More demanding users tend to burn out Dremel rotary tools over time. Given its $169 price tag, this isn’t a tool for beginners, at least in my opinion, it’s a cordless rotary tool for more experienced users or users who want a cordless option to complement their corded work. However, there do look to be some neat innovations packed into the tool. The “never-before-seen smart capabilities” seem a bit underwhelming to me, to be honest, as it doesn’t look to enhance the tool with respect to any customizable power or speed controls. If you look closely, you don’t need the app to see tool and battery temperatures, as there are new on-tool gauges right next to the battery charge capacity gauge. Some users will appreciate having the Dremel app report the exact battery charge capacity, compared to a couple of on-tool LED indicator lights. Such information is also easily accessible online.
Will beginners benefit from having an app guide them on speed selection for different combinations of work materials and accessories? Absolutely.ĭremel Recommended Speed Settings for Cutting Accessoriesīut on the other hand, although an app can be a convenient place to access this type of information.
The Dremel 8260 can connect to smartphone apps via Bluetooth connectivity. The 8260 is without a doubt a very interesting and innovative tool, I just need more time to better understand its placement within Dremel’s rotary tool product family. More frequent corded rotary tool users might prefer a tool that matches up to their tools’ speed ranges, otherwise they might have to relearn optimal speed settings and ranges for common tasks. I can see how the 8260 can deliver faster cutting speed despite being slower than the 10-year-old brushed motor model, but might there be times when that extra 5,000 RPM are missed? For a lot of tasks, you let the tool’s speed do the work, and so power delivery isn’t as important except for tasks where you apply greater pressure. The 8260 is said to deliver “20% faster cutting speed” than the 8220, but the 8220 max RPM speed us 16.7% higher. It’s time for Dremel to make 12V Max tools that are cross-compatible with Bosch’s 12V Max cordless power tool platform.ĭremel 8260 Speed Range: 5,000 to 30,000 RPMĭremel 8220 Speed Range: 5,000 to 35,000 RPM I must say, I’m disappointed that Dremel still insists on their own separate battery platform. In theory, aside from a moment to swap batteries between the tool and charger, that kit should result in less downtime than the new 8260 kit that comes with a single 3.0Ah battery. Looking closer, the 2-battery 8220 kit is advertised as being bundled with 2.0Ah batteries. With the 8260, having to recharge the battery in the middle of a project will inevitably lead to downtime. If you buy the 2-battery 8220 kit, or 2x of the 1-battery 8220 kits – which will leave you with $10 more in your wallet at current pricing compared to the new 8260 kit – you can have one battery on the tool and one on the charger.
If the 8260 is bundled with the same charger, does that mean you’ll have to sit through 2 hours of downtime waiting for the 3.0Ah battery to fully recharge? The 8220 comes with a 1-hour charger, and that charging time is presumably for the 1.5Ah battery.
So, what happens when you do run out of battery power? What I find curious is why Dremel is comparing the 8260’s power to their corded model rotary tool, rather than the 8220 cordless model that all of their other claims are based against.Īdditional or replacement Dremel 12V Max batteries seem to be hard to find right now, and I also have not seen any indication that the 3.0Ah battery will be available separately. If the 2X longer runtime claims are tied to the 2X greater charge capacity, then does the brushless motor contribute any runtime gains? If not, then it’s possible the motor contributes more towards higher power capabilities. Depending on the motor selection and power tuning, a brushless tool can draw less current for the same power, contributing to longer runtime, or they can deliver more power at comparable current draw. To me, this suggests that the main benefit is in the power delivery.īrushless motors have higher efficiency than brushed motor. While claims of 2X the runtime seem impressive, keep in mind that they’re comparing a brushless-motored tool that’s powered with a 3.0Ah battery with a 10-year-old brushed motor tool that’s advertised as being kitted with a 1.5Ah battery. They have come out with compact models since then, such as the Dremel Lite 7760, but this is their first 12V Max model in quite a long time.Īt the time of this posting, the 8220 kit is available for $79 at Amazon, and the 2-battery kit is $120 at Amazon. Buy the Kit at Home Depot Dremel 8260 Thoughts & Discussionĭremel launched the 8220 cordless rotary tool nearly 10 years ago.