Dremel 1100-01 Stylus 7.2-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool with Docking Station
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Dremel 1100-01 Stylus 7.2-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool with Docking Station
Customer Review: Powerful & Comfortable
Summary: 4 Stars
I just bought one of these. So far, I've only used the etching and cutting head, but overall I'm pleased with it.
THE GOOD:
* POWER: The run time and torque are impressive ... using the cutting wheel on max speed, I'm able to saw through just over 2 dozen #10 steel screws, at about 10 sec apiece (and plenty of showering sparks), before the battery runs down. For a cordless stylus, that's all out torture, but it gets it done - although it does get pretty warm under that kind of abuse.
* COMFORT: This unit fits nicely in the hand, and is ambidexterous.
THE QUIRKS:
* CHARGE SENSOR: Under extremely heavy use (see above), the stylus gets warm. When placed into the charger while still warm, the charger appears to get confused and think the unit has just been charged - and refuses to charge it further. Clearly, its smart charging technology is not very smart. Anyway, one way around that is to pop the stylus in the freezer for 10 mins (to speed-cool), and THEN put it in the charger. It works.
NITS:
* DEFAULT ACCESSORIES: The default kit is stingy on attachments - and some of the attachments it does comes with can't be used out of the box unless you buy additional parts. That's annoying (hence the 4 stars instead of 5).
* CHARGE TIME: Only the heaviest users will notice, but this unit's charger needs 3 hours to fully charge the stylus. My new Li-Ion Makita drill charges in only 15 mins, so 3 hrs for something far smaller seems rather pokey. I also wish this thing had a detacheable battery pack, so that you could swap packs while the other re-charges - and not have to toss out the whole unit when the built-in battery finally dies.
Recommended, despite a few quirks.
Customer Review: Save your money
Summary: 1 Stars
I just got one of these for Christmas. Today is January 7, 2010 and my Stylus is back in the box waiting to be returned after attempting to use it ONCE. The button to change bits won't work most of the time, and when I can manage to get it to open and put in a bit, the darn thing won't stay turned on for more than a minute. I charged it for 24 hours and it didn't help. At high speeds it won't work at all. I'm going for something different and with a cord . . .Customer Review: Smooth, Handy, Powerful, but dead - twice
Summary: 3 Stars
The stylus is a very useful little tool for work in the home and doing automotive modifications. If only it lasted. Seems the charging stand, when used as directed, as a cradle for the dremel which keeps it constantly charged seems to destroy the tool's seemingly delicate Li-Ion battery. On top of the heat that the tool generates when it is running, my Stylus - first and second one, only lasted for about 4 months of occasional use (i would say, maybe once a week, for about 5 or 6 minutes). First one i bought would not stay on for more than about 45 seconds - this is after the initial charging period- and then would not turn on at all, returned it got another one, this one worked great until recently when it started doing the OFF after 45 seconds bit, which is hit or miss if it will even turn on. All signs point to a dead Li-Ion battery, after only a few months. Which would stand to reason that if the charging dock stays hot, and the thing gets too hot to hold after about 3 minutes of use, it will destroy its battery very quickly.
Excellent idea, powerful product but still needs a little work. Will be calling support at 1-800-437-3635, hopefully they will work with me.
Customer Review: Versatile and surprisingly high-powered.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are searching for the perfect gift for a guy who does woodworking, hobbies, minor repairs, or simply a 'Man Who Has everything', search no further.
I saw the commercial for the Dremel Cordless Stylus on TV, and it immediately went on my Wish list. I was lucky -- I got it for my birthday, and am I pleased with it!
Not only is the cordless feature wonderful, but it is lightweight and has a pistol grip-design. I've experienced little hand fatigue while using it, compared to the cramps I'd get holding my old wired Dremel tool. This puppy delivers some torque! I was surprised at the power it displayed in cutting through steel--and I only had it set halfway up the power scale! ALthough if set with a drill bit, it sometimes stops if the pressure is too much for it.
Its shaft is a bit smaller than the wired Dremel, so when I needed to attach a small drillbit to it, I just switched the adjustable drill chuck from my regular Dremel, and it worked perfectly.
I can also see applications for use in sanding hard-to-reach places, like refinishing scrollwork or carved wood, or in buffing small pieces.
Yes, it is a bit more pricey, but in the long run I know I'll be happy with the investment.
I wonder if I'll ever use my old hard-wired Dremel again.
July 2010 Update: Four years later and it's one of my favorite power tools. Works as well now as it did when I first got it.
Customer Review: Very handy tool.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought one of these because I wanted a cordless rechargeable dremel. I already had a Multi-pro tool 395, which I love and use often, but sometimes was too powerful for the task I was doing, or plugging it in was inconvenient. As a result, I bought a super-cheap rechargeable Dremel that was purposely low-power for delicate jobs like filing the dog's nails. That was great, but I did get tired of the battery running low when I wanted to keep working. This Dremel stylus is the perfect middle ground! It has more power than the cheapy rechargeable, and it's more convenient than the multipro. I like the recharging stand: it has a nice sleek look on my desktop and has storage for the bits I use most often. The only thing that I think could be improved:
1. The power button and the button you hold to change bits are too close together and too much alike. A few times I've meant to release the bit to change it, and accidently turned the power on. Lucky I didn't hurt myself, because I was grasping the drill bit to remove it, when I turned the power on! They should at least be a different color or placed in different locations.
2. The dial to adjust the power seems to increase on it's own sometimes. Maybe the vibration when working, or maybe I unknowingly turn the dial up when I'm changing attachments .. but I'm often surprised by the speed when I turn the unit back on to work after changing an attachment/bit/whatever you call it.
For the 2 reasons above, I subtracted one star, but even so .. I would buy this again. I reach for this tool more often than any other. It always seems to be just the right thing for the job. And it's never run out of juice when I needed to work on something.