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[Retired]

Hi,

WOW I'm mightily impressed. The Fein has just arrived (11:40). This is brilliant service but not only that what a brilliant tool this Fein is. I've just plugged it in to run it and it oozes quality. The plastic case is also top class with small compartments two of which are lidded as seen in the pictures below.

It comes with lots of accessories which would cost a lot of money to buy separately even if bought through eBay.

Free delivery and delivered exactly on time as informed by the courier.

I've got a positive feeling I'm going to like this tool and I'm now pleased I took the plunge to buy the best; yes I'm happy.

I've just found a full demonstration on YouTube which I was watching when the Fein arrived so here it is for those interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_DH3rbSEJM

OK so I've bought the best quality but for general home workshop use I feel any of the other brands of multi tool will be well up to the job and I can add that there are adaptors cheaply available allowing cross swapping of the various accessories. The Aldi multi tool would be handy just to have ready in the workshop for those one off jobs where no other tool would be suitable.

Another tool I want rather than need (until I get one) is a Dremel; I saw brand new dremels at Rufforth for around half price so if still available on my next visit I'll buy one; £50 I think it was?

I've been out to wash the car this morning but I was in a lot of pain as the sun was attacking me again so I'd better remain indoors until my neck and shoulders heal; drat it all these new toys to play with but they will wait until I'm ready.

Good news for a change.

Kind regards, Col.

       

[Joe]

I've got a dremel but am NOT impressed. It was from Aldi and is actually made by Wolfe so for all it isn't an pusser Dremel is isn't cheapo rubbish either.

It just doesn't seem capable of doing much as the different tools seem to have a life-span of minutes, at best. The wire brushes quickly shed their bristles, the sanding drums overheat and melt the glue and I've never managed to get the milling cutters to cut anything, burn it sometimes but cut never.

The cutting discs are about the only thing I use, apart from drilling the holes in PCBs.

I wouldn't say I regret buying it but doubt I'd bother to replace it. To be honest it's this that puts me off the type of multi-tool under discussion in this thread as it seems like a similar panacera. I look forward to hearing how it performs, Col. You're also most welcome to have a look at and a play with my dremel - waits for remarks about Governesses and Under-Gardeners from Alan.

- Joe

[pwdrive]

Hi Joe, the Fein oscillating saw was a good piece of kit when I last used one about five years ago, it's main use on site was for gaining access on construction sites to awkward places such as "the plumber forgot to plumb that in" etc etc mainly floorboard removal, the sawblade can be used for all sorts of unpredictables, never used one for sanding etc with the different attatchements so can't speak for them.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

I thought it'd be good for floorboards as you never know what a jigsaw blade is going to encounter and a hand-held circular isn't much good near walls.

- Joe

[pwdrive]

as you never know what a jigsaw blade is going to encounter and a hand-held circular isn't much good near walls

Yeah...Guilty as charged...been there done that.

The worst F up I did was at the Farnborough Air Show somewhere around 2000-2002, we were on the gang constructing the stand for EADS, it was a complicated stand, in one section there was a circular wall and up through it was all the stand comms cables, computer, phone, fibre optics, coax and electricals etc.
One of the contractors had forgot to run a couple of cables up, the only way in was through the floor near to the wall, I had a Festo circular, nice and accurate so managed to cut a 1ft square hole in the floor for access, lifting the cut out revealed one of the main timber support beams for that part of the stand, it was in the way, couldn't see to good peering down the hole, I figured to block up the beam either side of the section that needed to be removed then chop the section of said beam out with the chainsaw, got the support blocks in no problem, plunged the chainsaw into the beam, was doing ok then wierd and wonderfull things started happening with all the display monitors and various other stuff followed by a bit of a flash etc, you can guess the rest, severed the whole lot....Such is life.

If I can find a picture of the stand on the web I will post it up.

Lawrence.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Joe for your information regarding the Dremel clone. I've never owned one of these in any guise so now I'll give it a miss and spend the £50 on something I can actually use. I'll be pleased to have a look at your Dremel Joe next time Bron and visit in fact if I can remember I'll bring along the Fein as long as I can bring it back home because its a lovely bit of kit?

Thanks also Lawrence; no problem at all as I never thought you would call a Yorkshireman a cheapskate unless of course well deserved. I do however fully agree with your comments about cheapskates wanting something for nothing; I too have worked for myself working through the night to get a car completed for a customer etc. It must be depressing for the big sawmills that supply timber merchants knowing the timber merchants will make as much profit if not more for just being the middleman? It's hard graft converting logs; just felling a big tree; cutting it into small sections and disposing of it is extremely tiring. Even though its hard graft converting logs with decent kit must be most satisfying as long as the weather isn't too bad?

Did you kiln your timber Lawrence; I once bought Arrowsmith kilning equipment but then decided to fully retire so never used it.

I've just got a good feeling about this Fein though and I'm sure once I start to replace the double glazing it will pay for itself on this one job? All my tools have paid for themselves usually after doing a single big job. About 36 years ago I saved up and bought an ELU MFF80? power planer and this plane has seldom been out of its box but when I have used it I have needed it badly and I'll never part with it; this plane is still running the first set of carbide blades and it's powerful.

Now guys what is the next must have tool for a tool junkie like me to buy? I'm working on the principle that I have the big machinery I need to take out the backache of preparing rough sawn hardwood and now I'm gathering top quality power or hand tools for bench work. Once I'm fully happy I've got the kit of my dreams I'll start buying hardwood to make items from.

I see a good tool or machine as a wise investment; once bought then only the materials cost money. I'm very used to making tools do jobs they were never designed to do but now I am putting a kit together of tools I want rather than actually need and there is a lot of difference between the two.

I've always fancied kilning my own timber so perhaps I should now think about revisiting this idea because green timber is still cheap enough to buy in bulk and have delivered.

My last woodworking project was to make this computer desk which is a delight to own but I can do much better and where I used Formica on this in future I would like to go traditional and use wood veneer allowing me to really stretch myself.

I've just returned from a craft store in Batley with Bron and my neck sure does hurt; I've not been in the sun much but it now only takes a minute before the sun lets me know of its presence; I'm certainly not complaining though because it's much better than suffering from rust.

Kind regards, Col.

[pwdrive]

as you never know what a jigsaw blade is going to encounter and a hand-held circular isn't much good near walls

Yeah...Guilty as charged...been there done that.

The worst F up I did was at the Farnborough Air Show somewhere around 2000-2002, we were on the gang constructing the stand for EADS, it was a complicated stand, in one section there was a circular wall and up through it was all the stand comms cables, computer, phone, fibre optics, coax and electricals etc.
One of the contractors had forgot to run a couple of cables up, the only way in was through the floor near to the wall, I had a Festo circular, nice and accurate so managed to cut a 1ft square hole in the floor for access, lifting the cut out revealed one of the main timber support beams for that part of the stand, it was in the way, couldn't see to good peering down the hole, I figured to block up the beam either side of the section that needed to be removed then chop the section of said beam out with the chainsaw, got the support blocks in no problem, plunged the chainsaw into the beam, was doing ok then wierd and wonderfull things started happening with all the display monitors and various other stuff followed by a bit of a flash etc, you can guess the rest, severed the whole lot....Such is life.

If I can find a picture of the stand on the web I will post it up.

Lawrence.

Here you go, these pictures was taken at the Berlin Air Show c 2000

http://www.ktp-architekten.de/index.php?menu=2&submenu=davor&article=1&lang=en

This is the very same stand that was at Farnborough Air Show the following month, you can see a part circular wall in the middle, brings back memories, only part of the stand area is shown, it came from Germany in a convoy of about 40 artic loads, and as usual with the Germans down to the last screw cover cap, and bang on time, amazing organization.

The circular ceiling rings are actually polished MDF boards, lot's of them, we put them up and also the polished MDF floor amongst loads of other stuff. The Italians did all the glass work, they are masters at it, the site wasn't level at all, the whole stand (Except the central cast iron pillars) was built on 2.4m x 2.4m subframes made of 200mm x 150mm timbers, each corner had a built in leveling screw jack, they were all set level with a spining laser, that bit seemed to take forever.

The central cast iron support pillars were bolted to a very large lump of precast concrete weighing a fair few tons, the whole of that section of the stand was cantilevered out from those central pillars, all a bit of a balancing act.

Whilst there we had a sneak demo flight of the Typhoon Eurofighter, what a machine that is, rattling rib cages and all that.

Sadly one of the lads was killed on that job, we were sent back to the digs for a couple of days while an investigation was carried out. On our return the safety was red hot, we had to wear harnesses at anything over 6 ft in height.

Lawrence.

[pwdrive]

Col, no, I never kiln dried, mainly stickered air dry, I also had an Arrowsmith but never got round to rigging it up, I sold it eventually.

Lawrence.

[Radio Fixer]

Agree on most of the Dremel clone tools. However, I wouldn't be without it as if I need to drill really tiny holes, sub mm, its essential.

The Plunge saw multi-tool is a lot better. The Aldi one of course cant be expected to be in the class of Colins. But I have used it 3 times now, saw and sander discs and its been good. Made things easy for me. Good enough for me as I'm giving up DIY as much as possible. Lifes getting short and it aint what I want to spend the time left to me on.

Gary

[camallison]

I have a Dremel 3000 kit:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dremel-3000-Seri..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373993443&sr=8-1&keywords=dremel+3000

and a Dremel Workstation (pillar):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dremel-26150220J..._4?ie=UTF8&qid=1373993443&sr=8-4&keywords=dremel+3000

Mostly used for drilling PCBs and front plates. It does the job well, but I haven't tried it on sanding jobs, but have used it successfully on cutting/slitting.

Overall, it is a lightweight tool mainly for fine work. Glad I bought it.

Colin