A lot of Black Friday tool deals are going strong. Here are a couple of new promos that kicked off today.
Dremel 4300-5/40 rotary tool set: $85.33 via Amazon (Update 12pm: This deal looks to have EXPIRED)
Advertisement
See More Amazon Cyber Weekend Tool Deals
Cordless Power Tool Battery Deals via Acme Tools
Up to $20 off Dewalt Shelving via Acme Tools
Update: Sorry, I didn’t see those sizable freight charges. Zoro’s pricing is better:
Dewalt 3-shelf metal shelving unit via Zoro
Dewalt 4-shelf metal shelving unit via Zoro
Save up to 25% on Dewalt tools via Zoro (coupon offer) Read More
Advertisement
Stabila Be a True Pro Level Set: $130 via Tool Nut – also at other dealers; I can’t tell if this is a deal or special holiday pricing, but it seemed interesting enough for a quick mention.
Dremel Cordless Rotary Tool Kit 8220-1/28: $77.48 via Amazon
Lots of Wera tool deals at Amazon, still going strong:
Olight’s Free i1R 2 EOS keychain LED flashlight offer is still going strong.
If this is all you want to get, you only have to pay $5 shipping. ONE per customer.
Some of their Cyber Monday deals have started kicking off early. (Scroll to the bottom.)
Knives Ship Free has the Benchmade Proper knife on sale. You also get a free mini tool kit wit your Benchmade purchase. Sheepsfoot knife | Clip point knife (SOLD OUT, micarta-handled version is still available.)
Benchmade Proper Sheepsfoot: $127.50
Benchmade Proper Clip Point: $127.50
Their Black Friday deals are still ongoing.
Dewalt Tstak Bluetooth Radio/Music Player: $168 via Amazon
Proxxon Mini belt sander: $96.93
Olight i3T Flash Sale on Amazon: $12.76 after deal price and “clippable coupon”
Tom D
Cyber Saturday now? Cyber is already Monday! We need a different name … perhaps Taupe Saturday.
Brian Puccio
I’ve heard of:
* Black Friday
* Small Business Saturday
* Cyber Monday
* Giving Tuesday
Not sure if a special interest group has claimed the Sunday after Thanksgiving yet.
fred
Depending on what date that Sunday happens to be – there will undoubtedly be a Roman Catholic Saint’s Feast Day celebrated somewhere in the world, This year there are several including St. Saturninus. While in my faith – we seem to observe no one on the 29th – but St Andrew the Apostle on the 30th. (Cyber Monday this year) and Hymnwriter Isaac Watts (who knew? – until I looked him up) on the 26th (this year’s US Thanksgiving Day.)
Tom D
It’s also know as the second Sunday of Advent (tomorrow’s the first).
Chris
Tuesday is taco Tuesday 🤣
Steve G
The stabila are the lightweight skinny ones I assume. No thanks.
Julian Tracy
What the F is with that stupid logo splashed across the Stabila case and printed on those levels?! Might be a solid buy for what looks like the older style type 87 levels…
Tom D
It seems like one of those “boardroom brilliant” advertising techniques that perhaps should have stayed there.
I can just here the humorous comments from the other guys on the job site – better be a really good price to have to eat those.
Or maybe the last person to $@$@! up a job has to use the “true pro” levels of shame.
Mike
Someone left the computer on and their kid changed the typeface and sent it off to production lol.
MFC
Seriously.
This seems like a Wal-Mart kind of offering.
After watching perkins builder brothers stabila warranty replacement video, I’m going to stay away from them unless it’s a reeaaaally good deal.
fred
I saw that Stablia thing too when looking at their level sets yesterday – and thought “how not very German”
BTW – alternatives to the Dremel line are made by Proxxon in Luxembourg
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=proxxon&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
Amazon seems to have a listing for their diminutive belt sander (file) at a much lower ($97 but usually $149) price than elsewhere
https://www.amazon.com/Proxxon-38536-Belt-Sander-BS/dp/B0017PWTWE/
JoeM
I am considering a Proxxon… Two of them… One for me, one for my friend in Ohio who does PLA models. I know it sounds like I’m fanboying here, but, Adam Savage convinced me of the merrits on his Tested channel. I was on the fence when there was a member here (was it you, fred?) who advised me on Proxxon a couple years ago, when he mentioned the high-speed motors on Dremel irritated his Tinitis. But, since Proxxon operates at much slower speeds, the same thing doesn’t happen.
Then in comes Adam Savage who explains that Proxxon rotary tools operate in that happy zone between around 600-5000 RPM. The literal space just underneath where Dremel top line models START their speed. Which would allow one to take very delicate care on sensitive and soft materials. Gold, PLA, Thermoplastic, Etc.
So I THINK I’m Sold on them for both myself and my friend. It’s down to price, I think. Getting one here in Canada versus getting one sent to him in Ohio… I’m not sure how to work it with the state of the border right now. I might use Amazon.com and both buy AND ship it to my friend IN THE US, then wait for good stock numbers up in the North here and use Amazon.ca to get my own. But we’ll see, I think.
Any good advice on this, fred? You always have the best advice for me. I mean this with all the respect in the world… You’ve really become the smart, wise craftsman Father/Grandfather figure I never had. The one with DECADES more experience than I could dream of for everything I do. It means a lot to me!
fred
Thanks for the kind words.
Re Proxxon tools – I have absolutely no experience.
I started out with a Dremel model 280 single speed tool – then bought a Dremel 219 speed controller for it. The combination served me well for the modest amount of modeling and model RR work I undertook.
When I decided to try my hand at making decorative decoys – I decided to switch to to Foredom tools – a sort of happy wormhole to descend into – with various handpieces and attachments eating into your wallet. I also bought into the Canadian-made Razertip pyrography tools – having exhausted the capabilities of the cheap Wall-Lenk stuff that I first bought. I really like the Razertip tools – but that’s another place where you can spend money pretty fast.
As far as buying Proxxon tools – I don’t know much more than what I see on Amazon. But they do sell some items through Home Depot, they seem to have their own retail outlet in the US and I’m sure they sell thru various hobby tool suppliers like MicroMark.
Regarding Canadian Black Friday deals – I did get an email from these folks for 10% off sitewide:
https://www.mississaugahardware.com/
JoeM
Atlas Tools has massive tool deals right now… I got so overwhelmed with what was on sale at all the tool places, that I wandered off the regular track and bought some underwear, some new sweat pants, and a pair of comfy shorts for around the house. It was all massively on sale, and I needed it more absolutely than the arguments I was having with myself over Tools.
I ALMOST bought myself a Wera Kraftform Kompact Turbo Screwdriver Handle for my EDC, because it was on serious sale. I just got frustrated with balancing “Adult Decisions” with “OOH! I WANT ONE SO BAD!! SUCH A GOOD PRICE!!”… I just backed out and did the responsible buy, considering the sales out there aren’t JUST for Tools and Toys to play with.
Speaking of… I discovered THIS at Atlas while I was down the rabbit hole of their sale this weekend… I wanted to know if this is something I missed here on ToolGuyd or not… It seems… Remarkably adaptable… LITERALLY…
https://www.atlas-machinery.com/dewalt/dwamrasetft/
It’s a combo Impact Ready (FlexTorq Line) Compact Right Angle with Handle, Right Angle Grip, Flex Shaft, and Right-Angled Flex-Shaft, made out of parts that hold together by magnets? Has anyone seen this thing EVER before, or could this be a Canada thing?
And YES… It just so happens to be ON SALE.
MH
“Proxxon rotary tools operate in that happy zone between around 600-5000 RPM”
Can you provide a model #? I’m looking at Proxxon’s website and I can’t find a low speed rotary tool.
JoeM
https://www.amazon.com/Proxxon-28512-Micromot-Rotary-Transformer/dp/B075QLHB2X/ref=psdc_552862_t1_B000S5KO3K
It’s this one. This is the model Adam Savage uses, and he demonstrates it going as low as 600RPM in one of his most recent videos… I think it’s his 2020 Favourite Things video on Tested YouTube Channel?
I admittedly don’t know the EXACT specs on it, only that it goes slower than Dremel even starts at. Most Dremel tools start either at 2500 RPM, or 5K RPM. THAT I know from experience. The 100 series goes straight to 10K, the 200 series goes to 10K and 15K, the 300 series goes between 5 K and 15K dynamic switch series, then it gets into the Thousand-Series models. 3000 and 8100 are Dynamic Range between 2500 and 30K, 8100 is 8 Volt Max. 400, 4000/4200/4300 are 5K to 35K RPM, 8200/8220 are 2500 to 30K, 12 Volt Max Battery.
The Proxon family is new to me. I’m not done my research.
By the way, AMAZON may call that Proxxon a “mini Belt Sander” but the actual tool name is “Finger Sander”… When you go to try and buy belts for it, you won’t find them unless you’re looking for “Finger Sander Belts.”
By the way, I had to go to the US site for the links, because in Canada, it’s four times the price. Canada doesn’t have a direct access to Proxxon tools as easily. They either sell out fast, or they don’t ship as many units up North here. One of those reasons I hesitate to buy one. Getting the kit that says $91 USD on Amazon.com is out of stock, and priced at $280 CAD when it’s IN stock.
Stuart
Thanks! Added it to the list.
Is it any less German than a power tool brand giving their tools names like “Freak” as Bosch has done?
JoeM
Last I checked, Proxxon does both. Model Number AND Name. They’ll call the model that goes faster the “High Speed” whatever, while the slower one the “Low Speed”, and the Finger-Sander only comes in the one model, so it’s either “Finger Sander” or “Finger Sander Kit” with their AC/DC Power Source Box included.
Plus, I think the model numbers help to indicate what region of the world they’re built for, circuitry wise. Some of them don’t need the Proxxon 12V power converter, it plugs directly into whatever socket it’s sold for in the world.
Plus… Luxembourg… REALLY famous in the Jeweller’s Tools world. Some of the oldest custom tool makers started there, before moving to Berlin, Moscow, Brussels, and Geneva later on. (Though they’re still located in Luxembourg as well.)
fred
I inherited a set of old (probably from before WWII) small taps (presumably for jewelers) that were made in Luxembourg. They are etched with metric dimensions but cut threads that seem to be a bit off of modern ISO standards. Maybe they are Löwenherz or some other odd thread form that I don’t know about.
fred
I should have added that Luxembourg is a nice place to visit – the City combines both old-word charm and lots of modern amenities – and going out to visit the WWII American Cemetery (where George Patton is buried) is a somber reminder of the sacrifices made by Americans in that war.
JoeM
I don’t have 100% of the details from back then, but Luxumbourg was very much contended territory during WWII. So close to Germany, Austria, and all the core Nazi countries, it took until at least 1948 before the Tool Making industry in Luxumbourg had updated to ISO standards fully. They were still operating under both the uncertainty of war, and the obsessive manufacturing led by the European precision machinists that were their clients. Watches were still being made, expensive jewellery, REMARKABLY complex little screws had to be invented to help things like Code Breaking machines function… They went through a lot to deliver precision there. That’s why they are so treasured as a separate country NOW.
They don’t have a lot of trade in Tourism, but for Banking, and STILL for Precision Tools and Machining Standards, they’re quite a wealthy little place. Practically a Gold Standard of WWII era precision tools, those taps you have from there, depending on the size, may easily be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Swiss or Belgian watch Repair shop with multi-generation heritage. Because if they, at any point, lost THEIR taps from that era? They can’t do a repair on a WATCH from that era, or earlier, either. If they’re the right sizes, you could be holding their family’s reputation in your collection of tools.
Luxumbourg is just THAT integral to precision tools, fred.
Nate B
They must assume we’re all buying Wera tools _because_ of the “tool rebels” nonsense, not _in spite of it_.
Marketing flunky see, flunky do.
Bonson
Definite cringe. No doubt inspired by Wera’s Tool Rebel cheesiness.
blocky
I bit last month on a pair of “My 1STabila’s”– 40cm and 80cm –
As a lifestyle brand, it’s corny as hell, but really solid levels, calibrated accuracy in all orientations, with metric markings on the top edge– definitely a step up from the budget line.
Steve G
Ya so lame. Lacquer thinner?
Vards Uzvards
CPO Outlets via Amazon: DWST17510 TSTAK radio @ $168.
If you’re looking for one – it’s a quite good price.
Stuart
Thanks! Added it to the list.
Vards Uzvards
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BHWQ57T/
JoeM
We’re gonna get sale’d out if the deals keep up like this. And poor Stuart has to write about them! By TUESDAY he very well may be speaking in tongues, and creating links that go nowhere, but still summon the Lovecraftian Elder Gods anyways!
Stuart’s SANITY is at stake here! Will no one think of our sanity???
No one’s laughing, are they? Damn… I thought I was funny that time!
By the way, THAT Dremel Rotary tool? Worth it at any price. If they sold JUST the unit itself, no consumables OR accessories? STILL worth it at any price. It’s a bit of a sleeper, after the massive failure that was the 4200. They tried to replace the Dremel Wrenches for tightening things, but it never solved the problem for those that had anything other than that model of Rotary Tool, and for a huge number of PAST users, they weren’t going to replace an entire, fully functional, completely within its happy place for maintenance, Rotary Tool just to not have to use a wrench. Dremel SHOULD have improved how the Wrenches worked, instead they went for an entirely new, unnecessary model that was identical to the 4000 except for the quick release system.
The 4300? Raised the amp draw on the motor, making it THE SINGLE most powerful Dremel Rotary Tool they’ve ever made, changed the colour scheme to the more subtle black rubberized grip surfacing, and created the ring light attachment on top of it. This was the successor to the 4000 that we really wanted, and it’s totally worth it.
Can you tell how bad I want one? WAY more expensive up North here. And I already have all those attachments except the ring light. Consumables are ALWAYS welcome, but… Hard to justify that much overlap.
And I agree on the weird writing theme thing with Jullian up above me here. Last I checked, Stabilla levels were good on their own, and sold well on their own. What’s with the horror show marketing case and paint scheme that look like they’re involved in painting? Looks awful. Could’ve just been a Stabilla bag, with that line of levels (keychain level and all) inside, and we’d still buy it.
fred
The light attachment is available by itself:
https://www.toolpartspro.com/bosch-parts/miscellaneous-parts/bosch-1600a009p2-light-module
https://www.partswarehouse.com/Dremel-Light-Attachment-BSH-1600A009P2-p/bsh-1600a009p2.htm
JoeM
I know. I was going to buy two more anyways. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with my 4000 or 8200 Cordless. I don’t want the 4300 for the light, I want it because of the power increase, and updates to the grip. Plus my Mother’s Dremel 395, that I learned on as a child, is still 100% functional, and the light would fit that too. Why should my Mom, who taught me how to use a Dremel as my first power tool, miss out on my gains? I can pass the light attachment around MY Dremel tools, getting HER one for the old classic would just be my way of saying “Thank you for teaching me what I know” kind of thing? Does that make sense?
Stuart
Actually, I find a lot of satisfaction in posting about tool deals. It helps with the “man, I wish this was on sale when I bought it/needed to buy it!!” feelings.
It helps a lot of people, and I’m usually also shopping for deals myself. I operate in a “wow, that’s an interesting deal, I bet ToolGuyd readers will also appreciate hearing about it” manner.
Plus, this year all of November led up to this. I have to see it through. I’m just happy Friday is over – I went down at 1am, but that’s a lot better than 6:30am the night before. I’ll be up late Sunday night to cover the Monday flash sales nice and early right when they launch at 3am, and that should be it for my late nights until Prime Day 2021.
Monday will be tough, but Tuesday? I’m going to sleep well. Tuesday kicks off two things – MORE holiday season deals (woo!), but also a tapering-off of tool deal coverage where regular tool news and review coverage will start to resume.
JoeM
See? BenV got the joke! Thanks Ben!
I was only kidding, Stuart. I know you love doing this stuff for us. At the same time, I gotta at least TRY to be funny, and bring some levity to the insanity every year. What better time to make light of the situation, than a situation you’re already having fun doing?
Come on now, Stuart. We pick on eachother about Pentel GraphGear pencils and Engineer Scissors already. Gotta have some fun about the MASSIVE amounts of deals we got going on!
Of course, I say that, then wouldn’t you just have a stroke if the entire line of Engineer Scissors, Screw Pliers, and Soldering Supplies went on Cyber Monday super-sale? You’d just link to this exact post from me and say “Yep. He called it!” and we’d all laugh at the insanity of it all! You’d NEVER let me live that one down!
Ben V
I thought it was funny 🙂
DaveP
Has anyone try to buy the 4300 at Amazon? The price on the website is $85.33, but when added to the cart the deal is not applied. The cart shows the price at $114.77. I went through the entire check-out process (until final confirmation) and the deal is never applied. Frustrating.
A-A-ron
I own that TSTAK radio, despite not having any yellow tools and owning mostly Milwaukee and Makita. I keep it in my car with a 9.0 Battery and it runs a good 2 weeks on a single charge, and it’s arguably the best sounding radio I’ve heard. I paid about the same as that $168, and you can’t go wrong at that price. It’s relatively compact by jobsite radio standards, too!
Aaron
Any deals on wood machinist chests? My wife needs something fancy for her jewelry and metalworking tools and I think a quality wood box would be a great find
Stuart
I haven’t seen any yet. Sometimes they’re stocked for Black Friday/Gift Center deals, but I haven’t seen any yet.
What about from Otto Frei? https://www.ottofrei.com/watchmaker-Mini-Workbench They have 5% off $100+ and 10% off $500+ right now.
I saw this at Harbor Freight last year: https://www.harborfreight.com/eight-drawer-wood-tool-chest-94538.html
Aaron
The otto frei jewelry bench looks pretty perfect actually, even better than what I was picturing. That will let her load up a few projects and then work on them wherever she wants. Thanks!
Stuart
You’re welcome – I’m glad to hear that! I’d be eager to hear about if/how well it works out for her!
fred
You might search on Gerstner Tool Chest.
The HF looks like a knockoff of one of theirs.
JoeM
This is going to sound SUPER counter-intuitive… but have you tried a Plano Fishing Tackle Box with a Cantilever opening? It’s… Effectively the Tool Equivalent of an old fashioned 1940’s-1950’s era Women’s Jewellery Box. It just has moving divider clear containers instead of built-in drawers, and the slots in the cantilever section are significantly more regularly placed than that of an actual Jewellery box. Also… It’s larger than a jewellery box, so you can fit tools into it as well as supplies to work on Jewellery.
I used one for a little while, before I went to round, stackable, twist-lock clear containers for all my jewellery stuff. I THINK the best prices for those Plano boxes are going to be… Bass Pro Shops? And I KNOW they do these Black Friday Weekend sale extravaganzas there.
If you can’t find one with drawers deep enough for the type of jewellery your wife is doing, then yeah… Tradesman Wood Toolchests are awesome. And OttoFrei will have both better prices, and higher quality, for Jewellery storage and tool solutions. It’s REALLY going to come down to the exact kind of jewellery your Wife makes. That will dictate the scale you need.
DaveP
Apparently the “deal” on the Dremel 4300 has expired. The web page is now back to $114.77.
Stuart
Thank you – I updated the post. That’s weird, it didn’t seem to be a flash sale or deal of the day, I wonder what happened.
Koko The Talking Ape
Those Benchmade Proper knives with carbon fiber handles are out of stock at Knives Ship Free (and they seem to have had only the sheepsfoot with carbon.) No wonder, since they were half off! They have Proper models in both sheepsfoot and clip point blades, but only with green canvas Micarta handles (discounted too, but not by much.)
Stuart
Thanks! Darn. I was debating whether the CF version would be a good fit for personal use. I bought the micarta version this year for review and like it a lot so far. Decision was made for me, probably for the best.
Koko The Talking Ape
That CF version sure was purty! At half off, I’d have been tempted.
Ben V
Boooo! I missed out on the Dremel, I’ve been watching out for a deal on one!
MT_Noob
The Proxon is no longer $96, it went up to $107. I had it in my cart and apparently the price reverted while I was in the middle of shopping for some extra belts. Bummer.
fred
Be careful what you wish for. Once I started down the Foredom route it became a new way to spend money. First 1 motor than a second so you could easily switch between handpieces – then on and on. Don’t regret the added convenience and performance – but my wallet is lighter for it.
fred
I was responding to Nate B – but my comments somehow ended up here – fat fingers strike again!
John S
I’m gonna mention it here since I haven’t seen it yet-finally broke down and got the Shapeoko XXL.
I’m not ready to buy their new pro model since this is going to be a new endeavor for me, here’s their Bf weekend deal:
15% off everything in our store except machines (Shapeoko Pro, Shapeoko, and Nomad) and Amana cutters.
Shapeoko Standard/XL/XXL includes a Carbide Compact Router and a BitSetter.
https://carbide3d.com/blog/2020/black-friday-2020/
Nate B
IMHO, if you’re gonna deal with a Dremel-type tool with the motor in the handpiece, the Ryobi PRT100 (PRT100K / PRT100KN) is a much better deal. $60 including a battery and charger right now. It’s the low-end light-duty tool, which is just what I was looking for.
For more than low-end use, I think you want a flex-shaft anyway, with a more serious motor away from the handpiece.
JoeM
Depending on the application, yeah. Only problem I find these days is over-saturation of the market. Dremel has released several low-ranging models in the past couple years, and they’re beating the snot out of those Ryobi models. In some cases, I don’t think it’s fair, especially with the new “Built in Battery” trend that Dremel is pushing.
On the upside, Dremel DO make a workstation, a flexshaft tower, and a Flex Shaft itself, that work with their workhorse Rotary Models. So… when you ARE ready to step up a bit, then step up with some pride. Just starting out? Don’t get confused by all the models from Dremel alone. Obviously many tool brands can get away with making their equivalent tool a “Die Grinder” or a “Cut out Tool”… These ARE, most definitely Rotary Tools. You can get away with using them just the same, ending any debate over whether Dremel is saturating the market. I’m a Dremel USER for most of my life, and I’m locked into my Dremel level. Doesn’t mean I recommend them for everyone.
DRT
I am done with Dremel. A month ago, one of my Dremel rotary tools died. As in, turn the switch on, and nothing happens. Pulled a new one off the shelf (yes, I had several). Three days ago, that one died. Two made-in-Mexico Dremels dead within a month. Don’t get me wrong – when I bought my first Dremel in 1975, it lasted 30 years, but that’s when they were made in Racine, WI and that’s not where they come from anymore. I am now 100% Proxxon. You get a precision 3-jaw collet (instead of Dremel’s wobbly 4-jaw collet). The speed control works well. You can get (and I recommend) a nice side handle, which really improves your control over the thing. Brushless motors. The only things I don’t really love about the Proxxon tools, are: A. the color which isn’t particularly attractive B. it’s too easy to bump the on/off switch.
JoeM
I’ve heard that a few times now, actually. My 4000 and 8200 models are of the “Made in Mexico” batches, but they work great, 8 years on. Haven’t needed to replace a brush, haven’t had any issues with burnouts on the motors…
Everyone I ask the following question to, seems to answer the same. Do you use compressed air or any kind of dust off process to clear off the dust from the rotary tool? The answer to those who have the burnouts seems to be “No” and those like myself, who dust off the Dremel after every use, have little to no problems with the machines.
Is this happening to you, too? My Mother’s 1970’s era 395, pre-Mexico, doesn’t care whether you dust it off or not. But apparently the more modern ones need a little babying compared to the originals. But, my Mother did ultimately tell me “Dremel Tools need to be babied anyways. You have to have a gentle touch, or they’ll burn out. Make sure you don’t operate the tool faster or slower than the demands of the bit, or you will just cause heat and ruin the work. And if you care about this tool enough for your work to be mission-critical, then treat the tool with respect, and keep it clean so it’s always fresh and ready to work with.”
I obsessively clean mine. Maybe that’s the difference, maybe not… But I do agree the move to Mexico made them significantly more delicate.
I’ve stated higher up in this article thread that I still plan on getting MYSELF a Proxxon. But it’s not because my Dremels have failed me, it’s because the Proxxon tools operate significantly slower, for softer materials. Plus… I’m colourblind… Literally, I’m not trying to make any kind of “I’m on this side of the battle” statement. I can’t see the vast majority of the colours used by these companies. I can see Red and Yellow fine, but everything else is greyscale. That the Proxxon tools use different colours won’t make any difference to me, because frankly… They’ll fall into the same colour tone ranges as my Dremel tools, as far as I can literally see them. It’ll just be down to their shape that tells me the difference. Why’d I mention this at all? One of your downsides was the colourscheme. I have to be honest, I hadn’t considered the colour to be important at all. But, as you can probably figure out for yourself, I never consider colour to determine anything.
fred
Maybe its not where its made – but rather the slimmer- more compact design and added features (compared to the old 270’s and 280’s) that make the newer tools more prone for problems with dust. My 280 – from the 1970’s – is not what you would call ergonomic by today’s standards -and its a single-speed tool – but it still works.
JoeM
The 8050 you mean? No, Dremel has had problems with the 4000, 8200, 4200, and 8220 models, all made in Mexico, burning out their motors. The 4300 is rather new, so there’s not a lot of people who have had it long enough to do the kind of damage people were doing to the previous models.
I came up with a theory that the more powerful, heavier models gave a subconscious amount of confidence in Dremel Rotary tools. To the point that they were being literally abused. Thinking they were in a DeWALT/Bosch/Milwaukee class of tool, with tons of Torque to go with that high speed, there was a lot of breaking, and sparking, and overheating going on, and never once were they being dusted off after use. That built up and burned them out.
The Mexico-Made high end tools genuinely were the problem. People didn’t know they STILL needed to be babied like the originals like your 280, and my Mother’s 395. That Dremel is about SPEED, not TORQUE. So, these burnouts are very common, and it is to be expected when you build the tools so desperately far from the original Dremel design. They LOOK like they can be abused, out of the box. They can’t, but it looks like they can handle it. They’re just more powerful for the speed and JUST enough more torque to be able to drive their heavier attachments. That’s it.
So, it’s entirely possible to blow up a Dremel, despite being 100% Competent with them. The Mexico-Made era HEAVY designs really do trick the user. I’m just not used to abusing mine, hence why mine don’t follow the same curve. They’re still Mexico-Made, but I’m so used to babying the 395, that I couldn’t treat my 4000 or 8200 any different. That’s probably the ONLY barrier that has saved my PERSONAL Dremel Tools from the same fate as DRT’s tools.