The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Dremel tools

Got given one at Christmas because, let's face it, I've always wanted one and this one is rechargeable and had too many extras to pass up! Have yet to use it on the truck as have been pretty busy since the New Year but was wondering if any of you guys use these regularly and whether they have enough power etc. Sure they've got the flexibility for the variety of fittings and should be great for small jobs but can you get carried away with them (as you can with most tools) and grind away too much for example?

I have one which I use in my wood shop. It is a great tool for small woodworking tasks.Sanding in tight places,etc.There are many attachments available for them.

I have a Dremel Tool that is at least 10 years old
110 volt, that I have used a lot. It is a very useful tool for many things like grinding in confined areas. The small grinding stones naturally don't last to long, because they are small. The Dremel itself has held up very well and I would be lost without it.

i have a dremel tool.i cut two small brackets with it.the next time i tried to use it,it wouldn't work.

I have a craftsman that I have used since 1987. I use it mostly in woodworking but just this week I used it to "dress up" a hub for a friend who beat up the hub knocking his race out. I fixed it up in about 1 minute using the dremel. Its handy to have around and one of the less costly.

I've had Dremels seemingly forever. They're simply too handy not to have one.

I wore out a dremel about 20 years ago doing a set of air cooled heads. Shortly after that I found a Foredom at a garage sale. The flex shaft, and it doesn't turn as fast as the Dremel, has it's advantages and disadvantages. Foredoms and Dremels do come in handy occasionally. Cleaning up key ways comes to mind.

Larry

All depends on the task, the rechargables dont have the torque to use cut-off wheels on anything big, but they work real nice for cleaning up small items or polishing.
I've had a regular dremel for years & have a big box of tools & attachments for it, they are very versatile tools to have and came in very handy in all kinds of work.

Cool, thanks guys. I've been cleaning up the hubs on my Bedford and the only thing I can get right into some of the tight spots (that have a smaller diameter than all of my drill-mounted and manual wire brushes) with is the Dremel. Well, I think so anyway as I haven't had the time to get back onto in the past week. Tonight after work maybe...should be less noisier than the angle grinder so I the nieghbours shouild be happy!

I don't own a Dremel tool but I do own a Mikita die grinder that I use like a Dremel. It's a tad larger, corded, uses the 1/8" Dremel style bits and will make quick work of any job where you use a Dremel.

I've had it forever, can't remember the initial cost but don't think it was that more expensive than the Dremel. It breezes through all materials without RPM loss and might be an alternative to the lighter duty Dremel.

Dave

This might have been covered earlier, I might have missed it, cuz I read thru the replies kind of quick Andy, but the Dremel is a very light duty tool. Like Ozarks_1 said, I have too have had them probably since they were introduced. Mainly good for models or that category of work. I use it a lot on my radio repair bench. Comes in handy with a brass brush to clean the seats of brass fitting. Good for instrument work and hard to get at places like under the dash inside a distributor or generator, etc. I had the battery powered version at work for the last few years and their ok, kind of handy and since most jobs that call for a light duty tool like a Dremel are small, i.e. short duration, the battery life was adequate, doesn’t hurt to have a spare in the charger.
The biggest problem with them is people try running them to long and they will over heat and burn the wires to the commutator. I always kept a spare armature in the cabinet at work because guys would try to use them where an air tool was called for.
The Foredom that Larry mentioned is a lot more sturdy tool than the Dremel, more for the professional, you see them in many commercial shops, of course they are a lot more expensive. Feel lucky if you can find one at a garage sale and grab it.
If your thinking of porting a set of heads, grinding rivets off a frame or things like that, get something more suited like a 4” disc grinder, die grinder. If you have a fair sized compressor think air tools, they are pretty cheap now days from places like Harbor Freight. Not the best tools but good enough for the home shop.
Fin; Dremel a good tool, if you use it right.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Andy,

Before Hurricane Katrina I used the same Dremel tool I bought in 1985, 20 solid years! I cannot tell you or remember all the things I built with that tool. I did use it on 99.99% of every model I built.

I just got around to replacing it with a newer model - 400-6/90 400 Series XPR Rotary Tool Kit, it come with several different tools.

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/tools/kit-detail.htm?H=188091&G=66981&I=69673&KI=66247

I also bought the following tools from Dremel because every thing was lost.

Dremel Stylus, (cordless version)
Scroll Saw
Drill Press Work Station 220-01 WorkStation

I think I use the tool at least 2-3 times a week.

Best tool I ever bought! You can probally see the tool in some of mu work shop pictures.

I have a Model 260,1968 vintage.[ 39 years old.. man, time flies ]

I use to build 1/24th scale slotcars back in the 60's and early 70's. It was the best tool for cutting & shaping brass plate, small tubing and piano wire.

My dremel is still used on occasion for miscellaneous projects.

I have only changed motor brushes once since ownership.

It is a wonderful tool.

Greg

I agree entirely with Denny Graham: I too have a dremel, use it mainly for some drywall work and small lightduty jobs. When it comes to metal, air tools or a good angle grinder are hard to beat. I use a die grinder (air) all the time, really handy and never run out of power or have to recharge it.

I also have a dremmel both the name brand and a craftsman version. I use them alot for my toy trains and other small odd work. It is a very usefull tool. I have bought just about every atachment that they make for them. The one I got at Sears and the other I bought at a pawn shop.

Kenny B.

In the latest issue of Wood mag.they tested the Dremmel rechargable tool,and gave it very high ratings.

I've had mine for over 20 years and it's been really handy. I plug it into an old electric sewing machine pedal and 'voila!' variable speed foot control!!

i have 3 dremels:i portable that is useless junk,one that has a flexible cable extenion on it that works great for cutting bearing races out of confined areas and one with a 90 deg. attachment on it. the portable one is probably fine for "LIGHT" use: wood or plastic.

The first option for me, is to use the air tools because they are fast and small enough to get into tight places. My next line of attack, is to use my 1/4 or 1/8 inch electric dye grinders. My tool of last resort, is the Dremel. I find that they are all indispensable and I couldn't do without any of them. I have found that the Dremel is very handy as a cut off tool in very tight places. It requires a light touch and patience, but I have saved a lot of expensive parts doing surgery with a Dremel. Two of the handiest attachments I have purchased for the Dremel, is the 90 degree angle attachment and the flex cable extension. I have acquired my tools over a lifetime, and I have always been able to do the job with what I had available, having the exact tool I need just means that I have spoiled myself rotten. Billy Jean King said it best in the old SnapOn commercial in 1970, " Every man needs a good tool".
Bob

True the Dremmel tools are more for light work.I use mine in my woodshop ,and dont use it very often.However when I need it its there.Not exactly the tool to use for cutting a frame,or cutting heavy panels.If used for what it is intended for it is a great little tool.

Seems like we all have Dremels. Dremels are just about as useless as a tool can be, but we all have'm. That says everything.
I mean for real. I bought into the dream. I'm not trying to hide it. Heck. I've got two of 'em.

The only good thing about a Dremel is the vast amount of useless attatchments that'r available.
You may be able to delude yourself into believing eveything is gonna be great. You now have the power to cut, sand and grind everything into perfection!

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!

A Dremel is a highly unpredictable tool.

Way too much power and RPM to control precisely, and way too little power to be of any serious assistance.

Consistent results are difficult to achive.

PLEASE TEST ON A UNCONSPICUOUS AREA BEFORE RETURNING THE DREMEL TO THE TOOLBOX DRAWER.

But seriously just once-
If you still are not convinced and must proceed, get the thick cut-off wheels. The thin ones although called cut-off wheels will not cut-off anything. And my experience is they blow up with annoying reliability.

One last bit of unsolicited advice, Andy, make sure whoever gave you the Dremel in the first place never finds out how little it came in handy. Its a big secret.

Just like any other tool, the Dremel has it's strengths and weaknesses. It's great for light work. It's not great for heavy work. It takes a deft hand to use it properly.

My advice (and I own two Dremel tools), if you don't have one just get an 1/8" collet for your air die grinder.