A look at the Craftsman V20 RP Oscillating Multi-tool

 The Craftsman brand used to be the standard with professionals and DIYers alike.   Then Sears sold the brand... sad day indeed.

After the sale, Craftsman tools quality bottomed out.  They appeared to no longer build the tools to the standards people had come to expect.  Total opposite,  in fact.

After awhile, Stanley Black & Decker, the company that purchased the Craftsman brand, decided to try to reclaim some of it's prior glory and restore it as a "D Market" brand.  That is, aimed at the use cases that the typical DIYer and homeowner doing maintenance would get good use from.

Since then, the development of brushless motors for battery powered tools has given a bit of extra boost toward the "C Market" as well and the Craftsman brand has taken advantage of that in it's "RP" (Runtime & Performance) line of brushless tools.

One of those tools that most easily crosses those C and D Market lines is the oscillating multi-tool.   It's versatility is valued in every market and being able to perform in the ways that individual contractors, technicians, installers, and professional handyman and maintenance people value makes it an important asset.


The Craftsman V20 RP oscillating multi-tool is one of those "cross market" tools that is worth consideration. 

As a professional handyman that does repair, and maintenance work for businesses and rental properties, AND as an ADHD person with a penchant for misplacing, dropping, banging, and otherwise, uh, makes tools earn their keep...  I need to be able to get tools that can survive both durability and endurance challenges as I go from job to job.

A tool that gets used in so many different ways such as an oscillating multi-tool has quite the survival task indeed.  And yes, it has to be affordable.  I'm just one guy, not a company or corporate entity with much more vast resources. 


I'm already invested in the Craftsman V20 battery platform and have a couple other V20 RP tools.  I'm not opposed to moving into a B Market brand if necessary,  especially for a tool that has to be as reliable as I need a multi-tool to be.  But, for the price, and my experience with the other RP tools I've purchased,  I figured I'd give this a shot.

One of my biggest considerations, outside of durability,  is actually in versatility.   I use a multi-tool for sanding, cutting, notching, and trimming of wood, plastic/pvc, and metal.  I also do a lot of scraping and cutting with it.  I can switch between purposes and blade types several times in one jobsite.  The ability to easily and securely swap blades is important to me.


One of the features I based my choice on is the tool-less blade change system that the Craftsman RP oscillating multi-tool borrowed from DeWalt (sister company, both owned by Stanley Black & Decker).  The older "bolt down" system my previous multi-tool used was tedious and irksome more often than not.   Secure, yes, but time consuming and not friendly to muscle and nerve injury in hands and wrists.



From here on out, I'll describe the review of the tool in terms of "Like", "Meh" (for, could be better, could be worse), and, "Nope" (because whatever the issue is, it's not working for me).

Out of the box;

Like: Ergonomic, fits my hand well which is unusual as I have very big hands. Switch location actually fits my hand placement. It feels sturdy and solid in hand, not too light or “cheap”.

Blade release/ change is SO MUCH better than my old multi-tool.

Light placement seems on target, focused on cutting area, pretty well defined lighting area.

Battery is seated into the tool snug and tight. No rattle or loose fit from battery connection.

Meh: switch lock. It's not placed “bad” but it feels somehow a bit weird. Nothing really important as it isn't distracting while in use.

Air vents seem poorly placed and not enough. My hand completely covers one of only four total visible vents on the body of the tool. More vents near the battery at the bottom.

Nope: Right out of the box nothing seems like a big nope.  

In use;

Like: Yep, the blade attachment method is great. The tool doesn't feel unbalanced or unwieldy based on the grip.  The variable speed trigger is nice.  Makes controlled start or end of a cut nicer to manage.  The tool vibration is not a problem trying to line up a cut on a line, even at an angle, noice! 


Meh: You “can” lock the switch into “On” position so that you don't have to press trigger constantly on a longer cut. This is good to not fluctuate speeds while cutting. However, it only locks in at full speed and not at any lower speed.

Nope: I still got nothing. Thats a good thing.

Wrap Up

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|Above Average|Meets expectations very well 



All in all, I'll rate this a 4/5 stars.  As a professional handyman,  I tend to fit the "C Market" or what some others call a "Prosumer".  For the durability,  quality of results, and usability my works tends to require, this tool meets those needs very well.  It will stay in my daily toolbox.

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