i fancy getting a small dremmel type rotary tool. Does anyone have experience of good or bad ones. The most powerful corded one i found on ebay was 130w, which seems comparable to the real dremmels. Id prefer a corded one rather than cordless.

If you got one, how useful have you found it? im thinking more delicate grinding than drilling/sanding etc.

any input appreciated

Hey Mate,

IIRC you've got a compressor haven't you?

Have you looked at the air driven die grinder jobs? Have used a few at work and they seem pretty good/powerful.
There's a lot of air to use there tho!

Cheers,
James

I have got one, got it from B&Q a couple of years ago. 250W IIRC. 240V. Came with a flexible shaft, and a shed load of bits and bobs. Cost about £30 i think, absolute bargain.

Very useful, and nice and powerful for when you want to use it for a tougher job.

David

£14.99 with a stand and attachments under the name Powercraft. I bought one 2 years ago for myself and the dear wife (she's used it most) and it's been absolutely brilliant. I'm going to get another when they have them again just to keep in the shed (she doesn't like me scruffing it up). It has a flexi shaft as well.
Die grinders gobble cfm, if you have a diy compressor it will run non-stop to keep up.

[Edited on 30/12/05 by Peteff]

Yeah I second David. Think its called the 300 series dremel, old stock so its £30 (B&Q), the equivalent new version with extra features you don't need is doube the price. Bought one wednesday and does the job well.

Mark

i bought one from maplins £20 i think use it alot but lacks power wen grinding.
im gona get a better one.
its one of them tools you keep on the bench because you use it so much.

B&Q again - their own brand cheapie one. I've used and abused it for a couple of years now and it is still going strong. I also bought one of their mega tool sets with loads of cutting wheels, burrs, drills etc and its great too.

Neither will last a lifetime but at that price you just bin it and buy another

My local Lidl had them today, a pal bought one last time they had them & he says its good value

dont get one from tesco's just about do your finger nails with it

For small detailed work, yeh.
If you have air your better with an air die grinder. Has the power for the bigger jobs, can still do the detailed work and I think they are more robust.
I have always found electric ones to overheat pretty quickley.
Just my two cents.

Funny, I was just looking at Demels today... forum telepathy again

Was the B&Q one the same as [url=http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=167478&fh_start_index=10&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_location=%2f%2fcata log01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b8530301%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b8530334%7d%2f_wide_price_range%3d0-50&fh_refview=lister&ts=1135984889245]this[/ur l]

(don't know why this link doesn't paste properly... I found it by going to www.diy.com and selecting Tools & Materials, Powertools & Handtools, £0 - £50.)

The website says its a Performance Power 140w with flexible shaft, stand, and 150 "accessories". The real Dremel I was looking at was the '300' - 125w and 66 accessories for exactly double the price

I'm off to have a look in the morning.

[Edited on 2005-12-30 by jolson]

Air fed die grinders slaughter lecy ones, I have eaten three or four electric jobs and the air one just keeps battering on, my oldest air jobbie is a draper (well thats whats on the side anyhows) dremmels aint worth squat
Shug.

quote:

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Originally posted by jolson

The website says its a Performance Power 140w with flexible shaft, stand, and 150 "accessories". The real Dremel I was looking at was the '300' - 125w and 66 accessories for exactly double the price

I'm off to have a look in the morning.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by jolson
Was the B&Q one the same as blah blah blah

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I have a Black & Decker Wizard, rotary tool, its ok but its important not to ask too much of them. If you use them for the jobs for which they were intended then they are excellent.

I have broken one in the past using one of the reinforced cutting discs, the job really should have been done with an angle grinder or similar.

John,


Was'nt that one, but looks similar design, only used my dremel (300 series if my memory serves me) to widen a hole in 6mm steel, took its time, but never stalled, although got quite toasty. I would recommend it. I would'nt have bought a dremel, but I think it was a good deal, and I did'nt want to end up with a half useful tool made by rolson or 'Powerbase'.

Also noticed you can buy diamond wheels for it for about £25!

Flexi shaft looks like it will be useful for jobs like porting a head? (although I have never done this).


On the subject of tools, has anyone else noticed that homebase sells alot of really terrible tools? I'm sure they used to be reputable, but I broke a file i bought from them in about 20 seconds, and the grinding wheel I bought, which to be fair was cheap, but should'nt even be on sale its so underpowered! GRRRR


Mark

quote:

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Originally posted by mak
On the subject of tools, has anyone else noticed that homebase sells alot of really terrible tools?

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A similar thing was posted a while back

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=24552

Would still go with the Black and Decker i'd posted about there although it looks like they've jazzed up the range a bit and replaced it with this

http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=2534

Ive got a black and deckor wizard. Its good and powerful but i find it a little arkward to hold for fidly bits. Although that might just be me.

If u dont want to do too fidly bits an air die grinder would be the way forward unless u want to do it indoors. There are some air powered modelers grinders which have there own little compressor.

Don't get a Focus one rubbish had two fail doing easy jobs then got my money back.


The air one I have is great but does use loads of air to keep it going.
Dave

Air die grinders and cut off tools are best by far but need a very big compressor.

The 240v ones sold at by B&Q, Woolworth, Maplin and others as own brand are fine, I use a Woolies one to cut off nail heads and similar small stuff.

I haven't tried the Lidl one but from experience all Lidl "Park" brand power tools I have bought were pretty good quality.

[Edited on 31/12/05 by britishtrident]

I've been through 4 or 5 B&Q mains powered tools - I would asked for my money back after the 2nd one went but they come with a new set of tools/accessories

FYI, I was in my local Aldi yesterday, and they had dremel look-a-likes (the tool, a flexible drive, and some bits in a case) going for about £15 or so. They also had sets of spare bits/tools in a case (about 30-40 bits) for less than a fiver.

The quality may not be the greatest (I dont have one, so I can't really comment) but at that price they dont need to be - they're nearly disposible ... !

Cheers
Richard

quote:

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Originally posted by Peteff
£14.99 with a stand and attachments under the name Powercraft. I bought one 2 years ago for myself and the dear wife (she's used it most) and it's been absolutely brilliant. I'm going to get another when they have them again just to keep in the shed (she doesn't like me scruffing it up). It has a flexi shaft as well.
Die grinders gobble cfm, if you have a diy compressor it will run non-stop to keep up.

[Edited on 30/12/05 by Peteff]

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Dremel 300 from B&Q, £29.99 and 15% off if you spend over £50. It includes a flexible drive, which costs £35 from B&Q!
Also has tools. Really good value.
Cheers Johnl