DEWALT 18V XR Brushless Oscillating Multi-Tool, Bare Unit, DCS355N-XJ

I’ve been using the DEWALT DCS355N-XJ for a few weeks now, and I’m genuinely impressed with both the tool and the accessory set. The brushless motor delivers great performance, and the variable speed trigger gives you excellent control depending on the task. Whether it's cutting, sanding, or scraping, this tool handles it all with ease.What really stands out is how solid and well-balanced it feels in your hand. It’s lightweight enough for prolonged use, but still tough enough to take on more demanding jobs. The quick-change accessory system is a big time saver too — no messing around with extra tools.The DT20705-QZ accessory set is a brilliant addition. It comes in a sturdy case that keeps everything organised and protected. The blades and sanding pads are high quality and compatible straight out of the box.Overall, a top-quality multitool from DEWALT. Reliable, efficient, and an essential addition to any toolbox.

The media could not be loaded. If you are looking at this then as its a bare tool, there is no battery, youll either already have Dewalt tools or are possibly thinking of buying a separate battery and putting together your own set. Given the price point on Amazon then its not an unreasonable option as i think doing so would save you some money from buying a full multi tool set.Anyway, i convinced the Household Finance Director this was required so that the bathroom floor could have some shiny new grout. Its not a lie, using a grout rake is laborious at the best of times. But its so much more useful than just for that.The Good* I already have a Dewalt Drill and Jigsaw as well as a multitude of Dewalt gear purchased over the years so its a brand i trust, the added 2 year Guarantee you can register also comes in very handy.* The unit itself is the usual Dewalt build quality, its ergonomic in the hand, not overly top heavy once the battery is attached, the plastic is robust and the rubber insert on the handle grip gives some welcome comfort when in use.* The battery slots securely into place, there is a quick release tool press where you push down, add the blade of choice and that is it, its ready to do whatever your going to chop, sand etc.* It does come with a couple of blades but note that the majority of the tools on the listing are sandpaper, over 20 sheets of sandpaper, which is actually handy. I picked up a Tops Tools Set of Blades also from Amazon, they are easy to find, a quality manufacturer that has marked each of its blades for what type of use, a chart on the box and good price.* Operation is also a doddle, once the blade is locked in place there is a pressure responsive trigger so as you squeeze the trigger the power increases, you can also lock it out with the thumb of you same hand using a sliding switch to full power which will further save hand fatigue.* There is a light a the front of the unit activated by the trigger which is always super useful and lets you know what kind of ridiculous cut you've just made into something before it becomes a 3ft meandering disaster!* I have only used this so far for grout removal with a tungsten carbide blade as per the attached video, compared to the good old grout rake it just rips this out no problem whatsoever. So much time and effort reduced out of the job. I will still use the grout rake in certain places right up against mixed surfaces such as porcelain toilet ware etc but that's just because i don't want to chip into the loo or the sink, but im being over cautious.* I haven't had any overheating, loss of power or most importantly something it cannot tackle.The Could be Better -* There really is very little to criticise about this, there isnt anything, the only thing that could make it better if there was the inclusion of some more blades, and also a carry case. I understand when buying a multi tool or any bare unit youll likely have the manufacturer standard tool case for your additional units but even so, everyone likes a new case dont they!After the bathroom floors there are some socket cut outs to do, a tonne of sanding on the banisters and skirts, a load of small cuts here and there around the house. It is just a supremely handy tool to have around.Superbly well designed and built, built to last. Highly Recommended.Five Stars.

Straight out of the box you can feel this is a quality item just like the rest of the tools from the DeWalt stable, it was lighter than expect maybe because the corded one I have had for years was heavy and cumbersome.I fitted a new blade and that was a lot easier for my arthritic hands, the lever had a soft spring. I had a small job on a gate that was sticking so set to work on it, the first thing to notice it was well balanced with a 5 Ah battery, secondly the vibration was lower and made my other corded version (Not DeWalt) almost agricultural it made the job a pleasure. Would I recommend this to others? Yes I would and it was a good price too.

Years back I saw the Fein multi-tool and although it seemed like a good idea I could not identify enough of a need to justify the price. Now every manufacturer seems to have a version but I have a good experience of DeWalt and already have DeWalt XR batteries and charger so buying this item as a bare unit excluding battery and charger (and another useless kit box) made a lot of sense - as well as saving a lot of cash.When I bought it I had no particular use in mind, it just seemed a useful addition to my DIY kit. In practice it has proved the most useful power tool I have.The first real job was to fix the door that jammed on the carpet. This job had been put off as I needed to remove the door, take it down five flights of stairs, set it up on a couple of saw horses, etc. etc. etc. It therefore seemed like a good test for the multitool. I needed to take about 10mm off the door so I just rested a strip of 10mm thick wood against the door, fitted the tool with a wood cutting blade and ran the blade along the door on top of the wood. It does not cut very fast and I had to repeat the exercise on each side of the door as the tool would not cut deep enough but inside about 10 minutes the job was done including fitting a delta sanding pad to clean up the cut and without taking the door from the frame.It has since been used to cut out a couple of wall tiles so I could fit a smaller cooker socket, trimmed some fence panels in situ, scraped excess adhesive from wood joints, cut and levelled expanding foam used to fill a wall cavity and sliced through hot melt glue joints. And I have only had it about three weeks.If I had to buy this complete with batteries and charger I think it would have been hard to justify the price but as a bare unit it made sense. Highly recommended.I should not finish on a minus but one it is the availability of cutters. Now these tools have become popular the major DIY chains have stocks of basic tools. Unfortunately these tools will not fit the very quick and clever DeWalt quick Change system. The tool does come with a screw and washer which is used to clamp other tools in place but my experience using this is poor. This is not enough of a minus to drop a star but it does mean that a little forward planing is needed to ensure required tools are mail ordered before starting a job. Also DeWalt cutters are expensive but companies such as Saxon have cutters to fit which seem to work as well as DeWalt but cost a lot less.Finally a comment on one review I read which marked this tool down as the trigger was easy to activate when putting the tool down or changing cutters. I have never had a problem with putting the tool down and when changing cutters there is a lock button that prevents the tool starting and, of course, a completely fool proof and safe solution is just remove the battery.Since writing this review I have fitted a new wood front door. Out came the multi-tool again. First the scraper made very quick work of getting rid of the old adhesive backed draught seal. A quick tool change and all the awkward frame corners were sanded clean. Then the frame hinge recesses needed enlarging and a section of the frame needed cutting out and replacing with new wood. Both jobs done quickly with this tool. Love it.UPDATEMy latest DIY job has been to install new bathroom and toilet complete with new floor. Again this tool had a lot of use.Easy way to cut through unwanted copper pipes - out came the multitool.Cut through the rusted screws holding the old loo down - multitool againRemove tiles from behind mirror as I needed some tiles around different shaped sink - multitoolCut out section of rotting floor - guessBiggest job. Having struggled to get the new bath into place found that it was deeper than the old one and the waste would need a cut out in the floor to fit. How can I cut a hole in the floor under a bath and around a U bend with the bath in place. You guessed it !!!