I'm in the market for a Dremel or rotary tool and was curious as to what bits to be sure and get. Also, anyone know how the Black and Decker rotary tool at Target compares to Dremel? Its much cheaper.
I'd go with Dremel...any day over B&D! I'm pretty demanding and hard on tools - I want them to perform - and Dremel is by far a better quality machine.
I'd go with Dremel...any day over B&D! I'm pretty demanding and hard on tools - I want them to perform - and Dremel is by far a better quality machine.
Any real advantage to getting the model 4000 over the 3000, or is even the 2 speed 200 good enough? I ask because although I'm sure I'll use it for other things, my main reason for wanting it is to try a brush restore. The Dremels range from $45 for a 200 kit to $100 for 4000 kits.
I only use 3 bits: a conical to give me a good starting place for the carbide bit that minimizes the chances of jumping and marring the handle, a carbide machining bit to remove the knot and shelf, and a sanding drum to remove the last of the material and open up the hole if necessary. It is a simple and easy to use system.
I preface this by saying I in the past 40 years I have never bought a B&D tool that was top quality. Even the Price Pfister bathroom faucet that I bought turned out to be junk.
Now that you know how I feel, I would not hesitate to buy the B&D rotary tool if I intended to use it only occasionally. If you think that you may use it on a weekly basis over many months or even years, the additional cost of the Dremel may be worth it. I notice that Harbor Freight Tools has an 80 piece rotary tool kit for $9. . Even if the motor quit after a couple of restores the bits would have been worth the initial cost.
I'll tell you, the $9 Harbor Freight job is complete junk. It doesnt spin fast enough for anything and it you apply any pressure with using it, the motor bogs down and stops. I've also had the B&D version which broke after about 6 months. I've now got a Dremel that I use pretty extensively and its holding up just fine. I say go with the Dremel.