PE Product Tester Kelly Vincent was recently sent the Hitachi Multi Tool (CV18DBL) with 6.0Ah Lithium-ion battery.
When I pulled the Hitachi multi tool out of my bag, all the tradesmen on-site flocked around me in awe. It’s a beauty, not only does the striking green colour match perfectly with my business logo, it’s lightweight so when using for long periods of time it doesn’t cause aching, and it has a compact design which is perfect for getting into those difficult spaces that builders love to leave us!
The thing that attracted me the most was the way it felt in my hands whilst turned on, massively decreased vibration compared to the multi cutters I’ve used in the past. It’s comfortable to use which is a rare find! And the noise level is lower than what I’m used to, which saves me having to dig out my ear defenders.
“Functionally it performs flawlessly; soft lines in plasterboard for a professional finish, smooth cuts into plastic conduit and trunking, handles cutting metal perfectly.”
Changing the bits on my other multi cutters has always been a hassle – rummaging through my Allen keys to find the right size, and then when the attachments aren’t secured properly they drop out. Not with the CV18DBL, it’s a straightforward, tool-free mechanism that allows you to swap over bits or adjust the angle of the blade quickly and often, and as it has adjustment angles every 30˚ there are 12 different positions you can secure the blade giving flexibility to them awkward to reach jobs!
Top performer
Functionally it performs flawlessly; soft lines in plasterboard for a professional finish, smooth cuts into plastic conduit and trunking, handles cutting metal perfectly. It literally glides through wood with little effort. A handy little accessory is the diamond blade which worked brilliantly on grout when we needed to rerun cable on a cooker circuit with minimal damage to tiles.
There are optional speeds that you can set depending on what you’re using it for, and this 6.0Ah Lithium-ion battery and brushless motor combo has got some power behind it!I’ve been using it three to four times a week for the last month and the only time I charged it was when I first took it out of the box, and that didn’t even take 40 minutes to fully charge. It takes 1,500 charge cycles so will outlive any of my current batteries! The rapid smart charger accompanies this perfectly, charging batteries from 14.4 to 18V with a fan cooled system meaning no overheating of the batteries giving them a longer lifespan. And with its USB ports you can use it to charge up your phones.
Pros
● Light vibration in hand
● Glides through material seamlessly
● Super long battery life and low battery run down
● Compatible with Bosch and Makita blades
Cons
● Would have liked to see it come with a small carry case
● Would like to see more variety on accessories provided (supplied with six sanding, one wood blade and one metal blade)
I loved the automatic super bright LED light ensuring you can see exactly what you’re cutting with precision for increased accuracy on your cuts. Highly recommend this to all trades; plumbers and carpenters will love it as much as I do.
