I know this group and what a huge can of worms I just opened up, but we'll see if I can though this with any actual information. :-D
I have the Harbor Freight and I wrote the book on it. It is well documented in here that I have been its staunchest defender. So even though it probably will, I would like this thread to not quickly escalate into the same, tired, old, rehashed over and over again too many times already, HF multitool debate. :-) After probably eight years with the thing, it's still going strong, but I'm looking to upgrade for a few reasons.
- Noise & Heat. The HF gets so hot you could fry an egg on it. Plus, it's so fricken loud!!!
- The new oscillating tools I've seen have a quick release and that's very appealing to me.
- I'm hoping the brand name tools actually perform better. After using the HF for so long, I think I will able to very quickly determine if this is the case.
So again, this may a be futile request, but I would like opinions about oscillating tools from those who have actually used them. I'm looking for quieter, cooler, faster, non-tool blade release, and probably NOT battery operated, although I might be able to be convinced.
Blade universality isn't that important since most have adapters or already accept all blades.
LAST THING: I already know Festool is the best and Fein is a close second. But I don't have six hundred bucks to spend on an oscillating tool. All the other brands have options under $150, so I'm sticking with those.