Select Lowe's Stores have
Bosch StarlockPlus 18V Cordless Brushless Variable Oscillating Multi-Tool (Tool-Only, GOP18V-28N) on sale for
$49. Select free store pickup where available (limited locations).
Thanks to community member
YuxiangG for finding this deal.
Note:
Availability and pricing will vary by location.
Product Details:
- Starlock 3-D tool-accessory interface – delivers three-dimensional blade grip for more torque transfer
- Multi-tool versatility – accomplish flush-cutting, plunge-cutting, sanding, grinding, and many other tasks
- Dynamic accessory range – utilizes all Starlock and StarlockPlus accessories
- EC Brushless motor technology – offers better efficiency than previous-generation 18V motors for increased runtime and exceptional motor life in an ultra-compact design
- Wide 2.8° oscillating arc – provides better accessory utilization and increased productivity
- Snap-in toolless accessory attachment and release lever – allows for no-touch, easy release of blade; no more burned fingers
- LED light – for illumination in dark work areas
Top Comments
And i like bosch but big mistake with these. Now the xlock on angle grinder those are time savers i can see. But too many quick change oscillating tools.
There are three, the Starlock, Starlock Plus and Starlock Max system. For all practical purposes the tool featured in this thread is the Starlock Plus tool.
The Starlock system from Bosch has two big advantages. It allows quick blade changes, it also allows quick blade adjustments such as when you had to rotate the same blade 45 degrees to cut one way and 45 degrees the other way to complete the cut. It cuts faster because of the 3d design which is like a bottle cap, with this design the blades are unlikely to come loose during cutting and allows more power to transfer during the oscillating thus faster cutting.
It also has two big disadvantages, one is the blades are more expensive, quite a bit more actually. But to me a bigger disadvantage is there are blades out there that are very handy for some applications, and those blades are not made by Bosch in Starlock so you can't use them on a Bosch OMT. Examples are blades that cuts out an entire electrical box from drywall in one pass instead of four cuts, blades that are carpet and leather shears, blades that are super skinny to fine tune a wood door strike hole etc...and more. if you want to use these blades, you need a regular OIS compliant OMT.
Bosch Starlock blades will work on any OIS OMT, no adapter needed. Bosch Starlock Plus OMT needs Starlock blades, hence why some are asking about an adapter.
When Bosch came out with the Starlock OMT, I bought one and liked it, but the problem is of course the SL blades are expensive. At the time I had a Dremel MM30 and a Rockwell Sonicrafter and I had accumulated close to 100 OIS blades of various kinds which I didn't want to go to waste, so I too was looking for a magic adapter to allow me to use those blades on my Bosch OMT.
Note that when you use an adapter, you give up on the 3d interface and power transfer because the 3d interface is now between the tool and the adapter, not to the blades, plus you no longer have the quick change because these adapters all use manually Allen keys for mounting and dismounting.
Are there adapters out there? Yes. Do they work? Practically no.
I started looking for one and there was a guy from Russian hand making them in his garage many years ago. He sold them on eBay on request. I bought one for like $45 including shipping, waited 2 months for it and it did mount fine on the Bosch, if I mount an OIS blades on it and turn the speed dial from 1 to 2 to 3 to 6, it stayed on fine, but once I use it to cut into wood stock, if I dial it past 3 speed it came loose. I found myself tightening down with the Allen key. Not worth the trouble.
Than there is a company in Europe out of Olso also selling another version, I paid $28 for it, it had the same issue, wouldn't stay mounted even on speed dial 2, couldn't cut through a 2x4.
I think ebay has some Chinese version now, I didn't try them, learned my lessons.
The issue is the adapter uses a 2d interface and can't take the extra power from a Starlock OMT.
There is one exception, on Red-dit, someone had spot welded an OIS blades to a worn Starlock blade and that worked. The use case is you have say ten worn broken Starlock blades, you spot weld an OIS blade to it and use it, to me it's more trouble than it's worth.
Starlock blades are made by Bosch, Fein and Diablo who is a Bosch subsidiary.
Hope this helps.
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And i like bosch but big mistake with these. Now the xlock on angle grinder those are time savers i can see. But too many quick change oscillating tools.
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Many amazon universal kits have a starlock adapter. TBH I have a lot of universal blades but only use them when Im gonna trash the blade on a hard job….starlock is that much better IMO.