A rotary tool is something that can be used for wood carving,
sanding, cutting, drilling etc. Even
though there are many different brand rotary tools on the market, Dremel was by
far the most used in the videos I watched.
I decided to take a run up to the Home Depot to look at a
few of their models, and was in sticker shock. Now I own a few Dremel tools,
but the bare bones, basic Dremel rotary tool was $40. The $40 Dremel was a bare
bones tool that came with no bits, no case, nothing. Even with the kits that
cost $100 did not give you the Flex Shaft Attachment (which cost another $25).
Now, if I was a professional wood sculpture, I would say
that an investment of this kind may be worth it, but there had to be a better alternative
to the high prices that I was seeing for this tool.
Next I decided to take a drive up to my local Harbor Freight
store just to see if they even carried a rotary tool. After looking around a
bit, I found one that was made by Chicago Electric. Everything I needed (the
tips, the hard case, the flexible writing wand, sanding wheels, cutting disks came
included for the low price of $29.00.
Before I walked up to the register, I decided to check out
some reviews for it online. The reviews were really mixed as some said it
worked great, and other said the complete opposite. As a tool reviewer, I
figured this would be a great item to put to the test just to see if it really
was a tool worth buying or not.
Unboxing:
The first thing I liked right away was that the Chicago
Electric Rotary Tool comes in a hard case. It’s not the most rugged case I ever
owned, but it does a good job keeping the tool safe. Inside the case came
another clear plastic box that contained a few bits, some sanding tips, cutting
disks a small wrench to loosen/tighten the collet, and even an extra collet.
The main reason that I decided to get this kit was it even came with the flexible
writing wand!
The Tips:
Even though I was excited to see that this came with many
different tips, I will say that they are not all that great. The carving tips
dull out very quickly, and the same goes for the sand paper. The cutting disks
that come with the case also break very easy. My recommendation would be to buy
a cheap Dremel carving kit. There is a great little starting case at Lowe’s for
around $11.00 that even includes the 105, and 106 tips for fine carving.
Flexible Writing Wand:
The flexible wand is a huge plus in my book when it comes to
carving as it really allows you to use the tool like a pen rather than a large,
cumbersome tool that gets in the way. When I first tried to put the tip into
the collet, it was very tight. Once of the major down falls with the entire
tool is that you need to actually take the collet off first, insert the tip,
the put the collet back on. I really wish they would have made the collet a bit
larger than what they did, but once you get the tip in, it stays put. That
being said, the wand does work very well once attached.
Is It Worth The Money?
Build:
As for build of the tool, it feels pretty solid in the
hands. It made of hard plastic and can handle some abuse, but I would not drop
this to many times and it will probably not hold up very well.
Speed Control: The Chicago Electric Rotary Tool comes with
ten different sped settings (0 – 10). When I am carving out the stars on the
flag, I keep the speed setting around 2 or three, but it does clean cutting at
full throttle. It’s also very easy to control using the adjustment knob, and it
stays at the selected setting even with some vibration.
Battery:
One of the biggest issues with this tool is the battery and
battery charger. It take a 9.6V battery, but not sure if you can purchase a
replacement. I also found the battery charger to be cheaply made, and hard to
get the battery to seat right. It also will not shut off automatically once
charged, so watch for that. Some reviews also mentioned the battery would drain
after only five minutes of use, but I have yet to encounter that problem. I
have been able to carve on medium speed for around 30 minutes without needed to
recharge.
Overheating:
Another issue that some reviewers had mentioned was that the
rotary tool would overheat to the point you could not handle it. They also stated
that it started getting hot to the touch within the first five minutes of use.
I have not had any of these issues either, but I will update this post if I do.
Pros:
1.
Built somewhat solid and will take some abuse.
2.
Light weight 0.43lbs
3.
Comes with the flex shaft and hard case
4.
Strong motor (500 – 25000 RPM)
5.
10 different speed settings
6.
Standard 1/8 collet size (takes Dremel bits)
Cons:
1.
Shaft mounted LED light did not work
2.
Collet is a bit tight and makes bit changes
tough
3.
Replacement battery is hard to find
4.
Battery charger feels cheap and does not shut
off automatically
Is It Worth The Money?
If you were to ask me whether or not the Chicago Electric
Rotary Tool was worth the money, I would say absolutely. I do recommend that
you toss the cheap bits into the trash, and buy some Dremel bits instead as
they will work in this tool.
I really like how this comes with a hard case and wand as
they both do a good job. I will say that the bits are a bit hard to get in and
out, but that’s not a big deal. Though this may not be the best fit for a pro,
I will say that this will work perfectly for the beginner carver, the diy’er
and/or someone that just does woodworking for a hobby.
What a post
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