We’ve reviewed nearly every single multi-tool available today, from the most expensive models to the brands you know best. The Harbor Freight Variable Speed Multifunction Power Tool by Chicago Electric may not have much brand recognition, but it has the dubious honor of being the cheapest variable speed oscillating tool on the market. Chicago Electric Power Tools are exclusive to Harbor Freight, which has physical “brick-and-mortar” locations as well as an online storefront. Harbor Freight is entirely populated with Chinese-made tools that provide value-oriented solutions at often ridiculously cheap prices. Fortunately for us, there is a Harbor Freight store within 15 minutes of my location. This, combined with not a few email requests for us to review their newest Variable Speed Multifunction Tool, caused me to hop on the motorcycle and pay them a visit (saddlebags are excellent for small tool storage). This version of Harbor Freight’s oscillating multi-tool was on sale for just $59.99… 1 week after I bought it at full retail for $79.99. Oh well. At $59.99 this is the absolute cheapest variable speed multi-tool on the market. It’s even cheaper with the almost-weekly 20% off coupons which brings the price down to $47.99. The question on everyone’s mind, ours included, is whether or not it is worth the money and how long it will last. At that price I can almost guarantee that it’s worth the money.
Chicago Electric MultiFunction Tool Build Quality
Unlike their first model, this tool has a bit more style to it and is vaguely reminiscent of Rockwell’s SoniCrafter – but that’s about as close as it gets to that tool and the similarities are mostly the color scheme. The Chicago Electric multifunction tool is almost an inverted color scheme from that tool and it’s oval-shaped sliding switch marks it similarly as well. This is a two-handed tool, though you can certainly maneuver it with one hand if needed; it’s just that there’s more room than with their simpler model. The power cord is still just about 6 feet long, the same as their red model, and extremely short for this type of tool. Plan on having to use an extension cord for every job.
The Chicago Electric multifunction tool comes packed in a convenient blow-mold case that stores the tool and two translucent cases that store the accessories. Where Harbor Freight blew it was in making the case about 3-inches too narrow. In order to store the tool, you must remove the blade or at least loosen it up to flip it around towards the back of the tool. This means you can never store the tool ready to use and it’s a significant oversight.
Chicago Electric Tools is truly pioneering the silver flake painted die-cast aluminum housing. We haven’t seen too many other tools with this kind of treatment (um, and for that we’re glad). The housing is bolted to the front of the tool via four bolts and everything looks to be made with moderately good quality. Instead of the single speed of the lesser priced Harbor Freight Multi-Function Tool, this one goes from 10,000-20,000 opm (oscillations per minute) giving it some additional flexibility on jobs where you don’t want to run it at full speed. Considering the top speed is 20,000 opm, this also means that this tool runs at about twice the speed of the single speed model, and closer to the rest of the oscillating tools on the market. The increased speed means that this tool is well-suited for cutting and not just sanding.
One of the oddest things we noted about the Chicago Electric multifunction tool was its “soft start” function. We’d actually call this more of a “slow start” function since it takes a full two seconds after activating the switch before the tool even starts to begin oscillating. It was actually funny the first time and then it was just sad. It seems that in their efforts to appear high end, Harbor Freight went a bit over the top and just used a capacitor (or similar method) to ramp up the voltage to the motor.
Accessories
This tool desperately needs a proper name (or number), because “Chicago Electric Tools Variable Speed Multifunction Power Tool” is a mouthful that’s entirely too big. In any case, the tool ships with a cutting blade, wide scraping blade, and a half moon cutting blade. There is also a 3″ triangular sanding pad with two triangular pieces of sandpaper. Each accessory attaches to the spindle with a blade arbor design that uses pins to positively lock the blade in one of 7 positions. A hex wrench is provided which allows easy removal of the blade, scraper or sanding pad. The kit even comes with a pair of spare motor brushes – something that both impressed and frightened us (as in “do we need extra brushes because the originals are of such poor quality they are expected to wear out in short order?”)
The one advantage Harbor Freight blades have over most other brands is price. While we’ve certainly seen an increase in cost (almost 200% in fact) on their accessories, they are still comparatively inexpensive. You can buy a nice 20 tpi (teeth-per-inch) flush-cut blade for around $7.99. A replacement blade that comes with two additional scrapers (offset and flat) runs just $9.99. A circular diamond blade is $12.99 and will allow for cutting of smaller ceramic tile, while a diamond coated grout blade comes in at $14.99. Compare this to a typical Dremel blade of the same type which runs $24.97 – nearly twice as much. It’s a good feeling to know that the accessories for this tool are as inexpensive as the tool. While many won’t be able to just walk into a Harbor Freight store and pick up replacements (unless they have a physical store nearby like we do) it’s still good to know that ordering accessories ahead of time won’t exactly break the bank. If you can make it to a physical store, you’ll likely find an assortment of basic blades. What we didn’t see were the more specialized blades, but since they can be ordered online that shouldn’t be an issue for most consumers.
It’s far easier to attach the Chicago Electric tool accessories on this tool than their single-speed version, which has no pins and replies entirely on friction. On this tool, the base plate has four pins and you can use them to secure the accessory in any of 7 different angles to better align the blade with the cutting surface. We’re happy to report that this accessory system works much better than the friction-based one. Since both tools can use the same accessories it also means that the entire accessory line is simplified and more is available for users of both tools.
Projects and Testing
The Chicago Electric multifunction tool is easy to use. The soft-start motor had us scratching our heads each time we turned it on – it really didn’t help set the tool so much as simply delay us when we wanted to use it. Unlike the fixed-speed multifunction tool, we didn’t fear the sudden shifting of the accessory blade during use since it was pinned firmly in place. Overall blade wear was quicker than some other tools we’ve tested (like the Fein MultiMaster and Dremel Multi-Max). The blade seems cheap and will likely need more frequent replacement, but since they are half the price it’s actually a decent trade-off. This tool felt much more convenient to use than the fatter single-speed tool and it was more in line with what we expect a multifunction tool to be.
Our fist big project involved notching out a 4×4 for use with a vertical deck support. Typically, we’d use a circular or reciprocating saw for this, but it presented a great opportunity for testing out the cutting capacity and speed of the Chicago Electric Variable Speed Multifunction Tool. After we started the tool, we set it down and got some lunch while it started up… OK, it’s not quite that slow to ramp up to speed, but you get the idea. The blade plunges best when at a slight diagonal, and we found it easier to make progress by first cutting to depth and then angling the blade while we ran it along the length of the cut. Removing the notch cleanly was even easier, with the blade running smoothly at angle across the top of the 4×4 post.
We also tested the Harbor Freight Multifunction Tool by ripping 3/4″ off the length of a 4-foot piece of 1/2-inch plywood. This was a great endurance test to follow up our raw cutting power test. The tool handles well and we felt a good level of control using it one-handed and guiding it along the plywood sheet. It was here that we began to like the general feel of the tool and appreciate being able to nab a variable speed multi-tool for under $60. Let’s just say the occasional use “bargain-bug” hit us full force. The tool is loud, but certainly not the loudest we’ve measured, and came in around 91 dB SPL from our standard 3-foot measurement distance. The motor also has a rather disconcerting metallic ball-bearing whine that makes us wonder about its longevity.
Conclusion
We thought Chicago Electric Tools’ Harbor Freight had the ultimate entry-level option with the $40 Multi-Function Tool, but their newest variable speed model absolutely takes the cake at just $60. For those on the market, that’s about $40 less than the name brand Dremel Multi-Max which retails for $99 at many retailers. While this tool didn’t feel nearly as cumbersome as the single speed 11,000 opm model, we didn’t get the feel that this was the kind of tool professionals would want to use on a day-to-day basis. It’s odd soft-start and awkward tool storage leaves a little bit to be desired, but it cuts reasonably well and those looking for the occasional use tool should be pleased. We gave the Chicago Electric Multifunction Tool a 4/10 in Performance and an 8/10 Value rating. Many are going to find this tool extremely useful, but pros will want to check out our Oscillating Multi-Tool Shootout Comparison.
