Dremel, well known for their rotary tools, is due for something new.
The hobbyist tool brand has expanded their focus in recent years to include a small range of home and lifestyle tools, and crafting tools.
They entered the digital fabrication business with 3D printers and then a laser cutter. Dremel left the digital fabrication industry in 2022.
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Their home solutions line included a cordless screwdriver, hot glue gun (similar to the Bosch sold in Europe), a flashlight, and a laser distance measuring tool.
Dremel’s Amazon store neatly summarizes the brand’s tool categories:
- Rotary tools and accessories
- 4V tools (home and lifestyle)
- Oscillating tools and accessories
- Pet grooming
- Compact saws
- Cleaning products
I remember the excitement I used to have over new Dremel tools and innovations.
Their Fortiflex flex-shaft tool came out in 2010 in Europe, and 2013 in the USA. I had hoped Dremel would seek to grow as a competitor in this space, but they’re no Foredom.
The Dremel Trio was an interesting multi-functional cutting tool. It was a tad bit gimmicky, but was innovative and versatile.
The Dremel Moto-Saw was an interesting 2013 launch. It was half powered fret saw, half scroll saw.
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It looks like you can still buy the Dremel Moto-Saw today – Amazon has it for $115.
Ryobi has been expanding their presence in both rotary tool and hobby tool industries. They’re already a major player in the homeowner tool market.
What is Dremel doing to push back against what I would consider major competition?
Dremel launched two new cordless rotary tools a year ago, and a brushless “smart” rotary tool months earlier in late-2021.
What have they done since then? What is Dremel doing to grow?
They sum it up with this social media post:
New year, same tools. Is that a good thing?
I always like to see more from Dremel, and I’ve started to think they are due for something new.
The brand seems to have grown a bit stagnant in my opinion, and they’re facing new and very serious competition from Ryobi.
As Amazon has started displaying sales data in search results, it looks like Dremel sold quite a few tools recently, possibly due to Prime Day sales and promotions. Is that enough?
Rog
I remember 20 years ago Dremel was the go-to. But now I barely even think of them. Just got an email this week that Ryobi announced a bunch of new 4v tools, including 1/4” and 3/8” ratchets. Not sure if you’ve seen them, Stuart, but they’re interesting.
Jared
That’s a weird social media post. I suppose they were going for a different impression than the one I got.
In some ways, it’s odd that Dremel is still a going concern. Their infamous rotary tool is now available from a myriad of brands – and its not like there’s another must-have tool to draw new users to the brand.
Stuart
I can see their line of thinking, kind of along the “new look, same product” stickers that are applied to redesigned product packaging. But it works here too.
I can’t recommend their oscillating multi-tool anymore, due to the proprietary interface that’s only compatible with clunky dual-compatible blades.
Their rotary tools and accessories are still great. They always had competition from cheaper tools, but now they have on-par competition from Ryobi.
The household tools aren’t promoted at Home Depot anymore, especially since Ryobi now has a 4V USB-chargeable line.
Dremel has had some great tools over the years – I loved their 7.2V screwdriver and fantastic Stylus rotary tool from 2006.
It almost seems like they’ve given up on taking risks. The absence of new innovations coupled with increasing competition on several fronts is not a good combination.
David Z
I loved the Stylus! I lost my charger during Sandy, I think, after they stopped selling them. I couldn’t find a charger, so I bought a lightly used tool for over MSRP, which as we all know, guarantees we find the missing one. I now have two!
JML
The Stylus was the most ergonomic rotary tool ever made. I love mine, and if the batteries ever die I hope I can get them replaced by one of the places that do that kind of thing. I don’t understand why they dropped it and have never replaced it. The bulky, huge, and hard-to-handle battery-powered current models are nowhere near as useful, easy to use, or as suited to fine detail work. Great companion to their Pro corded model, the 398.
John
Haha that ad is dead-on. I’m not sure where they’re even trying to go with the brand. It use to be that a rotary tool was just called a dremel and they were what you bought if you were a hobbyist. Now everyone makes them, and it seems like most of them are as good or better than dremel’s. They have this huge range of products (looking on their website it shows 15 rotary tools) and I can’t figure out what distinguishes them.
It just seems like a company that is rudderless, randomly putting out mediocre products with no vision or direction. They need to pare down their product lines, figure out what part of the market they want to go after, and then make something that stands out in that segment.
Rx9
They’re owned by Bosch, right? Why not make tools compatible with the Bosch battery systems?
I suspect the lack of battery compatibility (even between similar wattage Dremel branded tools) is driving some customers away.
Honestly, I feel Dremel would work better and more synergistically within the Bosch 12v and 18v systems.
Shawn Y
You can pry off the end cap of the Bosch for a longer lasting Dremel. It slides out though if it vibrates too much.
JoeM
The new 8260 Bluetooth Connected Rotary Tool is 100% compatible with the Bosch 12V batteries, and the two 20V tools, the MultiMax and the… I wanna say SawMax or MultiSaw? They are also 100% compatible with Bosch batteries from the same line.
Says so in their literature online as well. The website is hard to navigate, but if you know the model number system, you can just go head on into the pages for those tools. Downloading their manuals shows which tools can use Bosch batteries. I haven’t checked the two newest Rotary tools yet, 8240 and 8250, but they’re 12V like the 8260, and that one is definitely Bosch 12V compatible. I currently own the 8260, and it’s in the manual.
Stuart
The Dremel 18V tools do NOT work with Bosch higher capacity 18V batteries, only their smallest ones. I’ve tested this.
frobo
I agree; in today’s environment, it’s innovate or die. I love my Dremel, but they need to continually think about developing some new stuff (adopting the Bosch 12V Max battery system as Rx9 suggests would be a positive move, I think). Otherwise, they’ll become an industry footnote, similar to what happened to Maglite.
Stuart
There’s some cross-compatibility. Compact Bosch batteries will fit the most recent Dremel 20V Max cordless power tools, but not higher capacity batteries.
In my opinion, Dremel should take a “Dremel, powered by Bosch 12V/18V” approach, or simply allow for full battery compatibility. There’s a dilution risk there. How many people in the brand’s target audiences associate Dremel with Bosch?
JoeM
I never thought of that before, Stuart, but I agree 100% with that idea. “Powered by Bosch” batteries in their cordless tools would be a fantastic idea. It effectively doubles the number of places you can buy batteries for the tools.
Right now, it’s extremely difficult to find Dremel batteries where you buy Dremel products. I don’t know why, but they’re usually special order. Now that they’re producing at least 5 tools that are 100% compatible with Bosch batteries, it makes a lot of sense to openly show they’re “Powered by Bosch” to make shopping for supplies easier.
Wayne R.
I was reflecting the other day on capitalism and its take on growth, that not only should a company always grow, its growth should grow too – otherwise it’s a dying company. Pretty harsh.
Stuart
Growth is not necessary for all businesses.
But what I see here are strong impetuses for potential decline, as other companies grow in a way that could eat into Dremel’s core businesses.
JR Ramos
Dremel started to stagnate in people’s minds I think back in the late 90s but they had their mainstay products that carried them even as cheap imports showed up en masse…and usually once people tried those (especially the bits and such) they’d go back to Dremel or step up to Foredom. But all their new stuff was gimmicky or lackluster and to me it seemed most were feeling as you do now.
That marketing…could be delivered much better, but it’s probably *supposed* to be a great claim. “Our tools aren’t junk and will last you for years, so they’re durable and a good value.” Right? Might work better for Milwaukee with some hard driving music and simulated dust clouds.
The last thing I saw that really got my Dremel-attention was the little planer attachment for the electric model that was an unfortunate disaster. That was a great idea, tough on small motors probably, but innovative and actually a useful thing at times (for hobbyists of course).
I went Milwaukee on my cordless rotary, mostly because I had the platform but the performance seemed good – and is – but that’s a common thing these days for consumers. Still rocking a 90s electric 395 quite frequently (have spare brushes and switches but it’s starting to look like I’ll never need them…impressive considering what I’ve done to the tool sometimes). When that tool dies I’ll likely look elsewhere unless Dremel steps up the quality again. I wish they’d get their German-made keyless chucks back up to snuff, too…those used to be outstanding (when they were silver) but they’re a 70/30 chance of getting wobbly junk now.
JoeM
I’ve been a devout Dremel user since my Mother taught me to use hers at age 9. I, too, am quite concerned for the brand. There are things I like how they’ve done it, but many others that they should have left to the Bosch brand to do better. I don’t always like what Bosch USA has done in the NA market, and those things are usually making Dremel look very bad. I own a very large swath of Dremel products, and I swear by them. So I think someone like myself having the opinion that I don’t like what Bosch is doing with Dremel is a pretty clear sign there’s something wrong.
Even that said, I not only have no problem with how Ryobi has done for the “Crafter-Level” tools they’ve released, I rather like their designs. I am proud to know that Ryobi is bringing this level of tool use to more people, because otherwise not many people outside this user space even know these tools exist. How many people know about Foredom who don’t do Carving? Similarly Proxxon who haven’t first had Dremel and been recommended to Proxxon for specific tool benefits? Now there’s Ryobi to do the same. This is a user space I’m very well acquainted with, and many of the tool brands here aren’t as competitive as other industries. They have their own little sub-niches they fill better than Dremel does, but the one that seems to outlast them all is still Dremel.
I would fear, first, for Proxxon with Ryobi entering this space. Much of the new Ryobi hobbyist ecosystem overlaps with nearly identical Proxxon tools. I was intending to buy one or two Proxxon tools as it is, but the articles here on ToolGuyd that revealed the Ryobi systems on release have made me worry about the availability of those Proxxon tools.
I do have some “Wish they’d do this” ideas for Dremel, as a long-life Dremel user. Should there be interest in that list, I can supply it easily on request. But, otherwise I think I’ve typed enough to annoy Stuart already. Dremel is a brand I am both sentimentally, and technically, very passionate about, so I can be very strongly opinionated regarding them. And I apologize if I’m a little rough on anyone, I don’t target the person, I am often targeting the problems with perceiving Dremel.
JR Ramos
Just an aside: Foredom has always had its strongest user base in the jeweler community although some tool and die makers (and probably lots of tool rooms/cribs back in the day) kept them around where more delicate grinding was needed and the large die grinders or air grinders got in the way. There used to be a lot more “hanging units” than there are these days. Actually, did Dremel get rid of those in their lineup recently? Theirs were never as good but they were very decent. The handhelds were just an entirely different market.
MM
Foredoms seem to be well known in specific trades. I didn’t know that woodcarvers used them but jewelers and gunsmiths certainly do. They are also common in shops making injection molding dies. Mold shops also tend to have larger flex-shaft tools as well. I really like the Suhner Rotofera, that is an amazing tool which is not all that well known. It is a flex-shaft machine with a 1kw (so about 1.3 HP) motor and….drumroll please…..a 7-speed gearbox that ranges from 1000 rpm in low up to 14,400 in the highest gear. The gearbox feature is huge because it gives you added torque in the lower speeds whereas most machine’s electric variable speed does no such thing.
TonyT
The ROTOfera does look awesome, but is wimpy compared to the ROTOmax 4.0 (4KW, requires 3 phase 400-480V, looks like price starts over $10K).
MM
Yes, they have much bigger ones too. I have never used a Rotomax but it sounds like it does not have the benefit of low range gears. However, they also have the Rotar, which is a mere 3.2kW but it has 6 speeds. I would love to either one but I cannot justify the spend!
TonyT
Yeah, I missed that on the ROTOmax 4.0, since everything else if, IIRC, 5, 6 or 7 gears.
Of course, you’d not only have to pay for the Rotar, but also pay for 480V 3 phase power!
MM
Oh, I’ve got the power already! I kept a 30 HP rated rotary phase converter from my old machining business. My DoAll saws, lathes, milling machine, and drill press are all 3-phase.
TonyT
30 amp 3 phase at 480V? (All the Roto tools EXCEPT the ROTOfera need > 400VAC). Heck, even our current building only has 208V 3 phase (old building had 480V, was only used for the A/C).
BTW, Euros tend to like higher motor voltages, e.g. for small servo motors (say 100W – 400W) most European motors are designed to run at 240V, the Japanese typically offer 100V or 200V, and Chinese and American companies offer a wide range of voltages.
MM
My converter is rated over 100A 3-phase at 240V, which is what most of my equipment is. So theoretically if I wired up for 480 instead it would be roughly 50A. My first choice would be to buy the Rotar, which comes in a 240V model. I have a few 480V machines I run off transformers though, if I had no choice but to buy a 480V machine here I’d run it off one of those. According to an online calculator a 4.0 KW 3-phase 480v motor draws about 6 amps running and 7.6A full load. I can easily run that on my converter.
JR Ramos
I almost feel a little silly because I don’t think I’ve ever heard the name Suhner but it looks like they’re large and very well established. I’ll have to nose around their various websites this weekend. Quick glance I like some of the tools I see…their hand belt sanders look solid.
I’m struggling a little to think of a use case for such low gearing and 1000rpm in a handheld spindle tool. Quite impressive specs, though. The kind of tool and power that built the world 100 years ago.
JoeM
I happen to be a Jeweller as well (a hobby) as was my Mother. Though I don’t own a Foredom, or the Dremel 9100 (Foredom competitor, they do still sell it.) I essentially get the precision I need using the flex shaft on any of my tools, and hanging it.
That said… Carving in wood, traditionally Decoys for hunting, is just one of many examples where you’ll get recommended this “Foredom” brand you hadn’t heard of before entering that field. You can even ask “Which Dremel would work best for (X)” and the expert will pull a Foredom set off the shelf and put it in front of you. Foredom is the higher torque pro version of the Dremel system. But, nobody would know that without someone pointing at Foredom and saying “That is the Dremel for you.”
Similarly, for higher torque, but lower speeds, and easier to hold handpieces, you want a Proxxon. You can operate at high speeds, sure, but Proxxon isn’t going all the way to Dremel’s max 35K RPM speeds. At best, Proxon is going to operate best around 25K RPM, and do it much smoother in your hand. Sure, you don’t get the versatility of attachments Dremel has, but in the right use, Proxxon is better. Also… I have yet to see a Proxxon tool that was Cordless. So, if you need Cordless, it’s off to another brand for you.
If I were to list all the industries that use a Rotary Tool, and specifically which ones were best suited to these three main companies, Foredom, Dremel, and Proxxon, I’d likely overload ToolGuyd’s server with the list. There’s always going to be something a single person will miss for industries that use a specific brand of tool. That’s where having communities like this here at ToolGuyd come in handy. We’re all here to fill in where others might have missed something.
Now we have Ryobi entering this space. That, in theory, should shake up demand for companies like Dremel to smarten up and do some upgrades that truly matter. Not just tiny increments, real differences in their models. No dipping toes in uncertain waters, rather they should be taking what has done best, and make major overhauls.
The MS-20 MotoSaw (the Hybrid Scroll and Fret Saw) is something I own. I’m not happy with it, because they made it so plastic, and lightweight, that it lacks vibration control, durability, and severely needs reinforcement if they’re going to get serious money out of it. I find the blades too weak, they dull unnaturally quick for a Bosch-Made blade, and frankly the tension on the project holding foot is so loose, it might as well not be there. Not helpful when the saw is slamming the material up and down on the base while you work. It needs to be upgraded to a heavy duty version to be truly worth it. I do find this one handy for light plastics, and the odd piece of dowling that I can hold down myself, but it is meant for more than this. They should’ve used heavier materials that can’t flex like this when re-releasing it from the old orignal Dremel model. They made it too cheap material wise. That limits what it can do. But I still believe it has potential, and this original version still has a purpose in my toolkit.
JR Ramos
“…..someone pointing at Foredom and saying “That is the Dremel for you.”
That just made me chuckle out loud. I think it reminds me of my sales days when we started to get more joe homeowner and shadetree customers who usually needed a lot of guidance (or correction).
David Z
I’d like to see your list. Stuart won’t mind! 😉
Bonnie
On one hand I agree, they’re falling off. On the other, they still make excellent rotary tools and I appreciate a company that sticks to a core competency, even if that isn’t necessarily sensible in our grow-or-die economy.
I’m still surprised Dremel hasn’t really invested in hobby-CNC (3d printing, carving, laser, etc). They had a short-lived filament printer, but gave up and licensed it all to 3PI. Dremel *should* be a shoe-in as an existing well-known name brand for home hobby craft. Even if they can’t compete with the price of oem-badged Elegoo or AnyCubic style printers, it seems like there should be a niche there as the approachable and user-friendly version that could be found at a craft store.
Jim Felt
I’ve had Dremel tools for model railroad use for decades. Both corded (that will outlast our civilization) and smaller cordless versions.
But last week I grabbed a Bosch 12v version I barely remembered I had stashed in a small Packout case with a bunch of accessories. It, of course, worked great. Needed to mod a commercial double threshold and with the right accessories it worked swell.
As for the future? I’m still happy with these (half made in the US, as is my Foredom) mototools. Maybe I’ve become a collector for little used but sometimes critical use tools?
Frank D
If Bosch were to get its act together, they could bring more Bosch 12v for themselves and maybe rebrand a few as Dremel. The products exist, but Bosch is so obstinate that it is ridiculous. It is almost as if they either can’t produce, can’t handle the logistics or maybe there’s some agreement that they won’t bring more tools?! How else can you explain that you ask and wait five years fore more 12v tools, … here’s the palm sander.
Bobcat
My wife got me a dremel for Christmas in 1993 still have all though I don’t use it often but when I need it it’s godsend
kris
are the ryobi accessoris as good as bosch and proxxon say they have dental grade
the polishing stuff from them are excellent
i had to return 2 bosch 12vblue pro dremel the bearings where defective vibrated into the bone of my hand the 3 one is awesome
David Z
Since the consumables are generally cross-compatible (EZ-Lock refills being a potential exception), you can get the machine that suits you best, and then get whatever bits you desire. Ryobi bits could be the best or worst, or have the narrowest or widest selection, and it would make no difference. If its your favorite machine, it works with batteries, or whatever, go for it. The same with other brands.
charle anderson
I’ve wanted a Dremel Moto for a long time, it is always just slightly more than I want to pay considering I have 2 scroll saws. But I look at it and think about how good it would be to cope trim boards. Then I just dig out my rusty 15 year old coping saw and use it instead.
I wish they would beef up a dremel, make it quieter and put a more flexible cord on it.
I am not really interested in investing in another battery platform.
David Z
Just my guess, but I’ve always presumed the cords that fight you like an over-caffeinated teen wrestler are made that way for a reason. The more flexibility they have, I imagine the more friction and heat within the casing.
If power isn’t an issue, any of the small, battery, motor-in-the-hand type devices might be good for maneuverability. Stuart and I commented on the discontinued Stylus earlier. That one was unique in that it had a pistol-type grip which made fine control easier in many circumstances.
Stuart
Power cords can be deliberately spec’ed or choices can reflect cost considerations. PVC jacketed cables tend to be cheapest.
Joe A
I took look at their lineup and see a bunch of different corded and cordless rotary tools with not a lot of discernability between the models in the two lines. I hardly consider any of their other types of products.
What I would love to see from them, and it would be innovative, is something in the handheld corded line that is lower RPM and higher torque. I can’t say I have used a Dremel (rotary tool) over 10K RPM in the last 30 years. I tend to work with plastics a lot and low RPM is where it’s at.
I’m not even sure what use there is for 10K+ RPM. I’m sure not using a cutoff wheel or a carbide Burr at those speeds.
David Z
Foredom seems to understand the low-speed/high-torque user, at least a little, but I believe they are all corded.
Maybe send letters to TTI (Ryobi) and explain the niche. They might be the most responsive!
MM
I regularly use a 50k rpm pencil air grinder with small carbide burrs and stones–just not in plastic, of course. That kind of speed would be very dangerous for a cutoff wheel, and you don’t need it because of the wheel’s larger radius. But I do run the no. Dremel no. 409 cutoff wheels at half that, they perform great around 20-25k and I think they’re safety rated to over 30k.
Joe A
Ok, you have my attention. Give me an example of something so I can try using 25K RPM. Only thing I could think of is a small burr on steel or iron, but I’m going to run out and try it willy nilly.
MM
Small burrs or stones on hard metals is what I use that kind of speed for. I mostly work with metal but I have used that kind of speed on craft projects with diamond burrs and glass as well, and also with carbide burrs on circuit board material (G10 fiberglass) It’s really about the diameter of the cutter. Small cutters work best with high rpm. Those tiny little burrs a dentist uses are spun at two or three hundred thousand rpm.
Jo B
I agree, Dremel™ needs something fresh in the way of tools and quality. I replaced their rotary tool with a DeWalt drywall cutout tool, using it as a more robust die grinder with more success for my application. I’ve bought three of their soldering guns/torches – poor to mediocre performance & quality. Even their assembly is sloppy. You can’t buy replacement soldering tips and don’t last long, therefore junking the whole torch. The only thing that I still have is a corded, oscillating tool – bought the biggest/best one that they had at the time. It’s much smoother than the DeWalt cordless version, but one day the DeWalt will replace it out of user convenience.
Gyula Soos
I am not a tool guy, and neither do I have a “shop” with tools good enough to build a nuclear submarine. I always felt it was funny to see YouTube postings with titles like “Build a Bench from $100” (with thousands of dollars’ worth of tools).
But recently I got into building slingshots (from wood, MDF, HDPE) and so far, I got a Dremel Moto-Saw, the 3000 Rotary Tool kit, the Multi-Vise, and the Router Table Attachment, in all for about $250. In a garage with my foldable bench, limited space, and limited outlets. So, I look at Dremel not as a powerhouse, but as a relatively cheap, but quality toolkit, a small, portable, entry-level product for those who may not know what a scroll saw is or what a miter gauge does. It is a niche brand for hobbyists with modest aspirations. Its slogan should be “Later, maybe…” (I will get something more, better, bigger.)