutting timber flush with something else, or a plunge cut such as a mortise in awkward situations, or something else. Cost was $199 at Bunnings. My only issues are 1: the battery is small and tends to run out too quickly; and 2: the soft case it comes doesn't hold the bits and pieces in place. End result: One of the blades cut into the power lead on the charger leading to some unwanted fireworks when trying to charge a battery once. The lead is now repaired, but half the length. Also, the drill is a bit gutless, particularly compared to the driver, but given its ability to get into tight spaces, that is usually forgiven as the alternative is even more work.

Darryl

[tdrumnut]

For those that have a Fien multitool with the star attachment, the Trade Tools renegade blades fit this machine and are heaps cheaper and nearly as good quality.

[fletty]

re the discussions above about replacement blades, I did a review earlier on Fitzall vs Fein blades here….

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f13/fein-multitool-151058/

… just as a brief update, I now use Fitzall blades for 'rough work' and Fein only for sheet metal work if the result is to be seen.

fletty

[Swarts Tools]

There was a mob at the Sydney woodshow flogging blades, but for the life of me I cannot remember their name.

My Bosch blue one gets used a bit and I am also looking for reasonable quality and priced replacements.

Hi,

Thanks for the recommendation. It was us. You can check out our range at www.swartstools.com.au

sincerely
Swarts Tools