Bosch Tools is firmly in the doghouse with us right now, for various reasons. I am hard-pressed to recommend any Bosch tools or their accessories.
But, in no uncertain terms, their carbide-tooth oscillating multi-tool blade remain an extremely high-performing near-universal-fitment type of accessory.
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The OSL114C is a StarLock-compatible carbide-tooth blade, which I find to be great for all types of cutting, and especially metal screws and nails that absolutely destroy bi-metal blades.
Buy Now via Amazon– $80 for a 10-pack and eligible for extra savings
This is what happened to a bi-metal blade I had been using to cut wood and PVC, but then grabbed to quickly cut through 3 stripped screws when taking a planter project apart.
Bi-metal blades can handle a nail or two. Screws? Forget about it.
These Bosch blades, however, would have cut through them with much greater ease and less blade destruction.
But I Don’t Have a StarLock Tool!
That’s okay, you can still use these blades
These days, I prefer Milwaukee’s cordless brushless oscillating multi-tools, and have been using Milwaukee’s made-in-USA blades with them exclusively for testing. StarLock is a neat interface, but I don’t like being locked into just one or two brands of accessories.
The good news is that Bosch StarLock accessories are backwards compatible with their previous OIS interface, which means they work with other brands’ oscillating multi-tools. It is StarLock tools that are restricted to only using StarLock blades.
The Amazon listing says:
Star lock interface for professional performance, also works with OIS compatible tools including Bosch, Fein, Milwaukee, Makita, rigid, others.
“Carbide is all Marketing and isn’t Actually Better”
There are two main types of oscillating multi-tool users, 1) those who use carbide blades for tougher bi-metal blade-destroying applications, and 2) those who have never used carbide-tooth blades and refuse to believe they can be X-times longer-lasting.
Bosch says these blades will last 30X longer than “standard bi-metal blades,” and while that number seems fluffy, carbide teeth do last much longer than bi-metal.
It’s hard to recommending that you try these blades at $11-13 each, but at $8 each when you buy a 10-pack, the price gap between quality bi-metal and quality bi-metal is greatly diminished.
If these blades will fit your tool, now’s a good time to try them.
The Deal
Amazon has a 10-pack of these blades for $79.93 at Amazon. Other sellers have the 10-pack at considerably higher pricing. The 3-pack is $31 via Amazon.
AND, the blade pack is eligible for extra $20 off $100+ savings, which helps to lower the per-blade cost further.
You could order 2 blade packs and call it a day, or add other power tool accessories or tools to the order.
How about self-centering drill bits? Countersink drill bits? Screwdriver bits?
~$80 for 10 blades is a good price, as they come out to be $8 each. But if you can add at least $20.07 of other eligible tools to your order, you get an extra $20 discount.
There’s Also Diablo
Diablo seems to have rebranded Bosch and Dremel oscillating multi-tool blades, but the pricing simply isn’t as good as with these Bosch blades, at least not that I’ve found.
- Universal (DOU125CGP) 1-1/4″ Carbide-Toothed: $23 via Amazon
- 3-pack (DOU125CGP3 ): $45 via Amazon
- Starlock (DOS125CGP3) 1-1/4″ Carbide-Toothed 3-pack: $45 via Amazon
Prices went up since we first reported on the new blades.
But do you see what I mean? $15 each for the Diablo blades when you buy a 3-pack, vs. $8 each when you buy the Bosch 10-pack, or less if you take advantage of the $20 off $100+ promo.
Yes, spending $80 for 10 blades is a greater risk than less for fewer blades, even if the unit cost is much higher.
Carbide-tooth oscillating multi-tool blades are not indestructible, but in my experience they’re worth the premium over bi-metal for when cutting metal. Also be sure to let the tool do the work – excessive pressure can help hasten wear and damage to these blades.
See Also:
Sam says
I just buy the cheap 20 pack for 20$ on ebay , almost as good as brand name ones. Like you said, all multi tool blades are toast after a few nails or a screw. Never tried carbide blades so can’t comment on those , but as a finish carpenter I only use my OMT for cutting wood , flooring , drywall etc. I use mine heavily but not for hard materials such as metal. I find that the cheap dollar ebay blades last a good while as long as you don’t let them overheat
Stuart says
I’ve seen cheap blades turn into wood-burning stubs in short order.
These are absolutely going to better than cheap non-branded blades.
Every “I just use whatever cheap blades” should try carbide-tooth blades at least one.
I don’t know why, but 10 for $80 seems a lot easier for me to recommend than 1 for $15 (or 1 for $23 in the case of Diablo).
Tom D says
The blade sellers would do well to include one carbide blade in a ten pack of bimetal- get people hooked.
Hilton says
Fantastic idea.
PTBRULES says
The other thing with multitool blades, it how you wear them out. I have these blades and they are much better than the Fein Bimetal blade’s for our Fein.
You need to wear them from one side to the other to get the most out of the blade, vs just cutting in the center.
To get them to last, you need to not build up heat also.
Lastly, I have the Bosch Japanese Tooth blades to, I have one with half the teeth gone, going strong, you just have to who how to use them.
I bitched about that bosch video, but all my SDS bits are bosch, OMT blades are bosch, Jigsaw, Planner, etc, Bosch. Can they just get their act together….
Julian Tracy says
Has a titanium coating ever been applied
To any cutting edge that wasn’t low quality to begin with? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced any advantages of that crap.
The Bosch carbide blades are very good, but now that I use a Dewalt tool, they’re useless to me.
I’ve bought a few 50 packs of multi blades on Amazon and have been super happy with them at around $.075 a blade. Nail cutting is the least of my needs, the golden ticket usage is plunge cutting into 2x material or 1x hardwood trim. Those blades do that as well as any Bosch, Imperial or Fein blade I’ve used
fred says
When I first saw TiN coating it was on end mills and was said to improve their useful lifetime. Then all of a sudden it became the “decoration” of choice on cheap drill bits
Clay says
Think the starlock will ever become the new standard?
Stuart says
No. Too many major brands, such as Dewalt and Milwaukee, have tool-free blade change mechanisms that work best with split-ring accessories.
This is why Diablo has Starlock and Dremel-style dual-interface accessories. Plus there are different levels of Starlock blades.
Jon says
I really like my bosch oscillating tool, but the bosch blades are way to expensive. This goes for all of the branded blades, but bosch seems to have the highest price point.
In my experience, the cheap blade bundles on ebay or amazon hold up nearly as well and are a far better value.
Sam says
I think the ProjectFarm Channel on Youtube did a good job comparing different brands. You could check out.
The bottom line, buy the cheap one because all are going to get ruined very fast!
Maybe the higher one is quicker in cutting!
Stuart says
I watched that once and disagreed with their choice of blades and testing methodology a little.
What I don’t understand is why they included Milwaukee’s older style blade instead of the new ones that were available at the time of their video. Is it because they were limited to Amazon, which only sells older Milwaukee tools through 3rd party sellers?
Their recommendation seems to be the carbide-tooth EZarc, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDMX328/?tag=toolguyd-20 , which is $26 for 3. That comes to $8.67 per blade.
$8/blade plus $20 off $100 works out better for this Bosch deal.
Julian Tracy says
Everyone here is too young to remember the old days of buying multi blades, when the regular ones cost $25-34 each and only if you bought 10 packs could you get the price down to $15-18 each. That was when Fein was the only game in town .
Doug N says
Yes, I remember it all too well. Those Fein brand Japanese tooth “E-cut” blades were amazing, but one contact with a nail or screw and there goes $30.
Not to mention the Allen key blade lock which came loose every other cut.
fred says
That was my only real peeve with the Fein Multimaster – the friction that could be mustered by clamping down on that socket head screw was no match for the oscillations of the saw. But Fein was then the only game in town – so maybe they saw no need for them to innovate a better blade holding mechanism – or to compete with themselves over the price of blades.
Skye A Cohen says
What I remember about those fein super cut saws was the first version of the tool free blade change, it would snap close so hard that you could break a carpenters pencil. It never smashed my thumb but I always wondered if there’d be a lawsuit because it sure looked like you could smash a thumb like a grape if it was in the way when you released it
Big Richard says
Cutting nails is probably the #1 task I ask of my OMT. A dozen or so nails and the bi-metals are pretty much toast. I’ve been running Lenox and M.K. Morse carbide recip blades for a while with great results, so figured I’d try carbide OMT blades. Tried multiple brands, maybe got 3x the life? They’re better than bi-metal, but not by much when compared to what you see with recip blades that truly do seem to last 50x as long. So I’m split on them. If the deal is good enough, I’ll buy. That said, I might try these Bosch’s.
Been buying these lately when they are on sale for around $10/blade:
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/power-tool-accessories/oscillating-tool-accessories/masterforce-reg-1-3-8-carbide-oscillating-multi-tool-blade/mf360-1/tools/power-tool-accessories/oscillating-tool-accessories/masterforce-reg-1-3-8-carbide-oscillating-multi-tool-blade/mf360-5/p-2293324710519787.htm
Ian M says
I totally agree, it’s worth paying the extra for the carbide blades
MFC says
Ummm… No.
These would be for someone who NEEDS a higher heat resistant metal for a specific application, such as regularly cutting through metal (have no idea why you would need to regularly as a multi-toil is an oops, I forgot, and now I need a weird saw to reach where I can’t with all my other “made for metal” saws.
If you are like most, the cheap ones are just fine for the miscellaneous wood/aluminum cutting needs you might have.
Chris says
Carbide is the way to go. I currently have the Dremel ones and I’ve plunge cut stucco and a 2″ rigid conduit with the same blade.
Tom D says
The key is letting the tool do the work – if you ram the blade in as hard as you can you’ll quickly destroy anything.
Jim Felt says
Thanks Stuart. Yet another Toolguyd based iPhone purchase.
Criminy.
MoogleMan3 says
These are good blades. I bought a small pack a while ago and they’re holding up.
Frank D says
Maybe, if they were Star-lock and had “ Curved-Tec “ blade edges. They seem to work a bit faster, easier and allow for more control than the straight edge blades.
Todd says
Carbide blades work great on smaller nails,plaster, stucco, old caulk, brick some tile,,aluminum and Wood with hidden nails. The cheap wood blades on amazon are great for clean wood and some plastics and job sites with multiple users. I can leave a carbide blade in and at the end of the week it is typically still there on the job site.
Hilton says
I’ve invested in the Makita 18v range so I’m waiting for them to come out with a brushless, quick change version.
Skye A Cohen says
I used one of those blades earlier today. I was cutting through screws and nails like it was a grinder they’re pretty amazing
Blythe says
These are essential for me as a remodeler. Many times I have no idea where nails and screws are when I plunge into a wall, and these are great for the unknown.