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$35 Dremel Good enough for case mods?

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bobsaget

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,403
Would a $35 dremel, from Walmart be good enough for Aluminum? Acrylic? Other metals?

Thanks!
 
Price has little to do with what it will cut, it's more based off of the bit you use and the RPMs.
 
Well, could a 35 dollar dremel do the job?
(I think about bits later)

Or, do I need to spend 80 dollars on one?
 
If its brand name Dremel then ya, any of them are great. If you're going to be cutting lots of cheap plexi you'll want a variable speed one. If you're going to be cutting expensive lexan, speed doesnt matter that much because lexan doesnt melt when its cut like plexi, it just powders up. As for metals, a $35 one would be excellent, you don't need variable speed when cutting metals.
 
At least to me, i look for a nice corded Dremel. Cordless ones tend to have batteries die at very inopportune times.

One other item you may possibly consider is a flex shaft. They are great for those who have smallish hands and cant get a comfortable grip on the dremel itself. it also has the bonus of keeping your hands away from the speed slider.

Black & Decker makes a very nice dremel clone, that actually has a separate speed slider and on/off switch (dremel's slider is the on/off switch).
 
I think I spent $35-40 on my Dermal, and it works fine. It's got multiple speed settings though. Cut through my case like butter! :D
 
I would suggest getting a corded dremel or dremel clone. Running out of juice sucks azz. Sears sells a lovely clone called the "Craftsman Rotary Tool". You can get a variable speed model with accessories and what not for under $40 US. They also have a good product replacement warranty should you happen to burn it up.

Good luck and happy modding.
 
any specific model to get and/or attachemnts? i know u need certain attachments to cut certain things, and i was looking through a brochure display they had a lowes, but i didnt see anything for metal.
 
i got a single speed dremel for christmas and it was 30 dollars at a local hardware store. It can easily cut through steel and acrylic (havent tried it on aluminum, but i am sure that it could cut through aluminum quite well). This particular dremel came with very few accessories, which was something that didnt bother me at all. the only dremel bits i ever use are the cutting discs, and the sander

My Dremel
 
regardless what tool you buy, get some regular cutting discs, fiber-reinforced cutting disks, and some sanding wheels. Oh...and it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a set of motor brushes for it too. That way if the originals burn out on you, you're not stuck without a quick replacement.

I think my dremel has a problem b/c it goes through those damn brushes like crazy. I've had it for 3 years and have replaced the brushes 3 times (and I don't use it all the time. the occasional case mod and then I sharpen the lawn mower blades with it every weekend - a 5 minute job). Does anyone else have this problem or know what it's caused by? I certainly don't use it excessively. I have a 20year old Sears rotary tool that STILL works and even better than my new dremel in some cases.... haven't replaced the brushes in it since I bought the dremel and I used them about equally.
 
I bought a cheap dremel, the dremel itself worked perfect but the little screw on the end of the bit you attach the discs to broke almost immediately. Had to go out and buy a new bit.
 
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