REVIEWS
Review of the Bosch PS50 Oscillating Tool. Drawbacks and advantages
Good facts about Bosch PS50 oscillating tool
The cordless feature makes this tool incredibly useful for sanding, cutting, plunging, polishing and grinding. We can unquestionably recommend the Bosch PS50 oscillating tool for any carpenter or hobbyist looking for multi-tool with the ultimate in convenience and for those special situations where other power saws or sanders just will not work. It can be used on hardwoods, softwoods, grout, drywall, plastics and most metals.
It is very comfortable, especially with the soft-grip surface, to hold in either one hand or two. The Bosch PS50 is longer and thinner compared to the other manufacturers. Several owners report that the girth of this tool is much more comfortable in their hand. This will reduce physical fatigue. The nose has a rubber overmold which prevents any damage to your material.
A major advantage of the Bosch Oscillating Tool is the price. It's about one-half the cost of a Fein. The cost justification depends on whether you are a professional, doing a lot of remodeling, or a homeowner that needs a versatile tool for small home projects that inevitably have a lot of tight space jobs.
The case is solid and roomy. You can even store the Bosch PS50 with the tool attached. There is ample space to store three batteries and most of the tool attachments that you will ever use.
The Bosch oscillating tool has enough power to cut through even the heaviest, densest woods, such as old heart pine. It was easy to guide the tool and let it do most of the work. Vibration did not seem to be excessive or uncomfortable. It will not be the fastest cutter, but it will get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.
The Bosch Oscillating Tool is a great tool for small home projects. A good example is making precision cuts on existing crown molding. Most of the time, space is limited and there is not room to use a tool with a rotary cutting wheel. This makes it especially useful for tight, square corners and when you are cutting overhead. You can even do some custom carvings and special geometric cuts that would be impossible with a linear cut.
Cutting drywall is easy enough with the Bosch PS50 and does not create a lot of dust. It is especially useful for making smaller cuts, such as a hole for receptacle boxes. Because of the ergonomics of the tool, cutting straight lines is easy.
There is a 3-LED power meter that shows the remaining battery life. Be aware that when the indicator only shows one green flashing bar, the battery needs to be recharged.
The speed dial has 19 different settings and is conveniently located for fingertip adjustment. The range is from 5,000 to 20,000 opm. Most of the time, you will be using the 5-6 settings which are the higher speeds.
Bad facts about Bosch PS50 oscillating tool
A major complaint from many owners is the short battery-life. Some users report that they could only use the tool for about eight to ten minutes before the batteries ran out. Others say that they have no problem for their jobs. It seems that those who are reporting short battery-life are working on heavy jobs with long required usage, while others are doing more special situation short duration jobs.
While the short battery life can be restrictive, this can be solved by having three batteries on hand. More than likely, you will never run out of power to complete your project. Most of the time you will be making cuts that only require a few minutes, so the short battery life will not really be a problem. You can also use the older version 10.8 volt batteries, so you are not limited to just the ones that come with the set. With a little bit of planning and constant rotation of your batteries, you should never run out of power. This is a not a corded tool, so it is not going to work like one. The batteries are for convenience, but they do have their limitations.
For sanding jobs, the situation is the same. The battery will be fine for sanding a small section of mahogany, for example, but an orbital sander is better for sanding full lengths.
Some users have reported difficulty in removing the batteries or the tabs breaking off. One owner recommends filing off about 1mm from the hooked tabs on each side of the battery. This makes battery removal easier and should prevent them from snapping off.
The plunge cut blades have a handy ruler on them that makes it easier to measure the depth of cut. So far, it seems that the markings are reasonably durable and are not wearing off.
The Bosch oscillating tool has a universal adapter for attachments. It has a specially designed washer that creates a solid anchor and friction plate. This enables you to use attachments from just about any manufacturer: Fein, Dremel, Chicago and Rockwell. The downside is that that these attachments are a friction fit and will not be locked in as securely as a Bosch accessory. This can be a problem when using heavy force as this could move the angle of the tool and cause it to get out of alignment.
The blades can be fairly expensive and were initially difficult to find; now they are readily available on the internet. They are also mostly designed for light to moderate use. Fortunately, the universal adapter opens up the possibility to find a wider choice of different types and cheaper blades from other manufacturers.
You can read Amazon customer reviews here
So, positives:
High quality that is normally expected from Bosch products
Convenience and versatility of a cordless tool
Tool setup is easy and attachments are easy to change
Universal adapter creates more alternatives for attachments
Very attractive price, which is significantly less than a Fein
Negatives:
May not have the power needed for heavy jobs
Short battery life
Batteries have difficulty holding charge in cold weather
Limited number of Bosch attachments
Conclusion
Don't ever think that the Bosch PS50 is going to have the power of a Fein. The Bosch is a cordless battery-powered tool designed for special, difficult situations and intermittent use. The Fein is a corded tool, has more power and can be used for hours of continuous operation. For more extensive remodeling jobs that require hours of continuous use, a corded oscillating tool will be more productive.
You will probably find a multitude of uses for the Bosch PS50. There are always situations where more powerful, corded tools just will not fit and it becomes much easier to pick up a handy oscillating tool rather than wrestling with larger tools. While the Bosch oscillating tool may not replace some of your favorite power tools, it will be certainly add to the scope of special jobs that you will now be able to handle.
If you want to buy this cordless oscillating tool, you can get it on sale on Amazon through this link
Similar oscillating tools at Amazon
Dremel 6300-03 120-Volt Multi-Max Oscillating Kit
Rockwell Sonicrafter RK5102K
Fein MultiMaster FMM 250Q
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