Looking for a good Rotary Tool

M

melotalk

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Mar 14, 2013
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Hi guys,

Any recommendation for a reliable rotary tool?
Looking for something at price below $150

Thanks!

Jersey
 
Ill second foredom. They're terrific. I have one that was owned by my grandmother for her whole career as a jeweler, she gave it to me when she passed and now I've been using it for 15 years myself. The bearings in the handpiece are just now starting to get loud.

They're are expensive, but the above should tell you why.

Plus, as a tig welder, having variable speed control on the foot pedal is just absolutely natural to me.
 
Thanks for the input.

Foredoms are little over my budget, since I'm just a beginner in knife making

I'm thinking about something like Dremel 4000 or 3000. Does anyone have experience with them?
 
It really depends how much you're going to use it. If you might use it an hour a week, Dremel sells some decent stuff, as does Craftsman, for well under $150 new. But they're not built to last like a Foredom is... if you're going to use it 10+ hours a week on an ongoing basis, keep your eyes peeled for a used Foredom or save up for a new one.

Personally I went through 2 Dremels and a Craftsman in less than four years, just burned 'em up. That was dumb; I could have bought my Foredom in the first place and actually saved money.
 
I've had good luck with the Dremel 3000 and I've used it pretty hard. think I paid $100 for it. The flexible handpiece is nice too. You can do some remarkable things with the diamond tipped rotary tools, such as some deep engraving, etc.
 
The other one I've wondered about is Mastercarver. Looking around I've never heard anything bad about them,
but all discussions seem to consist of "I (or someone) have had a Foredom forever and it's never given me
any problems.".

I.E. It's clear that Foredoms are very good. It's less clear that there's nothing else that's good.
 
Dan Pierson said:
The other one I've wondered about is Mastercarver. Looking around I've never heard anything bad about them,
but all discussions seem to consist of "I (or someone) have had a Foredom forever and it's never given me
any problems.".

I.E. It's clear that Foredoms are very good. It's less clear that there's nothing else that's good.
Click to expand...

Dan, that does look really stout. Foredoms max hp is 1/3, this unit is 1/2. Looks like it is a good deal.
 
I would guess it would be difficult to stall one of these units. Has anyone with a Foredom stalled it or wanted more rpm?
 
Dan Pierson said:
The other one I've wondered about is Mastercarver. Looking around I've never heard anything bad about them,
but all discussions seem to consist of "I (or someone) have had a Foredom forever and it's never given me
any problems.".

I.E. It's clear that Foredoms are very good. It's less clear that there's nothing else that's good.
Click to expand...

I'm guilty of being one of the "I've had a Foredom forever" folks.

It's kinda like a Baldor toolroom grinder or Gerstner/Kennedy chest in a machine shop... just one of those stereotypical things you see. :)


If I hadn't inherited mine, I'd probably be in the market for a much cheaper machine. I'm interested in Foredom alternatives myself, because even though they do last nearly forever, mine may go out here in the next few years.


For me, the variable speed foot pedal is the biggie. You can throttle down on the fly when running over transitions or moving to detail areas, such as the guard/handle joint. It's just so much easier than a dremel, I love that it allows you a truly professional level of control when contouring.

PT Doc said:
I would guess it would be difficult to stall one of these units. Has anyone with a Foredom stalled it or wanted more rpm?
Click to expand...

I've never stalled mine, and the chuck takes up to 1/4" tooling. I suppose if you put a really big flap wheel on there or something you probably could, but I don't see it stalling if you stick to rotary tool sized tooling.

edit: I should probably mention, I have the 1/3hp/15krpm model, I could see the 1/6hp/18krpm model possibly stalling.



PT Doc said:
Dan, that does look really stout. Foredoms max hp is 1/3, this unit is 1/2. Looks like it is a good deal.
Click to expand...

I didn't notice that it came with a second handpiece. That does look like a great deal if the quality is up to par.
 
Last edited:
I have a Foredom -and- Dremels. Honestly, I like the Dremels for the finer stuff. They are much easier to handle. The type of rotary tool I really want is a Gesswein, but man-o-man are they expensive!
 
jhiggins said:
I have a Foredom -and- Dremels. Honestly, I like the Dremels for the finer stuff. They are much easier to handle. The type of rotary tool I really want is a Gesswein, but man-o-man are they expensive!
Click to expand...

I'd also love a dotco pencil die grinder and a finger belt sander... Ah, toys, toys, toys.
 
The key to using any of these tools efficiently is LESS RPM, not more. I have used variable speed Dremels with a foot rheostat. Turn the Dremel to the lowest speed setting, then use the foot control like you would a Foredom to start/stop control.
The cheaper Chinese flexible shaft machines can be had for less than $100 and they work very well.
 
PT Doc said:
I would guess it would be difficult to stall one of these units. Has anyone with a Foredom stalled it or wanted more rpm?
Click to expand...

I've never stalled mine. Faster RPMs don't really cut faster, they just burn up/wear out tooling (especially sanding sleeves, of which I use a lot) and scorch materials (G10, wood, micarta etc) faster.
 
Dan Pierson said:
The other one I've wondered about is Mastercarver. Looking around I've never heard anything bad about them,
but all discussions seem to consist of "I (or someone) have had a Foredom forever and it's never given me
any problems.".

I.E. It's clear that Foredoms are very good. It's less clear that there's nothing else that's good.
Click to expand...

I have one of the Mastercarvers and it is fantastic. I think I paid $299 for it, including the detached base. I am happy that I bought it. It comes with a spare set of brushes, so it can be rebuilt when it wears out... If that ever happens. 1/2 hp, so it has more power than most other comparable models
 
You should also look into Proxxon tools. Much better than dremel because of the electrical issues. Proxxon is German made.
 
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