Rotary Multi-tools.

[VolvoFan]

There are so many rotary multi-tools available that I am bewildered. I'm looking for a cordless one which will drill, cut, grind, sand and polish, complete with a range of tools. It needs to be a well-known make for ease of obtaining spares and not over-expensive.

I'm not a professional tradesman, so any points on what to look for when buying or recommendations for particular brands/models which give good performance and durability, yet not break the bank!

Thanks in anticipation.

[Bob 1967]

In my experience the most important part of any rotary tool is the chuck.
If it can't grip the tool correctly(under load) it's totally useless.

Other than that, they are pretty similar.
Most have variable speeds.
Accessories are made by countless companies.

[Bob 1967]

On further reflection, an air tool(die grinder) would be better.
Probably outside in budgetary terms though.
My compressor wouldn't power one for some reason.

[blueosprey90]

I'm a home gamer.

I have a basement full of tools, but not one of them will do what you wish.

For automotive fabrication, I find an angle grinder quite useful. I have two - the second one used mostly for sanding. A dremmel tool comes in handy, especially for cutting or shaping smaller parts. I have an orbital sander, a belt sander and an orbital polisher - but the latter for polishing and waxing, not for sanding of any kind.

I have a bench grinder for shaping, sharpening tools and the like. I have a hand held electric drill, but a drill press might be nice.

A come-a-long for pulling engines and moving heavy parts.

If you want portable, I like DeWalt tools - but batteries are expensive. Most DeWalt tools are sold without the battery. Most of my tools are corded. My air compressor isn't large enough for air tools.

Don't go cheap. Try to buy quality tools, as they will function better and last longer.

[142 Guy]

A good air powered rotary die grinder will be expensive, noisy and require a good sized air compressor. I have a 60 gal 2 cylinder 3 or 5 hp up-right compressor and I would say that it is borderline for heavy use of my admittedly middling quality die grinder. $1000 - $1500 Cdn would probably get you started with a good air grinder, compressor and hoses.

The lower [priced cordless rotary tools that I have seen are mainly for hobby work / model making. They work fine on plastic and wood and other relatively soft materials. They will not be satisfactory if you are trying to cut steel. I am now on my 3rd corded Dremel tool - having burned out the previous two. I am unintentionally wedded to the Dremel because I have a bunch of Dremel specific attachments. Even the best corded Dremel is marginal for heavy work. After about 5-7 minutes of heavy use I have to put it down to let it cool off. Makita, De Walt, Bosch and probably others make some nice, albeit heavier and larger corded die grinders which start north of $200 Cdn without any accessories. I know Bosch does have a cordless die grinder. With its battery it is kind of big, almost two handed and its price is around $400.

You need to be more specific about your end -use for the die grinder. My only observation is that for anything on a car, the light weight battery powered die grinders are probably going to be extremel;y unsatisfactory.

[Rustinmotion]

Dremmel and similar are last resort, they are not man enough for the job but useful in a bind
Splitting a nut or grinding a rivet out fine taking 20 out not so good and drilling is fine as long as it’s 3mm as that’s all that fits
Don’t get me wrong they are a godsend for that one awkward job but not what you want for long term use
Plenty of systems now use the same battery so getting a drill and a grinder is not too expensive then expanding to a die grinder and other tools as and when funds allow is a good way to go
I have a Ryobi drill and angle grinder as a starter kit, expanded it to an led work lamp I may go for an impact wrench next the bare tools are not that expensive once you have a couple of batteries and a charger

[Derek UK]

It would be good if the OP said what tools he thinks will do the jobs he is likely be going to do. It can be a big investment if they are all bought at once. Initially it sounds as if a Dremel is wanted but although it is useful it's at the bottom of the list. Pick a decent make. It may be De Walt, Makita or similar and build a system that will use the same batteries. Having said that there will be times when a small drill with lower volts will be best and win over a large high volt piece of kit. Horses for courses. A small drill and a medium size impact driver might be a good starter pair. Wired angle grinders are a lot cheaper than cordless ones and better for larger jobs that take extra time.

[Jimmy Cliff]

Dremel 4000 is the one you want, more robust than the others. As a sculptor I’ve explored tons of other options including die grinders and alike. I’ve lots of other power tools carvers etc, but for small or restricted areas they are ideal. This is the 4000 though, the other versions are made of cheese. As an aside, I’m also a time served engineer so my experience of them is not limited to sculptor alone. Oh, and the flexi shaft attatchment is a must. All the best.

[142 Guy]

I have a Dremel 4300. It is just OK. As Rustinmotion noted, if you had to remove 20 rusted nuts it would be stinking hot by the time you finished. The 4300 is convenient to use because it is relatively small and light weight. Unfortunately, because of its small size the vent holes are right where your hand holds the tool so cooling air flow is partially blocked. Also, if you are doing things like cutting rusty bolts you are using an abrasive disk and those do not work well at high speed. I typically run the tool at 10-15 on the 0-35 speed range. The lower motor speed also means reduced cooling air flow.

If you are regularly doing a lot of heavy metal cutting I would be looking for something heavier duty than any Dremel. OK for occasionally cutting a rusty bolt or sharpening the blade on your lawnmower.

[VolvoFan]

Thanks. I liked the spec of the 4000 but understand that it has been discontinued and couldn't find a stockist who had one. I was also put off by some negative reviews; but I try to read between the lines and suppose a poor workman blames his tools for his failures.
I'm not sure exactly what the 4000's replacement is, but the Dremel's I've seen advertised are above my price limit.