An oscillating saw is among the most versatile tools you can have in your tool kit. You can use them for various tasks like cutting, scraping, and sanding. These saws smoothly cut through wood, fiberglass, and metal and are especially great for making drywall cutouts, removing grout, and undercutting trim for flooring installation.
Compared to more traditional cutting instruments like Saber and skill saws, the oscillating saw gives you a high degree of control and presents minimal injury risk. An oscillating saw comes with a wide variety of blades, making them a big hit with construction sites worldwide.
Not all oscillating saws are the same, and it can be quite challenging to pick one that works best for your specific needs. We’ve compiled a list of the premium oscillating saws in 2023 to help you pick the one that would meet all your needs.
Choosing an appropriate oscillating saw can be both exciting and intimidating. It’s difficult to select when there are so many brands and features available, and finding one that meets your specific requirements may be challenging. This buyer’s guide will help you choose the oscillating saw that will click all your boxes. So, before shopping for an ideal oscillating saw, it is important to consider several important factors.
The first factor to consider is power. While some come corded and require a power outlet to operate, others may be battery-powered. The battery-operated oscillating tools are extremely convenient since they enable the user to operate the tool without attaching it to a power cord. While corded oscillating tools often offer comparable performance at a lesser price, they require a power chord.
The oscillation speed rate of an oscillating tool indicates how many times the oscillating tool’s head moves each minute. This contains choices such as 20000 or 22000 oscillations per minute. A higher rating often results in somewhat greater performance when comparing oscillating instruments. If a lower oscillation speed is necessary for a particular application, this rate can generally be modified by utilizing the variable speed trigger available on most models.
If you intend to use an oscillating tool for an extended period of time without experiencing performance concerns, you should choose one with an appropriate power rating. This rating encompasses 12V or 20V in volts for the battery-powered models. Compared to the lower 20V rating, the greater 20V rating is significantly better. It provides the user with a higher degree of performance, but the corded oscillating tools have an amp rating that encompasses 1.5A and 5A models, the latter of which performs significantly better.
When installing new flooring, the jambs and door casings must be trimmed to suit the new flooring. The multi-tool comes in handy here. The subfloor’s casing can be reached by placing fresh flooring inverted next to it. Plunge-cut the casing with a flush-cutting wood blade that gets aligned with the flooring. It will be easy to install the new flooring after removing the broken piece of wood.
Every multi-tool maker offers various sanding attachments for smoothing wood, wood fillers, and even clear topcoat coatings. These accessories accommodate hook-and-loop abrasives, which simplifies sandpaper replacement.
You can attach a steel scraper blade to rapidly remove blistered, flaky paint. Then, using a sanding pad, sand all the way down to the bare wood or shining metal.
It effortlessly cuts plastic, copper, and even old galvanized metal pipes when connected with the appropriate blade. The tool may be small, and the blade adapts to various angles, allowing you to operate in extremely tight spaces, such as behind walls, cabinets, ceilings, and floors.
It makes hole cutting in plaster walls or drywall and ceilings simple, quick, and incredibly accurate. Make a surface mark and cut through it with a wood or metal-cutting blade, and be careful not to cut into any hidden pipes or wires.
Set down the putty knife and go for the multi-tool for removing old, rigid caulk. Utilize a sharpened steel scraping blade to split even the most tenacious caulk. This method removes caulk around the tubs, worktops, backsplashes, windows, and doors.
The DEWALT oscillating tool kit comes with a 3 amp motor and a Dual-Grip speed trigger to modify the speed to your application’s specifications. It includes 29 pieces of cutting and sanding equipment for various projects and has a quick-change accessory system with many oscillating tool attachments, and replaces blades fast and conveniently. The bright LED light enables perfect repeatability in dark areas by allowing depth and height adjustments. It includes a semicircle wood blade, fast-cut wood blade, sanding pad, 25 sheets of sandpaper, auxiliary storage box, and contractor bag. The oscillating tool kit stands out because of its exceptional features and unparalleled quality.
The Dremel multi-max oscillating tool kit is a corded device that features a highly powerful 5A electric motor. It accomplishes the task with a conventional 3.2-degree oscillation angle and 10,000–21,000 OPM. The offset provides easier access when flush-cutting a door jamb and trim during flooring installation or cutting into a tight corner. It retains the excellent 5.0 amp motor and comes with 30 attachments, including a range of sandpapers, blades, and mounting pads. It’s a great tool when paired with the 30 accessories that come with it.
The GALAX PRO 22000 OPM 1.5A oscillating multi-tool is small and simple to operate, and you can quickly swap out blades with an Allen key and a universal screw. The vibration control makes using the multi-tool a breeze. This oscillating tool’s top on/off switch is all it needs to get it running, and it features two 60-grit, 80-grit, and 120-grit for wood and metal sanding. The 3 m cable extends the functional area. In addition to copper and other soft non-ferrous metals, this saw can cut laminates, carpets, other floor coverings, skirting boards, and plastic tubing. This versatile tool is ideal for the most difficult tasks.
The Rockwell RK5132K 3.5 amp oscillating multi-tool with 32 accessories and a carry bag is a compact and easy-to-carry tool, featuring a powerful 3.5-amp motor that maintains a cutting pace even when loaded to work with large materials. With the blade oscillation set to 4, it cuts swiftly and is easy to handle. This instrument can slice plastic, tile, and metal due to the adjustable oscillation speed. You can adjust the oscillating rate to cut anything from plastic to metal using the different speed options. Blades and attachments can never slip with the hyper lock’s unmatched gripping force of one ton.
The AVID POWER oscillating tool is ideal for various purposes. It operates at a speed of between 15000 and 22000 OPM and allows you to customize the speed by using the six-level speed dial. It produces outstanding results with a 4.5-degree oscillation and a clamping force of one ton. Its quick-change accessory system enables easy blade replacement without needing additional equipment. Also, it features an ergonomically built auxiliary handle that is extremely comfortable to hold and provides stability. With dimensions of 12.64′′ x 8.15′′ x 4.25′′ and a weight of 5.5 pounds, you can conveniently store this compact tool when not in use.
A: Straight blades are ideal for plunge cuts, which involve stabbing the blade into the surface. You can use a circular oscillating saw blade for long, linear cuts.
A: Yes, you just need to find the ideal attachment. You'll notice that some are designated as wood-cutting attachments, while others can cut wood in areas where steel nails are likely to be encountered. The tool itself is robust enough to tackle such demanding tasks. Using the appropriate attachment will help avoid the tool from getting damaged.
A: Yes. The blade of a reciprocating saw moves back and forth along a straight line while oscillating saws swing the blade from side to side in a gentle swinging action.
