1. Diablo DOU5S 5-Piece — the set that covers a whole reno
This is the set we’d hand a renovator who wants one box that handles most of the job. Five blades, but they’re the five you reach for. Two are bi-metal — bi-metal means a bendy steel body with harder teeth welded on, so the teeth survive hitting a nail instead of stripping — one for nail-embedded wood and one for clean timber. One is a carbide blade — carbide is a much harder tip that holds up in gritty, abrasive material — for general cutting, with a second carbide blade for metal, and a wide bi-metal blade for plaster. Between them you can plunge-cut into a stud (a plunge cut is pushing the blade straight down into a surface rather than in from an edge), trim a door jamb flush to the floor, and cut a section out of plasterboard without changing brands of blade.
The fit is the other reason it leads. It’s a universal mount, so the slotted hole drops onto almost any multi-tool with no adaptor. Matt’s take is that five blades looks thin next to a big assortment pack; Joel’s is that five good blades beat twenty that go blunt, and for reno work that mixes timber, nails and plaster in a day, we both land here. It’s the dearest of the three, but it handles the whole job without swapping packs. Cutting plaster and MDF throws fine dust, so keep a half-face respirator on for the mucky cuts.
2. Bosch Professional 5-Piece Starlock — the precise one for mixed materials
If your multi-tool takes Starlock blades, this is the step up in cutting quality. Starlock is Bosch and Fein’s click-in mount — the blade seats with a firm grip on several faces instead of a single bolt, so there’s less of the slip and rattle you get when a universal blade works loose mid-cut. The set spans the materials a reno throws at you: wood, metal, and abrasive stuff like cement sheet and hardened nails. The cuts come out cleaner and the blades chatter less, which counts when you’re cutting a line you’ll see afterwards.
The catch is fitment: it only fits Starlock tools. Fein invented the oscillating multi-tool, and Starlock is the click-in mount it developed with Bosch, so plenty of Bosch multi-tools take it too — but a budget universal-only tool won’t take these blades. Matt rates the tighter fit and would pay for it on finish work; Joel points out that most weekend renovators run a cheaper universal tool and can’t use them at all. So it’s a clear pick if you’re on a Starlock tool, and a non-starter if you’re not — check your tool’s head before you buy. It sits under the Diablo on price and well above the bulk kit.
3. bladsharr Universal 20-Piece — cheap spares by the boxful
The teeth on any blade go blunt, and cutting through old nail-embedded studs blunts them in a hurry. That’s what this kit is for: twenty universal-fit blades, a mix of wood and metal-cutting types, for the price of a couple of branded ones. When you’re cutting out a whole floor of skirting or hacking through old studs, you burn through blades, and dropping in a fresh cheap one beats nursing a blunt good one.
You get what you pay for on steel. These are plain-steel and bi-metal blades with no carbide, so they won’t last on cement sheet or hold an edge as long as the Diablo’s teeth. Joel would keep a pack like this on hand for exactly that; Matt would rather own fewer, better blades and skip the duds you get in a cheap assortment. We both land in the same place: they earn a spot as the pack you fall back on when the good ones dull. They use the same universal quick-release slot as the Diablo, so they’ll fit the same tool.
Will these blades fit your multi-tool?
The thing that trips people up buying blades is the mount itself. There are two systems to know. Universal fit — sometimes called OIS — has an open slot that drops onto almost any brand’s tool, which is why the Diablo and the bulk kit go on nearly anything. Starlock is Bosch and Fein’s own click-in system: it grips harder and cuts more precisely, but the blade only fits tools built for it. Most Starlock tools will also take a universal blade; a universal-only tool won’t take a Starlock one. So before you buy, look at your multi-tool’s head — a Starlock click-in collar means you’ve got both options, a plain bolt or slot means stick to universal blades. Get that right and any of these three fits your tool.
Whichever you pick, don’t expect a warranty — blades are consumables, and you run them until they’re spent. A set that arrives damaged or falls apart on day one is different, though — that’s a fault, not fair wear, and Australian Consumer Law may entitle you to a repair, replacement or refund, so keep the receipt.
The verdict
You want one set for a whole renovation: the Diablo DOU5S. Five blades that cover timber, nails, metal and plaster on a universal mount — the most you can do without swapping packs, and the reason it’s our pick for reno work.
You’re on a Starlock tool and cut for finish: the Bosch Professional 5-piece. The click-in grip gives cleaner, steadier cuts across mixed materials — worth the money if your tool takes it, no use if it doesn’t.
You’re churning through blades on rough demolition: the 20-piece universal kit. Plain steel that won’t last, but cheap enough to bin without a second thought — the spares box for when you’re wearing blades out by the handful.
Match the blade to the material and the mount to your tool. Get both right and a multi-tool will out-earn its price on any reno.
