Rotary tool recommendations, preferences

[Justin P.]

On 10/6/2021 at 8:32 PM, Roger Pellett said:

Hey!  If my post sounded critical of replies by Bob and Justin, I’m sorry.  A

 

Roger

No at all!  I actually thought you made an excellent point that I had wished I made myself.   You are absolutely right, I learned the hard way (multiple times) that a rotary tool is just the wrong tool for most things Ive tried with it.

[Steve116]

Thank you everyone for your input. After considering all your comments, and weighing the risk of an irreversible ( I know, there are v few things that are irreversible) I opted to use my needle files. The portholes are not geometrically perfect ellipses or identical - maybe this will be part my model’s signature-but they’re not bad and I will take this as a learning experience

[P_Budzik]

As a dentist who has spent a half century using rotary hand tools, I have my preferences.  But here are my reviews of other hobby alternatives ...

 

 

 

 

I hope this gave you a little more information.

 

Paul

[Patrick Matthews]

In another post on rotary tools here, I mention that I'm a free-range modeler. Unlike a dentist or a jeweler working in one tightly defined area, I need my rotary tool all around my 8 foot workbench... flex shaft tools and even cords don't cut it! So I'd be lost without my cordless Dremel. And lost I was for a few days, as my 15 year old Dremel 800 just died.

So I rationalized why it was worth it to pop for Dremel's new top of the line model, the 8260--  it's an oft-used tool, and I use it more than my nice airbrush which cost about the same amount... so there. 

Just received it today, and- uh oh. It's a beast. It's huge. 
It has great features- a 12v Lithium battery and a brushless motor- good stuff! But it's huge. I mean, look at the thing. My old 800 fit in my hand nicely, and even with its funky looking battery, it was well balanced. This thing is fatter and clunky to hold, and it's HEAVY. 21 ounces vs. 14 for the old 800.

 

It's longer, and has that silly end cap at the business end to get in the way of everything. Luckily, the svelte cap from my defunct 800 can be swapped in. But its bulk will likely cause issues getting into tight areas. 

 

The Dremel literature shows this thing chopping off rebar, I'm sure it could.

 

I looked into other cordless offerings, and they're either discontinued or just too wimpy for my needs. The 800 was just right.

 

I even looked at Proxxon... their cordless unit is even heavier! No thanks. So now I'm rationalizing why I should keep the new 8260 instead of returning it.

 

 

 

 

New 8260 on left, the dead 800 on the right. Yes, the Dremel name lights up. And it even has Bluetooth so you can use your smart phone to check on the battery charge (whaaat??)

 

 

My 800 was always right there ready to use, anywhere on this huge bench.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Patrick Matthews

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

8 hours ago, Patrick Matthews said:

I need my rotary tool all around my 8 foot workbench... flex shaft tools and even cords don't cut it!

I work around my 8 feet model ship  with an electric micro motor!

 

I see 4 main categories?

 

Flex shaft removes dexterity

Dremel are affordable and heavy

Micro motors, electric, are the best choice, lightweight and performs and handles better than Dremel, and affordable

Micro motor, brushless,  can be as strong as Foredom with a shaft but more expensive.