You’ll need at least one battery and a charger, but if you’ve already bought into Makita’s battery-powered tool range that won’t be a problem. And if you haven’t already, you have complete freedom to choose whatever battery, charger, and range of accessories you want. You’ll be ahead of the game price-wise, and you will have a quality oscillating multi tool. I think this is the best oscillating multi tool for professionals because you can change speeds on the fly without fiddling with a speed selection wheel. And the LED light means you can use this cordless multi tool in the tightest gaps without searching for a torch. If you want one of the best budget oscillating multi tools, made by a name you recognise, you should take a close look at the Draper 20987 Oscillating Tool. For a fraction of the price of a premium multi tool, you get a powerful 400 Watt motor. And the rubberised barrel grip is easy to hang on to as well. The WORX WX686.1 Sonicrafter Corded Oscillating Multi Tool provides serious competition for the best oscillating multitools from Makita, DeWalt, Bosch and the like.

The maximum oscillation angle ranges narrowly between 2 to 4 degrees across most major brands. When using the oscillating multi tool for making cuts, a larger oscillating angle results in faster more aggressive cutting, while a smaller angle ensures a slower cut and allows for greater control and less vibration. Weighing 1.1 kg, this oscillating tool is solidly built yet easy to handle and is at home cutting or grinding resilient materials. The best cordless multi tools come with a brushless motor. Brushless versions reduce the friction between the motor’s components and thus increase the life of the motor. The most common multi tool accessories are blades, scrapers, cutting discs and sanding pads, and these are often included with the tool itself. This is a well-engineered versatile power tool with a 250 Watt motor and an aluminium gearbox, yet it weighs just 1.45 kg. This combination gives this oscillating tool a better power-to-weight ratio than many of its competitors. Alongside this is the dual grip soft handle that ergonomically enhances handling and control.Sanding right into corners is a difficult task at the best of times and is extremely tiring when you have lots of them to do in one go. The hook and loop sanding pad you can attach to the front of the oscillating tool are ideal for these situations. You’re not going to use the tool to sand down a whole floor, but when you need to get into a tight spot, the multi tool is unbeatable. The brushless motor of the DCS355 runs with less friction making it more efficient than a motor with brushes. According to DeWalt, this tool has 57% more run time compared to a brushed motor, allowing you to use it for a longer time before having to recharge the battery. While not the fastest-cutting multi-tool, at a top speed of 20,000 OPM and an oscillating angle of 1.6° (3.2° L/R combined), the DeWalt Cordless Oscillating Tool runs properly. Battery Indicator and LED Light A tool-free blade change system is a really handy feature with an oscillating tool as there is a huge array of accessories that is available.

If you compare two of the best multi tools I’ve tested out – the DeWalt DCS355N-XJ and DWE315KT – they’re almost identical. Both DeWalt multi tools put out the same excellent range of oscillations per minute (opm). They also have a similar weight and grip shape. Being a soft start power tool, the Draper multi tool is easy to hold on to, but there’s still a fair amount of vibration and a lot of noise at full speed. Now that all the patents have run out, all major power tool brands offer a range of oscillating multi tools. They’ve developed into a very versatile, sophisticated and pretty much essential piece of equipment for both professionals and DIYers. How Oscillating Multi Tools WorkBelieve me, when you’ve got an oscillating tool in your toolbox you start asking yourself if you can fix something with this tool first before using any of your other power tools, and usually “why on earth didn’t I get one of these “go-to tools” years ago?” Like with the cutting blades, there are plenty of different types of sanding pads to choose from in a range of sizes to suit your DIY project. You can get large sanding pads that are suitable for sanding and levelling larger areas, “delta” shaped pads for getting into corners and up against edges and different profile sanding pads for specific jobs. Quality Accessories

DeWalt’s batteries have indicator lights to show how much charge is left in the battery. By pressing the button, all three green lights mean full charge. Two lights signal between 50 and 75%, and one light means less than 50%. The DCS355 is equipped with a LED light, which allows illuminating the work area, making it easier to see what you are cutting. What's Included? The oscillating multi tool’s unique selling point is in its name – its ability to oscillate. When you hold the body of the tool and switch it on, the head of the tool moves from side to side in a narrow arc at a very rapid rate. The oscillation rate (which can be over 20,000 opm), is usually controlled using a speed dial or a variable speed trigger. Next up are cutting blades – there are tons of different types of cutting blades available but the one that changed the way I work the most is the straight cutting blade. It lets you plunge cuts directly into the workpiece like a chisel, but without using much effort at all, and they’re available in a whole host of widths. Where the metal meets the workpiece- the huge array of oscillating multi tool blades and cutters you can fit to your multi tool is what makes it the power tool you’ll reach for more than any other.

This Bosch multi tool comes with an auxiliary handle that can be fitted to either side of it. This makes it steadier to control and absorbs more vibration when faced with those longer jobs. A soft start and variable speed setting with 6 speeds control the oscillation rate (max 20,000 opm). Cordless versions are safer than corded ones because there is no lead, and they are more portable too.