Dremel 3000 electrical handtool

[T4P]

to be frank what i dont get? i got a big Hitachi hand grinder, big amature big bearing big everything, same price as my knockoff. now this dremel is 3-4X more expensive, smaller everything. what kind of amature they are putting in?

Got to remember we get ripped off with any products coming from the other side of the world, 

[Mechatrommer]

Got to remember we get ripped off with any products coming from the other side of the world, 

no you dont use that word, its too harsh we can say that its due to:
1) gas cost that ship uses to travel half the globe. and/or
2) the difference in cost of life and style. here in the ghetto a cup of tea costs you "3 minutes" where the same cup of tea in new greenwich will costs you "3 weeks"!

[M. András]

There are many reviews on home repair and auto enthusiasts pages, and on Amazon.com.  Bottom line, is now over a year since its introduction, its proven to be reliable.  However, the unit costs 2.5-3x the 100, and is much larger and heavier; you may need to use or buy a 4000 kit with the accessory to make it easy to hold like a pen, and that kit increases the price to 4x the Dremel 100.  However, if you need the extra torque, but not enough to require a die grinder, this can meet the needs between.

There is a review here with a compendium of tear downs and repairs for various Dremel models:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B002BAHF64/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_1?ie=UTF8&index=1&isremote=0

annyone have a 4000 series for a review? im looking to buy 1 for long time

hmm on the last picture the electronics looks like a bit too dusty. btw i dont get why they didnt coat the board with something if its not sealed from the rest of the unit

[saturation]

I concur Mecha, this is were it gets grey.  If you are working on electronics and crafts, a handheld device will speed your work; but if you are working on large items: cars, chairs, tables, home improvement, a real die grinder is a better choice.  Thus, I don't see the value in the niche the big Dremel 4000 fit in, they also won't wear as well under heavy loads.

to be frank what i dont get? i got a big Hitachi hand grinder, big amature big bearing big everything, same price as my knockoff. now this dremel is 3-4X more expensive, smaller everything. what kind of amature they are putting in?

[saturation]

Yes, many of the dremels and clones I see that I end up repairing for friends are killed because the dust burns the motors from abrasion or it shorts out the electronics, say if you are grinding on metallic work, nearly all however can be repaired.  In dremel clones, the cause of death is often poor materials and most cannot be resurrected.  The electronics should be sealed or protected.  After I dissected a 100,200,300, 4000 and 3000, the only one immune from such a potential is the 100 because it has no electronics!  For all the models, keeping it clean after a dirty work will prolong its life substantially, avoid getting grit sucked into the rear air intake.

hmm on the last picture the electronics looks like a bit too dusty. btw i dont get why they didnt coat the board with something if its not sealed from the rest of the unit

[T4P]

I concur Mecha, this is were it gets grey.  If you are working on electronics and crafts, a handheld device will speed your work; but if you are working on large items: cars, chairs, tables, home improvement, a real die grinder is a better choice.  Thus, I don't see the value in the niche the big Dremel 4000 fit in, they also won't wear as well under heavy loads.

In my mind the 4000 is a joke, you expect a high-speed capable chuck at that price? NO you don't! I can buy a metabo for less than that and have much more power and well they are made like a brick

[marmad]

Dremel 245 and drill press 210 ---  34 years old and still working fine.  I think when I brought these from the US to Europe, Dremels were still not available there.

[saturation]

hi marmad, those are the much older and better made models, I think they don't carry parts for those anymore other than the brushes.  The presses made over the past 15 years are now mostly plastic, and its not as stable or durable.  You can add a triac based light dimmer or use a variac to it if you want variable speed out of it.

Dremel 245 and drill press 210 ---  34 years old and still working fine.  I think when I brought these from the US to Europe, Dremels were still not available there.

[marmad]

hi marmad, those are the much older and better made models, I think they don't carry parts for those anymore other than the brushes.  The presses made over the past 15 years are now mostly plastic, and its not as stable or durable.  You can add a triac based light dimmer or use a variac to it if you want variable speed out of it.

Yeah, I'm kind of amazed it just keeps working - all of my other electric tools from that period died and were replaced. I think the only other pieces of electrical/electronic tech that I own that are about the same age - and that I use regularly - are my HP-16C calculator and my Tektronix miniscope.

[Mechatrommer]

Dremel 245 and drill press 210 ---  34 years old and still working fine.  I think when I brought these from the US to Europe, Dremels were still not available there.

so this thing is bought during my 1st birthday? unbelievable! everything i know from the past are just "rust" now.

[grenert]

Thanks for the insight, guys!   
I've noticed the newer corded models have a top speed of 35,000, versus 28,800-30,000 on the older models.  Any idea on how they did this, given the similarity of design over the years (and interchangeability of parts)?  Is that extra 5,000 rpm useful?

[saturation]

... you're welcome, some of the issues described are in the archives of eevblog.  Not all parts are interchangeable to older models, early 1990s and earlier, but are more compatible late 1990 up, those now called MultiPro versus Multitool.  The increase in speed is just better motor design.  Before 1990, the Dremel looked very different and those parts are not interchangeable, and most parts no longer exist.  See photo.

Does 5K+ rpm help?  Every bit helps.  The tool works like a dentist drill [ which spins at 50-800k rpm] or die grinder, so more speed, more kinetic energy.  Like dentist drills, the quest has been for more speed, likewise for Dremel.   However, since mains voltage in the USA can vary by 10% and still be within quality standards, so can the speed of a Dremel vary, not sure it also translates to 10% speed variation, but being a tad faster the newer Dremels gives more buffer for speed variations particularly since the built in speed control is not continuously variable. 

With a continuously adjustable light dimmer or variac you can make fine adjustments for changes in speed due to line voltage fluctuations rather than be tied to the fixed speed settings of the built in controller of the Dremel.


The current speed of new Dremels is listed as 35,000.  I measured it with a optical tachometer at > 38,000 at ~120V, and with a variac, where you can push mains voltage + > 10%, I exceeded 40,000 just as a test.

Huge photos here:

http://www.dremelnewsroom.com/epks/brandhistory/downloadable.html

Thanks for the insight, guys!   
I've noticed the newer corded models have a top speed of 35,000, versus 28,800-30,000 on the older models.  Any idea on how they did this, given the similarity of design over the years (and interchangeability of parts)?  Is that extra 5,000 rpm useful?