Best Rotary Tool?

[Dennis The Menace]

I'd like your opinion on what is the best and most powerful rotary tool. I'm in the market for a new one, since my old Dremel died.

I bought a XP400-thing made by Dremel, and it was a joke. It was toy and not a real tool. I want to avoid something like that now. I know Dremel discontinued that model and replaced it with... something less powerful.... So, no need to shop Drememl, unless you guys think the new model (4000 I think) is a much better tool than the 400.

I've been looking at Proxxon but seems too weak for what I want to do with it. Cut metal (pc and video game cases) and wood moldings and pegboard. Also, the usual grinding, sanding, buffing and polishing.

Don't know much about Fein, or any other brand so your help and suggestions will be helpful and appreciated.

 

[knobby]

A bit of a step up but hey made in USA
http://www.foredom.com/

 

[Dennis The Menace]

A bit of a step up but hey made in USA
http://www.foredom.com/

Wow, how about something a little cheaper than that?

 

[Dennis The Menace]

Bump

Nobody has anything positive to say about the new Dremel? That's not a good sign.

 

[Ford12508]

I have a dremel 395 pro, I like it, but you said you need something powerful. Dremels are nice here and there, but get something like a large rotozip or something if you need power.

 

[mrholeshot]

I have several Dremels and they work good. Someone came by the shop one day and sold me a Ryobi set for like 10 dollars. Best small dremel type tool I've used. I have a Craftsman Pro rotozip type tool with a flex shaft attacment for 1/8 and smaller. It's really nice. For 1/4 rotary I have an Old Makita Long shank I use for porting. Most depends on what you want to use it for. For normal stuff I grab my Ryobi. Much smoother running than my old dremels. I'd like to try the 4000 though

 

[Dennis The Menace]

I have a dremel 395 pro, I like it, but you said you need something powerful. Dremels are nice here and there, but get something like a large rotozip or something if you need power.

I didn't know I could use these as a Dremel tool. I think I can even use Dremel accessories with the available RotoZip Flex Shaft, too. Perfect.

Thanks for the suggestion. Now, I'm overwhelmed with which model would be best for my needs. Think the RZ20 looks good enough.

Any owners of the RotoZip feel free to chime in what you like and dislike about the model I'm looking at. Again any help is appreciated. Thanks, guys.

 

[Dennis The Menace]

I have several Dremels and they work good. Someone came by the shop one day and sold me a Ryobi set for like 10 dollars. Best small dremel type tool I've used. I have a Craftsman Pro rotozip type tool with a flex shaft attacment for 1/8 and smaller. It's really nice. For 1/4 rotary I have an Old Makita Long shank I use for porting. Most depends on what you want to use it for. For normal stuff I grab my Ryobi. Much smoother running than my old dremels. I'd like to try the 4000 though

I want to use it for a bunch of stuff. Cutting holes in MDF 3/4 would be nice, but a hole saw with a drill is perfect for that job. But, everything in between, from cutting, polishing, buffing, sanding and shaping for all sorts of materials ranging from plastic, metal and wood.

 

[impulse922]

how about an air powered die grinder? no dremel will ever match that.

 

[bmxr4life87]

Yeah plus the bigger straight ones can really develop some torque

 

[Joe B.]

I have the Craftsman Pro version of the Roto Zip and it has served me well. It appears to be a rebranded version of the Bosch Roto zips. At the time the Craftsman version came with a lot more accessories for the price by a wide margin.

Now that I have a lot of other tools, I don't find that is use it much anymore. Once you have a die grinder, cut off tool, Fein-style multi tool, jig saw, angle grinder, aviation snips, diagonal-cutting pliers, etc. there is not much use for them.

 

[Dennis The Menace]

how about an air powered die grinder? no dremel will ever match that.

Wow, those are really, really cool, but way out of my price range!

I have the Craftsman Pro version of the Roto Zip and it has served me well. It appears to be a rebranded version of the Bosch Roto zips. At the time the Craftsman version came with a lot more accessories for the price by a wide margin.

Now that I have a lot of other tools, I don't find that is use it much anymore. Once you have a die grinder, cut off tool, Fein-style multi tool, jig saw, angle grinder, aviation snips, diagonal-cutting pliers, etc. there is not much use for them.

Not much of a Craftsman fan. But, I'll keep my options open. I need to find something that'll give me what I want and need. If it's a CM, so be it.

 

[MattT]

Wow, those are really, really cool, but way out of my price range!

The grinders themselves aren't that much. A basic IR one should run about the same price as a 400XPR Dremel. If you don't already have a 220v compressor to run it that's where it gets expensive.

 

[impulse922]

even if you dont have a 220v compressor, you might want to check out some of the lighter duty ones..

http://www.tooltopia.com/chicago-pneumatic-876.aspx

4cfm., and while it wont have all the nuts a regular one does, it probably has more nuts than an electric model.

 

[MattT]

even if you dont have a 220v compressor, you might want to check out some of the lighter duty ones..

http://www.tooltopia.com/chicago-pneumatic-876.aspx

4cfm., and while it wont have all the nuts a regular one does, it probably has more nuts than an electric model.

It's highly unlikely a 110v will keep up with any 1/4" die grinder. My Mac mini die grinder uses more air than a 110v unit can supply.

That CP looks to be a good buy if their quality hasn't deteriorated over the years. My newest CP tool is about 15 years old so I don't know about current production.