Oscillating Multi-Tool

An oscillating multi-tool is a power tool whose working head oscillates rather than rotating or reciprocating, powered by mains electricity or a battery, and takes its name from the wide range of jobs it can do through interchangeable attachments for sawing, sanding, rasping, grinding, scraping, cutting and polishing. The tool was originally developed by the German manufacturer Fein in 1967 to remove plaster casts safely without injuring the patient underneath, working as a circular saw fitted with an angular oscillating blade that could cut through a hard cast in a crescent pattern without harming skin, and this medical application became the basis for the wider family of oscillating power tools used today. The oscillating motion gives the tool an advantage over rotating or reciprocating tools for precise, controlled work, letting it cut flush with a surface, for example when fitting flooring near a baseboard, and its small size lets it reach tight spaces other tools cannot; because the blade's motion does not clear sawdust the way a rotating blade does, the user must move the tool back and forth to clear debris. Modern lithium ion battery technology has made cordless oscillating multi-tools increasingly competitive with mains powered models.