Dremel Tools

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hey everyone, I have a question regarding Dremel tools.

I hear them mentioned everywhere in the hobby press, but I haven’t ever bit the bullet and purchased one…However I was looking at them online and was wondering what I need in a motor tool? The new XPS Dremel seems really cool, but at $80 it’s more than I was wanting to spend. Any thoughts would be appriciated.

2

Dremel is a brand name. I’ve owned motor tools made by Dremel, Ryobi, and Black & Decker. They’ll all do the same things about as well as one another, and they’ll all use the same accessory cutter/sander/shaper heads. The only things the other manufacturers don’t offer that Dremel does are the fancy add-ons like the drill press and the router head adapter. If you think you’ll be using these accessories, go ahead and buy a Dremel. Otherwise, go less expensive and buy either the B&D (which offers some useful accessories like a flex shaft) or the Ryobi (which doesn’t).

3

Sears also makes a Craftsman model. I myself bought the Dremel tool just because it came with a bunch of extra accessories and a case. Wait for it to come on sale, thats what I did.

4

if you don’t know if you need one then obviously you don’t need one. I don’t have a chain saw, a table saw, a dtich digger - because I don’t need one! I do have a Dremel (actually 4) because I’ve used them to cut diesel chassis made from metal, ground out metal areas on models, cut track, etc. So I need one and use one. Your modeling may be different. Small hand saws work in many occasions, you may not need a powered tool.

Bob Boudreau

5

I got one of the battery powered Dremels so I could grind gun sights at the range. Never used it for that, but I have not found an application it couldn’t handle.

6

I’'ve got one of the own brand models, great for cutting track cleanly. I guess it can do other stuff but I doubt I’ll use all the accessories included. And it cost under £15, compared with the over £60 for a Dremel.

Ian

7

I’ve had a Dremel for 30 some years. I wore one out and sent it to Dremel for a rebuild and they sent me a new one.

You’ll never regret owning one.

George

8

I have one of the Black & Decker cordless equivelents which is great for cutting rail and cleaning wheels (rotary cutting disk and wire brush respectively). It’s also good at removing huge chunks of plastic while kitbashing, though you do have to be careful - that cutting disk will go straight through plastic in seconds, regardless of whether you want it to or not!

9

For $9.99 at Harbor Freight you can get a Dremel-like rotary tool with 60 neat accessories that do what dremel does. Speed is set at around 17,000 rps, however and doesn’t vary.

Still, if you can’t afford dremel this is for you. I have a dremel but bought the set for its accessories, many of which cost $3 a piece if purchased separately.

10

I have three Dremel’s one I purchased way back when and the second with variable speed which is great, (I won that one at an NMRA convention), and my wife gave me one of the cordless ones. I have used the cordless one for many uses and it has two speeds 5,000 and 10,000 rpm and it does most everything I need.

Rick

11

tHERE IS A ROTARY TOOL THAT I bought at Walmart a week ago. It was only $7 It just does not have many Speed variations. I also bought a Dremel too a while ago but having two rotary tools is all good to me. The $7 one has 60 accessories to it too.

Here is a picture of what it is

12

I, also, have 3 of them. The first one bought many years ago, then one that came with a flexible shaft attachment which that I leave always attached, and lastly the 10.8v battery model. They are all good. The battery model is really handy for working around the layout. I have the drill press attachement for the first one - don’t use it often, but when I need it, it’s great.

My recommendation is get the battery one.

Enjoy
Paul

13

Thanks guys…I’ve never had a need for one to this point, but thats because I’ve never built a layout! [;)] Now that I’m beginning to finish my layout room, my interest has sparked in one of these tools. I looked at Sears (where I have a gift certificate) and they carry 3 or 4 Craftsman brand tools and only the new XPS Dremel. Prices ranged for $30-$80. None however were battery powered…is the variable speed motor what I want? If so that limits my choices, which would be a good thing!

14

I have four Dremels, the variable speed has the flex shaft on it. The flex shaft never comes off. If I want to use a cutter with out the flex shaft I just get one of the others.

Bob

15

I have had a Dremel for a long long time and I love the thing, they are well worth the money

FAdkins
Route Rock

16

I got a Dremel Model 800 Cordless Rotary Tool (the official model name) for Christmas and absolutely love it. Its rechargeable 10.8 volt lithium ion battery is incredibly light for the amount of power it puts out. I’ve used several other Dremels and would highly recommend this one. You can rationalize its cost by pointing out to your wife (or yourself) that it is extremely useful for lots of projects and is only incidentally a model railroad tool. Heck; they don’t even mention model railroading in their advertising.

I had a Dremel for about 30 years before this one. It lost an argument with the garage floor so I replaced it. It still worked but the idea of the cooling fan turning at several thousand RPM less than an inch from my fingers kind of turned me off.

Chuck

17

I’ve got two of them, and they are among my most useful tools. I don’t use them everyday, but I can’t imagine cutting rail gaps or hogging out a diesel chassis to make room for a big speaker and decoder with anything else. I recommend the variable speed models strongly. One other thing, Always wear eye protection! The cutting discs will shatter on you sometimes and the sharpnel will fly. Safety glasses or goggles are cheap insurance.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

18

About those $9.99 Harbor Freight moto-tools: They do the “same thing as a Dremel” in the same way that a paper grocery bag does “the same thing” as a suitcase: it’ll do if you can’t afford better, but not as well or as reliably.

I used my Dremel for assorted household repair, gunsmithing, leatherwork and assorted household grinding and cutting before I got back into model railroading. Since getting back into the hobby, it is definitely a frequently used tool–if I hadn’t found a lightweight drill press at a garage sale I would have gotten the drill press attachment by now!

19

I don’t quite agree with the statement that " If you don’t know if you need one,then you don’t need one." I think a rotary tool is one of the most useful tools for model railroading. I would recommend a variable speed model and also get a chuck for it. The collets in assorted sizes are too hard to keep up with and you have to match up the shaft size of the attachment bit with the collet. A chuck will hold all attachment sizes up to about 1/4". The variable speed helps match the tool up with the material. Plastics need lower speeds to keep from melting. Metals generally take higher speeds to cut and grind. I have a Dremel brand that has lasted 8 years. I can not speak for any of the others. I would say this would be a wise investment if you are building a layout and intend to stay in the hobby long.

20

I have two dremels and have NEVER regretted it. Not only will you use the crap out of it on a model railroad, it can be used on virtually every other repair/craft/fix you can think of. Dremel is very reliable and has superb customer service!