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Dremel has so many different rotary tool models designed for different uses, it can be hard to choose the right one for the job you need it for. But don’t worry, I have used all of the Dremels mentioned below and I will tell you exactly which one you should get for your situation.
According to price, versatility, usefulness, and power, the Dremel 4000 is the absolute best Dremel to use for woodcarving. The Dremel 4000 is powerful enough to do most woodcarving tasks, and when combined with the flex shaft you can carve a long time before needing a rest. It is also in the price range of most people.
Even though going for the Dremel 4000 with the flex shaft is a safe bet to get for woodcarving, there are situations where other Dremel models will make more sense. Maybe you need more power or don’t want to deal with a cable, or maybe you just want something more lightweight for smaller carvings.
I got you covered, let me show you the most relevant Dremel Models for woodcarving, and show their strengths and weaknesses.
Models Discussed in this Article:
| Model | Main Strength | Check Price (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|
| Dremel 4000-6/50 | Most Commonly Used | Check Price |
| Dremel Stylo+ | Lightweight | Check Price |
| Dremel 4300–9/64 | Powerful | Check Price |
| Dremel Fortiflex | Extremely Powerful | Check Price |
| Dremel 3000 | Cheap | Check Price |
| Dremel 8220 | Cordless | Check Price |
The Best Dremel For Wood Carving
1. Dremel 4000 | The Standard One
Why The Dremel 4000 Is Good For Wood Carving
The Dremel 4000 can be seen as the most used Dremel for wood carving, and will in most cases be the right rotary tool to get for people looking to get into wood carving and power carving with the Dremel.
The thing that makes the Dremel 4000 so good for wood carving is that the power output is good enough for doing some rough wood carving and you can really apply some pressure while carving the wood. And it does so at a fair price point.
The Dremel 4000 has a more powerful motor than its predecessor the Dremel 3000, with a motor capable of an output of 175 watts and can make use of 1.6 amps. The Dremel 3000 motor is capable of an output of 130 watts and could make use of 1.2 amps
Woodcarving with the Dremel 4000 allows you to remove wood quickly and is pleasurable and smooth to work with.
As we know, all woods change in hardness and texture, and it is good to have a tool that can handle carving most species of woods. Even the harder ones. The Dremel 4000 will do that for you.
If you are seriously thinking about getting into woodcarving with a Dremel, or if you are a beginner woodcarver ready to take your woodcarving to the next step, you will not regret getting the Dremel 4000.
For wood carving with a Dremel 4000, I highly recommend getting the Flex Shaft. The flax shaft is like a stylo for your Dremel and is going to give you the ability to carve for longer and avoid wrist strain. The Flex shaft is included in the package linked in this article.
Downsides With The Dremel 4000 for Wood Carving
I do not really think there are any large downsides with the Dremel 4000. The only downside I can think of is that it is quite a jump in price compared to the Dremel 3000. But if you are already going for a Dremel 3000 I would suggest putting up that money to get the superior Dremel 4000.
A problem a small minority of users seem to report is that the Dremel 4000 stops working out of nowhere after a few months. I have not experienced this to be the case, and should not be a problem most of the time.
Here is a link to the US And Canada Dremel’s Service And Repair: https://us.dremel.com/en_US/support/service-and-repair
Here is a video of a heart I made with my Dremel 4000:
2. Dremel Stylo+ | LightWeight, DIY
Why Is The Dremel Stylo+ Good For Wood Carving
The Dremel Stylo+ is great for light wood carving. The small size of the tool itself, the low weight, and the tiny power chord make this tool the most ergonomically pleasurable Dremel tool to work with when wood carving. But it also has a small motor which limits the power output of the tool.
If you have reasonable demands on what you expect to get out of the Dremel Stylo+, It is good for detailed carving where you remove small amounts of wood and where you do not have to apply too much pressure on the motor.
If you apply too much pressure on the motor when carving, the motor will stop automatically.
The number one advantage of the Stylo+ is the size. You can bring it anywhere you go without any problem, and it gives you the ability to wood carve anywhere you have an electric outlet. The other Dremel models on this list are more of a hassle to bring with you somewhere.
The Stylo+ is simple to use and it is a very friendly tool for beginner woodcarvers. It is a great tool to get as your first power tool for wood carving.
If you already own one of the more powerful Dremel tools on this list, the Stylo+ would still be a great addition to your wood carving tool kit. It brings value in being that small tool that you can take anywhere and use for the finer details of your wood carvings.
I use my Stylo+ a lot when I’m not in the shop. I bring it out on the porch and relax and wood carve there.
Downsides With The Dremel Stylo+
The main downside of the Stylo+ from my perspective is that it has a max RPM of 22.000. If we compare this to the other Dremels on this list that has a max RPM of 32.000 – 35.000.
The high RPM is not needed, but it is nice to have when finishing up and cleaning the wood carving with brushes and doing detailed work. This will just take a little bit longer with the lower rpm.
Another downside is that the motor stops if too much pressure is applied to the tool when carving. But this should not be a problem when you get to know how to work the tool and you get a feel for the use of it.
3. Dremel 4300 | Semi-Pro
Why Is The Dremel Dremel 4300 Good For Wood Carving
So you wanna have some power?
The Dremel 4300 is a powerful tool. It has an output of 1.8amps compared to the 1.6 amps of the Dremel 4000. This makes the Dremel 4300 superior if you want to do some rough wood carving.
The Dremel 4300 also makes less sound and runs a cooler than the Dremel 4000 and 3000.
Otherwise, the Dremel 4300 will do the same for wood carving as the Dremel 4000. It will do a perfectly good job and will fulfill 99% percent of your wood carving needs.
Since the motor of the 4300 is a little bit more powerful than the Dremel 4000 motor, it will give you the ability to use it with a little bit more force if needed. It might a little bit more pleasurable to work with since the motor runs more quietly.
This tool also comes with a nifty led light right over the bit, this might be helpful and make woodcarving details easier. I prefer not to use it, but that does not mean you will not like it.
Downsides With The Dremel 4300 for Wood Carving
Not really any big downsides with the Dremel 4300.
The only reason I still recommend going for the Dremel 4000 over the 4300 for wood carving is that the Dremel 4300 is a little bit more expensive and might be seen as pricey. And I don’t want to recommend a product that is out of reach for too many people. But if you have the money for it, the stronger and more silent motor can be worth it.
In the many package deals you can buy for the Dremel 4300 there are also many attachments and accessories that are not necessary for woodcarving. The Dremel 4000 has more options to choose from and you can get a package that is better suited for wood carving, so you don’t spend money on things you will not use.
4. Dremel Fortiflex | Pro
Why Is The Dremel Fortiflex Good For Wood Carving
So you wanna have EVEN more POWER ?!
The Dremel Fortiflex is a powerhouse for wood carving. If you need a rotary tool that can work with power at both low and high RPMs, this is the tool for you. The Dremel Fortiflex can remove large amounts of wood with ease and also has a small enough flex shaft that can be used for doing detailed wood carvings without causing wrist strain.
The other main advantage of the Dremel Fortiflex in addition to the 2.5 amp power output, is that you get a footswitch that is used to control the speed of the Dremel. By changing the pressure with your foot you can instantly go from 30000 to 5000 rpm without removing any hands from the workpiece. Now that is a great advantage.
But even though the Dremel Fortiflex is a great tool for wood carving, most of the people who do wood carving as a hobby will not have to do the jump in power and cost to buy this tool. Most of the other tools on this list will be more than powerful enough for most people.
The Dremel Fortiflex is worth investing in for people who are really serious about wood carving, they use the Dremel almost every day, and might even want to make a little business out of their wood carvings.
The Dremel Fortiflex will allow for more power and quicker carvings.
Downsides With The Dremel Fortiflex for Wood Carving
First off, the Dremel Fortiflex is expensive compared to the other tools on the list. Most of the time, it is double the price of any tool on the list.
The Dremel Fortiflex is also not compatible with normal Dremel Attachments. With none of them actually. So the Fortiflex will exclusively be used with bits.
5. Dremel 3000 | Budget Power
Why Is The Dremel 3000 Good For Wood Carving
The Dremel 3000 will also work fine for wood carving. And it will probably do most of the tasks you can ask of it. Some rough woodcarving can be done with it. And you can also use all Dremel Attachments with it.
The Dremel 3000 is really just a budget version of the Dremel 4000. The main difference between the two is that you get a weaker motor on the Dremel 3000 that has a power output of 1.2 amp vs the 1.6 amp of the Dremel 4000.
The Dremel 3000 also has a max RPM of 32000 while the Dremel 4000 has a max RPM of 35000. The 4000 RPM difference will not really be significant when in use.
If you don’t want to invest too much money in Dremels, the Dremel 3000 is the best budget option to get.
But if you have the money and are deciding between the Dremel 3000 and 4000, I would definitely buy the Dremel 4000 over the 3000.
6. Dremel 8220 | Best Cordless Option
Why Is The Dremel 8220 Good For Wood Carving
The Dremel 8220 can be used for wood carving. The Dremel 8220 is the most powerful cordless rotary tool made by Dremel and will feel as powerful in use as other models like the Dremel 4000. For this reason, the Dremel 8220 is the best cordless Dremel tool for wood carving.
A big advantage of a cordless battery-powered rotary tool is that you can take it anywhere. You can go and wood carving in the woods if you want to. Just hang the Dremel up on a branch and use the flex shaft as an extension, and voila, your own workshop in the woods.
I like the thought of a workshop in the woods, but that is the only advantage of this tool.
There is a big downside with using the Dremel 8220 for wood carving, the battery will only last for 30-35 minutes of proper use. And charging the battery back to full power will take more than an hour.
This means that you cannot continually use the tool. And if it runs out of battery, you just have to wait. But, you can get yourself a spare battery, which would make this problem a lot less detrimental to the performance of the tool.
If you are doing quick wood carving jobs, like sanding some edges or just some finishing, this tool might work for you. But if you are doing larger carvings and need a reliable tool to last for a long time, I would not get the Dremel 8220.
What Bits Should You Get Use For Wood Carving
Hopefully, you have decided which Dremel that complements your style of wood carving the best. Now we just need some bits that can be used for wood carving.
Sanding Drums – I mainly use the sanding drums for my wood carvings. They are surprisingly effective. Sanding drums and sanding bands are usually included when you buy the Dremel.
Diamond Bits – Diomons bits are great for detailed wood carving and finishing up a wood carving.
Kutzall – Kutzall bits are Rough Bits that are mainly used to remove large quantities of wood quickly. They also have finer bits for finer work.
Carbide Burrs – Carbide Burrs are used to chip and cut off wood quickly. They are effective for wood carving.
