I have the Crapsman version of the Dremel and it's the exact same model.
Stay away from Ryobi, they just don't last. You might also consider
Foredom but I think all their tools use the flexible shaft (no handhelds).
They're more powerful and better built than Dremel (also cost 2x as much).
Cheap (to non-existant) engineering, cheap design, cheap manufacturing
and it shows in the longevity of their tools. I was chatting with an
industrial design engineer and the story for a Ryobi router went something
like this: *5* hours of tool design time after copying the design from
another tool, crank them out cheap and hey, minimal complaints/returns.
Research found that virtually all people used them once or twice and
shelved the tool or garage-saled it.
The only Ryobi tool I'd consider buying would be the mini-biscuit - and
only because no one else currently has one. But that would be only if I
were into small wood projects; which I'm not currently.
As for accessories: Get as many grinding wheels and tips as you can
afford. They wear out. I buy the kits they sell at Home Depot and they're
not by Dremel but some other ocmpany whose name eludes me at the moment.
Micro-Mark puts out a nice catalog full of stuff for Dremels, although
they tend to be about 10% higher than most other places for stuff that
others carry (they do carry a lot of exclusives and it's a good reference).
Cheers!
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