Dremel 300-2/28 300 Series Variable Speed Rotary Tool Kit

After browsing through instructables.com, it has come to my notice that almost every DIYer has a dremel. I was doubtful after reading many reports of the torque problems however this dremel can readily deliver with its high rpm. I have used this tool months after months of cutting steel, aluminum, as well as shaping molds for use. This is a must have tool for anyone that wants to enter the world of DIY.

The build quality of this product is excellent however I do have one quirk about it, the shaft locking mechanism is plastic and not metal which poses a worry for me in the future. Another con is that the tool cannot be operated for periods of 20 minutes or longer or else risking overheating. However any good DIY can handle this with care. Another huge mistake made be lots of people is that they force the tool and I'm here to report that thats not true. Just ease the tool into the groove and let the speed do the rest.

This is a comparison review between a 300 series coorded dremel, and this Bosch 1210 utility grinder. The review is intended for people who may not know much about die grinders or rotary tools in general.

Initially all I really wanted was a dremel, a tool to get into tight spaces to grind bolts off, maybe cut some steel pipe under a sink, use small bits to sand or grind paint/burrs off metal, etc.

I got this at a pawn shop, for $35. I got the Bosch 1210 die grinder for $100 on an amazon Christmas sale. So now I can compare them for anyone wondering what the difference is.

The 1210 is 4.6 amps. Dremels are 1.15 amps. That means you can push the bosh about 4x harder, with bits 4x as big, or run it 4x as long before the motor burns out. The 1210 is also about 4x bigger than a dremel, and 4x heavier. And finding attachments for the 1210 is also more difficult, and 4x more expensive. For example 4 burrs for a die grinder will run $30, while a 160 attachment kit for a dremel is also $30.

The 1210 can easily cut through steel pipe. A dremel would take a beating doing a task like that, but it's easier to maneuver to say, use a flap disk to sand the wooden pane dividers of an old window to get cracked lead paint off, or cut a blister pack open.

I've used the dremel more. Unique bits and attachments are much easier to find for the dremel because it is a more standard tool for your average consumer. Most Home Depots and Menards don't carry a single die grinder for example.. unless it's battery powered (and those are basically Dremels). The dremels excel at cutting, sanding, and buffing wimpy things, like plastic. I've used my dremel for modifying my computer in various ways, that required a feather touch, and like I said, on inside corners of windows. The die grinder would remove material much too fast for a task like that and is more suited to metal.. buffing metal, cutting metal, sanding metal, or cutting said computer in half.

The die grinder can cut through sheets of corrugated metal, saw a cast iron pipe in half, cut off bolts, cut a master lock in half, cut a door knob off, deburr a welding joint, file hardwoods with rasps, sand paint off of metal, cut through rebar, etc.

A dremel cannot do any of those things without well above average wear on the tool. And even just cutting plastic, removing paint, or etching your name in your tools, your dremel will eventually wear out. But in my opinion dremel is the pro at small rotary tools, and with the amount of attachments you can buy for them, if there is one tool for a home owner to have, who doesn't have money for a huge collection, this tool would probably be it. There are tiny saw attachments for cutting wood, there are router attachments for shaping wood, there are spiral saw attachments for cutting holes into drywall, there is a kit to sharpen chain saws and lawn mower blades. And I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

Another rotary tool you may want to look into is the black and decker rtx. It is 2amps compared to the dremels 1.15, and is only $30. Official dremel bits work on it. If I was buying a rotary tool new, that is the one I would get. Then with the $30 you save, get dremels 160bit kit. But I don't think all of the attachments I just mentioned would work on it then because dremels have a patented head changing kit I believe. But for me, I already have a full blown cut out tool, plenty of saw tools, a die grinder, a router, etc. If you're in the same boat, or have zero interest in the attachments because the 160 bit kit is all you need, go for the B&D RTX.

edit: today my dad was cutting through a galvanized bolt under a sink connection that corroded, with a 300 series dremel that was probably 5 years old with plenty of use (probably not the right tool for that job to begin with), anyway it sputtered a second, then the motor started on fire, arcing from the brushes. Obviously that was too much resistance for a small tool that was older to begin with. What did he do, he went out and bought another dremel, 4000 series one this time. Dremel is a great company. They got bought out by Bosch too recently. A lot of the bits and accessories from dremel and bosch are still made in the U.S., Germany, or Switzerland, although the dremel tools themselves are now all made in china, in case you were wondering.

This is such a great small tool for those hard to get at places and special projects. I use this for a variety of things that I got good results and would have had to use a larger tool for and not have gotten good results. The best part is there are so many attachments that you have one for just about any task.