eom 

I have seen lots of posts about using Dremel tools to remove rust, cutting, and more.

Which one should I buy?

I go to Lowe's and become overwhelmed by the options. I'm sure it will not be a battery model. After that I am unsure.
Do I get the Flex Shaft?

Thanks for your thoughts

jiangshi

I bought the model that came with a case and the flexible shaft. I've never used the shaft once in 10 years. Get a variable speed model.

Secret Squirrel

+1 on variable speed. I like the flex shaft when I moved it to hang above my work bench. Other good option is a tool free chuck that allows bit changes without a wrench.

Bradleykd

The variable speed battery model is awesome. I find that you rarely use it for more than a few minutes per time and hardly ever at the highest speed and I have only charged my battery once in 5 years. That battery holds a charge better than any other lithium ion I've got.

kingston 

I have this chicago electric model. Can't beat it for twenty bucks with a 20% off coupon.

DrIsotope

Start by not buying a Dremel. They're terrible. Plenty of better rotary tool options out there. I've had nothing but good luck with the Black & Decker RTX-B. They used to be around $25, but still excellent at ~$35. Also try Wal Mart, they usually have them there. I own three.

merziac

If you have a compressor, I would consider an air powered one. They have them at Harbor Freight, looks like a dental drill, very slim and way more power for getting it done.

FBOATSB

I have several different types. All rarely used especially on bicycle parts. Any power tool held in one hand is difficult to control and the slightest bobble can result in a deep gouge and once the material is gone it's gone forever. I find that using jeweler's files, steel wool, wire brushes, sand cloth and the like is much more relaxing and Zen like

zze86

I've had my dremel 3000 for years with no issues, other than when I accidently nicked the power cord. Cut, resolder, insulate and it's still working like a champ.

The flex shaft is a must. Especially if you want to get into tight spaces and do intricate work as it allows more comfortable hand and tool-to-piece positions.

Rotary tools generally don't put out a lot of torque and work best at really high RPMs, although different materials require different speeds so, as others have noted, a variable speed model is the most versatile option. For example, cutting steel with the carbide disc would require higher RPMs, whereas cutting acrylic or plastic with the same bit would require low RPMs so as not to melt the material. If this is your requirement, then at minimum you need the 3000 model.

Unfortunately, the Dremel website does not provide motor specs for their various models but just from looking at the pictures, the 4000 is a bigger unit which generally means a bigger motor. A bigger motor generally provides better low RPM torque which is useful in keeping constant RPMs at lower speeds. This may or may not be a good thing. For example, doing fine detail work, it may be preferable to have the motor "lock up" if you a slightly out of line rather than cutting through a piece. On the flip side if doing a lot of heavy cutting, you may want that bigger motor to just power through. Heat dissipation and tolerance may also be better on the bigger unit, which would allow you to run the tool longer. Again, this is a consideration if doing a lot of cutting/drilling/polishing etc. For finer detail work, you are generally stopping and checking your piece more often so this is less of a concern.

The 4200 appears to be the same as the 4000 except that it has a tool-less chuck. There is a tool-less chuck adapter for the other models. Tool-less chucks allow for quicker bit changes.

For me, the 3000 has served me well with only the rare times that I wish I had a bit more oomph.

edit: Fboatsb makes a good point in that power tools do have the potential to take off more material than you wish, and working the peice by hand may be preferable.

USAZorro

I recently used my dremel to transform stock 7mm metric bolts to low-profile, subtly contoured chainring bolts (improvising in following the inspiration of someone here who did very similar with much more sophisticated tools).

Variable speed it great to have. I find my most frequent use on bicycle projects is to remove paint, chrome and anodization. It is also good for polishing some parts.

eom 

Which model do you have?

Salamandrine 

Dremels are good for two things in my book: cutting modern/index cable housing, and polishing small parts that are hard to access by hand. The somewhat new quick release "EZ Lock" mandrel is a must. Both the EZ lock cutting wheels and the little cloth mini buff work very well. The old Dremel cut off disks were kind of a joke.

I don't find the flex shafts useful. Variable speed is useful. Which model you get probably won't make much difference for bike related hobbyist uses.

elcraft

I use a flexible shaft type of tool everyday as a jeweler. If you are unfamiliar with the set up, many nail salons also use the flexible shaft set up with its smaller, lighter, less clumsy handpiece. Variable speed is useful for drilling or polishing and cleaning applications. When using the thin cut-off discs to trim or cut cable housing ends, there is a minimum speed required.
The units I use, however, are of a higher quality than most Dremel units. They are made by Foredom Electric Co. or Pfingst Co. and can run continuously for hours without heat or vibration. These units are often available on eBay as used in the $100 to $250 range. Even the Chinese knock off versions seem better than a Dremel unit, imho.
However whichever unit you end up with, you will find nothing better for trimming the ends of cable housings before they are capped with a ferrule or set into the cable stop/ cable entrance on a derailleur. I find them particularly useful for trimming the ends of the compression-less type of housings. Once that final curved piece is cut to length (from the chain stay cablestop) and its curved shape is set and optimized, the wire strand ends aren't usually flush or square. This can create slop or flex in the indexing system. If both ends of this housing (and, for that matter, all cable ends in the shifting system) are carefully trimmed to be square and flat, unnecessary sloppiness is eliminated and the indexing is pretty much dead on! (Or, at least I have much more reliable performance than without this trimming!)

USAZorro

I have a 4000.

I buy replacement attachments at Harbor Freight, or online. Seems ridiculous to pay the asking price for individual grinding/polishing heads.

rootboy 

Dremel tools seem to have a fairly bad rep with some. And I can understand it to some extent. For the newer ones.
I have an older model 732 heavy duty flex shaft and that thing is powerful and bullet proof. I've been using it steadily for the last five days as a matter of fact, doing some work on a 1911. I love it. Too bad it is not available anymore.

I also have an old variable speed bench mount Foredom. Also very good.

Get the best one you can afford. Even if you can barely afford it. It will pay off with long tool life.

Lascauxcaveman 

I paid about $90 for a Dremel when I started making guitars in 1990, it's pretty much worn out now (the bearings are getting buzzy) even though it didn't really see heavy use. The cheapo $30 imitator I got two years ago at Costco seems to be built a bit more heavy duty and came with TONS of bits and accessories. I'm betting it'll turn out to be a better value than the actual Dremel. Whatever oof-brand cheapo you find at Lowes is probably of the same manufacturer as my knockoff, and this is one place where I'd advise taking a chance on the cheapo off-brand item than paying the premium for an actual Dremel. If you're going to be a really heavy user, you'll want to invest in a Foredom unit like mentioned above.

Never used a flex shaft, but always wanted to try one.

For cut-off wheels, (which I use all the time) I get the fibre-reinforced ones on the big auction site. They are a lot better than the thin, non-fibre ones that are standard with a Dremel kit. Those things seem to shatter at the slightest provocation. Also need a mandrel to mount those wheels on, but that'll probably be included in whatever kit you buy.

DIMcyclist

Agree about the older-type cut off discs; they had a tendency to break apart after a while.

Mine is an older variable-speed model (I've had it for over 30 years), but it still works quite well; I actually get a lot of use out of it.

Admittedly, purpose-built drills are better for heavy work, but my Dremel is an excellent tool for most small jobs.

realsteel

I use a Proxxon Micromot (PROXXON - MICROMOT 50 and 50/E) which works at low voltage (requires a 12-18 volt power supply). It's very light for a rotary tool and runs up to 20,000 RPM.





I find it tends to get rather hot after prolonged work but it's been an essential part of my tool box for years. The bearings are a bit shot now though.

Proxxon also makes other low-voltage hand tools like this pen sander:


... which is somewhat underpowered but is good for very fine work.

oddjob2

Whatever you get, if you're in no hurry and want to save a few bucks, wait until May. Usually on sale for Father's day gifts.

Lazyass

I've had a Black & Decker RTX 6 speed model since about 2001. Used it probably hundreds of times and never had an issue. I see the ones today show 3 speeds but I think it's the same thing, just fewer numbers on the dial. It slowly speeds up as you turn the dial so it's not really a set number of speeds. Can't beat the price.

TimmyT 

This. I got the Harbor Freight cheapo to dip my toe in the rotary tool world. I hate that thing, but my logic was that I'll see if it's useful with a bike, and if so, I'll upgrade. It turns out that the rotary tools are extremely useful. I will definitely upgrade, but I'm lazy, so I'm caught between a lame rotary tool and a soft place.

thinktubes 

+1 on a vintage Fordam. Bullet-proof.

unworthy1

+2 on Foredom, it's the bomb for flexible shaft work: can't beat the foot-pedal rheostat but wish it had a keyless chuck (and one that actually GRIPS unlike the garbage on my electric drills).
I have more than one flex-shaft for my Dremels (yes, 2) but never used them cause once you use a Foredom what's the point? The Dremels (both corded multi-speed trad models one with a wrench-less chuck) still get plenty of use but YES they can be the wrong tool for the job when CONTROL is crucial...experience teaches.

rootboy 

The issue of control is a big one with me. I'd much rather be holding and trying to control a slim hand piece that goes on a flex shaft than the fat motor-in-body Dremel tool. I have three hand pieces for my old Dremel 732, from one inch to half inch diameter.
I'm not real fond of the #30 standard hand piece that comes with most Foredom tools, including my old tool, with its 3 jaw chuck. But have yet to bite the bullet on a #28 or similar.

Of course, if you're just going to use your Dremel for cutting cables and the occasional polishing task, the fat corded models are fine.

eom 

Thanks for all the opinions. I appreciate the combined wisdom of this forum.

I'm leaning toward the Proxxon brand.