Bosch Multi-X Oscillating Tool – MX30EC-21

Not too long ago I was sitting on my couch late at night.  In fact now that I think about it, I do that a lot.  Which probably explains my three chins and why I look like I am 6 months pregnant.  I saw a tool that was the next wonder tool.  It cut through wood, sand, scraps and more.  It was an oscillating tool and it vibrated to perform these tasks.  I thought to myself what a great idea, but I wasn’t about to get burned for the 22nd time by buying junk on TV, I was too smart.  After all a vibrating tool is only good for one thing.  Right, compacting stone.  Well it turns out I was wrong.  In fact I have been using them for a long time as they truly are great tools.  They are perfect for rough construction to finishing work, they really do have lots of uses.

Here is the deal and I know we will receive a lot of emails with this next statement, but here we go.  There is no corded oscillating tool that comes close to the Bosch, not by a long shot.   Okay settle down, let us explain.  We know there are hardcore Fein, Dremel and Porter Cable users out there.  Those are great tools and we are not knocking them, but when it comes to taking them on a job site, no one comes close to Bosch.  When we say job site, we are not talking about redoing a bathroom or kitchen.  We are talking about a big job site where your tools get beaten.  A place where others will borrow your tools and not care.  We’re talking about job sites where the site buys the tools to use.  A place that is hopping with workers whose tools will fall on the ground, get dropped, kicked and thrown around.  A place where tempers flare and you have to protect yourself from the guy who is pissed, so you grab your oscillating tool to protect yourself, Okay not that place, but I think you get the point.  If it can handle those tough places, it can handle any place, big or small and that is the Bosch Multi-X.

Oscillating tools are not new to Bosch, but the MX30EC is and it is the best of the best.  What makes it the best?  This is a complete tool from the cord to the motor, from the tool free blade change to the soft start system.  So let’s jump in and take a closer look at this work horse.

Bosch put in a 3 amp motor that helps provide power for even the toughest applications.  When the tool is under stress, the Multi-X will keep a constant speed so you don’t get the bogging down.  The system has a metal gear housing which helps with durability and vibration.  When using this tool, the vibration was kept to a minimum.  Yes you can still feel it, but a far cry compared to other manufacturers we have tested.  After using the tool, we didn’t have that tingling feeling in our hands or arms, which can lead to fatigue.  Another cool feature is the soft start system.  This is huge because there is nothing like turning on a tool time after time only to have to fight the tool from the start.   Once you move the button to the on position, there is a small delay.  The motor then will rev up and be at full speed.

One of the coolest features of this tool is the Tool Free blade changing system.  You no longer have to pull out a hex key (if you could find it), unscrew a screw, change blades, then tighten the screw again.  I know this doesn’t sound like a lot, but actually it is.  A tool that takes another tool to change the blade is a pain.  I always found it a hassle if I just wanted to adjust the angle of a blade, it was time consuming.  A lot of times if I needed to change blades for a quick job, I would try and find a different way to get the job done, which defeated the purpose of the tool.   With Bosch’s tool free system, it is a snap.  Just pull a lever and you can either adjust the angle of the blade or use a different accessory.  Once the blade is on, it is on and will not come off until the user wants the accessory off.  Basically there is a prong in the middle that puts an outward pressure on the blade to hold it in place.  When you need to change a blade, the prong relieves the pressure and you can make a change.  We did have one time where we were doing a lot of cutting and when we went to change blades, we couldn’t get the new blade off.  It turns out there was just some saw dust build up between the prongs and when we went to release the blade, the saw dust was blocking the prongs from relieving pressure.  Not a huge deal since we just blew the dust out. This only happened one time and the other times when we were cutting wood, we never experienced the problem.

Some of the other notable features are the no mar ribs on the front of the tool.  This is great as it protects finished products you may be working close to.  One of the biggest things we liked was the longer power cord. Yes, we are pretty simple.  The longer cords are very useful as it means there are more times you don’t have to pull out that extension cord to get a job done.  If you do have to pull out an extension cord, you’re not dragging around the point where the tool and extension cord meet, very useful when on a ladder.  The cord is attached to the tool with a ball pivot.  This system is nice as it means the cord will last longer and is also very useful when you get into tight spots.  The brushes are very easy to access when you have to change them.  Yes we said when you have to access them.  This tool should last you that long where you will use this year after year and eventually you will have to change the brushes.

One thing we did notice on our model was the variable speed dial.  Ours was a little hard to turn and didn’t have that nice feel we were used to.  We have used other Bosch tools that offered a variable speed dial such as the router.  Normally they turn very nice and are easy to turn.  So we are not sure if they are all like this or just ours.  Not a huge deal and we can still turn it, but it was harder with gloves on.  Again maybe this is the way it is designed because the tool does vibrate or maybe we just have a bad dial switch.

Overall this tool is well designed and someone put extra thought into designing this tool from the no mar ribs in the front, to the longer power cord and everything in between.  The motor feels solid, the constant power even under stress worked as advertised.  The tool free blade system is easy to use and the blade stays in place.  We really like the soft start system and the fact we where not fighting the tool every time we turned it on.  If you are looking to own one oscillating tool, it has to be the Bosch Multi-X.

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SPECIFICATIONS

Bosch Oscillating Tool Includes

• 3 Amp corded Oscillating Tool
• (1) OSC138JF Japanese-Tooth Wood Saw Blade
• (1) OSC2RSC Rigid Scraper Blade
• (1) OSC312F Wood/Metal Saw Blade
• (1) OSC312RF RIFF Grout Blade
• (1) OSC112 Wood Plunge Cut Blade
• (1) SDP001 Sanding Pad
• (15) Wood and Paint-Sanding Sheets
• (1) Accessory Box
• (1) Carrying Case

Warranty

Tool – 1 Year

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How to Sharpen Oscillating Blades

Want to extend the life of your oscillating blades? Read our article Sharp Pog – Oscillating Blade Sharpener Review or buy it on Amazon.