Dremel tool

get it from Micro-Mark. They have a big selection so you can order the exact one that fits your needs.

you can purchase them from harbor freight  stores and there very reasonable!

Alan 

Home depot even carries them

go to the dremel site,check them out,then shop around....try to stick with a genuine dremel,the cheap one will not last.also for the tools get the good ones cheap wire wheels will fly apart....If you can find one,the Sears Craftsmen tool is made by dremel,hope this helps  

I use the $7 Harbor Freight tool with those thin cut-off discs daily.  If I am careful, I can also drill teeny holes with the thing for handrails.

There is no other tool around here that can cut cab windows in .020 brass.  I did have the $60 Sears model with better speed control, but it died.

One has to be careful with Harbor Freight, but some of their tools are truly spectacular bargains.  This and the small cast iron drill press are essential tools for a hobbyist or aircraft restorer.  I have had lousy luck with their spray guns and bench sanders, but these two I depend on!

Menards had a large selection of dremel tools.

I'm not sure I would by a HF tool, but that is the ONLY place to buy expendables such as the cut-off disks, grinding bits, etc. Dremel seems to subscribe to the "give away the razor and sell the blades" philosophy. The tools are way overpriced, and the HF ones are just fine at a fraction of the price.

Thanks everyone Nick

gftiv posted:

Menards had a large selection of dremel tools.

Right! That's where I purchased my cordless/rechargeable Dremel (in a kit with all sorts of accessories), and the price was very competitive.

I bought mine from Walmart. Also Walmart carries some accessory items that goes with the Dremel tools. 

I wanted a Dremel with slow speed settings and bought a Model 3000 with 5 speeds. The single speed models run too fast. I just paid the price for it at Home Depot.  It came with a plastic case and a bunch of bits.  I think the same model was $10 cheaper at Wal-Mart but I don't know what accessories were offered at Wal-Mart.

Having had other brands, I agree with the above advice to stick with Dremel.  I have both a top-of the-line rechargeable and a TOTL corded.  The rechargeable was adequate but there was a great sale on the corded and it cuts rail faster.  Both are continuously variable speed, from very slow to very fast.

Dremel only.  

Avanti posted:

I'm not sure I would by a HF tool, but that is the ONLY place to buy expendables such as the cut-off disks, grinding bits, etc. Dremel seems to subscribe to the "give away the razor and sell the blades" philosophy. The tools are way overpriced, and the HF ones are just fine at a fraction of the price.

I have no problems finding all the above at Home depot

I swear by my Dremel 8220 battery tool.  It's the first battery powered one that I've been high on.  Gobs of power, and no power cord to get in the way.  I also have a Dremel 4000, but it doesn't come out often, the battery powered one is so good!

Once you get to use a good battery powered tool, you'll wonder how you ever used a corded one!  I recommend a second battery, and there's even a spot in the case for the backup battery.

I love my Dremel...no battery on mine, it's an older electric one. 

Nick, you said you needed to do some cutting work. Buy a couple of the fiberglass reinforced cutting wheels. They are fantastic. I had a (real/full size) Yard Limit sign where the bolts had frozen to the post with rust and 2 of those wheels cut through 4 heavily rusted bolts in around 2 minutes time. Always wear goggles, too. 

Tom 

Just bought one at Dremel website. 40% off black Friday........is a saw or oscillating tool a handy item

Had questions about purchasing my first Dremel.  As time progressed, I bought Moto and Saw Max.  Between bench work to fine work on rails, Dremel tools can usually get there. Other mfrs out there, but a staple.

Been using my Dremel 280 with the no longer available 219 solid state speed control for about 45 years.

Rusty

I find the Quik-Loc cuttng wheels to last even longer than the fiberglass.  Come in regular and extra thin.

Catdaddy posted:

Just bought one at Dremel website. 40% off black Friday........is a saw or oscillating tool a handy item

I uses the Dremel saw that came in my Dremel 4000 kit, once or twice, but it's not high on my list of the most useful accessories.  The Dremel accessories I find useful are the 90 degree attachment and the flexible wand.   I have also used the planer attachment a number of times, it's perfect for shaving doors when the builder is sloppy and they stick.

If I were doing a lot of carpentry, the oscillating tool would be useful, but I don't really need one. However, I doubt one attached to a Dremel would be all that useful, the oscillating tool needs significant power.

Rusty Traque posted:

Been using my Dremel 280 with the no longer available 219 solid state speed control for about 45 years.

The Dremel 4000 has speed control build in, I find that useful when I have some really heavy duty grinding or shaping to do.  It's speed control is really speed control, when you increase the load on the tool, it pours on the juice to keep it running at a constant speed, very nice feature.  I believe the #219 is not not a constant speed controller, just a variable voltage controller.

I have bad luck with battery tools. All kinds. Get a variable speed Dremel it's worth it.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Rusty Traque posted:

Been using my Dremel 280 with the no longer available 219 solid state speed control for about 45 years.

The Dremel 4000 has speed control build in, I find that useful when I have some really heavy duty grinding or shaping to do.  It's speed control is really speed control, when you increase the load on the tool, it pours on the juice to keep it running at a constant speed, very nice feature.  I believe the #219 is not not a constant speed controller, just a variable voltage controller.

Maybe so, but with the 219 I can crank down my old 280 to slower than any Dremel with the speed control built in.  Handy when drilling with #76-80 size drill bits.

Rusty

I use my Dumore jeweler's drill with a speed control for low speed drilling.  Never tried using tiny drills with the Dremel.

CatDaddy,

I use my Dremel saw all the time, it is the perfect tool when trimming custom length track, is handy around the house for small plumbing and soldering cuts, and will cut plywood, it is definitely for small and short cuts, but so much handier than a skilsaw for minor projects.

I've had my saw since 2013 and it gets used a lot, Walmart, depending on the store, carries as much accessories as Home Depot or hardware stores for Dremel. We have a dozen stores within 25 miles and each is different, depending on their sales volume probably, as to the amount of accessories they display.

Widget Supply has TONS of Dremel accessories and bits.  Great prices as well.  I buy my fiber cutoff wheels by the 100 there, they work just fine and don't bust my bank account.

Ron, what saw do you use to cut track?  I use cutoff wheels for that.  You actually have this and use it for cutting track?

From a safety standpoint, I'd be leery of cutting track with a toothed blade.  Too easy to catch and make the tool jump, and the teeth can tear up flesh pretty quickly (actually, not pretty).

Home depot with USB charger.

I'd spend the extra $50 and go for the Dremel 8220, it's a MUCH better tool.  First off, this one has the embedded battery, so they're thinking it's a throw-away.  Second, the 4V models don't really have much power, any significant grinding or other heavier work, and it'll bog down pretty bad.

I've always thought that if I could own only one hand tool it would be Vice Grips, and if I could only own one power tool it would be a Dremel. 

My late wife gave me the basic Dremel for Xmas in 1984. Soon after I bought the Dremel variable speed controller for it. Used it for building my railroad starting in 1987 which included cutting a lot of Gargraves track and many scratch building projects. It finally wore out about 5 years (2014 -15) ago, and I sent it back to the factory for rebuilding. $30 later Dremel sent me a new Model 200 tool (the basic model). To me Dremel means quality and service. Now if Santa will bring me the 90 degree attachment.

I have a few  second hand Dremel Moto tool grinders.  But for heavy grinding I use an old Ryobi multispeed grinder.  It seams more robust and heavier duty.  All were bought at garage sales cheap.  I have also picked up a few Dremel kit boxes with lots of cutting tools, all missing several tools and the Dremel Moto tool grinder of course.

Charlie

I prefer variable speed and corded.  Variable speed = very versatile.  Corded = never having a battery run out of power right in the middle of something.  

That's what the spare battery is for.   FWIW, my battery powered tool runs a very long time on the 12V battery it has, and the charger will charge them very quickly, faster than I can run the second battery down.

Yeah, GRJ, but as infrequently as I use my Dremel Moto-Tool, it sure is nice to have a fully-charged 110 volt outlet whenever I do use it. 

Choice depends on where you'll be using the tool.  I have 2 modern-era Dremel moto-tools:

1. a #8000 10.8 volt, quite a few years old but the lithium ion battery still is fine.  Has plenty of power for most all jobs, but with heavy jobs, it will occasionally have the internal breaker pop, requiring a reset by turning it off & on. It's handy to work on the layout, or on a boat away from 120VAC power.

2. A corded 4300, which has noticeably more power than the 800, but of course requires a cord.

I recommend either if the budget allows.  Both are variable speed

I am with a John on the cordless one.  I have had a battery powered one with variable speed for maybe 5 years now.  I could not imagine going back.  Plenty of power. I understand if you already have a corded one, but if you haven’t bought yet, go for the cordless.

It kind of reminds me of the cordless drill, used to be it didn’t stand up to the use but today who uses a corded drill normally?

Rich883 posted:

It kind of reminds me of the cordless drill, used to be it didn’t stand up to the use but today who uses a corded drill normally?

I still use corded drills.  Like I say, using a corded tool means always having a fully charged, 110 volt outlet available anytime, anyplace.  No expensive, rechargeable batteries needed. 

Reluctantly, I have to agree with the "I use a cord" gang. I am generally pro-tech, but I have been burned over and over again when going out to buy a replacement battery after a few years only to discover that the manufacturer has changed the voltage and/or connector of their tool, and I could no longer buy a battery when I needed it.

Maybe things have settled down, but once burned twice shy.