AVID POWER Oscillating Tool, 3.5-Amp Oscillating Multi Tool with 4.5° Oscillation Angle, 6 Variable Speeds and 13pcs Saw Accessories, Auxiliary Handle and Carrying Bag

Outstanding powerful tool with handy accessories, great until it won’t turn on
UPDATED REVIEW MARCH 2023: All of the stories about Avid’s outstanding customer service are 100% true. The company stands completely behind their product and is extremely responsive about fulfilling warranty service. I purchased Avid’s multitool in March 2021 and had exactly one week left on the warranty when the multitool abruptly refused to turn on. I reported the issue and got a reply from customer service the same day. They asked for a video documenting the failure, which I did, showing that it wouldn’t turn on from an outlet that was shown to provide power. Avid sent me a brand new replacement unit in two day’s time, and now I can finished my job. Avid’s tools are functionally quite awesome and it is so great that they stand completely behind their products. I respect a company that does exactly what they promise, no more and no less. I will be a repeat customer.ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is a powerful, sturdy-feeling oscillating multitool that should be in every homeowners toolbox. It comes to the rescue for some many ad-hoc renovations and repairs. I was trying to jam my jigsaw into a narrow space to trim some shims around a door frame without success, until I realized that this multitool could perform the same function much more easily. It’s narrow enough to work its way into many different nooks and crannies, and it cuts through hardwood like butter with the included blades. As a sander, it is powerful to the point you can use it for decently sized jobs.The Achilles’ heel of this tool seems to be that it is prone to dying without warning: I used mine lightly for a few odd jobs, and this morning it quit mid-job when it wouldn’t turn back on. I don’t know if this is an issue with an internal fuse or something else, but from reading the reviews it seems like a variety of people are reporting the same behavior. It would be nice if there was a way to service this ourselves if it is something simple like a fuse. I am just within the window of allowable warranty service, so I will reach out to the company and update this review with contact information for the company (which is surprisingly difficult to find) and my outcome.

Updated after customer service responded to previous issues
Although had a rocky start, reviews about customer service were one of the main things that pushed me over the edge to buy this incredibly handy tool despite my history of questionable luck with such things & I’m incredibly grateful for once things seemed to live up to the hype!I’m a single mom with more crafty ideas than actual skills or understanding when it comes to creating things & bought this to help me make a loft bed for my teen as it seemed an economical option for help both sanding & sawing plus it wouldn’t take up tons of room I don’t have to store when not in useUnfortunately after sanding just some of my seemingly enormous mountain of 2x4s the 1st unit just randomly refused to turn on! I’d notice the “head” area get warm multiple times which I’d instinctivoly use as an excuse to take a break while it cooled but there was zero indication I could tell that it was getting grumpy (no sputtering, cutting off, jerking, etc)The 1st time it happened I was concerned but too tired to worry too much at the time so decided to sleep on it before freaking out as figured I’d have a better shot at pioblem solving if rested. But the next morning it turned back on & acted perfectly normal! I imagined I’d been more tired than I thought & missed something obvious so happily returned to the montony of repeatedly sanding & taking breaks for it to cool downEventually it wouldn’t turn on *again*! Being less tired, I tried switching outlets, looking for clues in the woefully insufficient instructions, etc. I started to worry if I could trust it even should it come back on again, so reached out to the company every way I could conceive of.*Good news!* The company quickly replied to the contact form message sent on their website. I had to send them a video showing the condition of the tool & they sent me an entire replacement kit (with the free sampler sandpaper, assorted blades, handle & carry case) FOR FREE (though not prime 2 day shipping, IIRC it took about a week to get it? still superb service in this day & age though might wanh to factor such a pntential delay into your 1st project with the tool)FWIW, while waiting I tried using an adapter set for my electric drill made to sand bowls (mention that specifically as feel it’s important since the spongy pad was very different to the multi-tool’s flat surface) & there was unsurprisingly no comparison, lol, can’t comment on a more traditional (& probably more fair comparison) drill sander adapter kit but definitely made me extra glad to get my replacement!SANDING TIPSI watched lots of YouTube videos whilst I waited so I could ensure I did everything I could to prevent a repeat. Though think I just got a bad unit, am careful to not only let it cool off when starts to heat up but do so outside of the dusty area & avoid getting dust in it or covering air vents as much as possible. Also, stick to a lower speed & don’t press down on the unit.The biggest things about sanding IMO is to recognise whilst its easy to see the two different shaped heads where one’s more like a finger & the other’s a triangle – Amazon sells 2 similar sized triangles for oscillating multitools – both bases & sanding paper! I’m sure most are far more observant than me, but to my fellow inattentive ADHDers out there, triple check your sizes!Using various “economical” braands, I found removing the sanding paper from the head often made it no longer usable so personally found it easier to just buy a few extra heads & use the quick release feature to switch them out entirely when upped the grade (also *really* don’t recommend the grey paper that supposedly works on wet wood, that was a bummer)SAWING COMMENTSQuite certain any challenges are due to user error & inexperience, lol, still does quite well! Have found myself repeatedly having to make extra cuts (more of a cook than a baker & though *try* to measure three times/cut once always seem to find exceptions to the rule) Do advise be careful as the blade itself gets understandably hot while using it – not just using it straight through but removing it & clearing the sawdust can help some. Only used it to cut wood so far & had no problems *knock on wood*CONCLUSIONThis was a bit of a splurge for me, considered renting a sander & saw instead as wasn’t sure it’d be worth it for me personally but really glad I got it! Customer service more than made up for my 1st unit quitting (they also didn’t make me return it so every now & then I check to see if it magically restarts but never does) More & more I find myself having different crafty ideas of what I might use it for & am glad to know it’s ready to go whenever I am– Original review starts below —Only used it to sand a few times & now it won’t turn back on – it was a breeze to work with when it did work & gave no indication there were any potential problems (didn’t stutter or seem less effective or anything like that) so no idea what’s going on, especially as there aren’t really any trouble shooting tips in the manualContacted the company through a form on their website as directed by Amazon, although someone mentioned calling them in the Q&A section I can’t find a phone number for them on the site or their linked Facebook & Instagram pages. Hoping the reviews about their customer service were correct as it’s a major reason I bought this specific multi-toolRated it only 3 stars for ease of use & 2 stars for value due to it just randomly not turning on with no real warning but hoping simply got a faulty unit & will update that if they send a replacement as others have claimed they got because it actually seems like a great value for the money if it’ll last more than a couple of uses

What a great tool to have!
I used this to cut a hole under my kitchen sink to access my broken water drain. It easily cut the wood. The tool is sturdy and powerful, yet I didn’t feel like I was about to lob off any digits while using it. A great little investment. Very happy.

Hard to beat at this price
This is one of the most versatile tools I’ve ever bought. I bought it for a single job (undercutting skirting boards to fit a LVP floor). It made the job a breeze and it’s become my go to cutting tool.If I’d realized how much I’d end up using it, I might have splurged (quite a bit) more and bought a cordless one.But this is excellent value and comes with a really sturdy carry bag with lots of room for attachments.

Works great and includes accessories.

It is not a very heavy duty tool, but extremely handy when you need one. For the price, i have no complaints at all. So far I have only used it to cut wood in “strange” directions where my other saw would not reach or fit. I have not used this to successfully cut metal, because I do not have the appropriate blades, and the cheap ones I bought did not “cut it”… they were cheap, and the nail cut the blade instead. That is not the fault of this machine…