Which Dremel (or rotary tool) should I get?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I received a Dremel 2001 series tool as a gift more than 10 years ago and it is perfect for the small, jewelry and tiny constructions I make. But it has been through some shit over the years and now I have to continually tighten it during use or it will vibrate in a scary way. I need a new one.

The new tool doesn’t have to be a Dremel but it is what I’m used to, so that’s a plus. Also, I’ve got a lot of accessories and it would be very nice I I could use them with the new tool I would be getting. What would you recommend?

2

have you checked the carbon brushes on them. They get wonky when they’re worn down to a nub.

when was the last time you oiled the bearings?

You’d be surprised what a little love will do to these things. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t last forever.

3

I would LOVE to save my old Dremel, Magiver! But it isn’t the noise that has me alarmed, it is the vibrations. I have to tighten the collet after about 10 minutes of use because it shakes so badly and wobbles. It probably does need new brushes and some oiling since I have never in the 10 years I’ve had it done this.

Off to look up how to replace brushes. . …

4

The vibration might mean something inside has broken off and made it unbalanced, or it might not. But opening up to see what you can see is the step first. Which you would need to do to replace the brushes anyway, so i would do it before ordering any.

5

I have a dremel from the time of the dinosaurs but was away and needed it. I didn’t want to spend for a tool I already had so went to Wallyworld and got a Hypertough (Walmart brand), cordless rotary tool, as I figured that the wireless would be nice to have and I might use it occasionally. Since then I have used the Hypertough more than the dremel. Not sure how long it will last but works great as a dremel, for a fraction of the cost. YMMV

6

Brushes are easy enough to check. Remember to UNPLUG it first. Also they are curved on the end to match the curve of the armature. So you have to put them in correctly. They ride in a channel so they’re either put in correctly or not. There’s no in-between.

oil acts as a liquid bearing and also transfers heat. If it’s absent then there is essentially a gap that allows things to move back and forth and vibrate.

7

That looks easy enough for non-fixit me. Will do right away. Thank you so much!

8

A secondary tool that is cheap would not be a bad thing. Will look this up. Especially if it is cordless as my 2001 is corded. Although I’ve had bad experiences with other cordless tools that do not have the power-- earrings with small seashells. The cordless power tool cried so hard!

9

This is what I’m afraid of. Even if I opened it, I wouldn’t know what I’m seeing to fix it.

10

I got a super cheap knockoff at Harbor Freight that came with, like, 80 attachments and accessories. Bought it about a year ago, and I use the thing. Still works fine. It’s corded FWIW.

11

I highly recommend Proxxon instead of Dremel, the quality is so much better.

12

My only serious advice is to get a keyless chuck; the Dremel version is $11 on Amazon, and makes changing attachments so much faster and more pleasant.

I’m not a rotary tool connoisseur, but do like my 3-speed Black & Decker as much as the infinite speed Dremel that I once had. I got the B&D kit based on price, but I do like the locking lever that eliminates the need to hold down a button when using the chuck. The locking lever also incorporates some safeguards to keep the motor from coming on during attachment changes.