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.
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.
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