?best electric multitool (detail sander, drill, screwdriver, saw, etc...)

Submitted by rackhamlerouge9 t3_yxs58z in BuyItForLife

Hi all,

Situation

  • Just moved into a very small house; minimal space for tools.
  • I already have a serviceable (albeit cheap) hammer-drill in my toolkit.
  • I don't have any battery-powered/cordless tools: if I could get something that would have batteries or chargers interchangeable with other products I'd buy in the future, I'd regard that as a huge bonus.
  • I primarily want a detail sander and a light drill/electric screwdriver.
  • I haven't put a budget because if something really is a 'for life' tool, I'll save up for it. Conversely I don't mind taking a punt on an unknown if it seems like the right answer, but I'd prefer to risk less money.

Question

  • Can anyone steer me toward a cordless multitool available in the UK, with as much versatility as possible?
    • I'm aware of the Black and Decker MT1203K-2 which seems to be out of production.
    • In a fantasy world I'd get something with USB type-c charging (It supplies up to 100w!), but that doesn't seem to be an option in cordless tool battery charging, so far as I can see.
    • If I ought to post this somewhere else I'd be grateful for any steer anyone can provide.

Thanks all, for your time and consideration.

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Comments

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edhitchon1993 t1_iwqaqf0 wrote

You'd do well asking for advice on r/DIYUK, a similar question was posed earlier this week.

I personally have found Erbauer's range of battery tools (Screwfix own brand) to be well made - I've not had to disassemble any yet to look inside but they've withstood a lot of abuse at my hand! They don't do a light drill driver type thing, only 18v an multidrill. For space saving you'll want to buy one tool in box with battery and charger, and then expand buying bare tools (and perhaps the occasional additional battery). The chargers are wall mountable (mine is inside the cupboard under the sink) which saves counter space.

Equally Aldi's Ferrex branded tools have stood up to similar abuse at the hands of my sister - they had a 9 month period of terrible battery availability (and online reviews tend to reflect that strongly), availability of specific tools is semi-seasonal but they've been online throughout the last year (possibly because of the lack of batteries meaning nobody was buying them).

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwqcom6 wrote

Top advice - thank you!

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leftabomb t1_iwr6jw3 wrote

+1 for the Erbauer EXT 18v range. Got several in the set now, the angle grinder definitely isn't as powerful as a wired tool but I've really been enjoying the jigsaw and multi tool, and plan to get circular saw soon. And when my existing tools die I'll probably get the EXT one.

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TheXperior t1_iwqdaij wrote

I'd say that's quite impossible. These tools may be able to do many different things, but they never do as good as the dedicated tool. So I think there just isn't a market for such tools in the professional user community, so options will be limited to "Homeowner/Handyman" quality stuff.

Cosidering ur primary needs, I'd suggest maybe getting a Fein Multimaster or a similar oscillating multitool plus a small drill. If you get the 12V cordless Multimaster you could get a compact drill using the same battery (ASCM 12 QC for example)

Nothing wrong going with Bosch Professional variants instead, this would give you access to a wider selection of future tools.

The Multitool can be used for detail sanding, cutting wood/metal (small stuff) , scraping, tile cutting etc.

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwvotf1 wrote

Thanks - I think you're right.

It may be that I end up trying something new and reporting back in 50 years!

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fazalmajid t1_iwrhxa3 wrote

I'd get the Bosch Professional (blue line, not green) of 12V tools (and in fact that's what I have). They all share the same batteries, and you have a wide variety of useful tools. Milwaukee's M12 system is also good, but harder to get in the UK.

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jamscrying t1_iwrttq3 wrote

There's only 4 cordless brands I would buy: Makita, Hikoki (used to be Hitachi), DeWalt or Milwaukee. They have extensive ranges that use the same batteries.

Black and Decker, Bosch etc are all fairly naff in comparison as their bearings, motors and gearboxes are known to wear out faster, but are still a step ahead of other brands.

Tbh no cordless tool is a 'Buy it for Life' but if you're willing to pay just a bit more you can have the best on the market that survive thousands of hours of use.

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwvont9 wrote

Thanks I think you (ho ho) hit the nail on the head - the one motor, n rotary gizmos 'thing' I'm looking for is never going to be BIFL, oh well - lesson learnt!

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Muncie4 t1_iwucx35 wrote

Stop being coy about a budget as it is fooling no one but yourself. If you want a BIFL multi-tool system, then https://www.hilti.com/ is it. Once you find out the cost and your nose stops bleeding, you have just learned the importance of a budget.

If you are a common man doing common task, you do not want/need to buy a true BIFL item. Explore the room...if the home improvement stores in your area or the website you like has a wide selection of Dewalt and Bosch, pick one brand and stay with it as most of the sunk cost is the charging/batteries and once you become a Bosch man, you should buy all things Bosch.

I chose Milwaukee. They have a 12v and 18v system. I'm not a professional, so I went with the 12v version of tools and have like 8 or so tools now due to impulse buying and sales and used market buys. Is it BIFL? I'm leaning towards no-ish, but they are premium mid tier and are overkill for the average homeowner and sheer amount of tools is mindblowing.

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Sleddar t1_iwur1ma wrote

Hilti is top of the line, no question

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwvp00d wrote

Thanks guys, looked at Hilti, agreed, toppers stuff, but they seem more a battery platform than a battery-and-motor platform.

I think the plan will be to throw a few hundred quid at this and report back in a few decades. I will probs use something makita or milwaukee battery-compatible.

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Sleddar t1_iwvp9w8 wrote

All the guys in the trades use Milwaukee. They also have some crazy specialized tools. It’s my preferred brand as well.

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cyanrarroll t1_ixgbk2l wrote

Only in North America though. Everywhere else is split between bosch and makita, for tradesman, or hilti and festool for the high end installers

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SaoDavi t1_iwqz08t wrote

Ridgid (US - Home Depot) has a very good set that does this. They also sell a kit of dedicated tools. Both work very well.

Not sure about UK options.

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwr2kw8 wrote

Thanks, gives me hope.

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SaoDavi t1_iwr8nxl wrote

Not to dash your hopes, but it doesn't look like they sell it any more. It's was called "Jobmax". Amazon still has it available.

However, dedicated tools are much better and don't cost any more. They take up a little more space, but I highly recommend the full-sized kit over the modular kits that all use the same "engine" to run the tools.

There are plenty of major players making quality products in this space (Dewalt, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Bosch, Makita, etc.). Here's an example of a decent kit.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-Cordless-Combo-Kit-10-Tool-with-2-20-Volt-2-0Ah-Batteries-Charger-Bag-DCK1020D2/305019378

With Black Friday and holiday sales coming up, you can probably score an excellent deal.

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twynkletoes t1_iwvd1f7 wrote

There is a lot of great advice here. I just want to add that if you go with cordless, spend more for the "brushless" model.

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rackhamlerouge9 OP t1_iwvp5sk wrote

Thank you! This seems to be an option even at the cheapest level. Will heed this.

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platanitosucio t1_ix4eb2h wrote

No such thing as a good all around multi tool. Get the specific tool you need for the specific job. Milwaukee, Dewalt, Ryobi are all good brands. Warranty is your best friend. Look on Facebook marketplace or other places where people sell/trade things for used tools.

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