On 3/17/17 6:34 PM, wrote:
On Friday, March 17, 2017 at 9:24:28 AM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:

Did they change something? I've only had mine for a couple years
and I can use all the other blades.

Mike, yes they have. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and
a well written review is worth about that much, check it out. This
is a well written article, and the comments at the bottom certainly
reflect my feelings. Is this a solution to a problem that didn't
exist? Is this a marketing ploy?

http://toolguyd.com/bosch-fein-starl...rface-preview/

It has a drawing, and then a picture of the "3d system" blades with
the large concave cap that looks like an old beer bottle cap.

Here is a look at the various adapters for he new Starlock, including
one from Festool. I would be ****ED OFF beyond reason to have a $500
- $650 Festool multitool only to find that to use certain blades I
will need to buy something else, a frickin' adapter for a tool that
worked great as designed.

From what I have read, Bosch CLAIMS that their new offering will
still use any blade out there with the tool as purchased, no adapter
required. Fein on the other hand makes no bones about it, you need
the adapter to use the old style blades with their new system. Note
too, they do mention in the review/article that there is speculation
that the new blade configuration is nothing more than a market
gimmick.

Regardless of Bosch/Fein's claim that they will lock up better (no
empirical evidence presented or found by me) and that they will
reduce multitool injuries (huh?), I don't believe it.

It is obvious that these guys want back in the blade business.
Repeat buyers of consumables are what make some of these tools
profitable beyond their actual utility. I think that Fein has made
that clear with their now "top line" model that will not use any
blades except their new configuration. Now that the folks on the
Pacific Rim have mastered their multi tool blade/accessory
manufacturing I almost never buy the Fein/Bosch blades, or anyone
else's. I have bought a bunch of these, and at $1.75 each they kill
it.

https://www.amazon.com/Cibtek-Oscill.../dp/B00YG84DJ6

When I got my first batch, I put them on a tool, and cut through 10
nails I shot into a board for testing purposes. Barely showed any
wear. Cut through a couple of yellow pine 2x6s, then through another
5 nails. As with all bi metals, the smaller teeth can make it a
challenge to cut wood, but these worked as well as expected. After
all that, the blade still had a lot of life left in it. Knowing that
I could cut through sheet rock and into a 16 gauge plumbing shield,
rip down the length of a nail that was used for a previous repair
(like an 8d), cut downwards through a sole plate and nick concrete,
and all the other stuff that happens to these blades during
blind/plunge cuts, why would I spend $10 a piece when they could be
ruined in a few seconds?

The only blades that beat them out on the job, and I wouldn't want to
live on the difference, is the Bosch or Fein. DeWalt, Dremel, HF,
Lowe's (Blue Hawk) are OK to awful in quality. Besides, if I am going
to spend that much for blades, I am going to the top of the chain for
an extra couple of bucks.

BTW, lots of Youtube chatter about the Starlock system, some like it,
some don't, like most, they use these tools once or twice a month (if
at all), but the ones I watched don't consider the cost of
consumables as part of tool ownership and cost to own. Saving $7 -
$8 a blade or more can easily put you in the range of buying other
tools you might need.

I guess this blade change business ****es me off as I have lost money
on it in the past. I had industrial rated circular saws that I spent
a /lot/ of money on that had diamond arbors. Remember the diamond
knockouts on the saw blades? Seen one lately? The new blades
without the knockout were cheaper and easier to make, and rendered
the knockout obsolete, even though it was vastly superior at holding
blades. Likewise, same deal on recip saws. Bought two saws that
used blades that had an extra indexing and hold down notch stamped
into the blade. They quit making the saw blades with the notch in
them, so the new blades (as we have now) wouldn't work as the peg in
the saw chuck wouldn't allow the blade to sit flat when tightened.
Had the same thing happen to my larger jig saw with an old Bosch I
bought. I had to use Bosch blades as they had a slightly thicker
shaft. An old Rockwell that was in the tool box for a while used the
same blades. Then they started with "T" blades, and simply quit
making the blades those saws used.

Each time these changes came about I was left holding tools that
represented a good sized investment that were useless after blades
stocks ran out.

I think that with the millions of multi tools of all sorts (including
Fein!) that use the old system, blades and secondary market blades
will continue to be available. Not too worried, but still ****ed off
at myself for buying into tools that used only proprietary
consumables. Never again.

Robert


My Fein has what looks like the starlock mount.
I guess I have a newer one.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

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