Alternatives to Dremel drill bits

[Frenchy]

Wondering if there are any alternatives to the Dremel branded drill bits available, have a small project where the Dremel will be key. Bonus if there are any other options that are also US made.

Thanks in advance!

 

[nbpt100]

There are alternatives out there but I doubt they are US made. HF has their own tools that mimic a Dremel brand with an 1/8" shank. They don't come close to Dremel quality. You say "drill bits" but I assume you mean all other types of cutting /grinding /sanding tools.

 

[Compressed]

There are alternatives out there but I doubt they are US made. HF has their own tools that mimic a Dremel brand with an 1/8" shank. They don't come close to Dremel quality. You say "drill bits" but I assume you mean all other types of cutting /grinding /sanding tools.

HF's diamond like tip bits actually work pretty well, their sand stone abrasives are just ok, but cut off wheels and polishers Dremel works the best, about 4 years ago i finally purchased Dremel's extension Flex shaft, i do a lot of modeling for trains, slots and RC lay outs and set ups, i do not know how i had got along with out one...............oh yeah i remember, by hand, files, emery cloth rolled around thein objects, X-Acto areas to death (basically whittling), so i just close my eyes when i stock up on Dremel accessories. Like magic

 

[Meursault74]

There are plenty of alternatives available on amazon and ebay. Highly doubt they are USA made though. If you know exactly what type of bit you'll need look there.

I bought this one years ago. The quality isn't as good as Dremel branded bits and they don't last as long, but you get a lot of them for not much money. It gave me a good variety.

Pardon Our Interruption...

remember to wear a face shield.

 

[Tools4Me]

I have 2 Dremel and 3 Foredom tools, which I use quite often. I rarely use them for drilling with high speed steel or wood drill bits. I usually use a 12" drill press or a small Foredom DP30 drill press for those tasks.

For drilling holes in PCB boards or hardened steel, I use carbide PCB drills, purchased used in 10-50pc sets on Ebay for $16-25 shipped. You have to be careful using them, because they are very brittle, but they will cut through pretty much anything that's too hard for a HSS bit or that will quickly dull a HSS bit. I bought an assortment set first, now I buy 10 packs of individual sizes as they break.

Foredom makes lots of bits and accessories which also work with Dremel tools. In general they are higher quality because Foredom tools and accessories are made for professional use (instead of hobby use like Dremel). Sometimes the extra quality matters, other times it doesn't.

Burs, Bits, Buffs & More - Foredom Electric Company

Our mission is to offer the best quality and selection of accessories for accomplishing what you do best— whether you’re a jeweler, woodcarver, machine shop operator, custom manufacturer, fabricator, research scientist, lab technician, conservator, display designer, sculptor, artisan, crafter or...

www.foredom.net

For structured carbide wood drilling/carving burrs, most of the time I buy US made Kutzall extreme series (they don't clog up during use), but I have some of their original style carbide burrs too.

Buy Kutzall Burrs for Dremel & Carbide Rotary Tools in the USA

Choose top-quality dremel and carbide burr tools online at Kutzall. Get Rotary burrs designed for smooth shaping, carving, & grinding. Made in the USA. Shop now

kutzall.com

For diamond grit burrs and diamond grit cutting wheels, I notice no difference between the cheap China ones and expensive name brand ones. I buy whatever is cheap and has good online reviews.

For carbide single or double cut grinding burrs, I also use cheap ones that have good reviews. In 1/8" shank, the shank usually bends before the cutting head gets too chipped up anyways. I buy better quality when looking for larger 1/4" shank carbide burrs, becasue they last longer and have more uses in my shop.

For cutting wheels and polishing tips, I buy from Ace's Abrasives. Their cutting wheels last longer, and I don't notice any smell while using them. Some of the cheaper brands of abrasive wheels smell like burning rubber during use.

Ace's Abrasives

Premium American made abrasive products- polishing, buffing, Dremel tools, dental, jewelry, stainl

www.acesabrasives.com

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[seber]

Mcmaster has just about every bit you will need other than diamond. Quality is high and prices are good. For diamond bits, you can use lapidary as your search parameter.

 

[Frenchy]

Thanks all for the replies thus far, for clarification I was referring to some equivalents to the actual bit sets they sell. One has part/model number 628 which contains a 1/32, 3/64, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64 and 1/8 bit.

The other is set 631 which is a small brad point bit set and contains a 1/8, 5/32, 3/16 and 1/4 bit.

 

[neophyte]

The Dremel drill bit sets just appear to be short maybe “Stub Length” drill bits.
Small drill bits are routinely sold by the dozen or half dozen because the bits are usually way more likely to get broken.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Moldyjim]

If you are looking for small burrs and diamond bits, look online for dental burrs. Most are very high quality but not terribly expensive.
I bought a box of like 100 various shaped diamond bits a couple of years ago for $20 IIRC
Good enough to carve quartz crystal.

 

[Moldyjim]

Here are the bits I am talking about. You might also ask your dentist if you can have some used ones.
Dentists go through these like water, they are mass produced in the millions, keeps the price down.

 

[corn chip]

what exactly are you looking for ? just drill bits or something else ? im sure all foredoms stuff is usa made. theres also alot of usa made carbide burrs for grinding on numerous sites. mcmaster may have something you need but not everything they sell is us made. theres quit a few sites that sell and manufacture small dremel and foredom style of bits