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Proxxon vs Dremel

bpattonsoa

Well Known Member
Having burned out several Dremel's over the years, I now have a Proxxon, German made, expensive, but a very high quality tool. (Cheap considering how many Dremel's I have owned)

http://www.proxxontools.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=10

Does not run as fast as the Dremel, but runs all day and stays cool. Ball bearings, 20,000 rpm, long cord, great storage case.

Bruce Patton
RV-6A flying since 1999
RV-10 in the very near future!
Moving to Independence Airpark next month!
 
Last edited:
... vs. el cheapo Harbor Freight special

Same problem, different solution. I also got tired of paying top dollar to replace burnt out Dremel tools every couple of years. But I went the other way.

When my last Dremel tool gave up the ghost, I bought some cheap Chinese knock off from Harbor Freight. Cost about $10. Not sure about max RPM, definitely lower than Dremel's. But high enough for everything I've ever used it for, and I've used it with various types of bits on both composites and aluminum. I've had it for at least a year at this point, with lots of use and no signs of deterioration. And even if it dies tomorrow, replacing it every year or two at $10 a pop is a lot more palatable than at $100+.
 
Rot zip + flex cable

After burning out my Dremel. I built a wooded cradle for a rot zip and attached the flex cable from the dremel. Works great and is indestructible. Also very affordable.
 
I went with air

I agree with the Dremel burnouts. I found an air powered pencil grinder at Home Depot (sale table) for 20 bucks about 7 years ago. Still going strong. I'll replace it with air again if it fails.
 
I've had one Dremel burn out, and I found out that if you return it to Dremel for repair, most times they will send you a new one. Standard 'repair' costs are about $30. Check their web page out. i sent back an old type Dremel, and received, for their repair charge, a brand new, latest model.

Living in Germany, I have also had experience with Proxxon, and frankly, have not been impressed. Although I do not have their Dremel equivalent, I do have their jigsaw, and find it very cheap and disappointing, and at a very high cost. Their other equipment in the HD equivalent here seems more to be based towards the model/handicrafts market, and is very expensive.

________________________________
Allan
 
Wow. Just checked out a couple of discount stores for the Proxxon and it is about $115 plus postage.... specs show it is a nice machine, but double the cost of a Dremel.

I guess you pay your money and takes your choice. However, the posting on the rotary zip tool sounds interesting. Can these take the same kind of collet/chuck that the Dremel/Proxxon have?

_______________________
Allan
 
the posting on the rotary zip tool sounds interesting. Can these take the same kind of collet/chuck that the Dremel

In my case, the dremel I had that burned out, had the long flexible-cable. So "yes" all of the dremel tools fit because the flexible-cable is already dremel. It's not as portable as a cordless dremel but for bench work it's great. I recently used it to cut a new opening in my panel for an addition to the radio stack.
 
Q

I've had one Dremel burn out, and I found out that if you return it to Dremel for repair, most times they will send you a new one. Standard 'repair' costs are about $30. Check their web page out. i sent back an old type Dremel, and received, for their repair charge, a brand new, latest model.

Living in Germany, I have also had experience with Proxxon, and frankly, have not been impressed. Although I do not have their Dremel equivalent, I do have their jigsaw, and find it very cheap and disappointing, and at a very high cost. Their other equipment in the HD equivalent here seems more to be based towards the model/handicrafts market, and is very expensive.

________________________________
Allan

Hi Allan,

I am also in Germany and have an old Dremel (well out of warranty) that now only runs at one speed !

Was yours within warranty ?
Also I can't see from their webpage any details about the repair option you used. Did you take it back to the shop you bought it from or send it direct for repair within Germany ?

I also have other Dremel tools like the flexi cable and found that very useful so don't want to change make.

David
 
What for?

I'm not yet a builder, but have put together the practice airfoil kit and the toolbox, and a few other little projects. I've looked at Dremels in the store and wondered what exactly RV builders use them for.

Please enlighten me.
 
Off the top of my head, some of my Dremmel uses were:

All the first rough cuts on my slider 7 canopy
(saw a demo at Vans tent at OSH from the
canopy supplier doing the separation first cut
with a Dremmel)

all hinge cutting (my band saw does not like the hinge rod)

all fiberglas cutting and shaping
(wheel pants, gear legs, fairings, wing and empenage tips)

all square instrument panel cutouts
(switches, fuse panel, hobbs, ELT-control, etc.)

I bought a cordless Dremmel about half way
through the build and prefer it to the corded model.

I usually use the fiber reinforced disks, especially on steel.

I personally have better control of the cut which saves on
filing and finishing the edges.
Tom
 
I too burned out my Dremel. But, I sent it back to the company and they sent me a new one for free along with some attachments. No questions asked.
 
I give up...

What are you using the Dremel for that you would burn one up?

I can think of only a few places where used mine on the plane.
 
you can use air powered either pencil grinder, or a larger grinder to do everything a dremel would do. you can replace the contacts on the dremel ( or at least some of them) also, which is pretty easy to do
 
Dremel

Guess I've been lucky. I'm still using the Dremel I bought in 1977. I do have a roto zip and an electric die grinder and move up as the job requires. The Dremel has sharpened 5 chainsaw chains down to the nub and still going strong.
 
fine grit dust is the death of a Dremmel. You can burn one out in about 2 minutes if you cut sheetrock :mad:

I'm curious about the pencil grinder. Are you referring to something like this picture ?

31a6gsTfzuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
yes. its perfect for cutting thin to medium fiberglass, we used it in the lancair build shop every day.
 
Hi David,

Sorry for delay in response. No, my Dremel was way out of any warranty, and Dremel really don't care. This was a 'repair' charge, and if yours is 'beyond repair' or of an older type they no longer carry or support, they will replace it with a new, latest model type, for the same 'repair' cost.
 
I also used mine for the 'big cut' on my 9A canopy. Very quick and clean, but I used a serrated steel/carbide coated cutter, which worked very well (can't recall the accessory number). First a guide cut to about 1/3 depth, and then all of the way through. I also used my Dremel at high speed with ordinary drills to drill the canopy holes as well. No problems with cracking as the high speed seemed to allow the drill to almost melt its way through the plexi.
 
In my experience of model builder I "destroyed" at least 4 dremel tools before buying a Proxxon... 15 years later the Proxxon looks (and works) like new.

Today I'm a Proxxon dealer/importer... sold hundreds of their tools and never had any unsatisfied customer. German quality is outstanding!
 
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