What Dremel would you recommend?

[Rob Horton]

Thinking of getting a Dremel for all sorts of light weight work. Are they any good and which ones would you recommend?

Thanks.

[NoSpam]

I just went through this and bought a "400 digital" (140W) - very pleased with it. When I looked through the offerings in B&Q I was tempted by the cheaper ones but when you add-in the bits and pieces teh cheap ones don't looks o cheap any more.

Dave

[Mathew Newton]

I would not recommend a Dremel (brand) itself - I can't help but feel you're paying a large chunk for the name.

I've got a 'Power Plus' one from Toolstation and at =A320 I can't see what it lacks from those in the Dremel range costing five times as much... Okay, so it hasn't got a fancy LCD screen but then neither does my shaver and my skin's still smooth...

you get, I can vouch for them being *extremely* handy - I bought mine for a single job and it's been a real lifesafer for loads of jobs since. For only =A320 I can see this tool offering incredible value for years to come.

Mathew

[Jeff Allen]

Can the range of Dremel accessories also be used with the 'Power Plus'?

[Mathew Newton]

Sure - it'll take any shank upto 3.2mm diameter.

Mathew

[Mathew Newton]

Incidentally, the official Dremel accessories seem extortionately priced however Lidl/Aldi do complete kits from time-to-time for around =A32.99 for 50-odd pieces. Sure, I'm not claiming they're the same quality (although I haven't found anything wrong with them) however at that price it's worth getting a box (or 2) for the sheer variety of bits which could come in handy - indeed the box alone has got to be worth it!

Mathew

[Bob Eager]

However, the prices vary greatly. I wanted a Dremel cutting disc (the metal one) and it was 25 quid at B&Q. 15 quid by mail order.

[Mathew Newton]

Ah, okay. I must admit I've only been looking in B&Q (so probably should've expected this to be the case).

Mathew

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm not convinced by them. OK as a toy. I have a Rotozip type thingie with a flexible drive that has a 'footprint' rather smaller than a Dremel in all but length and far more power, but takes all Dremel type bits.

[Stephen Howard]

I doubt you'll be disappointed by a Dremel - I've been using mine in a professional capacity for over 20 years now ( it's had one service ).

The new generation of cheap tools ( usually out of China ) look pretty good - I saw an impressive setup that included a stand and a flexible drive shaft..for £20 all in - but there's no way of telling how well the main bearing will stand up to prolonged use at speed in excess of

20,000 rpm. There's also no way of knowing how accurate the bearing is

- but that may not be a critical factor for you.

Horses for courses though, and you might find a cheap one will work well enough and long enough for general light work ( I just bought an £18 circular saw on the same basis ).

I've not personally found the models with speed control to be all that useful - but them I'm more interested in using the tool as a precision polisher and hand mill, and I find that speed and torque are what I need. You'll find a speed control handy if you're planning to work with plastics.

Regards,

[meow2222]

Mine goes too fast for many jobs. Its insanely fast, and too fast for the larger tools.

NT

[Tim Morley]

The digital dremels have a closed loop speed control that will try to keep set rpm during tool use

[Mark S.]

The main problem I have with mine is remembering I have it and using it instead of messing about using a hand tool to do a job that the Dremel will do much easier, lol.

Mark S.