I’ve been using Dremels for a long time and always wanted a decent cordless. With the advent of decent cordless power tools (the first one that I had that was actually useful for something was an 18 volt DeWalt drill that went right through stuff my corded drills wouldn’t touch, but that’s another story) I’ve been waiting for Dremel to come out with a good cordless.

I’ve been hesitant about the earlier cordless Dremels but this one looks like “it”.

So far it’s done everything I’ve asked it to do but I haven’t asked it to do much–I got it specifically to deal with a piece of acrylic that my cordless Rotozip melted instead of cutting–I figured the adjustable speed on the Dremel would take care of that and was right.

Just an aside about stalling–if you’re stalling a Dremel then it’s time to take a good hard look at a Rotozip, which, if you’ve never played with one, is kind of a Dremel on steroids–Dremel has an equivalent, the “Advantage”, but only the one model and not cordless.

The lack of a provision to charge the battery with the tool attached is just carrying through the current practice with cordless tools–it’s assumed that one will have two batteries, one on the tool and one on charge if this is an issue. There’s space in the case for a second battery.

A “gotcha” to be aware of with the lithium ion batteries, always store them charged–if they self-discharge below a certain point a protective circuit kicks in and they disable themselves–this is a safety issue–trying to recharge a lithium ion battery that is discharged below a certain point can result in an explosion (I’m not talking about a little spill–exploding lithium batteries in emergency-locator transmitters have brought down light aircraft).

The bundled accessories are, near as I can figure it:

Aluminum oxide stone #932 and #8193
Silicon carbide stone #84922
Aluminum oxide abrasive wheel #541
2 rubber polishing wheels #425
3 Large felt polishing wheels #429
5 Small felt polishing wheels #414
1 cutter, looks like a #181
1 drill bit, #150
1 Mandrel #401 (for felt pads etc)
1 Mandrel #402 (for sanding disks, cutoff wheels etc)
Sanding cylinder mandrels 1/4″ and 1/2″
4 80 grit 1/2″ sanding cylinders
3 120 grit 1/2″ sanding cylinders
4 80 grit 1/4″ sanding cylinders
3 120 grit 1/4″ sanding cylinders
11 sanding disks
17 cutoff wheels, 3 are thicker than the others, the others are in two containers of 10 and 4 but can’t tell any difference between them.
1 wrench with screwdriver tip that fits screws on mandrels
1 case with a good deal of unused storage even after all the accessories are stored.

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http://1a.co.nz/dremel-8000-03-10-8-volt-lithium-ion-cordless-rotary-tool.html#comment-3011 Bob Manson Sun, 13 May 2012 09:11:00 +0000 http://1a.co.nz/dremel-8000-03-10-8-volt-lithium-ion-cordless-rotary-tool.html#comment-3011 <div style="margin-left:0.5em;"> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> 293 of 298 people found the following review helpful </div> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <span style="margin-left: -5px;"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-5-0._V192240867_.gif" width="64" alt="5.0 out of 5 stars" title="5.0 out of 5 stars" height="12" border="0"/></span> <b>The first truly useful cordless Dremel</b>, <nobr>November 27, 2003</nobr></div> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <div><div style="float:left;">By </div><div style="float:left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2PQBEWW2Q03V7/ref=cm_cr_if_pdp/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=artissuppl-20" target="_top"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Manson</span></a> (Berkeley, CA United States) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A2PQBEWW2Q03V7/ref=cm_cr_if_auth_rev/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&sort_by=MostRecentReview&tag=artissuppl-20" target="_top"></a><br/><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=cm_rn_bdg_help/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&nodeId=14279681&pop-up=1#RN" target="AmazonHelp" onclick="return amz_js_PopWin(this.href,'AmazonHelp','width=340,height=340,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=1,status=1');"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reputation/c7y_badge_rn_1._V192249968_.gif" width="70" align="absmiddle" alt="(REAL NAME)" height="15" border="0"/></a>    </div></div><div style="clear:both;"/> </div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <b><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>Dremel 8000-03 10.8-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Rotary Tool (Tools & Home Improvement)</b> </div> I've used Dremel tools for over 15 years now. I've mainly stuck with the corded ones, as the battery-powered versions tended to run out of charge quickly, had less RPM, were generally heavier and usually had a lot less torque.<p>The lithium version has none of these drawbacks. Because there's no cord it's more comfortable to hold (and much more convenient to use!), about the same weight as a corded model, and has plenty of RPMs and torque. Battery lifetimes are very good, and the "fuel gauge" seems to be reasonably accurate. (Exactly how long a charge will last depends greatly on what you're using it for--working on balsa wood uses a lot less power than, say, grinding metal.)</p><p>Battery charge times are quite short, about three hours to charge a completely empty battery. (But thanks to a "smart charger" it should only take a few minutes to charge it after a typical job.) An added bonus is that lithium batteries hold their charges practically forever, so there's no need to "trickle charge" them; just charge it back up after you're done with it and put it away, and it'll be ready to use the next time you need it.</p><p>The only nit I've found so far is the need to remove the battery to charge it. (This is probably for safety's sake.) It'd be slightly more convenient to just put the whole unit in the charger after use, but since it doesn't need charging that often this is really minor.</p><p>I'd consider this to be an entirely practical replacement for a corded Dremel. For everything I use my Dremel for (mostly small models plus the occasional home repair task) this one seems more than adequate. It's a sturdy unit that should last a long time.</p><p>My one concern about lifetime is how long the lithium battery will last; only time will tell. </p><div style="padding-top: 10px; clear: both; width: 100%;"> <div style="float:left; padding-right:15px; border-right:1px solid #CCCCCC"><div style="padding-bottom:5px;"><b class="tiny" style="color:#666666;white-space:nowrap;">Help other customers find the most helpful reviews</b> </div><div style="width:300px;"> <a name="R27Q32U1JVOXDS.2115.Helpful.Reviews" style="font-size:1px;"> </a><span><span class="votingPrompt">Was this review helpful to you? </span><a rel="nofollow" class="votingButtonReviews" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/Helpful/1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMERFWkw5L3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTg4LTcxMjcyMzktMDQyNjQ0Mj9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZha2lkPUFLSUFKS0xYWjJPTVhLTEdPRldBJmFsaW5rQ29kZT14bTImYXNpbj1CMDAwMERFWkw5JmF0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZleHA9MjAxMi0wNS0xNFQwOCUzQTI2JTNBMjVaJmxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZzaWc9ZGFiU1ZSQkVHRFRZJTJGVmp5cU5BZjZGTkdLM1hwRGJJNXBmTTdMTnFEWDVRJTNEJnN1bW1hcnk9MCZ0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJnY9Mg&token=FC0C9F1F74E84808580AC4EF38DAD140181B51AA&voteAnchorName=R27Q32U1JVOXDS.2115.Helpful.Reviews&voteSessionID=188-7127239-0426442"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reviews/btn-yes-sec-md._V192249951_.gif" width="35" alt="Yes" style="vertical-align:middle;" height="18" border="0"/></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="votingButtonReviews" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/Helpful/-1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMERFWkw5L3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTg4LTcxMjcyMzktMDQyNjQ0Mj9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZha2lkPUFLSUFKS0xYWjJPTVhLTEdPRldBJmFsaW5rQ29kZT14bTImYXNpbj1CMDAwMERFWkw5JmF0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZleHA9MjAxMi0wNS0xNFQwOCUzQTI2JTNBMjVaJmxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZzaWc9ZGFiU1ZSQkVHRFRZJTJGVmp5cU5BZjZGTkdLM1hwRGJJNXBmTTdMTnFEWDVRJTNEJnN1bW1hcnk9MCZ0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJnY9Mg&token=4C72FF810E041E5A27DA5523B2C1A68E45D22504&voteAnchorName=R27Q32U1JVOXDS.2115.Helpful.Reviews&voteSessionID=188-7127239-0426442"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reviews/btn-no-sec-md._V192249949_.gif" width="35" alt="No" style="vertical-align:middle;" height="18" border="0"/></a> <span class="votingMessage"/></span> </div></div><div style="float:left;"><div style="padding-left:15px;"><div style="white-space:nowrap;"><span class="tiny"> <a name="R27Q32U1JVOXDS.2115.Inappropriate.Reviews" style="font-size:1px;"> </a><span class="reportingButton"><nobr><a rel="nofollow" class="reportingButton" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/Inappropriate/1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMERFWkw5L3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTg4LTcxMjcyMzktMDQyNjQ0Mj9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZha2lkPUFLSUFKS0xYWjJPTVhLTEdPRldBJmFsaW5rQ29kZT14bTImYXNpbj1CMDAwMERFWkw5JmF0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZleHA9MjAxMi0wNS0xNFQwOCUzQTI2JTNBMjVaJmxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZzaWc9ZGFiU1ZSQkVHRFRZJTJGVmp5cU5BZjZGTkdLM1hwRGJJNXBmTTdMTnFEWDVRJTNEJnN1bW1hcnk9MCZ0YWc9YXJ0aXNzdXBwbC0yMCZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJnY9Mg&token=4EB8CB815D6956A2783C825CD9CE8E1FD2D21158&voteAnchorName=R27Q32U1JVOXDS.2115.Inappropriate.Reviews&voteSessionID=188-7127239-0426442"></a></nobr></span> </span> <span style="color:#CCCCCC;">|</span> <span class="tiny"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/ref=cm_cr_if_perm/?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0000DEZL9&linkCode=xm2&nodeID=&tag=artissuppl-20" target="_top"></a></span></div><div style="white-space:nowrap;padding-left:-5px;padding-top:5px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/ref=cm_cr_if_cmt/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0000DEZL9&linkCode=xm2&nodeID=&tag=artissuppl-20#wasThisHelpful" target="_top"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/comment-sm._V192250344_.gif" width="16" alt="Comment" hspace="3" align="absmiddle" height="16" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R27Q32U1JVOXDS/ref=cm_cr_if_cmt/188-7127239-0426442?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0000DEZL9&linkCode=xm2&nodeID=&tag=artissuppl-20#wasThisHelpful" target="_top">Comment (1)</a></div></div></div><div style="clear:both;"/> </div> <br/></div>

293 of 298 people found the following review helpful

The first truly useful cordless Dremel, November 27, 2003

By 

Bob Manson (Berkeley, CA United States) –

  

This review is from: Dremel 8000-03 10.8-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Rotary Tool (Tools & Home Improvement)

I’ve used Dremel tools for over 15 years now. I’ve mainly stuck with the corded ones, as the battery-powered versions tended to run out of charge quickly, had less RPM, were generally heavier and usually had a lot less torque.

The lithium version has none of these drawbacks. Because there’s no cord it’s more comfortable to hold (and much more convenient to use!), about the same weight as a corded model, and has plenty of RPMs and torque. Battery lifetimes are very good, and the “fuel gauge” seems to be reasonably accurate. (Exactly how long a charge will last depends greatly on what you’re using it for–working on balsa wood uses a lot less power than, say, grinding metal.)

Battery charge times are quite short, about three hours to charge a completely empty battery. (But thanks to a “smart charger” it should only take a few minutes to charge it after a typical job.) An added bonus is that lithium batteries hold their charges practically forever, so there’s no need to “trickle charge” them; just charge it back up after you’re done with it and put it away, and it’ll be ready to use the next time you need it.

The only nit I’ve found so far is the need to remove the battery to charge it. (This is probably for safety’s sake.) It’d be slightly more convenient to just put the whole unit in the charger after use, but since it doesn’t need charging that often this is really minor.

I’d consider this to be an entirely practical replacement for a corded Dremel. For everything I use my Dremel for (mostly small models plus the occasional home repair task) this one seems more than adequate. It’s a sturdy unit that should last a long time.

My one concern about lifetime is how long the lithium battery will last; only time will tell.

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]]> http://1a.co.nz/swirl-marks.html#comment-2937 asccaracer Fri, 11 May 2012 08:07:03 +0000 http://1a.co.nz/swirl-marks.html#comment-2937 We use a product called 3m fill & glase. But any good glasing compound will fill in the nasty swirl marks left behind by power buffing. Just make sure the glase you use can be use on your finish. We use a product called 3m fill & glase. But any good glasing compound will fill in the nasty swirl marks left behind by power buffing. Just make sure the glase you use can be use on your finish.

]]> http://1a.co.nz/swirl-marks.html#comment-2936 pizzaguy Fri, 11 May 2012 07:10:50 +0000 http://1a.co.nz/swirl-marks.html#comment-2936 DO NOT use turtle wax, it's crap. first, you've got to get everything OFF your paint (washing the car with the correct soap). then you've got to use paint cleaning clay to really get all the crap off. THEN, and ONLY THEN, should the paint be waxed (to protect it from new crap attaching). i would reccomend you go to www.griots.com and read up on the site (it will explain all the products, and what works best for what projects) get AT LEAST: the paint cleaning clay and the car wash and one of the waxes it's damned expensive stuff, but it's REALLY WORTH IT! plus, it's all biodegradable/non-toxic! hope this helps! DO NOT use turtle wax, it’s crap.

first, you’ve got to get everything OFF your paint (washing the car with the correct soap). then you’ve got to use paint cleaning clay to really get all the crap off. THEN, and ONLY THEN, should the paint be waxed (to protect it from new crap attaching).

i would reccomend you go to http://www.griots.com and read up on the site (it will explain all the products, and what works best for what projects)

get AT LEAST:
the paint cleaning clay
and the car wash
and one of the waxes

it’s damned expensive stuff, but it’s REALLY WORTH IT! plus, it’s all biodegradable/non-toxic!

hope this helps!

]]>