Harbor Freight Oscillating Tool
Harbor Freight’s Chicago Electric oscillating multi-tool is a capable entry-level pick for occasional cuts, sanding, and scraping, cheap enough to try the tool category without commitment. Its trade-offs are vibration, noise, and limited stock blades, so budget for aftermarket blades and sanding pads if you plan regular use.
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Harbor Freight Tools is a privately held tool company that was established in California in 1977. It was originally a father and son run mail-order tool business that dealt in liquidated and returned products. Harbor Freight has now grown into an organization that has over 1000 retail stores across the US and does a booming mail-order and ecommerce business as well. Harbor Freight has gone from a tiny mail-order business that was running out of a small building to an organization that employs over 20000 individuals in its worldwide facilities.
Harbor Freight has built their own factories and testing labs as they have expanded their product line with additional sub-brands. They are also now producing tools offshore as well as in the USA which allows them to keep prices lower. Their tool sales either go straight out in the mail or to their own stores so Harbor Freight has cut out any middleman and are able to sell at their reduced price. They also have lower manufacturing costs than many of their high-end competitors. So, while they are not out to produce high end costly professional tools, they are making tools for the Do it Yourself Homeowners who rely on them to get their renovations and projects done. Harbor Freight can offer tools that you need for a specific job at an excellent price. They offer numerous of their own sub-brands; Chicago Electric is one of them.
Is This the Tool I Need?
Oscillating tools are a great product that can do so many finesse jobs. Harbor Freight’s (Chicago Electric) tool is no different. They can remove grout, cut drywall, undercut trim and generally accomplish many of the household tasks that need doing. While you may not think you need one of these tools, you will be amazed at the things you can accomplish with it. Rather than fumbling with saws, pics and inaccurate bigger tools, this little multitool can do a lot of fine detail work that other tools can not.
Tool Description
Harbor Freight offers an oscillating tool under their sub-brand of Chicago Electric. This tool is considered multifunction as it has the ability to alter its work with different attachments depending on the job. It runs as 21000 OPM giving it strength to work on tougher tasks while still being able to complete the small ones as well.
While Harbor Freight does not make outrageous claims about what the product can do, numerous reviews and referrals say it has the ability to cut through a wide range of products as needed. It can suitably work on cable, air ducts, plasterboard and various types of pipe. It also can sand concrete, cement, plaster and more depending on the attachment used. It has the capability to cut through wood up to 2” thick with little problem. This oscillating tool has an original spindle and blade arbor styling to lock the blade into 7 forward positions making it extremely versatile. Its bearings are sealed to protect them from dust and sediment which will prolong the tool’s useful life. It has additional attachments and blades that you can purchase at low cost to expand its job repertoire.
- 1.6 Horsepower
- ¼ Maximum speed
- 21000 OPM (oscillations per minute)
- 1 Amp (220 watts)
- 180 depth of cut (2”)
- 30+ attachments
- Sealed bearings
- Comfortable grip – molded
Pros of the Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric) Multifunction Oscillating Tool
The pros of this particular Harbor Freight multifunction oscillating tool are pleasantly surprising considering we often equate low price with less functionality. While you can not expect it to meet the heavy-duty everyday use that a professional would put it through, it is great for general projects and certainly can do more than its share of the detail work. It has a 90-day warranty, which is not extensively long, but considering the price, you are covered should you have any immediate problems. Harbor Freight company is upfront with the product outline and is clear about what the tool is meant to do and the expectations it can meet.
- Price – You can not beat the price of Harbor Freight. While they carry products that can stand up to heavy-duty construction site use and are comparable to the big companies, the majority of products are meant for the general homeowner who wants to do renovations, new builds or maybe are doing some work on rebuilding/refinishing a car or other similar projects. This multifunction oscillating tool is a solid value purchase, especially in this second category. Not only is this tool low in price for the general handyman but there are times you can find it on sale offering you an even bigger bargain. You will not find a more economical tool on the market.
- Manufacturing Quality – Harbor Freight has their own labs for quality assurance and quality control. They are working on the creation of new products and making sure the ones in production are of good quality as they leave the production line. All of their sub-brands, including Chicago Electric, have a solid design and are reliable when it comes to their intended use. This particular oscillating tool is plain but again you are looking at a budget brand so that is to be expected. It has a solid molded body with basic coloring and offers a variable speed adjustment. The oversized orange slide switch that controls the power to the tool is great and is easy to manipulate with your thumb when needed.
- Ergonomics – This oscillating tool is designed to be comfortable in your hand no matter the complexity of the job you are working at. It has a slim housing for comfort and is quite light at only 2.64 pounds. This is significantly lighter when compared to other similar products. Its lack of weight is a huge benefit when you are working on a more detailed or lengthy project as it allows for easier movement and continuous work.
- Multi-Tool Accessories – This Harbor Freight tool comes with 3” triangle sanding pad, slitting half-moon blade, plunge cut blade and a flat scraper blade. Interestingly, this tool is compatible with the Bosch tool system as well. While these Harbor Freight tool accessories are certainly generic as expected, they are completely usable and do the job they are meant to.
Powerextra 20 Saw Blades
XXGO 60 Sanding Pads
Included in the many reviews of this oscillating tool is the statement that the tool has the ability to cut metal, however, Harbor Freight does not actually claim that. They understand the limits of the tools and are correct in stating that it is better suited to cutting wood rather than metal. While they do not state that it can not work with metal, they focus on the tool’s strong points rather than things that have not been proven. Replacement parts such as blades and multipack sanding pads are extremely reasonable in price if you need to purchase them. You can buy additional parts easily such as offset and flat scrapers, a circular diamond blade that helps with cutting ceramic tile on the smaller side.
- The oscillating tool’s accessory system uses compression rather than commercial fittings so it can use most other manufacturers’ attachments such as blades, scrapers and sanders which means you can make the choice to save or upgrade as needed. You can use what you have on hand or upgrade if you feel it necessary on particular projects.
- Job Completion – This Harbor Freight oscillating tool gets the job done and does it quickly. Be aware that the product is not a high-end professional-level tool, nor is it designed to be. It will need to have its accessories replaced more often than a high priced competitor, but the Harbor Freight tool will do the work that you need it to for a low price. The fact that the replacement parts are so low cost means more frequent replacement really is not a huge issue as the total cost versus including replacement parts will still remain less than what you would pay with a high-cost product. This tool is solid when it comes to sanding and cutting wood, especially hardwood, and is capable of so many other tasks. The cost you will invest in the product is beyond reasonable and will offer more than satisfactory outcomes with your projects.
Cons of the Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric) Multifunction Oscillating Tool
With a tool at this value price, you are not going to get all the bells and whistles of a high-end professional tool. That is not saying this is not a good deal, but you can not assume you are going to get a tool you can use full time on a construction site or woodworking shop multiple days a week. There are some things you should be aware of in regard to this oscillating tools’ limitations.
- Manufacturing Quality – While there are lots of solid pros to this multifunction oscillating tool, there are a few quirks and issues as well. First off, its power cord is extremely short measuring at 6’. This is an oddity for a power tool but can be quickly fixed with an extension cord. The short length of the original cord may be this way to keep manufacturing costs lower but it really is not a substantial issue.
- Along with a short power cord, the die-cast aluminum housing may not be sturdy when utilized in long term use. While the housing is aluminum there are some plastic motor parts that could be problematic under heavier use. Temperature extremes could cause issues with those parts if it is used in excessively hot or cold work situations.
- Multitool Accessories – While the attachments for this tool are extremely reasonable in price, there is no dust collecting attachment which some people prefer to have. Whenever you have a tool product that expels dust there is not only the issue of clean shop space but also keeping the tool in good working order. Unfortunately, there is no option of adding this dust collecting attachment with this particular product.
- One of the more prominent cons of this particular tool is the way you have to attach the accessories. This is where quality assurance probably needs to step in during the design process. Along with the dust collection issue, the base plate that allows you to add or switch out the accessories does not have central lips to help center the piece you want are putting on. It is difficult to hold everything still so you can set the tool up. This flaw is not due to its low cost, it is just a bit of a design problem. It could be that could be addressed fairly easily if Harbor Freight chose to do some updating in its product design.
- A debatable “con” – you need a hex wrench to change out parts. Some manufacturers have gone to tool-free accessory changes to save on time and hassle for the user. However, some people do prefer to use a hex wrench simply because you are able to put your on torque on it to make sure it’s secure. It does take extra time and needs a tool, but you know there will be no issues.
Final Thoughts
Harbor Freight’s Oscillating multifunction tool is a really interesting product in the world of construction tools. If you want a product that is heavy duty and built to last on a job site, then you are better to start looking at the high-end ones that will set you back $600. That being said this particular product can meet the need of the DIY homeowner for as little as $40. These tools are for those who are not going to go out and put huge amounts of money out for something they are either going to use once or simply on a less frequent basis. Harbor Freight will not make outrageous claims about its product, they say what it is and what it can do then offer it to you at a great price so you can get your projects completed in a professional way.