Dremel 3000 is one of the flagship rotary tools that the Dremel brand makes. I have been using my Dremel 3000 almost daily for over a year now. In this article, I want to share my experience with the Dremel 3000, the pros and cons of the tool, and if it is worth getting or not.
The Dremel 3000 is a good mid-range rotary tool. It has a decent power output and can be used for all the tasks that are expected of a rotary tool. The Dremel 3000 is worth getting for its price class, but if you want the best and most reliable rotary tools, you should consider going for a model like the Dremel 4000 which does not have some of the shortcomings of the Dremel 3000.
Choosing which Dremel model to buy can be challenging, there are so many different models to choose from. By the end of this article, you will know if the Dremel 3000 is the right tool for you, or if you should consider getting another model.
My experience With The Dremel 3000
I have used the Dremel 3000 almost daily for over a year now. I have mainly used the Dremel 3000 for woodcarving and working with wood. But from time to time I’ve used it for other tasks like engraving glass, cutting stone, cutting metal, and so on.
I also own many other Models like the Dremel stylo+ 2050, the Dremel Lite, and the Dremel 4000. So I can really compare the performance of the Dremel 3000 to these other models.
Pros Dremel 3000
- Affordable
- Powerful Enough For Most Jobs
- Can Use Attachments
- Smaller Than Dremel 4000
Cons Dremel 3000
- Noisy
- Bad Shaft Lock System
- Weaker Motor Than Dremel 4000
- Speed control and power button not seperate
- Have to replace motor brushes from time to time
Who Should Buy The Dremel 3000?
Get the Dremel 3000 if you want a quality tool, but do not want to spend the higher price of a model like a Dremel 4000. The Dremel 3000 will most likely do the job that you need it to do, but it has some significant shortcomings compared to other models, like a weaker motor and a less robust build.
The Dremel 3000 is a great buy as your first rotary tool. It quickly gets you into the world of Dremel and all the different bits and attachment that comes with it.
A Dremel is generally a great tool for a wide variety of daily tasks, DIY stuff, and general projects around the house. The Dremel 3000 is probably the best Dremel model for casual users that only use the tool once in a while, and do not want to spend too much money on the tool.
You are probably curious about the shortcomings and bad sides of The Dremel 3000 that I keep talking about. So let us get right into it.
What I Don’t Like About The Dremel 3000
Weaker Motor – The Dremel 3000 has a noticeably weaker motor than other Dremel models like the Dremel 4000 and 4300. This means that the RPMs of the tool will be reduced when it is subjected to pressure under use. If you are using the Dremel 3000 for any heavy-duty tasks this might be noticeable. I certainly feel the difference in power between the 3000 and 4000 models.
Loud – The Dremel 3000 can be quite noisy at the higher RPM ranges. I recommend using hearing protection if you are using the Dremel 3000 at high RPMs.
Bad Shaft Lock System – We use the shaft lock system to keep the shaft from spinning when we want to change bits. To do this we press a button that goes into a hole in the rotary shaft. This button and hole are subject to wear and it might become so worn that it becomes unable to stop the rotation of the shaft. There is an easy fix for this but it can still be annoying.
Speed Control – The speed control and the power button is the same button on the Dremel 3000. I would like them to be separate. You have 5 or 6 speed settings to choose from.
What I Like About The Dremel 3000
The Price – The Dremel 3000 is a fair bit cheaper than other comparable Dremel models.
The Smaller Size – The Dremel 3000 is a little bit smaller than the Dremel 8220, 4300 and 4000
Attachments – The Dremel 3000 can use most of the attachments that Dremel makes for their rotary tools.
Relative Power – Yes, the Dremel 3000 is weaker than comparable models like the 4000, 4300, and 8220. But it won’t usually have any problems with the power output of the Dremel 3000. Only for heavy-duty tasks.
Practical experiment – Cutting Screw With Dremel 3000/4000
Let us do i quick practical experiment on a job that a Dremel is commonly used for. In this experiment, I am going to cut a medium-sized wood screw. A Dremel is great for cutting small pieces of metal like screws, nails, and small bolts.
I am going to use the Dremel 3000 first and see how long it takes, then I am going to use the Dremel 4000 so we can compare the difference in action
Dremel 3000 – Cut Screw
Dremel 4000 – Cut Screw
You can see a noticeable difference in the time it takes the Dremel 3000 and Dremel 4000 to cut through the screws. I used an RPM of 25 000 on both tools while cutting and the screws were from the same package.
The Dremel 3000 used 13 seconds to cut through the screw, while the Dremel 4000 only used 5 seconds. If you only use your Dremel once in a while for some minor tasks, this difference in cutting time might not matter to you at all.
But if you are going to use your Dremel a lot and maybe cut 100 screws in a day, then your work will be a lot more pleasant with the Dremel 4000.
The reason the Dremel 3000 was slower at cutting a screw than the 4000 is the power of the motor. When I used pressure when cutting the screw, the RPMs of the Dremel 3000 slowed down and made the cut time longer. The same amount of pressure used when cutting with the Dremel 4000 did not have any impact on RPMs.
Want to learn how to cut metal with a Dremel: Check Out This Guide I Made!!!
Dremel 3000 vs Dremel 4000
Add image From upcoming article. Dremel 3000 vs 4000
Why would you buy the Dremel 3000 over the Dremel 4000? When considering buying a Dremel 3000, this is a natural question to ask. So I’ll try to explain some of the differences between the two tools.
But I have already talked a little bit about this, so I’ll make it quick.
The Dremel 4000 has a better shaft lock system than the Dremel 3000. The shaft lock on the Dremel 4000 is a lot more durable.
The Dremel 4000 seems to be more durable in general.
The Dremel 3000 is cheaper, usually somewhere around 2/3 of the price of a Dremel 4000
The Dremel 4000 has a stronger motor than the Dremel 3000, and it is noticeable. The Dremel 3000 slows down when you use too much pressure on the tool while it is running. The Dremel 4000 can handle more pressure.
The Dremel 4000 has a separate speed dial and power button. On the Dremel 3000, the speed dial and power button are the same buttons.
The Dremel 3000 is about 25% smaller than the Dremel 4000.
Learn More About The Differences Between Dremel 3000 and Dremel 4000. Check Out This Article
What Can The Dremel 3000 Be Used For?
The Dremel 3000 can be used for sanding, engraving, cutting metal, deburring, woodcarving, drilling holes, cutting stone, cutting glass, cutting tile, sharpening, removing rust, cleaning, jewelry making, routing, inlays, and more.
A Dremel is really a jack of all trades. You’ll find a use for the tool in so many different scenarios.
Is the Dremel 3000 worth it?
The Dremel 3000 is worth buying. It is cheaper than the Dremel 4000 but also has a weaker motor. The Dremel 3000 will fill the requirements of most buyers well, but if you have to extra budget to go for a Dremel 4000 instead I would highly recommend you do so.
The Dremel 3000 is a good rotary tool, but the shortcomings of the Dremel 3000 were fixed in the newer Dremel 4000
My Favorite Bits For The Dremel 3000
Since I’ve used the Dremel 3000 for over a year now, I have also gone through several different bits. Some bits are good and other bits are not so. So I think it is worth sharing some of my favorite bits and the bits that I have found most useful.
My favorite bits might be different from your favorite bits. I completely depend on what you are going to use the Dremel for.
Kutzall Extreme Burrs – The Kutzall extreme burrs are some of the most aggressive bits for woodcarving. They remove wood very effectively and the durability of the bits is very good. Kutzall is also a solid US brand.
Sanding Drums – The sanding drums can be used in so many different scenarios. When I got my first Dremel for woodcarving, I exclusively used the sanding drums for shaping small pendants out of wood. I frequently use the for sanding, woodcarving, cleaning rust, deburring metal, and so on.
Wood Cutting Wheel #544 (Amazon) – This is one of my absolute bits for a Dremel tool in general. The wood cutting wheel #544 is great at cutting “larger” chunks of wood when wood carving. It can also cut through thicker pieces of wood like 1/2″ (1.2 CM) plywood. w
Metal Cutting Wheel (Amazon)- The reinforced metal cutting wheel #456 is the best cutting disc for cutting metal with the Dremel. It is way more reliable than the thinner cutting discs, and it will not break during the cut.
If you ever want to search for bits of a Dremel on Amazon. Search for 1/8″ bits, or 3.2mm bits.
My Favorite Attachments for the Dremel 3000
Quick Change Chuck #4486 – The quick change chuck gives you the ability to change bits without having to worry about the size of the collet. Similar to a chuck on a cordless drill. It is very helpful when using bits with smaller shank sizes like 1/16″.
Cutting Guide #565 – The cutting guide is great when you want your bits to cut perpendicular to the work surface. I use this attachment all the time for doing routing work and inlays.
Flex Shaft #225 – Probably my most used attachment for the Dremel. With the Dremel flex shaft, you can hang the motor somewhere and you only have to carry the rotating shaft of the tool and not the motor. This makes the tool a lot more versatile and maneuverable, you can also use the Dremel for longer without getting tired.
The Worst Bits For The Dremel 3000
For now, I am only going to mention one type of bit as the worst bit to get for your Dremel 3000. I’ll add to this list if I find some more terrible bits in the future.
Serrated Saw Blades Using serrated saw blades for the Dremel seems like a good idea at first. But in action, they are terrible. Especially for their advertised purpose, which is cutting wood. A Dremel does not have a base, the serrated saw blade will create a kickback stronger than most other Dremel bits, and this becomes a danger because of the exposed sharp cutting edges.
