Customer Reviews

Rockwell RK5108K SoniCrafter 100-Piece Super Professional Kit

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have been looking at these for a couple of years and could not decide between the Rockwell and Fein units. When Rockwell came out with the RK5108K kit, I jumped on it. And it is an awesome tool for plunge cutting wood, plastic, or sheet rock.
I had a door frame that did not quite align with the door, preventing the door from staying closed. I was able to cut the frame loose and re-align it in just a few minutes. I should have bought a tool like this years ago!!

This may be the most versitile tool I have every purchased. I took it to a friend's camp which is under renovation for it's test drive. I started by trimming a door that did not shut after the camp was moved. I left the door on the hinges and trimmed the top to fit perfectly! Excellent control, like no other tool. Next, plunge cut electrical outlets in 3/4" pine. Cut shims off clean while hanging a prehung door. Made a shim out of waferboard by plunge cutting the top 1/8th inch off a 3x3 square piece... unbelievable that I could do this evenly all the way around. At every turn I pulled out the tool. I think I can even use it to brush my teeth! (comes with a polish attachment) It is well made, durable and the 100+ piece kit is perfect. The price point excellent. You can't buy a better one for the money. If your a homeowner don't think twice. I have shopped around, looking at the dremmel and the craftsman, but they can't compare. It even comes with an adapter to use other brand blades with the Sonicrafter! There are so many jobs that I have done around the house that took time and ingenuity that I could have used this for in the past.

My wife purchased a Fein Multimaster as my bithday gift. After comparing it with the Sonicrafter I had her return it and purchase the Sonicrafter instead. I believe this to be the best choice because of the excessive cost of the Fein accessories and near equal quality of both products. I'm more than satisfied with this decision after using the Sonicrafter.

I agree that this tool will handle almost any job for the fix it yourself person. It is solidly built, and does not overheat like the cheaper models on the market.

The reason I am giving it 3 stars instead of 4 is the lack of documentation and instruction manual. At least mine didn't come with any, and I couldn't find anything on line. A DVD explaining the use of each accessory would have been easy to include and nice to have.

I received the RK1508K as a gift.

To date, I am pleased with the performance of the tool.

As other reviewers have stated, when using any brand of oscillating cutter, use a light touch and let the tool do the work for optimum performance.

Also, the item you are cutting needs to be solidly secured.

I use it almost exclusively for wood (not nails) and I find the RW9123.3
SoniCrafter 1-3/8" Precision End Cut Blade (course/aggressive teeth) provide the best performance in cutting wood.

There are third parties producing blades for the SoniCrafter :

Versa-Tool ([...])

Imperial Blade ([...])

I have not tried the RW9190 Universal Adapter that is included in the kit. The manual says it allows the attachement of Fein, Bosch & Dremel accessories. I have seen reviews that claim the adapter has been used to also attach Harbor Freight & Rigid accessories.

It is important that you properly torque the allen head locking bolt/screw when changing accessories.

It could be by design to prevent over torquing the locking bolt, but I believe the depth of the allen opening is too shallow.

I have not experienced the locking bolt loosening issue that some have reported. If in the future I do have a loosening issue I will consider using Loctite 249 Threadlock Tape.

You can view a parts list here : [...]

I do have to say, the included manual leaves a lot to be desired.

I bought this to add to my other power tools in my shop. I particularly needed it to get into small places for precision cutting. 1st use was to take up some old ceramic tile mortar. It zipped it off with ease. I was in a small bathroom and the noise db level was low. So no ringing ears after 10 min. work. Also no tingling hands from vibration. Really good tool for the money. I would recommend it. Buy the 200 pc. set.

I bought the Rockwell SoniCrafter wanting a product that would come close to the Fein product without the cost of the blades. The product works good when I can get it to turn on. Rockwell made a serious design flaw in this product in that they soldered the on off switch unto the circuit board, so if it goes bad as in the case of mine, you cannot just replace the switch, but have to replace the entire circuit board, which they made even that almost impossible because of the way they siliconed it into place. Who does that! An on off switch is something that can go bad, (mine went bad within 10 uses) so why make it practically impossible to fix, short of sending it into the factory, which unfortunately I misplaced my recite, so I was stuck. Needless to say, I am not so impressed with the product. Though I will say when it runs, it does a good job.

I had the same experience as the "Car Guy". When I tried to use the Universal Blade the tool vibrated and the bolt that holds the blade unscrewed itself and the blade fell out. I tried several times with the same result, even after tightening the bolt very tightly. I too thought it sounded like the gears or something were slipping. I called Rockwell and they referred me to two local "Certified" shops. One said they do not service Rockwell electronic tools and the other was a small lawn mower repair shop that had no idea what to do. I tried one more time to use the tool by tightening the bolt extremely tightly. I felt something internally give way but after that the tool seemed to work. However, by this time I did not trust it to continue to work properly. This was a present and it was beyond the grace period by about a month when I tried to use it so Rockwell would not exchange the unit. Amazon was gracious enough to let me return it for a refund but they deducted about $50 since it had been opened and used. I am considering whether to purchase another Sonicrafter but am hesitant.

I bought this because I was remodeling my home and it saved me in so many spots. I read all the reviews and im super happy with this tool. I can honestly say i used it several times a day for about a month straight. if u use it for long periods of time it does tend to heat up. I still use this tool every now and then and if it broke i would not hesitate to buy another one. If u plan on using this type of tool alot on a daily basis i would spend twice as much and get the fein only because of the quick blade change lever it has. I would loved to of had that with my projects cause i was changing blade angle constantly. U can not go wrong with either though. I used the cutting blades both wood and metal and also the grout removal tool. Word of advise, buy extra blades cause they wear out fast! Only con i can think of is the life of the blades and the cost. But still worth it. I have not yet used the sanding pads so i cant comment on those

I am very disappointed. The carbide cutting blade broke when removing grout. The polishing attachment pad fell apart had to glue it back on. A $265 tool that is useless as a paperweight. No way to reach Rockwell. There 800 number supplied is a third party and they can care less. bad customer service, shame on you Rockwell! With that said, I love Amazon. They delivered quick and packed well. Thank you Amazon. I lost my $265, next time I will by the Fein model. Much better company that makes tools. you get what you pay for.