Dremel vs Drill

Two of the most popular and best-known rotating power tools are drills and rotary tools, often called Dremels. Learn about these two tools, their differences and similarities, and when to use each one. I’ll tell you the major differentiating factor between Dremels and drills, and which is better overall.

What Is a Dremel?

Dremel is the name of a manufacturing company that produces a variety of power tools. One of the most popular tools they produce is a rotary tool that performs many of the same functions as pneumatic die grinders, but in a hobby or home setting. Many people refer to these rotary tools as ‘dremels’, after the brand. 

Some of the more popular models are the Dremel 3000, 4000, and 4300.

Dremel Parts

The parts of a Dremel-type rotary tool include its power source, grip, chuck or collet, and accessories. 

Power Source

Dremels require electricity to function. Some rotary tools have an internal battery that can be recharged, while others require a constant source of power through a wall socket. 

Grip

The grip is where you place your hand while operating the rotary tool. Many rotary tools are held like you would grasp a pen or pencil. 

Accessories

Some rotary tools are purpose-built for a specific job, such as engraving. The most popular styles of rotary tools are those that can be combined with different accessories to achieve different results. The accessories available for rotary tools include bits, discs, sanding drums, brushes, burrs, and polishers. 

Chuck/Collet

The chuck or collet is attached to the end of the spindle or mandrel (the part of the rotary tool that turns). This part can be tightened or loosened and allows the user to easily switch out different accessories.

Dremel Uses

Dremels are versatile tools that can be used to accomplish many different kinds of tasks. 

• Polishing. Dremels are often used to polish jewelry or other metal objects. Many different brushes and pads are available for this purpose.
• Sanding. With a sanding drum attached, rotary tools can be used to sand small, rounded, hard-to-reach areas made from metal, wood, or plastic.
• Cutting. A rotary tool with a cut-off wheel attached is capable of slicing through ceramic, acrylic, stone, glass, porcelain, and even cutting some metals. 
• Sharpening. Scissors, kitchen knives, and garden shears can all be sharpened using a rotary tool. 
• Grinding. Abrasive stones can be used to remove material from metal, ceramic, glass, and even some gemstones. 
• Drilling. With an appropriate chuck or collet and a set of drill bits, rotary tools can be used to drill small holes.

While Dremel’s are most commonly used by beginners on wood projects, you can see that they are a very versatile tool.

What Is a Drill?

Drills are tools that cut through material using a rotating or reciprocating motion, leaving behind holes. Soil-removing augers are a type of drill, as are the massive machines that burrow below the earth’s surface to access oil. 

In construction, woodworking, and metalworking, the word drill usually refers more specifically to handheld, electric powered drills. 

Drill Parts

Drills are usually equipped with a clutch and forward/reverse toggle switch. They always have a trigger, a chuck or a collet, and a power source. 

Power Source

Rechargeable handheld drills come with a removable battery pack. This battery pack may be compatible with other power tools produced by the same manufacturer. Most drills take a few hours to recharge, with the shortest charge time being 15 minutes, and the longest closer to five hours. 

An alternative to rechargeable handheld drills is a corded drill, ideally with a direct connection to a GFCI outlet. Cordless drills are lighter-weight, easier to use, and typically just more convenient.

Chuck/Collet

The most common drill chuck is called a three-jawed chuck or universal chuck. A three-jawed chuck has three evenly spaced arms that can be tightened or loosened. The three-jaw design allows the drill chuck to tightly grasp cylindrical objects such as drill bits.

Today, most drills are keyless, and can be adjusted through a plastic collar at the drill’s tip. Keyed drills are becoming less common, but do provide additional torque. When operating a keyed drill, it is essential to remove the key before powering the machine on, lest it becomes a dangerous projectile.  

Clutch

The clutch controls the torque produced by the drill and is usually controlled by a dial around the drill’s barrel.

Trigger

The trigger sparks the drill’s motor. The motor then turns the crankshaft, which spins the mandrel. Whatever is attached to the mandrel (like the drill chuck and any accessories) will also turn. 

Depending on the model you are using, the amount of pressure applied to the trigger may determine how fast the drill turns.

Forward/Reverse Toggle

Most drills can rotate in two directions, both clockwise and counterclockwise. When the drill rotates in a clockwise direction, it will insert screws and create holes. To remove screws or cleanly exit a freshly made hole, the toggle switch is used to flip the drill into reverse. 

Dremel vs Drill 

While a Dremel and a drill may appear to be similar on the surface, there is not as much overlap between these two tools as you might think. 

Similarities

The similarities between dremels and drills include their motion, their compatibility with accessories, and their power source. Safety goggles are required to run either tool. 

Safety Precautions

Whether you’re using a drill or a dremel, there are safety precautions you should take. Eye protection is a must for both tools. 

Motion

Both Dremels and drills accomplish their objectives by spinning a mandrel at high speed. They are rotating tools. 

Accessories

Both drills and Dremel-type rotary tools tend to have a chuck or collet, making it easy to switch between different kinds of accessories. 

Differences

Dremels and drills have many differences, including their size, shape, and weight. They also differ in their level of precision, their speed, and the amount and direction of force they produce. 

Size

A Dremel-type rotary tool is much smaller than a drill. Drills come in all shapes and sizes, but are generally much larger and heavier.

Weight

Drills typically weigh more than Dremel rotary tools. 

Shape

A rotary tool is operated by grasping it around the barrel, similar to a writing implement. Drills have a grip that supports the barrel. 

Precision

Thanks to their smaller size, rotary tools are much more precise and maneuverable than handheld electric drills. 

Direction of Force

The force generated by the motor of a drill is focused in a parallel direction to the spinning mandrel, allowing the bit or screw to cut through the material. 

The force from a rotary tool moves away from the mandrel in a perpendicular motion. 

Torque

Handheld electric drills have much more powerful motors than rotary tools, allowing them to rotate with more force. 

RPM

While both dremels and drills spin at high speeds, rotary tools make more revolutions per minute. A rotary tool can easily operate at 30,000 RPM, while a handheld electric drill might top out around 1,500. Speed-adjustable handheld electric drills can use a lower speed setting to generate more torque. 

Major Differentiating Factor

The major differentiating factor of these two rotating power tools is their maneuverability. 

Drills, while smaller than many power tools, are significantly larger and more cumbersome than rotary tools. 

Rotary tools, like the kind famously produced by Dremel, are much smaller than drills. Thanks to their size, they can be easily repositioned to access material from different angles, where a drill must usually be positioned at a 90-degree angle from your workpiece. 

When to Use a Dremel

Use a Dremel rotary tool instead of a drill when you are making small or precise cuts and holes. Rotary tools are best for applications when limited power is required. 

A rotary tool equipped with a cutting wheel can make small cuts through thin material, including plastic and some metals. 

Use a rotary tool with a sanding drum to finish edges and shape corners on wooden workpieces. 

Polishing and grinding metal, glass, or ceramic are best done by a Dremel-type tool with the appropriate attachment. 

Dremels are often used by jewelry makers for precision etching, engraving, and polishing. 

When to Use a Drill

Use a drill over a dremel when drilling holes or driving screws. 

When drilling holes in softer materials, such as some plastics and softwoods, it is generally advisable to use a lower speed to avoid burning or melting. 

Harder materials such as granite can often benefit from being tackled with a higher drill speed. 

Larger holes are typically drilled using a low-speed but high torque setting. For smaller holes, you may choose to reduce the torque and increase the speed. 

With a brush attachment, you can even leverage your drill to help you quickly clean or polish large areas.

Drills have both the speed and power to efficiently bore holes and drive screws through a range of materials. You can use a drill to make a hole in clay, porcelain, tile, glass, metal, drywall, concrete, and, of course, wood. 

Which is Better, a Dremel or a Drill? 

A drill really only does two things: drill holes, and drive screws. While a rotary tool may be able to drill a small hole and insert the occasional screw, these light-duty tools cannot be considered a substitute for a handheld electric drill. When it comes to polishing larger items, a drill with a brush or pad can often do the job more quickly than a dremel.

The best dremel tools excel at polishing, buffing, and sanding small areas, where a traditional handheld drill would be too large. Dremel-type rotary tools are also better at fitting into small or tight spaces, thanks to their smaller size.