Vecturo and OIS blades?

[splinterguard]

I haven't read a definitive answer so I thought I'd just ask: can a Festool Vecturo use Bosch OIS blades? 

I assume if it can that there's an adapter involved.  Is it included?  If not, which adapter are people using?

I like the Bosch carbide metal-cutting blades for going through nails, plus they're available locally.  Does Festool or Fein even sell such a blade?

Any gotchas or downsides to running with an adapter?

Thanks

 

[AlexThePalex]

I don't think the Vecturo can use those Bosch blades without an adapter. There is no adapter included with the Vecturo. Fein makes and adapter that fits the Vecturo. After all, the Vecturo is just a rebranded Fein SuperCut.

3rd party blades often include an adapter or you can buy it separately. There are many 3rd party options these days for oscillating tools, and they always try to make it work for as many brands as possible. Shop around. 

 

[Holmz]

...
Fein makes and adapter that fits the Vecturo. After all, the Vecturo is just a rebranded Fein SuperCut.
...

What makes someone buy the rebranded version?

It is one of my pet peeves when I go to the store and all the brands are rebranded as select.

 

[AlexThePalex]

What makes someone buy the rebranded version?

Someone who likes the green?

The Festool Vecturo does have some minor improvements though, over the SuperCut, like the Plug-It cord, a longer quick change handle and the plunge accessory.

Nothing that would really wet my appetite, but for some people it most certainly will.

Holmz, I can't help but observe you always try to steer people away from Festool and question purchases. I don't mind you sharing your opinion because for the rest you seem like a very decent guy, but you're starting to sound a bit like the guy who goes to the strip club, every day, just to tell the girls to put some clothes on.  [wink]  [cool]
 

 

[Holmz]

[member=5277]Alex[/member]

The emperors clothes may be a better reference than the strip club.  [cool]

I have an MFT, a Domino, a CT26, and DX93. For the DX 93 there are possibly other corner sanders, but I love it. And there are other vacuums than the CT26.

When there are other options there is some potential value in discussing comparison between the FT and the other tools. In many cases the FT may in fact be better, in some cases 'the same', and in some cases they could be lacking.

As I can buy the same tool before it is rebadged, I have not 'cracked the code' as what would drive me to pay more for the same tool in green??

I get it that FT would take a Fein and rebadge it, the same way that an Opal car is rebadged to a Holden, or a Mazda to be a Ford. I just cannot understand what would make the Ford better than the Mazda, or the Holden better than the Opal?

When I am looking at making major purchases I like when people ask those questions.

 

[splinterguard]

Any gotchas or downsides to running with an adapter?

Today I got a chance to play with the adapter so I'll answer my own question.

As Alex mentioned, there is no adapter provided with the Vecturo kit, though it is compatible with the one provided in several of the Fein SuperCut kits.  The adapter I tried, which is available separately, is the black Fein-brand one that allows MultiMaster (and later-style Bosch OIS) blades to attach to a SuperCut.

Here's the gotcha/downside: for reasons not obvious to me, the adapter does not seat inside the (seemingly ample) spindle recess but instead protrudes a half-inch or so.  This offsets the blade position by the same distance, which means that with the plunge base attached, there's a big gap between the blade and the magnet.

I tried flipping the Bosch blade upside-down on the adapter, but then it's too close to the plunge base.

 

[Holmz]

Any gotchas or downsides to running with an adapter?

Today I got a chance to play with the adapter so I'll answer my own question.

As Alex mentioned, there is no adapter provided with the Vecturo kit, though it is compatible with the one provided in several of the Fein SuperCut kits.  The adapter I tried, which is available separately, is the black Fein-brand one that allows MultiMaster (and later-style Bosch OIS) blades to attach to a SuperCut.

Here's the gotcha/downside: for reasons not obvious to me, the adapter does not seat inside the (seemingly ample) spindle recess but instead protrudes a half-inch or so.  This offsets the blade position by the same distance, which means that with the plunge base attached, there's a big gap between the blade and the magnet.

I tried flipping the Bosch blade upside-down on the adapter, but then it's too close to the plunge base.

^That^ is good to know.

I am assuming you were close enough to the orange machine to know it was working method(?) and it was a "did not fit" rather than a user error(?).

So let me see if I have this right...
The Fein takes any blade, and the rebranded one only takes FT blades.

 

[splinterguard]

^That^ is good to know.

I am assuming you were close enough to the orange machine to know it was working method(?) and it was a "did not fit" rather than a user error(?).

So let me see if I have this right...
The Fein takes any blade, and the rebranded one only takes FT blades.

I didn't mean to suggest that the adapter didn't fit.  It's just not obvious why it's designed to fit the way it does.

The adapter works on both the Fein and the Festool because they're the same animal, but only Fein kits come with an adapter included.  You'd have to buy a adapter separately from Fein for use with the Festool.

As far as I can tell, Fein would just have you use the adapter for their carbide rasp and sanding pads, which still have the MultiMaster-style attachment (even when supplied in the SuperCut kit packages).  But the adapter also works with the MultiMaster blades (and therefore the Bosch late-style OIS blades).

(I've read here that Fein intends the SuperCut be used for cutting only, but they are apparently of two minds because most of the SuperCut kits include grinding and/or sanding accessories.)

I didn't get a chance to actually cut anything with the Vecturo + adapter + Bosch blade, so I can only confirm that it attaches.  I don't know if there's any deficiency in the quality of the cut as a result.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The Fein takes any blade, and the rebranded one only takes FT blades.

Not really. There are many 3rd party blades with the SuperCut/Vecturo pattern too.

And the Fein MultiMaster doesn't just take any blade, for many 3rd party blades you need an adapter also. But because the Fein MM was the original, its cross shaped pattern is most widely used.

 

[MiterMaster]

Hey - with the wood cutting blade - what is the total length from tip of blade to rear where plug-it cord goes in?  Wondering if this tool will fit inside my window frames?  I am installing new window sills, and need to cut out the jambs.  With the depth stop accessory this would be great, but not sure if the tool is too long to fit inside our window frames?  We have lots of narrow windows.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Alicurly]

Hey - with the wood cutting blade - what is the total length from tip of blade to rear where plug-it cord goes in?  Wondering if this tool will fit inside my window frames?  I am installing new window sills, and need to cut out the jambs.  With the depth stop accessory this would be great, but not sure if the tool is too long to fit inside our window frames?  We have lots of narrow windows.

Thanks,
Mike

The blade can be mounted various angles to the tool itself, the smallest gap the Vecutro+blade can fit in is 110mm/ 4 1/2", with the blade mounted at 90 deg. I doubt you have any windows that small.

 

[MiterMaster]

The blade can be mounted various angles to the tool itself, the smallest gap the Vecutro+blade can fit in is 110mm/ 4 1/2", with the blade mounted at 90 deg. I doubt you have any windows that small.

Thanks, did not realize blade could be rotated, perfect.

 

[MiterMaster]

Another question - seems the only blades Festool recommends for plunge cuts are "bi-metal".  Anyone have experience with using the bi-metal blades plunge cutting wood - is it a clean, splinter-free cut like you would get from the Japanese tooth wood blades?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[teocaf]

[member=5277]Alex[/member]

The emperors clothes may be a better reference than the strip club.  [cool]

I have an MFT, a Domino, a CT26, and DX93. For the DX 93 there are possibly other corner sanders, but I love it. And there are other vacuums than the CT26.

When there are other options there is some potential value in discussing comparison between the FT and the other tools. In many cases the FT may in fact be better, in some cases 'the same', and in some cases they could be lacking.

As I can buy the same tool before it is rebadged, I have not 'cracked the code' as what would drive me to pay more for the same tool in green??

I get it that FT would take a Fein and rebadge it, the same way that an Opal car is rebadged to a Holden, or a Mazda to be a Ford. I just cannot understand what would make the Ford better than the Mazda, or the Holden better than the Opal?

When I am looking at making major purchases I like when people ask those questions.

I'm not sure rebadging is strictly the correct term here.  Who really knows the exact terms of the agreements involved between the companies.  The Fein Supercut and the Festool Vecturo are in the same price ballpark the last time I checked here in the US so paying more for the green in this case is not an argument.  Neither is the Mazda/Ford comparison.  All kinds of alliances and cross marketing strategies are formed in the free market for all sorts of reasons.  There is no "code"--just do your own research for your own needs and act on your findings.  As to why you're comparing some mineraloid such as opal to an australian car, I'm at a loss on that one...
But I agree with Alex regarding the type of posts that you seem to make on a continual basis, for reasons that even you can't justify eloquently.

But getting to the OP's concerns, I think that using the blades that require the adaptor should only be used if absolutely necessary.  I found some blades on a super sale and I got the adaptor for my Fein, but a number of problems arose with the fit, with slippage, with loss of efficiency in power transfer between blade and machine, so the trade off didn't seem to be worth it after all.  There are now quite a few makers or dealers of the Supercut type blade so you should find what you need without any problem.  Try www.imperialbladesdirect.com and click on the Fein/Festool header.  I've gotten a splinter free, smooth cut with the bimetal blades--it's more of a question of technique, wood type, thickness, tooth offset, speed setting etc.  Buy a variety of blades and try them.  I've plunged with the japanese blades with no problem--they work very well but they don't seem to last as long.  I don't consider these machines to be "finishing tools", but one can certainly get them to do even that.

The Festool does have some nice attachments but Fein offers some varied options too:  a less expensive non-supercut model, a pneumatic supercut model, one model that has a brawny handle that may work really well with the carbide demolition blade that Imperial is rumored to release soon.  The catch-all answer seems to apply here:  It all depends...