Never heard of a lifetime warranty on a battery.
Dremels mysteriously disappear in my home. I currently have a B&D and a Dremel micro, which I really like.
I was reading reviews of the plunge router attachment, and wasn’t impressed. It would not fit my micro anyway. I did add a Dremel hand adjustable chuck, and highly recommend that.
I’ve always used Dremels, even before I got back into mrr. Since they are local for me, when a battery no longer accepts a charge, I “trade it in” for the next model, or new batteries and charger. If you turn batteries, you need to turn in the charger as well.
I also have a couple of corded dremel tools, one that does “flush cutting”, such as cutting base trim or door trim to make way for a new floor.
I currently use this one:
Years a go, I carved this “O” sclae boat and seperate oars with my Dremel.
Good luck with the tool of your choice.
Mike.
If you buy a Dremel to cut things, be sure to get a more expensive one. Someone in my family gave me a Dremel Stylo for Christmas because it cost under $50. While it brushes metal or carves soft wood, it does not have the power to cut track or even thick plastic.
Dremel/Craftsman (same)…I’ve had a corded one for a good 40 years, and a cordless one for about a decade. I suggest whatever you get to buy an extra battery. I always keep one in the charger, so I never get “out of service”.
I agree with Dremel, but I have a Harbor Freight “motor tool”, which is a knock-off chorded Dremel for a lot less. Works great, but sometimes it gets stuck in high speed.
I was so impressed with my dremel stylus that I had to go out and get a backup, just in case (it is a cordless). The control you have with the pistol grip is by far better than your standard stick type (which I sold on e-bay).
I have been aware for a long time that Craftsman was farmed out by Sears. But it does not change the fact that the brand was quality when Sears was going strong. I have had a variable speed corded Dremel for the past 10 years will never buy another brand, unless Dremel starts to go belly up.
One other thing I have noticed is where Dremel is sold, virtually everywhere. However, it is also sold by retailers who offer only high quality items. The type of place that I refuse to browse through because I will end up in poverty.
I like Dremel but my old one burned out when I tried to force it beyond its capabilities and it stalled. The new Dremel replacement seems nice enough but I have yet to use it for much beyond cutting code 100 rail and using a wire brush attachment to polish the treads on Kadee wheelsets.
The “basic” thin ceramic cutting discs that Dremel has sold for years shatter too easily for cutting rail or music wire (or indeed, much of anything), and I use reinforced cutting discs for those purposes even though the discs are thick.
One brand of rotary tool that has not been mentioned much is the Fordham flexible shaft – a mainstay for artists, crafters, and hobbyists for decades. Based on the old ones I have seen still giving service, they seem to last just about forever. Harbor Freight sells a knock off that is cheap - so cheap that I have my doubts about it. It seems Fordhams are durable enough to outlive their owners, so of all the brands mentioned, about the only “used” one I’d consider is Fordham.
Dave Nelson
The prices on some Dremel stuff can vary from store to store.
The tool I use ( in my previous post) goes from $80. to $95., depending where you get it.
Although I buy from Dremel’s repair/outlet here in Racine, WI, the price I pay is the same as a Home Depot, or a hardware store, which makes perfect sense, as they are not going to undercut their own distributors.
Mike.
Back in 1963 things weren’t going well where I was working so instead of a bonus my boss gave me a Dremel Tool for Christmas. I almost killed that poor tool over the many years I used it. I was able to buy a new speed switch back in the early 80s when I got a little too hard on it. When it quit in the late 90s I tried to get new brushes for it but was told they were no longer available. 35 years of being highly abused by me was pretty good service. I highly recommend the Dremel tools. There router table and drill press have worked out very good too for the newer rotary tools.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
Mel, I was thinking of getting the Dremel drill press, but there were a lot of bad reviews.
Some years ago I found out the cut off wheels broke too easily. I bought the below. A nice thin, sharp blade.
I shop local.
Also, the drill press was not very good.
Had to buy a new speed control after some years of a lot of use. Dremel was very helpful.
Rich
I can advise you NOT to buy the cheap little one that Harbor Freight sells. I bought it thinking it would be good for light-duty stuff like cleaning car wheels, but the balance is terrible and it nearly shook out of my hands. (They make a more expensive one that might be better, dunno.)
I have an old corded Dremel that I inherited years ago, and it works like a charm. Clearly they are a good long-term investment, and if I needed a new one I’d buy Dremel again.
I haven’t had any problems with mine. I even made an adapter to hold my 4 volt Craftsman drill, it has two speeds, 200 RPM & 600 RPM. Works slick for drilling at low speed. I bought a ¼” hex micro chuck that goes down to #80 drill bits. It’s stable enough to drill a #78 hole at 200 RPM in styrene or Basswood.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to rea
I buy very little from Harbor Freight, especially the knock offs.
LION has several Dremel tools. GET NOT THE ONE WITH THE BATTERY. The cord might be a PITA, but LION has NEVER had any success with battery tools.
I have one in the infirmary for trimming toe nails.
ROAR
I have the Dremel model 200. I just used it yesterday. It works fine but I’ve only used it on plastic or acrylic so far. I also have the cordless Dremel Minimite 750. It doesn’t have a lot of power but it works ok for drilling very small holes in plastic locomotives.
Lowes is now the place to buy Craftsmen tools. I’ve only had two Craftsmen tools ever break. One was a hacksaw which I used every day at work doing construction. They replaced it no problem back in the 1980s. The other is a rachet wrench which I’ve had since the 1980s which recently started to fail but I’ve been to lazy to return since I have others.
Hello All,
I have had good luck with the Harbor Freight & Tool multi-speed rotary tool (Chicago Electric #68696)
This tool fits the Dremel Work Station.
I added the MicroMark Quick Jaw Vise to securely hold items I am working on with the Work Station.
To cut track I use a Xuron track cutters or a small miter box and saw.
My pike is based on a coal branch loop that uses vintage Tyco Operating Hopper Cars.
These cars have a metal frame and originally came with Hook and Horn (XF2) couplers.
I have been upgrading my fleet of vintage cars to Kadee couplers. This requires the drilling of the frame to tap them for 2/56 screws.
To date I have upgraded over 30 of these vintage cars with the above setup.
I don’t use the rotary tool for long periods of time, subjecting it to a lot of wear and tear.
For my purposes this tool has sufficed for my limited use.
Hope this helps.
I received a Dremel kit as a Christmas gift from my father back in 6th grade. That was 60 years ago. It still works fine, and I use it frequently.
I have some Dremels and bought the drill press in 1970. They run great still. I have a Kawasaki that is crap. We have some of these around the house for doing dog toenails. I think they are Dremels as the case is the same. We wait for the 70% off sales.