Fein MultiMaster Set - TOP

[fozz]

Gday folks,
This is a review on the Fein MultiMaster FMM 250 Q. They are sold at the moment as
a number of kits, the Start, Select, Top and Top Extra. The version I purchased is
the Top, it being the best value for money for the types of work I want it to do.
The unit itself is not cheap and the accessories are pretty pricey too. With that
being said, the TOP MultiMaster kit comes with an abundance of accessories that
enable it to be used for sanding, cutting, grinding, scraping, grout removal and
profile sanding.

I saw the MultiMaster many years ago one Saturday morning at Just Tools in south
Melbourne. I remember it being demonstrated on a piece of timber and was amazed at
the ease in which it was plunged right through the piece of 4x2 pine. The other
thing I distinctly remember was the price that at the time just didn’t fit into my
budget.

About two months ago I was contacted to quote for some outside painting. The job
consisted of removing many lineal metres of flaking paint right up close to the
Colorbond guttering. There are also a number of window frames where the timber
bead holding the glass in place has rotted away as well as glazing putty needing
to be removed and replaced. At about the same time I'm standing at the counter at
Carbatec in Melbourne waiting to hand over some money and watching the TV behind
the counter and what’s being advertised, the Fein MultiMaster.

This got me thinking. With all the sanding and such involved in this next job I
enquired as to the price of the unit. Of the four kits on offer, the one that was
going to be the best value was going to set me back $550.00, a reduction of nearly
$100.00 on the regular price.

Next came one hell of alot of research, on the tool and the accessories. The tool
comes in two versions, the Fein MultiMaster FMM 250 and the Fein MultiMaster FMM
250 Q, the "Q" being for quick release of the various accessories and the one that
comes with the "Top" kit. After much reading of reviews on the tool, the
overwhelming conclusion was that while it is a very expensive piece of equipment,
it does the work that no other tool can do and it does it extremely well.
With the confidence the reviews had given me and the customer being happy with the
quote and giving me the go ahead, I purchased the "Top" kit with the depth gauge
for $597.00 from Just Tools last Saturday.

Today was the first chance to use it. I'd had to fill seven door frames where the
old striker plate had been with builders bog. For those of you who have used bog
before, you know just how hard it sets when left overnight to dry and how hard it
can be to get a perfectly flat finish next to the existing timber. Often either
the bog or the timber will sand faster and leave an uneven surface.

This is how I know the money was well spent. From getting the kit out of the car,
setting it up with the vacuum cleaner, setting the tool up with the extraction
accessories and the sanding accessories, sanding the seven door jam repairs and
putting the tool back in the kit box took less than twenty minutes. Yes, that’s
right, less than twenty minutes!!!!

I used one of the perforated 120 grit sand papers to do the work and at the end
the paper was slightly worse the wear on the leading two edges. The back edge and
central part of the pad look almost brand new.

The dust extraction consists of a moulded piece that goes around the tools spindle
and runs underneath the tool, attached with a clip at the back. Then a felt
sealing ring goes between the extraction head and the back of the accessory. This
all hooked up to the wet and dry vacuum gave a dust free work place, not even a
residue of dust on the job surface.

As for the rest of the kit, each of the accessories appears to be exceedingly well
made. One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the wood/metal universal E-cut
saw; it comes with the blades teeth covered in a protective coating. The entire
kit comes in a sturdy plastic case. A number of the reviews were negative about
this but having had tools in steel cases in the past and having had them start to
rust, I feel the plastic case is a much better idea. There are two internal boxes
inside the case that hold all the sandpaper and accessories and the tool rests in
a moulded plastic container.

Now for the tool itself. It is a solid, well balanced piece of equipment. The
switch has a very positive movement to it and while on the power side of the tool,
unlike alot of power tools, the lead is five metres in length allowing it to be
used up a ladder without having to resort to an extension lead.
I was going to start this review by saying it was about my new toy. After using
the Multimaster I changed my mind, this is definitely not a toy, it a purpose
built tool that's does the jobs that no other tool will do as quickly and
efficiently.

As I do different work and the appropriate accessories I'll add to this review and
let you know how things go.

Hope this helps someone,

Ross.

[fubar]

thanks for the review hopefully i can build the price of it into my next job as i also think that this tool looks extremely handy. although id like to know how the saw cuts aussie hardwood .

[AitchJay]

Hope this helps someone,

Ross.

Just did - thanks. :U

[fozz]

fubar,

I'm hoping to have a go with some good old aussie hardwood this weekend, will let you know how it goes.

AitchJay, glad I was able to help,

Ross.

[Gaza]

thanks for the review hopefully i can build the price of it into my next job as i also think that this tool looks extremely handy. although id like to know how the saw cuts aussie hardwood .

we do it all the time with no probem got to keep the blade moving so it does not burn.

it even cuts through nails with easy

[fozz]

Hey Gaza,

Any information you can add regarding the multimaster would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Ross.

[Gaza]

Hey Gaza,

Any information you can add regarding the multimaster would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Ross.

biggest thing is dont let it out of your sight we go through one or two a year being knocked off.

if you go to JLC forum there is a how to make your own blades.

[fozz]

Thanks Gaza for the information, wont let mine out of my sight.

Heres a further update for one of the accessories and what it was used for and how it went.

I used the supplied E-cut metal/wood saw blade today for the first time. I'm in the throes of extending my garage another 3.2 metres in length and after removing the gal sheeting from the back,I found an 80x50mm roughsawn hardwood frame that had to be removed all but about 100mm at either end to be used as spacers and fixing for the new stud walls.

Now the garage is 40 years old so who knows how old the timber in the frame is. My friend was standing next to me saying use the jigsaw, use the jigsaw. I told him where it was and to go and get it while I used the multimaster. The first cut of six was over and done before he found the jigsaw, bit of smoke while cutting then remember what Gaza said about keeping the blade moving. Once I understood the technique to using this blade, the next two were cut right through as the friend yelled at me from the garage depths, "theres no blade in it"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I let him do the forth one after realising the bottom would be better done from the inside of the garage. The window frame to be cut out also. It was fixed in place by four 100mm nails skewed through the hardwood frame. By this time my friend is starting to be impressed with the multimaster and joking says why dont I use it to cut the nails. Before he could eat his words the blade was plunged in between the two pieces of timber and with alittle push the first nail was cut. Of course the comment was that the blade would be blunt after that. Pulled it out and into the other three before showing him and my self what the blade was like.

After the work the blade did you could see where I'd made the smoke on the first cut, a little carbon residue left on the blade but other than that there was nothing to show it had just cut four very thick nails and for the size of the blade some very thick, old aussie hardwood.

Both he and I were very impressed with what the multimaster had just done and he is now thinking of getting one himself.

I'll keep adding to this as the tool is used.

Cheers,

Ross.

[Groggy]

I'm renovating at the moment and have been using mine for all sorts of jobs. I needed to remove and move a cornice back about 600mm, the ezcut let me slice the cornice off neatly and re-use it. Making powerpoint holes in plaster -sweet :2tsup:. Trimming off a screw that had snapped its head off during previous installation - no problem. Slicing off some sticky silastic from the old benchtop - again, pretty simple stuff. Best use was turning the blade at 90 degrees so I could make a notch hole in a stud where I couldn't fit my drill.

I found the vacuum attachment useless for plaster work.

[fozz]

Gday Groggy,

Plaster work is one of the things I had in mind when buying it.

Thanks for the added info, if enough different applications for this tool can be written in this thread, maybe more people will realise just how handy this tool can be.

Cheers,

Ross.

[Groggy]

Ross, the Fein can be viewed like a hammer or duct tape, you can use it for just about anything the mind can dream up for it. Cutting holes, sanding and any task where an oscillating action is better than rotary. One of those tools that is not absolutely necessary, but makes the job so much faster and neater.

[fozz]

Gday folks,

Got the chance to use the multimaster again yesterday. The customer's garage room lining had finally had the gong after 50 years. The masonite had mostly fallen off, only two sheets were still hanging by a few nails.

Anyways, out with the e-cut blade and off with the two sheets. All the sisalation? had fallen apart over the years so that had to come of too. Put the rigid knife into the tool and started cutting it from one side to another, again like a hot knife through butter. A few times I managed to hit the bottom of the gal cliplock sheeting, took the edge of the corner of the blade but otherwise it didnt stop, all 25 square metres of it.

Next all the nails had to be made flush with the battens so that the new sheets could be installed. The e-cut blade would have cut close to 300 nails yesterday and is still not blunt. The only other thing to do was cut flush the edge of the masonite sheeting up against the walls, the e-cut blade made very short work of it.

As an aside, while getting rid of the sisalation, I was cutting one section that was intact and had a large bulge in it. Next thing this bulge moved and out popped a fury head. HHHHHHmmmmmmmmmmm, ringtail or brushtail, damn, brushtail, aint gonna mess with him. All of a sudden there was two heads, the second bigger than the first!!!!!!!

I spent the next 30 minutes trying to get these two possums out of the roof so I could finish the job. The biggest one came down onto the top of my mobile scaffold after a prod with the broom handle then ran straight at me. I can tell you, I looked like wily coyote trying to get out of its way, damn things body was as big as a domestic moggy. Another prod had the smaller one exit stage left up onto the roof, good riddance both of them.

The multimaster was used pretty solidly yesterday and saved me at least 4 hours of work. At this rate it will pay for itsself in about three jobs, well worth the money so far.

Further updates toward the end of the week, sanding on the painting job starts tomorrow.

Cheers,

Ross.

[fozz]

Gday folks,

Well, its been an interesting last few days with the multimaster.

I had used the perforated sanding pad to sand flush some builders bog on seven striker plate holes at a customers home. The pad was used again on the current job to sanding timber window frames and the timber moulding that holds the windows in place.

The paint had reached the point that it had flaked and pealed so on with a 60 grit paper and onto the first window. It roughed up the paint on the first window with relative ease, getting into all the nooks and crannies that it was purchased for. The window sill was thick with old paint so after a couple of minutes sanding and realising this wasnt the best way to go, the sanding pad was replaced with the carbide rasp and the paint was taken back to the timber.

Onto the second window and with the rasp still in place, the sill was sanded the same as the first window. The sanding pad was installed next to sand flat the marks the rasp had left on the first sill then onto the second sill to do the same. This is where the trouble started.

It seemed to be taking along time to sand this sill and thinking the sand paper may need to be changed, I removed the tool from the sill to have a look. This is where I noticed the pad seemed to have come loose in the tool. I grabbed the pad and found it had detached itself from the alluminium backing that is fixed into the actual machine.

Having just paid out $600.00 and not even worn out two sanding sheets, I was not impressed. My mood was further enhanced after speaking to three different people at Just Tools and being told by one of them that it would be put down to user abuse of the tool. I was told that the pad detached because I'd applied too much pressure to the tool, heating the glue that holds the rubber pad to the alluminium backing plate and melting said glue.

I explained that I'd purchased a green Bosch delta sanding 15 years ago and it had done a power of work and still had the first pad attached to it. The multimaster was at least 5 times dearer and after just maybe an hour of sanding, the pads failure just wasnt good enough. I then asked for the Feins sales reps mobile phone number to take it up with him. After trying for the next 4 hours to contact him I gave it away.

So, after spending $600.00 to make it easier and more efficient to do a job, a $30.00 atachment stopped me dead in my tracks.

I will try to contact the rep next week, will let you know the outcome.

On a better note, The tool was used to complete the installation of the carport roof lining that was started at the beginning of the week. It was used with the HSS blade to fit the sheets of 3mm MDF and to cut the quad and flat timbers covering the joins in the sheets. Again I couldnt be happier, it does this sort of work brilliantly working all Thursday and Friday and never once missed a beat.

To finish this for now, I'm still very happy with the purchase of the multimaster, its sofar saved me at least half a day in labour and thats including the failure of the sanding pad.

Cheers,

Ross.

[fubar]

Fozz thanks again for the ongoing review looks like im going to be spending some money soon

[fozz]

No probs fubar, glad its helped you.

[Greg Q]

Gday folks,
actual machine.

Having just paid out $600.00 and not even worn out two sanding sheets, I was not impressed. My mood was further enhanced after speaking to three different people at Just Tools and being told by one of them that it would be put down to user abuse of the tool. I was told that the pad detached because I'd applied too much pressure to the tool, heating the glue that holds the rubber pad to the alluminium backing plate and melting said glue.


Ross.

Ross, I'm looking forward to your report. I was going to buy one of these, but not until you report back. Certainly not from Just Tools if that's their attitude. Feel free to show them this post.

Greg

[fozz]

Gday Greg,

I'm going into Just Tools Monday morning to hopefully sort something out, will certainly let you know what happens.

Cheers,

Ross.

[fozz]

Gday folks,

OK, just got back from Just Tools to see about the sanding pad. I spoke to one of the sales people, John was his name, and explained what had happened last week.

He grabbed the keys for the Fein display cabinet, opened it up, got a new sanding pad and handed it to me. When asked what would cause the failure he said without seeing how I was using it that it was too hard to say definitely which I thought was fair enough.

Anyways, I was so happy with the outcome, going in thinking I may be in for a fight so to speak that I walked away with a new pad and $70.00 lighter in the wallet after buying another attachment for the multitool, a MiniCut and Diamond Sharpening Set.

Iam still very happy with tool and accesories and would have no problems recommending it or Just Tools, they have both restored my faith that customer service still exists.

Cheers,

Ross.

[Gaza]

Gday folks,

OK, just got back from Just Tools to see about the sanding pad. I spoke to one of the sales people, John was his name, and explained what had happened last week.

He grabbed the keys for the Fein display cabinet, opened it up, got a new sanding pad and handed it to me. When asked what would cause the failure he said without seeing how I was using it that it was too hard to say definitely which I thought was fair enough.


Ross.

ross i have had the same issues many a time with the pad detaching, we now use a makita trangle sander and not the muti master.
i think that keeping it moving does reduce the heat build up which is what causes the glue to melt.

[fozz]

Thanks Gaza for the advice, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's had this problem.

[fozz]

Gday folks,

A very quick update today.

I've spent the week taking most of the exterior timber on a brick veneer house back to a paintable surface. Alternating between the carbide rasp and the non perforated sanding pad, the tool has been used alot more than first intended and I can honestly say that I am very impressed with it.

Its saved me a hell of alot of time doing the prep work and now that I understand how to use it I find my self having it up on the ladder with me at all times.

As an aside, I went to the Working with wood show this morning and of course headed for the Fein stand to see what bargains they might have on offer. Well, they certainly had some good prices !!!!!!!

I walked away $80.00 lighter in the wallet but with over $300.00 in accessories in sanding pads, sandpaper, blade, scraper, carbide detail tool and a ridgid scraper.
Certainly couldnt complain about that.

Anyways I'm still a happy chappy :)

Cheers for now,

Ross.

[jerryc]

Fozz,
I've had a multimaster for a couple of years now and it's great. I ran into the same problem with the sanding attachment as you did. I was told "You are putting too much pressure on the tool. As I'm not hand fisted I queried this and eventually contacted the Vic supplier direct. His advice was just allow the pad to rest on the work. it is so efficient that that alone will do the sanding. ANY extra pressure however light will be too much. It works.
Incidently I bought it for a really tricky renovation job. A Victorian cornice was attached to a 100 mm thick beam in an alcove and I had to cut a rebate in the beam to put up plasterboard. All the work was above my head and chiselling was no option because the vibration would fracture the cornice. Using the straight blade as a chisel was so easy and within no time the rebate was cut. Next job was to chisel a groove in a door post for wiring a door bell. The architect was unhappy because the leadlight window next to the post was ninety years old and fragile. I cut the vee groove with the multimaster and the outcome was that the architect went out next day and bought one for himself. He is a friend and ust loves gadgets. Like others have said,it's the most underrated tool there is. Use your imagination and the tool can do anything.

Jerry

[renovationman]

Hi there,
i purchased a multimaster top at the beginning of this year, and i love it, it has had some dramas with the pads like some have mentioned, but i have simply taken it back to both Just Tools and now Able Air, and both got in touch with fein whilst is was there and i spoke to the rep, he was great about it and they exchanged it. The rep even called back to get some further information to complete some report. So if you guys are having some trouble don't loose faith in this little dynamo.

Ta
Reno....man

[Hardenfast]

All good so far except for the sanding pad. I'll be watching to see what the response from Fein is for warranty.

Wayne

[John Saxton]

Doing some reno at this moment so have grapped a Fein Multimaster Top set and a couple of extra blades.

Like all good tools( not only do they cost a lot but so do the extras) I figured the extras would be needed.
It's expensive to replace the required items with this tool but have come across this site http://www.multiblades.com/flushcutblades.html which has replacement cutters etc for the Fein tool.

Have'nt done a full cost comparison with all the items they produce but looked at one that was US$15.00, somewhat cheaper than the market brand here.

Then again with US postal costs being what they are it would probably pay to order a few of what you need to justify the buy.

HTH
Cheers:)

[Groggy]

John, the accessories are hideously expensive and are a rip-off. I don't usually use such strong language but the prices of the replacement bits are ridiculous. I was using one of the rubber sanding forms and it heated up then kept coming loose. It lasted about 1/2 an hour. The tool does an excellent job but the cost of consumables makes the Bosch style tools VERY attractive.

To replace it will cost about $70 to get the whole kit - they aren't sold individually. If anyone knows where you can get individual bits I'd like to know too.

[John Saxton]

John, the accessories are hideously expensive and are a rip-off. I don't usually use such strong language but the prices of the replacement bits are ridiculous. I was using one of the rubber sanding forms and it heated up then kept coming loose. It lasted about 1/2 an hour. The tool does an excellent job but the cost of consumables makes the Bosch style tools VERY attractive.

To replace it will cost about $70 to get the whole kit - they aren't sold individually. If anyone knows where you can get individual bits I'd like to know too.

Can't help you there Groggy,but I know where you're coming from and it seems that wherever loop & pile attachment for sanding pads are applied then caution must be the word.Have heard & seen where this has been aproblem with the adhesive for the pads being heated beyond the rating therefore a breakdown in the structure.

I have used a Ryobi el cheapo with its sanding velcro pads also with the same degree of issues...makes no never mind...manufacturers have real problems addressing this ...but we do not hear about it or of any advance.
Only solution to hand is to apply lightly and slowly and with that i have had some luck.

Cheers:)

[Groggy]

John, it is the profile pads I have had bother with, not the sanding pads; although they need care as you say. The rubber profile pads heat up where they connect to the holder then fall out. A packet of profile pads is about $90. If you only use one pad and it is overheated you have to buy another complete set just to get the one profile :~.

[John Saxton]

I know what you're saying Groggy,I should have also mentioned that the Ryobi I have is a profile sander with a multitude of profiles that I have used with it.

But so saying that I also had to change a Festo pad off my RO EQ150 plus because the disc would slide all over the place and I put it down to me being ham fisted if you like just to coin a phrase...resulting in a new pad.

Cheers:)

[oop's]

Hey Guys, just wondering if any of you know much about the Fein Multimaster cordless model, and if there is a lithium ion model coming out ? reserch on the Fein site doesn't say much about the type of battery that it is !