What model dremel?

[SinCrisis]

is this brand reliable? Ive never heard of them so... the kit seems to have a lot of what i think ill be needing and its way cheaper than the dremel kit

[pcclan]

yes it is my friend has it

[blueonblack]

I have to say after reading some of the reviews on that second link you provided that I can't recommend it. They must have changed motor manufacturers since I bought mine 2 years ago because it hasn't given me a bit of trouble.

[SinCrisis]

Ok, so im still a bit confused on which one would fit my needs the best? The kawasaki looks very attractive because of the price and all the additions it comes with but a dremel seems to have way more options in add-ons?

this one: seems to be a very interesting kit and its cheaper than the ones offered by lowes: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-3956-02...6473225&sr=1-6 <-- the reviews do seem to point towards having not reliable attachments however...

I honestly know nothing about rotary tools so I am very confused...

[x88x]

The good points about Dremel's are:
Good quality for the money (there are much better available, but they're also very expensive).
LOTS of accessories.
Accessories are very widely available (at least in the US).
AWESOME customer support.

Bad points:
Accessories are a little pricey sometimes.

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I have had both the 300 and the 400 XPR models. Both are very nice, but if you are able to, I would highly recommend the 400 XPR. This is Dremel's flagship rotary tool, and it shows. It has a more powerful motor than the 300 and 200 models (2.0A vs 1.15A), and has a much more flexible speed control. The 200 is the 2-speed that you linked, and has..well, two set speeds. The 300 has 8 speeds (iirc, it's been a while since I used mine) which is much nicer, but the 400 XPR has an analog dial speed selector, which lets you smoothly transition from the min to max speeds and anywhere in between. Another really nice feature of the 400 XPR is that it actually has an on-off switch. The 200 and 300 series tools just have an 'off' position on the speed selector switch, which means that every time you have to stop the tool for whatever reason, you have to then ramp it up to the speed you had previously. With the 400, you can just turn it off, then on again, without ever touching the speed control. I didn't think much of this feature when I bought it, but after the first time using it...wow...I will never willingly go back to my 300.

The flex-shaft is about the most useful accessory I have every found for it, especially when working on small details. It was also included in the kit I bought my 400 XPR in, so you might not have to get one separately.

The reinforced cut-off discs are the large, fiberglass discs as opposed to the smaller ceramic ones. The quick-lock accessory gives a MUCH nicer attachment for cut-off discs because it makes it soo much easier to replace a used up disc, and also because it gives the tool better, more spread out leverage on the disc, making it much harder to over-torque the disc and rip out the center (something I've done on more than a few occasions). Point being, I would highly recommend the quick-lock attachment/discs if you plan to do much cutting at all.

Also, as has been mentioned, make sure you get safety glasses and a face mask (the thicker paper ones work very nicely, look for ones rated for high dust/etc levels. the cheap thin ones are really not intended for much more than cutting grass/etc). Work gloves are also a very nice addition. I used my 300 for several years without any of these, and I must say, they are all very much worth the small initial cost. They make working much more enjoyable, as I'm not having to constantly worry about stuff getting in my eyes, or breathing stuff, or burning my hands with flying metal shards...it lets me get a much closer look at the work I'm doing, and makes it easier for me to control the tool (since I'm not having to worry about other stuff).

[SinCrisis]

wow super informative post. i looked up the 400 xpr on amazon and got this: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-400-6-9...6494002&sr=8-1 seems like it would have everything i need except for maybe i need the reinforced disks and the quick lock?

[blueonblack]

Yeah, that looks like the step above mine, it comes with the saw and the LED light, nice kit.

[x88x]

Wow, nice kit. Yeah, I think I got the same kit you did, blue. My case has spots for the saw/light/etc, but didn't come with them. Looks like a very good kit for the price.

[SinCrisis]

sweet... This set comes with a few cutting discs already, if i only plan to cut a window will that be enough or should i go for the reinforced disks and e-z lock system? This is a bit above my budget so i would prefer to not spend anymore money besides just this kit for now. Also for sanding paint and paint jobs, do i use a this rotary tool to do it or should it be done by hand?

[x88x]

If I remember correctly, my set came with, like, 3-4 reinforced cut-off discs (normal, not quick-swap). Whether that would be enough to cut a window in your case really depends on the case. When I was cutting out the bottom fan holes in MightyMite, I went through I think about 3-4 discs on the rough initial cuts, but that was ~2.5mm steel. I you're going through aluminum or thinner steel, you'll use less.

For sanding, really it's a personal preference, but I've recently gone over to the flap-wheel camp. I got a couple wheels for free when I sent in my 400 for repair (I blew out the motor...make sure you don't let a lot of metal dust get inside it...), and used them to sand off the paint for, I think it was the HDD mount for MightyMite. Short of a belt/drum sander, I think that was the easiest, most effective method I've used. They're more expensive than the sanding drum attachments, but imo more useful. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...166-353-503-03