Any cordless Dremel-type tools that are any good?
 

I picked up a Dremel cordless tool a few months back. Thought it would be convenient to be able to just grab and use without having to string an extension cord. Works ok for about a minute then not enough charge left to have any torque to cut anything.
Has anyone found one that actually works? Or is it back to the good old corded Dremel.

I have the corded Craftsman version of the Dremel. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times the tool has actually been usefull to me. It definitely doesn't warrant needing the cordless version.

I have the cordless dremel and I love the damn thing, and use it all the time. Thank god I had it when it came to cutting the nuts off the exhaust studs.

used to be 2 different cordless Dremels - one was smaller and dark gray or black = worthless

other was the size of my vintage 1968 cordless model and is good for light duty work - it has light gray & dark gray plastic case

so....

maybe yours is not getting charged up all the way

post the age, model #, pic of it & type batteries in it

The wife gave me a set of two cordless Dremel devices: one variable speed to replace my old corded unit and a cordless pistol grip driver. Both have Li ion batteries and have been far more useful than I imagined.

The driver will drive about 20-30 2" deck screws into softwood before getting tired. The big test for the high-speed tool was re-sharpening a hoof rasp with an abrasive disc. It just managed to get through the whole thing when the battery gasped its last.

Thumbs up for me.
Les

I have had bad luck with the Dremel bits. I went though about 10 cutoff wheels trying to cut about 10" of sheet metal. Then the rotary file lasted about ten seconds before dulling. They were Dremel brand. Where do you get good quality bits?

The only thing useful my cordless dremel does is grinding down my great dane's toenails...

Honestly, that is it.

-Jack

I had my wife bring me my corded Dremel-type(off brand) tool when I got the hugea$$ bolt in the 911 rear tire. Plugged it in and it didn't work!!!!!


I ended up buying a new Dremel(real) variable speed for the task. I wouldn't count on a cordless tool for a big job.

I found some great cut-off wheels at Lowe's a few years ago. They have metal center core and mount with a special bit so they don't come loose. They are called "EZ Lock". The bit comes with a few wheels and the replacements are relatively cheap.

depends on what you are trying to cut...i uses my cordless all the time. especially since my corded one finally died after 15yrs. the auto shut down can be a pain at times but either i am pushing to hard or am using the wrong tool...
my 4 1/2 cuttoff tool works for most jobs i cant get over to the grinder with the cut off blade i swap out for the wire brush attachment

you will never cut out a battery box with a dremel unless you have a ton of time to kill and a bunch of cutoff blades to replace.

sounds like you were using the wrong tool...isnt that what tin snips are for?

right

use the fiber based cutoff wheels for things - any angle on the old ones and they snap

HSS rotary bits are for wood; use abrasive bits for harder metals

The dremel brand carbide bits are pretty handy. I've used one to remove a broken exhaust stud on my 911. Surprisingly it didn't take long, and the bit is still sharp.
I also like the wire wheel bits... they are good for removing corrosion and other gunk from soft metals like aluminum.

That's the problem I have. My corded Dremel brand lasted forever and finally died, might even be older than your 15 yr old version. But it was a great tool. And I have a good 4-1/2" cutoff tool too for the larger jobs.

So my research is telling me the 7.2V cordless Dremel I bought is middle of the line, and there's a 9.something volt version too. What brought all this to the forefront is that I've got to shorten a brake line banjo fitting bolt and the cheap cordless Dremel doesn't even have enough torque to cut through the hollow bolt. Dremel with thin fiber cutting disc is perfect for this type of work because it makes such a thin clean cut.

Guess the smart thing to do is just go buy another corded Dremel, though I'm partial to fully charged cordless tools because sometimes I'm just too lazy to get out the extension cord and run it to wherever I need to work.

Never used a cordless dremel, but I have one of these:
http://ryobitools.com/product_image/...jpg?1265724005
and:
http://ryobitools.com/product_image/...jpg?1265723355

Since buying these, they use the same 18v batteries as my cordless drills and impact driver, I rarely reach for the corded dremel or angle grinder.

I've had a tiny Dremel "Mini Mite" for about 20 years. It served me well making lots of RC airplanes. For light duty work it was very convenient and I always had a spare batt on the charger when working with it. After reading this thread I pulled it out of my dusty drawer...installed the battery pack to the charger and I'll tell you if it still works after about 6 hours. It's been more than 10 years since I used it last because I have a corded dremel. ;)

Karaya

If cordless is a must search for cordless die grinders. They are $100 plus not including battery.

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