Rockwell 37-Piece Oscillating Tool Kit

The Sonicrafter appears to be well made with a metal case for the drive end and sturdy, but not hard, plastic - which should survive numerous drops - protects the motor. The tool is easy to use - little vibration and relatively quiet (much quieter than a grinder). On/off is a flush mount slide switch and the speed is controlled with a flush mount rotary knob at the base of the tool. The blades are changed with an allen wrench which has a storage clip built into the base of the power cord (nice touch). The power cord is 10 ft. long and a velcro strap is included to keep the cord wrapped when not in use. The tool bag is well made and heavy duty, reinforced bottom, and has a zipper closure. A well made plastic case is included for the blades and sanding pads and all fit in comfortably. The closure on the plastic case is an actually hinged plastic clasp not one of those flex plastic hinges that tend to break after a short while. Additionally a spare blade securing bolt is included. *Note that in the kit 30 of the 37 pieces are sanding pads.* I got this tool to help with rennovating older houses, especially to help putting holes in plaster/lathe for electric runs and boxes. A big problem with putting holes in plaster is that saws, either hand or power, tend to break the keys that hold the plaster to the lathe. I have tried the spiral saw bits (Rotozip type) rated for sheetrock, but they wear out extremely fast in the plaster top coat. Carbide rotary rasps work better, but also wear down quickly. I normally use grinders which are very fast and minimize the damage to the plaster/lathe bond, but they do create a large amount of airborne dust and noise. The Sonicrafter (using the carbide blade) creates a very minimal amount of dust and very little of that is airborne. It is, however, much slower and I don't think the carbide blade will last to long in plaster. The wood blade works very well cutting the lathe. I cut the lathe vertically half way across a stud remove it and then renail them in when the work is done. A heavy coat of fast set mud as a base and a couple of top coats and the repair is imperceptible. In closing, it is more the blades that restrict the tool than the tool itself. I am sure there will be times when the problem of dust production will outweigh the time and blade cost for jobs, but in general I will probably revert to using the grinder for cutting the plaster; using the Soniccrafter to cut the lathe. If you think you have uses for this tool I would recommend it.