Customer Reviews

Craftsman 9-17438 Nextec 12-volt Lithium-lon Multi-Tool

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I really like this tool!

Pros:
- cheaper than the others
- cordless and really easy to handle
- easy to learn and use

Cons:
- battery life is about 10 mins with good use
- it does get a bit hot after 5 mins of continual use - enough to warrant gloves
- not nearly as powerful as what I've seen Fein do.

Now, comparing to the reviews I've read or the commercials I've seen for the Fein MultiMaster, it doesn't even come close. If you're anything more than a weekend do-it-yourself-er, this may not be for you. But if you're like me, this tool is sufficient and for the price, not bad at all (I actually picked this up for around $60, refurbished, from a common store's liquidation site).

What I used it for that worked out really well:
- cutting out the square electrical outlet holes in our kitchen cabinets
- dry wall cut-outs
- precise cuts for molding, baseboards, special projects
- small cuts (< 6 inches) on plywood
- precise cuts on medium quality bamboo floors (like around door moldings, corners, etc.)
- sanding an old teak chair I was restoring, getting into those small crevices, in between the slats.

What I used it for that didn't work out:
- Cutting notches in 2x4's - not enough power
- Precise cuts on dense teak floors - not enough power
- medium or longer cuts (> 6 inches) on plywood - not enough power; takes too long
- metal gutters - it did the job eventually, but it took a while. Again, not enough power.

People also recommend another battery, which I kind of agree with - however I have not yet, as I've managed to charge in between uses to keep the battery charged all day. I've also placed the whole tool + battery in the refrig to cool it down while not used it (just for 15 mins or so). It does get hot and once it did not charge because the unit was too hot.

Overall, I really like the tool and it's one of my favorites - but you really do need to adjust your expectations. If you're a contractor or a person who will use this every day - this won't do.

UPDATE 11/2011: 2 years later, still working out great. I will stick with my "cautious recommendation" of this product.

I just got one of these units. Seems to be better built than the Dremmel unit. The cutting bits seem to be more solid. However, is not variable speed and unlike the Bosch, tops off at 15000 opm. However, it is almost $100 cheaper. Also comes with a fair mix of bits (I think more than the Dremmel including a vac port and definitely more than the Bosch). At this point don't know about battery life, but the unit comes with only one battery - suggest you buy a second. I don't know about the other units, but this got pretty hot as I was doing test cuts through hard wood - perhaps they all do? Hell, for $99, what more do we want :).

I have a Fein Multimaster, which I love, and bought this for $99 at Sears on sale thinking it would sometimes be nice to have a cordless unit for some jobs.
At a quarter the price I paid for the Multimaster, I rather expected this to be a toy.
But it's a fine tool, and the blades are compatible with Fein, which was a great asset for me. It likely will result in lower blade costs too, due to competition.
For long hard use, the Fein is hard to beat. But for small jobs that can do with battery power, this tool is great! I've used it for cutting copper pipes in awkward places, where I couldn't get a tubing cutter on them, and for scraping, and for cutting doorway trim, and even smoothed some concrete patches.
I also bought the hammer and the drill/saw/light kit, which means I have several batteries that I can use for jobs that take more than I anticipated.

The Nextec 12 volt battery is worthless. I have dozens of cordless tools and this is the worst battery system I have ever used. The batteries only last a few months before going bad. I have bought 3 additional batteries and am down to only one that still works. I like the tool but the battery is the pits. I bought the tool because I love my Fein Multitool, but I'm not always near a plug. The cordless by Craftsman sounded perfect. Not as much power as Fein but OK for quick small jobs.
When is Craftsman going to find a decent battery?

A corded Fein that I have can get the job done, and so can this 12V Craftsman for the most part, just a little slower. This is a "must have" if you depend on a Fein multi-tool for a living. Use superior blades, such as the ones made by Specialty Diamond especially for multi tools, and you will have a much better idea of this tool's performance capabilities. There are so many tasks that don't require muscle to accomplish... and that is where this tool shines. It is quick and easy, no cords, mess or fuss. The battery lasts long enough to do most tasks... just keep the charger nearby between jobs. For a homeowner, this Craftsman will be all that you would ever need; for the professional, this Craftsman should be sitting right beside your overpriced Fein... you will be surprised at how often you will grab the 12V Craftsman instead of your Fein. The shortcomings of this tool are minor given its light weight, convenience, and the luxury of no power cord. The battery life, incidentally, was very impressive, probably the best of all the cordless models. The small zip up case, actually, is just fine; I thought it was a draw back at first, compared to the large case that came with my Fein, but I can store way more than enough accessories in it and still have a small light footprint.... this is a big plus! If you combine this tool with quality blades it will hold its own against the crowd easily, and at a price very reasonable. Furthermore, if you buy the extended warranty, you can have it all.

picked this up for $99 at an ace hardware. does quite well, not as powerful as the corded ones but sure beats sawing/cutting by hand! I would recommend this for occasional use, it does get hot-too hot- after using for 5-10 mins straight. very good for hard to reach places and the light on the end came in handy when I was trying to cut door jambs on the inside of closet. battery charges in 20-30 mins which is nice too.

Saw this on sale at Sears where they also had spare blades at a reasonable price plus spare batteries for $19.95.
The price ($99.99) seems attractive if you're looking for this type of tool.
You get a zippered bag, several different blades,
the allen-wrench and a nifty little vacuum attachment for dust collection.

One problem: It doesn't work.

Got this yesterday. Will be returning it today.

I have used the original Fein multi-tool, the Bosch and even the Harbor Freight versions, all of which at least run for more than 20 seconds.

So, I thought it might be a bargain. Wrong.
As soon as I turned it on the noise told me this wasn't a precision made tool. Even the cheap Harbor Freight model runs smoother. When I put the "holtz-blade" ( for wood) into some soft pine, it cut about a 16th of an inch, then stopped dead.
Turned it off. It started again. Tried to cut the pine. Stopped again.

The battery might be bogus, but the GREEN indicator light on the charger says it's ready-to-rock.

Not only does the one I got not work, but the zipper on the bag was not attached. I can't even close the cheap Chinese BAG!

Oh well... at least I know Sears has a good return policy. They will be seeing me later today.

Excellent service and excellent product.... I can't seem to stop using this tool it has so many features!!!! I can't think of anything else to add. I definitely recomend this product for light duty projects around the home.

Thanks

Sears has reduced the regular retail price to 79.95. Need to keep up with market prices. All ACE Hardware Stores has for 79.95

If your looking to cut out electrical outlets holes in drywall, cut in tight on a corner, have no room to cut a mounted pvc pipe, this tool is the tool to use. Sanding some rust off a metal chair change the head- it does that. Quickly and in small areas. If your looking to cut a 2x4 --it could take awhile. If its a thick piece of wood --it'll do it but will take awhile. You won't be using this as your primary wood cutting tool. You will use it for those times no other tool will work. This is an indispensable tool for working around the house.

This tool vibrates extensively giving it its cutting power. It buzzs in your hand as you place it on the surface to cut. Have trouble cutting heavy plastic sheets, mark the line, and change to the cutting head, plunge cut with this tool --works like a champ. You can not adjust the speed --its full on or full off.

I had to trim off a piece of door jam -this made it a breeze. I will say cutting a metal gutter --the vibration of the tool and the sheet metal was out of control.

Be aware that the NEXTEC 12v system is made for Sears by the same company that makes the Bosch 12v, Milwaukee 12v, Ryobi 12v systems with only minor modifications. Different plastic colors, slight changes in battery connectors, etc. There is a web site from the OEM that shows and list the companies they build for --its a little disappointing when you find out since it limits your choices.