Popular Woodworking 2001-02 № 120, страница 68
Endurance Test Fein Multi-Master Sander I was first introduced to the Fein Multi-Master tool at the time I was learning about all the other Fein tools, and frankly, I was baffled. Why was a company with a quality reputation like Fein selling a "detail" sander? Every other name brand "detail" sander I had ever used was a tool for hobbyists that seriously underperformed. And while a good idea, these "detail" sanders were poorly executed. As a category, I had written them off. Then there was the Fein "Triangle Sander," as it was then called. It removed material aggressively. It was powerful, yet felt good (even in my small hand) and didn't vibrate to the point of numbness after long sanding sessions. Incredibly, it did lots more tricks in addition to sanding. It could cut numerous thin materials, including wood, plastic, vinyl flooring and drywall. It could aggressively scrape paint, be used as a rasp, even remove grout for tile work and cut away hardened glazing compound when replacing broken windows. Of course, I had only read about all these other functions when I decided to buy one myself. I had used one in our shop here at work only for sanding. But now I was facing some remodeling work at home as well as some woodworking projects that were perfectly suited to this multi-purpose machine. Over the past three years at home I've put my Multi-Master through its paces: scraping multiple layers of paint (I live in an 1870s Victorian), cutting grout and sanding what could be a mile worth of mouldings. This German-made little sanding marvel is powered by a 1.5-amp motor with a rated output of 160 watts. The tool features a variable-speed feature that is especially handy when using some of the dozens of attachments made for the tool. The Multi-Master comes with a standard sanding pad designed for hook-and-loop or pressure-sensitive-adhesive backed sandpaper, 10 sanding sheets each of 60, 80 and 120 grit sandpaper, a saw blade and rigid scraper. The generous rubber power cord is 16 feet long. It also comes with an Allen wrench and locking screw sets for securing the tools to the machine. An additional accessory is Fein's dust removal attachment that actually works and doesn't get in the way of sanding. In all, there are more than 40 attachments available from Fein Tools for the Multi-Master, not including various sanding grits. Sandpaper runs from 36 grit to 400 grit and is available in either pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) or hook and loop. OK, so what about price? All this capability does have a cost. The Multi-Master with aforementioned standard accessories sells for $179 (that's the street price). Pricey? Yes, but the way I look at it I've got a lifelong tool that does so many different jobs extremely well that it's like buying several dedicated tools. And because most of the jobs it does are jobs I hate (hand sanding in tight spaces and scraping paint come to mind) it's well worth it. PW — Steve Shanesy Multi-Master • MSxe 636 II Street Price: $179 Amps: 1.5 Oscillations: 12,000-21,000 per minute Noise: 75dB Sanding pad size: 3" corner to corner Weight: 2.4 pounds Nice Features: • Aggressive sanding with finesse, great array of attachments for many other tasks — all of which really work • Feels good in the hand without fatigue • Good dust collection as optional feature • 16 foot rubber cord Recommended Modifications: • A little lower price would by nice • Tooth brush attachment a must! Just kidding Fein: 800-441-9878, or www.feinus.com ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS It's nice to know how a new tool performs, but most woodworkers also want to know how long the tool will last. Each issue we tell you about tools that have stood up to regular use in our shop for at least a year.We tell you how the tools have fared,any recommendations we have and if the tools have passed the Popular Woodworking Endurance Test. —David Thiel, senior editor 78 Popular Woodworking February 2001 |
