Customer Reviews

Dremel 3000 Series Multitool with 15 Accessories

I've always been into hobbies and DIY but I've twice made the mistake of getting a Dremel type tool without buying an actual Dremel.

One was dremel type copy off ebay(looks like the Draper) and another was the much larger Black and Decker. Neither are as good as these. Dremel really do know how to make a quality device that can run at full chat for as long as you need in a small and manageable package, well balanced, easily reached controls and sturdy chuck. The other two clearly not built from scratch for the intended use not having undergoing as many hours in R&D; where they would have noticed the vital vent holes provided are where you actually want to hold the device or that the power cable is to short or that the chuck doesn't hold the bits very well after a few uses or the opposite, wont release the bit.

This '3000' example comes with 'only' 15 Accessories which is enough to tackle a wide range of tasks on the small scale or allowing you to experiment with what works and doesnt work(or just picture yourself as a dentist), the larger kits may suit better but I would advise you think of what your actually going to use it for.
If you know what you need the Dremel for e.g. remove grouting, cut intricate tiles, grind rust off garden equipment or sharpen blades then you can happily just add those items to this and away you go. The large kits have a bit of everything but rarely do you use all of them and often not enough of the type you need though they do look nice :) some items are just in there to tempt you, for example I've never used the drill bits.
The specialist and own brand items do come at a price but again the Dremel parts are superior and work for longer. The copies look the part but can be unbalanced and more likely to shatter. If your hacking away at something and quality of work isnt paramount then replicas bits are okay but its can be a false economy.
Its not quiet a Swiss army knife and wont touch a proper drill, angle grinder or circular saw as some of the marketing material may have you wish, so be realistic.

Summary; buy a proper a wired Dremel and buy it for its core strengths. It is very satisfying to and can put the final, detailed icing on the cake of any DIY project.

I decided it was finally time to cave in and buy a dremel, as I am a hobbyist with a wide range of hobbies that this will come in useful for, and also for those odd DIY jobs around the house. I can say that so far it has been absolutely brilliant.

The packaging is rather minimal, just a cardboard box with the case inside. Some reviewers on Amazon have complained about the case being flimsy and poorly made, but personally I find the case to be perfectly fine and ideal for storing the dremel in (plus it also has space for my safety glasses and dust mask, which I would say are accessories you MUST buy to go with this dremel as it can send dust and dirt flying). Maybe I had lower expectations than other reviewers, but I find it great that they include a case to go with it at all, and this case is certainly sturdy enough for the job.

The tool itself is great, featuring five different speeds. I was one of those people who couldn't see the need for different speeds and thought I'd have it on high all the time, but the different speeds definitely come in handy as what one speed is good for is bad for another.

When I was deciding which model of Dremel to buy, I had no idea what all this talk of mandrels and collets and stuff was, so I will endeavour to explain in my review. The collet is the piece which you insert the pieces into the dremel, and it holds onto them. There is a lot of talk in other reviews about multi-chucks, which will allow you to insert third party attachments of different sizes without the need for an assortment of collets. The accessories that come with the Dremel all fit into the collet provided without any adjustment, but if you were going to buy some third party accessories that required different sized collets, I can see how a multi-chuck attachment would come in handy. The mandrel, on the other hand, is the long metal piece which you screw the saw attachments into.

The instructions that come with the tool are indeed dire. Saying they are dire is actually too high a praise, as I found them to be confusing and absolutely no help whatsoever. I consider myself a pretty smart, switched on person, but even for me it took me 10-15 to figure it out, during which time I thought I had broken the tool (word of advice: you need to push the piece into the collet quite hard the first time you use it, even though it looks like it won't go in), but I got there in the end.

The "EZ Twist" feature that is so keenly advertised is something of nothing, as it's perfectly easy for me to just twist the collet with my fingers, but perhaps it would be useful for someone without my slim, lady fingers.

The "15" accessories that come with the tool is a slight exaggeration. I found it difficult to find online what exactly you get with it, so here is the list:

- Grinding stone
- 2 polishing pads with one screw in mandrel
- 1 bristle cleaning brush
- 4 cutting disks with one screw mandrel
- 4 sanding bands with one holder
- 1 drill attachment
- 1 wrench/screwdriver

While it is 15 accessories, that's not 15 different functions, but I have found that for general use for DIY around the house, it's got everything you need to start off. Additional accessories are available online rather cheaply, should you want anything else, and there are dozens of different attachments you can get. One gripe I do have is that I have managed to break 3 of the 4 cutting disks that came with it within a week of (fairly hardcore) cutting, but since I can get 18 more for �1.50 on Amazon, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

I've had this Dremel a week now, and in that time I have successfully cut through thick plastic, cut through PVC pipe, cut, drilled and sanded wood, used the bristle brush to clean silicone residue from glass and it has dealt with all of these tasks without issue. I actually found that with cutting the plastic and wood, the higher speeds were so fast that the plastic melted and the wood burned so it just goes to show how powerful this tool is. Not a problem though, as you just turn the speed down. Admittedly, it is not always the ideal tool for the job. There is another reviewer on Amazon complaining that he struggled to cut enough tiles for his entire bathroom with this tool. It is definitely not the ideal tool for pretty much any job you can do with this, but it can deal with more heavy duty tasks. If you live in a flat, or even if you just don't want your shed filled and the expense of a separate saw, drill, cleaner, polisher, sander etc etc etc, then this tool is absolutely ideal and I am thrilled with it.

The power cable is sufficiently long and doesn't get in the way at all. I did consider going for a cordless version, but even on the packaging Dremel admit that the cordless versions just aren't as powerful as the corded ones.

To conclude, this is not the ideal tool for any job, but if you want a tool that is capable of A LOT of jobs then this is the one for you and it represents excellent value for money. I'd like to knock off some points for the diabolical instructions and the broken cutting disks, but all in all the tool is so brilliant and has so many uses that I can't comfortably do that, as it's only a minor irritation.

I lost m previous cheap unbranded multi tool somewhere in the back of the shed, so decided to buy a new one. Having decided to go with the leading brand Dremel I started to consider the other cheaper versions out there but in the end decided that the Amazon deal was a bargain anyway, and if I really cared that much about saving a tenner or two I would actually go and hunt out the old one!

I'm so pleased I decided to go for this. Its is clearly well made, feels good and solid in the hand and stays smooth and relatively quiet, even when run up to max. speed. The torque is many times better than my previous tool, and with the diamond coated blades I bought separately I was cutting through old screws and sanding down metal burr like a knife through butter. With an hours busy use it didn't get hot or fail, and afterwards everything fitted neatly back into the supplied pouch.

I didn't buy this from Amazon, I bought it from Argos instead as I needed it quickly.

Pro's:
-Good weight
-Powerful
-Well Made
-EZ Attach thing

Con's:
-Supplied cutting disks
-Wire length

Overall:
I highly recommend this, but if you do get it, pick up some diamond coated cutting disks, they're fairly cheap and cut like a hot knife through butter !! Be careful and before you do anything, practice on the box :) I also would highly recommend you buy this one over the �20 draper ones as this is a lot more butch and is really up to the job !!

5/5 :)

Needed this to dig out the old grout in a shower cubicle. The unit was comfortable to hold and use and stood up to the dust etc well with no problems. Had to buy a special drill from Dremel designed to remove grout and again there were no problems. As long as you let the drill bit do its job and do not apply too much pressure, it will last long enough to do a whole cubicle.

It is not cheap but it comes down to getting what you pay for. There are cheaper multi-tools out there but I question how long they would last.

Overall would recommend this unit.

Perfect tool on its own or with the drill press. Much more solid than cheaper alternatives it has made my model boat building much easier and accurate. I did replace the collet chuck with the multi chuck for easier bit changing.

I discovered this tool just a month ago. Should've done this a good while back but was "too busy" with other things. I was a bit skeptical about the product - it is not a drill, not a cutter, what is it? I will tell you straight way - it is a tool for odd job in the house (and there is many of these in my place). I tool it easy on first project - used the drill bit and cut out a figure in the plastic. Then I used sanding bit to clean out the edges. Looks like factory made. Loving it.
I have stopped there immediately - and here is why. This dremel comes with just few accessories - so I have requested Amazon to allow me an upgrade to a version with full toolkit for double the price. I can already see a potential for this device. Can't wait to keep using it for small jobs. Glass engraving next.
Tips: when buying go for full kit with all extras. Don't skimp on these. You will want to use them and you will go and spend more asap. If you are new into this like me - check 3rd party kits here on Amazon and get started. And most importantly - take it easy, don't rush. This will burn the bits and can ruin the materials you are working on. Especially careful with glass and plastic. One shatters other melts. I saw some people complaining about tool not being fast enough etc. It is not supposed to be. This is a precision tool not a Makita all in one saw-drill-treecutter-thingy. Use it carefully, don't rush and it will do the job well, clean and the bits will last. Run like mad through the job and you will do the opposite.

Verdict: loving the tool, can't wait for more projects. Still waiting to try engraving, sanding/polishing, more cutting including metal, PVC etc. This tool rocks.

If you don't want to go overboard with power and spec this is a good compromise. I've only used it for model making but can see plenty of uses around the house for those awkward jobs that a full sized drill is just too big for and a hand drill is too tedious for. For occasional use and the small kit of basic bits it is a bargain buy.

I needed a gadget that could get into a small opening but deliver some power at the same time. I ordered the Multitool which not only arrived within 18 hours or ordering but also accomplised the job of sawing through rusted wingnuts in no time at all. Brilliant. Very glad I got this and saved me a fortune in outsourcing the problem.

As is evident from my rating, I am very satisfied with this little tool, surprisingly so, in fact. While I expected the Dremel to be better than my previous rotary, this product happily exceeded my expectations.
I am not new to rotary tools, but I am not much of a handyman either; mine are the comments of a near clueless amateur.
My use varies; I have used such tools for polishing, cutting, sanding for small-scale modelling and lately (thanks to the Dremel in fact) a little bit of engraving and grinding/ sharpening.
The multi-tool
The first point to make is that the tool feels solidly constructed; it has speed control over a wide range (you may find that 1-2 of the first speeds do not actually work and may be superfluous in the first place) which is a blessing and it does not get worryingly hot at top speed -- which I rarely use, but thought I'd mention. The grip is good as is, even though I prefer the flexible shaft for most jobs.
The difference with my other tool lies in the power and the rpm consistency: i.e. the Dremel does not falter even under pressure and continues to operate without fluctuations in the rpm. In practical terms for me, this opened up new applications and better results. I discovered how to scrape away grime & polish a seashell and that I could polish a stone and etch letters on it with some degree of success; also, polishing now takes considerably less time & the results are predictable and better.

The actual set has the advantage of being inexpensive but the accessories included are more of an afterthought: what you are really purchasing is the Mutlitool While I had the advantage of having a whole array of aftermarket accessories already, people purchasing their first multitool should keep in mind that accessories are a mandatory supplementary investment.
It is important to note that there are two indispensable tools which are note included with this set: a) an aftermarket set of Dremel collets of various sizes that allow you to use most ANY attachment b) the flexible shaft making precision related tasks much easier. The first will set you back about �8-10 while the other is even dearer � 20-30! Sets of aftermarket accessories come in many sizes, shapes, and prices including some competitively priced by Dremel themselves.
The "kit".
SO, while the Dremel is an excellent product (no doubt about that) and it comes in a nice pouch, choose your Dremel kit carefully: there may be another one slightly more expensive which includes what this particular kit does not. If not, you have to budget in some near indispensable after-market purchases.