1/22/2024 0 Comments Harbor freight multi tool pliersEven intermediate DIYers will quickly wish for something better if they use it with any regularity. However, we can’t recommend this product to anyone at the Pro level unless you just need a tool to get you through a few cuts in a pinch. Of course, that statement assumes that you don’t mind some exceedingly slow cut times, questionable build quality, a miserable blade change system, a ton of vibration, and a warranty that inspires zero confidence. A $40 Chicago Electric Oscillating Tool won’t beat up your pocketbook too badly, and if you don’t intend to use a multitool too heavily, something like this might work for you. Here’s the thing: we recognize that there’s a big niche in the market for DIY/Homeowner grade tools. But at $40, at least this model is cheap to replace if it fails after the 90-day mark. Of course, you ought to be advised that this multitool only comes with a 90-day warranty. The next model up (Worx) will set you back $50 and the most expensive is the Fein Supercut cordless at nearly $600. Hands down, the Harbor Freight Oscillating Tool wins in this category, owing to the fact that it costs a mere $40 – even less if you snag a 20% coupon from their flyer. Understanding Hearing Protection with DeWalt It’ll be louder inside where the noise can resonate.Īt 102 dB(A), Harbor Freight is in a 4-way tie just 2 decibels from the loudest. Measured at the ear, Chicago Electric generates 102 dB(A) while cutting in an open field. However, some models make a good bit more noise than others, and the Harbor Freight Oscillating Tool is one of the worst offenders. Just by virtue of how these tools operate, we expect a lot of loud chatter. Nobody has come up with a truly quiet multitool yet, which would actually be a pretty big task. Overall, Harbor Freight earns 88 points for its ergonomics, good enough for a 3-way tie for 4th place. But we also give credit where it’s due – this is the lightest multitool of our finishers. Of course, any tool that’s considerably lighter than its peers brings up a few questions about the quality and durability of the build. The Harbor Freight oscillating tool feels reasonably comfortable in the hand with its slimmer housing. Design ErgonomicsĬhicago Electric does pretty well in the design ergonomics category. While it is a couple of levels up from the worst offender, a score of 60 in this category puts it well below what we expect from a Pro-level tool. The Chicago Electric oscillating multi-tool has a ton of vibration – there’s no getting around it. Its 46.8-second average is more than 40 seconds behind our speed winner. With just a 2.0-amp motor, that’s not a surprise. We experienced some slow cut times, but the Harbor Freight Oscillating Tool took the cake with the absolute slowest time we saw unless you count Porter-Cable’s 20V Max model that failed to complete the test. To see what kind of cutting speed you can expect, we put each model through a series of plunge cuts in untreated 2x pine and got an average. Quite frankly, it’s a pain, and it’s a deal-breaker for our Pro team. Sure, wrenching the blade into place will keep it secure, but the process of changing blades becomes time-consuming and requires an additional tool. If it isn’t apparent yet, this design is our least favorite of the available options. Where a lot of manufacturers have moved toward tool-free blade change designs, Harbor Freight chooses to lag behind, likely as a cost-saving move.
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