In this video review I go over the new Fein Multimaster FMM 350 QSL oscillating multitool with the newly designed Starlock mount. Oscillating multitools are one of those do it all tools that can cut, scrape, and sand. They are a jack of all trades tool but master of none. One operation they do excel at is plunge cutting and notch cuts on the spot. Although plenty of other standalone tools can do better what a multitool can, I highly value their ability to plunge cut and are highly effective during flooring installations when it comes to under-cutting door jambs for new flooring installations.
The new Starlock mount was co-developed by both Bosch and Fein and strikes a familiar resemblance to Bosch’s accessory mount for their own MX30E oscillating multitool. The new Starlock mount takes the main concept used on the MX30E mount and adds a “three dimensional grip” in the form of a recessed 12 pointed star shape that is said to offer greater torque transfer along with super quick blade changes. In my hands on experience with the new Fein Multimaster with Starlock mount, accessory changes were amazingly quick. All that was needed to install a blade or accessory was to simply snap it into the starlock mount, and thats it! Removing blades was super quick as well, just open the latch and out the blade goes.
Along with the super quick blade changes, the new Starlock mount is said to offer increased speed compared to the previous model without starlock mount, up to 35%. During testing, I put the new starlock mount multimaster up against the previous model without starlock during metal cutting (cutting nails) and wood cutting (slicing through 2×4’s) to see if I could confirm the claims. After the results were done, I didn’t see any improvement in cutting speed with the new Starlock mount. Cutting speed was about the same on both, although I did notice that the new starlock mount was more effective at transferring torque and lead to a smoother cutting experience. I pushed both machines hard during both tests, and on the 2×4 cuts the starlock mount multimaster didn’t feel like it was grunting as hard as the non-starlock model. It also made for slightly less vibration for a smoother more refined experience.
The upside of the new starlock accessories are that they are backwards compatible with non-starlock mounted multitools. I proved this with installing a starlock blade on the previous Fein multimaster without the starlock mount. You no longer have to worry about using hex keys to install and remove accessories and don’t have to worry about losing either a hex key or pin with latch and pin systems. The new starlock mount also means you don’t even have to touch blades or accessories to install or remove, simply press the tool over the accessory and flip the latch in the open position to remove blades. This means that you don’t have to touch hot blades with your hands.
The downside’s to the new starlock mount are not in the starlock accessories, but the mount itself as the new mount is not backwards compatible with older accessories. Starlock accessories are backwards compatible, with the exception of the new starlock max accessories, but the mount itself cannot accept non-starlock accessories. This means that starlock mount multitools such as the multimaster fmm 350 qsl cannot accept older accessories. This may be a big deal for those of you deciding to switch over to the new mount, but have a big collection of old blades and accessories with the downside being you cannot use the old blades on the new mount. Maybe some day there will be an adapter to use older blades on the starlock mount.
Right now Bosch and Fein make a full line of Starlock accessories so you won’t have a hard time finding blades and accessories for the new Starlock mount.
The new Fein Multimaster FMM 350 QSL with Starlock performs nearly identical to the previous Multimaster without the Starlock mount, this isn’t exactly a bad thing since the previous FMM 350 Q multitool was a nice well rounded and refined multitool. You get the same strong performance of the previous model as well as the very low felt vibrations because of the suspended motor design. The tool itself operates quietly when under no load, but that all changes as soon as the accessories make contact with the material, then it the Fein multitool becomes just as loud as all others. You get very nice performance from either model although I did feel the new starlock model did transfer torque slightly more efficiently which lead to a slightly smoother experience. It offers plenty of performance for cutting, sanding, and scraping although not the kind or raw performance I experienced with the Rockwell F50 multitool. Overall the new Fein Multimaster with Starlock is a great option if you’re in the market for a new multitool and I think the new Starlock mount is one of the better oscillating multitool mounts at the moment with almost lightning fast blade changes. Just keep in mind that the new starlock mount wont accept older accessories from other mounts at the moment and this may pose a problem for those of you with a big collection of older multitool accessories.
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Specifications
- 16 foot cord
- Starlock tool free mount
- Oscillation angle 2x 1.7 degrees
- Oscillations 10,000-19,000 OPM
- 350 Watts; 3.6 amp motor
- 3.2 lbs weight
- Anti-vibration system
- 3 year warranty
- Made in Germany
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