Oscillating Multi-Tool Accessory Set

Some time ago, I posted both a review of the MILWAUKEE 2626-20 M18 oscillating tool and a review of various attachments for it. At the time, I was just starting to use it, so it was hard for me to say much from a practical standpoint.
Today, I’ll show you a set of attachments sold as a kit, and share a little about my experience using this kind of tool.


I’ll start by giving my opinion of the tool itself. In the comments on both the review and the video about the attachments, I often see comments like these:
1. What a piece of junk, it just buzzes and doesn’t cut anything.
2. I could cut that off faster with a hand saw.
3. How can this renovator tool compete with a jigsaw, angle grinder, sander, rotary hammer, demolition hammer, asphalt paver, and so on?

Friends, this is primarily a supplementary tool, and secondarily a finishing tool. You don’t use it to cut chases for wiring, saw firewood for the winter, or try to sand the parquet in a 400 m² house.
This kind of tool is for jobs where you need to work slowly but carefully and cleanly, especially in places an angle grinder or jigsaw can’t reach. It’s also almost completely safe in the sense that it’s very hard to injure yourself with it—unless you drop it on your foot, of course.

I’ve been using the MILWAUKEE 2626-20 mentioned above for about two years. Over the past year, I’ve used it to:
1. Re-lay floor tiles, cutting out the grout and partially removing the old mortar, since I was reusing the same tiles.
2. Cut grooves in particleboard for mounting cabinet hinges, and make precise adjustments when needed.
3. Cut baseboards during installation.
4. Cut plastic ceiling panels.
5. Cut and fit aluminum angle bars.
6. Sand plastic.
7. Cut fiberboard.


For the past year, it’s effectively been my second-most-used tool after the cordless drill/driver. It sits nearby and comes out whenever I need to quickly trim or cut something. When I published the reviews, I hadn’t even realized how much I’d come to rely on it.
If you have one but aren’t happy with it, either you simply don’t have any jobs for it, or you just haven’t gotten used to it.

But, like almost any tool, it needs accessories—in this case, various saw blades. That’s what I’ll be talking about today.

I came across this set and decided to give it a try. By the way, the situation in brick-and-mortar stores has barely changed over the past couple of years. There’s a little more choice, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.
It came in a simple resealable bag, which I accidentally cut open while unpacking the parcel. Something sturdier would be better, at least a cardboard box.


According to the product page, the kit contains 22 items, 100 pieces in total. However, most of those 100 pieces are sanding sheets, so there are far fewer actual saw blades.


Next, I’ll show you everything in the kit, but first, here are the stated steel types used to make the blades:
HCS (high carbon steel) — high-carbon steel, hardness 45–48 HRC, for working with soft materials such as wood, particleboard, fiberboard, and plastics.
HSS (high speed steel) — high-speed steel, hardness 61–65 HRC, for working with harder materials such as mild steel, aluminum, and other non-ferrous metals. Compared with HCS, HSS blades are thinner and significantly harder.
BIM (bi-metal) — a highly elastic, unbreakable bond between HSS and HCS. These blades are intended for professional use and are suitable for working with wood, metal, non-ferrous metals, and aluminum.

The description also listed SS, but that could mean stainless steel blades, or it could be a typo for HSS, since the blades themselves weren’t marked.

I’ve also come across questions about “high-speed steel”—what exactly is it?
The thing is, cutting tools (milling cutters, blades, drills, lathe tools) have a parameter called cutting speed—the speed of the cutting edge relative to the workpiece surface, for example. For ordinary steel, this is around 5 m/min, while top-grade high-speed steel can reach 45–50 m/min.
In other words, the quality of the steel determines the cutting speed, so harder grades can cut faster and are called high-speed steels. But these steels have another advantage: their properties don’t deteriorate as the temperature rises (and sometimes even improve), so they can work quite normally at temperatures up to 500–700 degrees. Ordinary carbon steel, by contrast, shouldn’t get much hotter than about 200 degrees.

To keep things organized, I’ll go through the blades in order of increasing size.

First, the narrowest blades: 10 mm wide, with a cutting edge 25 mm long (up to where the blade starts to widen). There were two: an HCS blade for wood, and that SS blade whose material remains a mystery to me. It’s magnetic, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t stainless steel.


The teeth are straight, with a visible bevel; the teeth are about 1.7 mm high.


The mount is universal, though it’s the simplest type.


Examples of tools that use this type of mount.


Here are some different versions of this mount. The set being reviewed includes the first type, the simplest one. I’ll give the full description as a quote from my own earlier post.



To make cutting easier, saw blades have set teeth. Since this is a fairly important parameter, I’ll give the set as a percentage of the blade’s main thickness. The order is the same as in the photo above.
1. HCS blade, 0.71 mm thick, 38% set
2. SS blade, 0.62 mm thick, 43% set


Of course, I had to test them, though “test” is probably too strong a word. I just cut a small piece of pine paneling to see how they cut, not how they wear.

I cut out a little square with the small blades. Subjectively, the SS blade cut more easily, possibly because of less friction.

By the way, if you think cutting holes like these is easy—roughly the way they show it in promotional videos—I can tell you it’s a load of crap not like that at all. The blade itself cuts fine, but:
1. The workpiece must be securely clamped. Forget about cutting holes like these while holding the workpiece in midair.
2. You have to hold the saw very straight and firmly, because in some situations the blade can start banging against the edges and go “out of control,” causing severe vibration.
Ideally, brace the tool against something while cutting, even if it’s just the floor.


Wear? With such a small amount of work, where would it come from? The paint on the black blade did wear off, though. In my opinion, it shouldn’t be there at all.



The blades are 20 mm wide. There are two here as well: HCS and SS.


Essentially identical to the previous ones, but twice as wide, with a slightly greater maximum cutting depth of 30 mm.


1. HCS — 0.73 mm, 30% set
2. SS — 0.64 mm, 43% set


I tested these the same way as the previous ones. They cut, but a little more slowly because they’re wider, and they can also go “out of control.”


As with the previous blades, the white one cut more easily, while the paint on the black one wore off. Otherwise, nothing changed.



The 31 mm-wide blade came in just one version: SS.


Straight teeth, about 1.65–1.7 mm long, maximum cutting depth 38–39 mm.


Thickness: 0.63 mm, 41% set


Since this blade is noticeably wider, I used it for straight cuts rather than cutting holes—which, in reality, look more like gaps.
It cuts easily; I actually liked it. I cut off a couple of pieces of paneling.



There were lots of 34 mm-wide blades, both in quantity and variety.
1. HCS, six pieces—the only blades with more than one of each.
2. HCS with “Japanese teeth”
3. BIM, supposedly bimetal, for heavier-duty work than the blades shown earlier.


The first is intended for wood and looks very much like the previous blades, with straight teeth 1.65–1.7 mm high.
The second has Japanese teeth, which I talked about in my previous review. The teeth are angled and 2.5 mm high.
The third is for working with metal, with straight teeth 1 mm high.

The maximum cutting depth is 40 mm. The blades have both metric and imperial scales, though they’re probably not very convenient to use.


1. Standard HCS, 0.79 mm thick, 20% set
2. HCS with “Japanese teeth,” 0.73 mm thick, 50% set
3. BIM, 0.85 mm thick, 30% set


Since there were more blades here, I spent longer playing around with them. I also timed how long it took to cut off pieces.
The blade with standard teeth took about 10 seconds per cut. For this and all the other tests, the tool’s speed control was set to 6 out of 12.
The blade with “Japanese teeth,” however, was unexpectedly disappointing. I really liked blades like these in my previous review—they cut much faster than standard ones, but not this time. Each cut took about 14 seconds, compared with 10 for the regular blade.


I made 4 cuts with the regular blade and 3 with the one on the right. The paint wore off more on the latter, even though its set was decent.


There was also a metal-cutting blade in this size. I used it to cut a piece of aluminum power supply casing—I think most people know what that’s like. Aluminum is soft, but it’s not very convenient to cut with an angle grinder. This blade, on the other hand, did an excellent job: each cut took 15–16 seconds.


Since there were no fewer than six wood-cutting blades in the set, I tried one out on the same aluminum just out of curiosity.
Well, it cuts a little more slowly, taking 17–18 seconds per cut. I didn’t notice any significant wear after a couple of cuts. It even seemed to me that all the black blades are actually made from the same metal and differ only in tooth size.



45 mm wide. These are two wood-cutting blades; the only difference is the shape of the cutting edge.


The teeth are straight: 1.2 mm on the left blade and 1.5 mm on the right, which seemed a little odd. I expected them to be the same.


The maximum cutting depth also differs: 50 and 40 mm.
1. HCS, 50 mm cutting depth, 0.7 mm thick, 45% tooth set
2. HCS, 40 mm cutting depth, 0.71 mm thick, 41% tooth set


Since these two blades differ only in shape, I tested just one. It cuts really well, taking 6–7 seconds per cut. In this case, it’s the “fastest” wood-cutting blade in the set.



The widest straight blades in this review, at 65 mm. In my opinion, they could have made them curved, because using blades this wide with an oscillating tool isn’t quite right.


Both are wood-cutting blades, but one has Japanese teeth and the other has regular, straight teeth.


The first blade is also the only one in the set with a split at the back of the mounting slot, which makes changing accessories a little easier.


1. HCS, “Japanese teeth,” 0.7 mm thick, 88% tooth set.
2. HCS, regular teeth, 0.76 mm thick, 39% tooth set

The blade with “Japanese teeth” is not only the only one with a cutout in the mount, but also has the widest tooth set of all the blades in the set.


I had high hopes for the widest blades in terms of cutting speed, but it turned out they weren’t all that great.
The blade with regular teeth cuts the test piece of wood in 12–13 seconds.
The blade with “Japanese teeth” was only slightly faster, at 10–11 seconds, even though in my previous tests the difference was about twofold. But it was significantly slower than the previous 45 mm blade, which made the cut in 6–7 seconds.



Of course, during the test I took the blade’s width into account, using as much of it as possible without cutting near the edges.



Circular blades—or, more precisely, blades that are 2/3 of a full disc. Based on my experience, I can say that this type of blade is the most convenient, since you almost never need to reposition it.
Also, when cutting thin, long (wide) materials, the large blade helps, though it can get in the way too. The thing is, when you cut with a blade like this, it’s almost impossible to steer it off to the side. But that can also be a drawback: if you start cutting at an angle, it’s just as hard to straighten the cut. On the other hand, its size makes it easy to line up precisely with the cut line to begin with. So, if you’re a beginner “sawer,” go for blades like these.

The first blade has a “cup” shape and is intended for wood; the second is completely flat and is for metal.


1. HCS, 88 mm diameter, 0.7 mm thick, 44% tooth set
2. HSS, 80 mm diameter, 0.78 mm thick, 1% tooth set

Yes. The second blade has virtually no set at all. A little strange, and somehow even wrong, but I’ll be able to say more after testing it.


Based on my fairly extensive experience with blades of this shape, I expected it to cut quickly, since its cutting width is greater than that of straight blades. In reality, though, each cut took 12–16 seconds, which is a bit much.


The second blade, the one I didn’t like because it had no set at all, was a complete flop: each cut took... 40–50 seconds, while a regular blade managed it in 16. Awful.



Knife-style attachments. At first I thought I’d use these, but in the end I only needed them a couple of times at most, and even then I could have managed without them. Still, it’s probably worth having at least one around, just in case.

Both are 50 mm wide. The only difference is that one is bent, and a little shorter. It looks like they were made from blanks of the same length.


They’re sharpened on one side, though there’s nothing stopping you from resharpening them to suit your needs.


The sharpening is mediocre. The edges have burrs where the metal was simply ground down to almost nothing.


This is more of a chisel-and-plane hybrid, though in practice these blades can’t really be used as either one. But they can certainly remove a little wood or take down rough protrusions. Another option is scraping paint off walls, but you’ll have to sharpen it often.



Next up are attachments that aren’t blades, but are useful in their own way.

First, the sanding attachments: a backing pad with a hook-and-loop surface and a set of sanding sheets in various grits.

The first one is narrow. I’ve never found a use for it, so if it’s included in the kit, fine; if not, I wouldn’t buy one separately.


Dimensions.


The kit included 4 types of sanding sheets: 60, 80, 120, and 180 grit, 5 of each. The product page says there should be 5 types, so the 240-grit sheets are missing.


I’ve used this type of sanding attachment several times and have been happy with it.


The only difference is that I used sanding sheets and a holder with extra dust-extraction holes.


Everything here matches the description: 60, 80, 120, 180, and 240 grit, 10 of each.


There isn’t much to test here. The sheets stay in place, although for some reason they initially kept slipping a little. I got the hang of it eventually.
For the test, I used the same piece of wood and sanded the spot where I’d clamped it.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to see in the photo. I sanded it first with P60, then P120, and finally P240. It sands well and makes it easy to reach all sorts of awkward spots. I’ve done this before, and it works without any problems.




Attachments for coarse sanding or cutting hard ceramic materials.

On the left is a cutting disc. I used one like this to remove grout from tile joints, and it’s very convenient. Though I should mention that I’ve already worn out two attachments :)
On the right is a sanding attachment for very coarse sanding of hard materials. I’ve never used one like this; I can’t even think of where I’d use it around the house.


The sanding attachment doesn’t even have grains; it has some kind of very coarse metal chips. The cutting disc’s coating looks like fine sawdust.


Since the sanding attachment is coated on only one side, its overall thickness is uniform.


I tried cutting a ceramic tile. It cuts without much chipping, but very, very slowly.


It also wears noticeably while doing so, so this kind of blade is better suited to clearing grout or cutting where other tools can't reach.


With the second blade, I ground down the protrusions on the back of the tile. There was almost no wear. It sands slowly but steadily, and perhaps the main advantage for some people is that it produces almost no dust. In fact, I did all the tests in a living room, and I wouldn't say I made much dust.


Cutting all this used almost the entire charge of the 2 Ah battery. Oscillating tools are very power-hungry, so I'd recommend using a 4–5 Ah battery, which I don't have yet.


This is the blade I use most often. I bought it a long time ago at the Epicentr store in Kharkiv. I don't remember the manufacturer, but it's not Bosch, Metabo, or anything like that. It's marked HCS, meaning it's primarily for wood.
I've used it to cut wood, of course, as well as plastic, aluminum angle, LED profiles, and heatsinks. I had other blades too, but I couldn't be bothered to change them, and this one was convenient to use.
Yes, there's some wear, particularly on the side of the teeth facing inward, but it still cuts—and cuts well.


So, what can I say in conclusion? This would be a pretty good set in principle, with almost everything an oscillating tool user might need. Unfortunately, though, I was disappointed by the quality of some of the blades. This is especially true of the “Japanese tooth” blades, which turned out to be no better than ordinary ones, and the blade with unset teeth.
I liked the SS blades. I assume they're stainless steel, but I can't verify that. They cut pretty well and glide smoothly.
Some of the regular blades also cut well, but the very narrow ones will probably just sit in the box.
The knives and sanding attachments aren't anything special; I think you'll find similar ones in other sets. The same goes for the abrasive blades.

I can already hear the question: what about abrasive discs for angle grinders adapted for use with a multitool?
Yes, I've seen that setup. In fact, when I was finishing my renovation, I even grabbed a leftover piece of one of those discs to experiment with. But two things stopped me:
1. The disc got lost somewhere while I was transporting my tools, but that's a problem I could solve.
2. I simply don't want to wreck my tool with an accessory it wasn't designed for.

Let me say a bit more about the second point. With this kind of tool, it's extremely important that attachments fit snugly, without any play. If there's play, the attachment starts damaging the tool holder, so very thin blades can be a problem because their mounting holes are less sturdy. And believe me, it's better to throw away a bad attachment than replace the tool holder, which will probably be pretty expensive.

The store has these promo codes:
JDXMAS100 - orders of 100 or more get 15 off
JDXMAS4 - orders of $4 or more get $1 off

That's all for today. I hope you found it useful.