Dremels, Flexshafts & Rotary Tools - Which Is Best For Making Jewellery?
- Kim Thomson
- Nov 28, 2025
- 11 min read
#paidlinks - Please note, this post contains some Amazon affiliate links. I have compiled many of the tools and attachments I use into an Amazon List to make them easy to find. If you choose to buy from my list, I may receive a small payment from Amazon. However, I am not sponsored or endorsed by Amazon; these links are to products that are the same or similar to the ones I have personally purchased for my own studio. I have not provided links to any tools I would no longer recommend. Links to retailers other than Amazon are not paid or sponsored in any way.
What is a Rotary Tool?
Let's dive into the world of rotary tools! These devices are powerful tools with variable-speed motors, perfect for jewellery tasks like filing, sanding, polishing, and cutting metal.
They can be fully handheld or come with a flexshaft, which is a flexible, slim extension that enables you to hang the weight of the tool from a hook, making holding and using the tool more ergonomic and lightweight.
A rotary tool that comes with a flexshaft as standard is often known as a pendant motor. Some rotary tools enable you to add a flexshaft at a later date if you wish.
Rotary tools are compatible with a variety of attachments (such as ‘bits,’ ‘mops,’ and ‘burrs’).
While rotary tools can be fantastic for jewellers, be warned—not all models fit every task, especially in jewellery making, where precision is key.
In this blog post, we'll look at seven popular rotary tools for jewellers, from premium machines to budget-friendly alternatives, along with their pros and cons, to help you pick the best one for your needs.
But to start…
Bits, Chucks, and Collets: What Are They?
• Bits: These are the different attachments you can use with your rotary tool, like polishing mops or stone-setting burrs. Most jewellery ‘bits’ come on a 2.34mm ‘shank’ (also known as a mandrel), which securely slots into most rotary tools.
• Chucks and Collets: Imagine a chuck as a tiny clamp on the end of your rotary tool that holds the shank of your bit in place.
• Collets are a type of Chuck that grip just one size of shank. A rotary tool sometimes comes with a range of collet sizes, which can be swapped out when you want to use a bit with a thicker or thinner shank. But these days, most rotary tools come with a single collet that will only fit a standard 2.34mm shank. The good thing about collets is, presuming you use the right size for your bit, they should hold it very securely. The downside is you can’t always get alternative sizes for your machine, and even if you can, you have to physically swap them over every time you want to use a bit with a different-sized shank.
• A Multi-Chuck can handle various sizes of shank by simply opening and closing it, which is really convenient. The downside is that not all rotary tools will fit a multi-chuck, and they can be known for coming loose, especially when being used at faster speeds. I haven't noticed a quality disparity between genuine Dremel Multi Chucks and non-branded ones in terms of how easily they become loose.
What Rotary Tools Are Popular For Jewellery Making in the UK?
I will list the popular choices below, along with some pros and cons. Remember, popular doesn't always mean something's the best tool, or the best one for you!
Overview: The Dremel 4000 is the classic go-to tool. It came out in 2009 and was considered the best ‘entry to mid-level’ tool on the market at the time. If a jeweller didn't have a Foredom or similar premium machine, they'd often have a Dremel 4000. They brought in the 4250 more recently and it has a very similar spec, but is meant to be quieter and smoother.
Pros:
• Good Power & Speed Control: It has a starting speed of 5000 RPM and a powerful motor, so it's reliable for grinding, sanding, and polishing and slow enough for some more delicate work.
• Durable: This tool has a reputation for being durable.
Cons:
• Pricey: Although it’s not the most expensive option by far, it’s about twice the price of its closest competitors.
• Bulky: The machine can feel hefty unless you add a flexshaft at extra expense.
• Speed: Although it has one of the slowest starting speeds of these traditional rotary tools, it can still be too fast for fiddly jewellery work such as cutting seats for stones.
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: They usually only come with one size of collet, but additional collets are easy to source, or a multi-chuck can be added.
#2 - Dremel 3000 Rotary Tool
Overview: The Dremel 3000 came out around 2011. It is smaller, lighter and cheaper than the Dremel 4000 & 4250, especially as it is often slashed in price during sale periods. It tends to be the most popular choice when people start out, and many, many jewellers use them.
Pros:
Affordable & Versatile: It takes all the same attachments as the more premium Dremel 4000 & 4250.
Cons:
Too Fast: Not suitable for delicate jobs. The starting speed of this machine is 10,000 RPM. Twice the speed of the Dremel 4000 & 4250.
Potential Known Faults: As a tutor, I have owned around five Dremel 3000s over the years, and in my experience, they often develop a fault with the speed control. They already start at a speed far higher than we usually want for most jewellery applications, and my machines (and some of my students) have been known to speed up on their own during use, making them unsafe and unsuitable. Personally, I wouldn’t buy another Dremel 3000, and I believe they are already being phased out by Dremel.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All: They usually only come with one size of collet, but additional collets are easy to source, or a multi-chuck can be added.
Overview: Cordless and convenient, this model was a favourite with me and among my students... until some issues cropped up.
Pros:
• Cordless & Handy: Easy to use and carry around.
• Speed: This model speed starts at 8000 RMP, so although it is still faster than we would ideally want, it feels slower when using it, partly because it is more comfortable and lighter to hold.
Cons:
• Durability Issues: Charging ports tend to give up the ghost after a while making them unusable. Read more about this and my fix, below!
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: They usually only come with one size of collet, but additional collets are easy to source, or a multi-chuck can be added.
Overview: Yep, nail drills for your fingernails! I feel they deserve to be a thing in the jewellery making world thanks to their budget-friendly price tags and slow speed. Although we have multiple Foredoms in my studio, the students often prefer to grab one of the nail drills. So I've been recommending these for anyone who can't or doesn't want to pay for a more premium tool.
Pros:
• Control & Price: Start very slow and steady, without breaking the bank.
• Neat: They are on the small size, and many include a holder for your bits.
Cons:
• Not All Are Built The Same: Some are powerful, and some are really not! This is the one we are currently using and loving in my studio.
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: They only take one size of collet; however, you can buy adapters.
Overview: Micromotors are very similar to the nail drills I mentioned above, but a good quality micro motor is a far more premium machine.
Pros:
• Control & Power: Start very slow and steady, but usually have powerful motors and good torque.
• Neat: They are far smaller, lighter and more flexible compared to traditional rotary tools, and big flexshafts. They can sit neatly on your bench without worrying about the weight.
Cons:
• Not All Are Built The Same: Similar to the nail drills and the Foredoms, while there are plenty of great models, there are plenty of poorer quality or knock-off ones too. Foredom and Marathon and popular ones but should be bought from a trusted supplier.
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: They only take one size of collet; however, you can buy adapters.
Overview: Foredom is often considered the professional choice, known for incredible speed control, quality build and versatility.
Pros:
• Great Speed & Power: Perfect for almost anything you throw at it.
• Additional Handpieces and Attachments: A wide choice is available! More than pretty much any other option.
Cons:
• High Cost & Very Heavy: Be ready for a premium price, and consider your workspace setup as the tool is extremely heavy and needs to be hung up securely.
• Additional Handpieces and Attachments: All handpieces and accessories come at a premium price point.
• Knock-Offs: There are A LOT of knock-offs on the market. And it can often be difficult to tell which machines are legit and which are fake, especially if you buy a second-hand machine. The knock-offs often have electrical wiring that isn’t up to code for UK use or may not have a built-in safety fuse. They are known to develop a range of faults, and they often won’t fit any additional handpieces or attachments you may buy. This is because multiple manufacturers are creating fake Foredoms, so there is no way of knowing the build quality or compatibility at the point of purchase unless you buy from a reputable jewellery or tool supplier.
#7 - Other Flexshaft Pendant Motors
Overview: There are many, good-quality flexshaft pendant motors on the market. Often at a far cheaper price than Foredom.
For example, some jewellers have the ARBE PFM II, which can be compatible with the Foredom handpieces and accessories at a far cheaper price. Please note, although I have seen these machines used with Foredom products and used them myself, there is no guarantee they are compatible. I have included a link to a UK supplier below, to help you do your own research https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/arbe-motor-with-3-jaw-handpiece
Pros:
• Exceptional Speed Control: Most foot pedal-controlled tools start from zero RPM and increase in speed in line with how hard to push your foot onto the peddle, similar to a sewing machine.
• Powerful: Provides great speed control as well as a very powerful motor, making them exceptionally versatile.
• Possible Choice of Handpieces: Some are compatible with Foredom, meaning you can choose the quick-release handle, which is compatible with standard jewellers’ burrs such as Busch ball burrs and setting burrs or the H.30 ‘chuck style’ handpiece, which takes a wide range of shank sizes. These are the two most popular handpieces, but a wide range is available, such as a hammer handpiece for setting heavy bezels or a spring handpiece for greater flexibility.
• Price: Can be substantially cheaper than a Foredom.
Cons:
• Weight: Although the flexshaft makes them fairly light to use, the actual machine is often very heavy. This means you have to consider how you will hang it safety in your work area.
• No Guarantee: There is often no guarantee another brand of flexshaft will be compatible with Foredom if you ever wish to change the type of handpiece.
Conclusion
Everybody’s needs are different, but generally speaking, most Dremels and similar tools are useful for grinding, sanding and polishing jewellery. They aren’t usually suitable for fine, controlled work such as stone setting and delicate drilling.
A Foredom is an extremely useful and versatile tool and respected brand, but it comes at a premium price point. If you wish to do fiddly work and can’t afford a Foredom you may wish to consider a cheap nail drill or an alternative brand of pendant motor.
A premium Micro motor may be a good choice if you are short on space or do a lot of fiddly work.
The most versatile rotary tools in my studio are my Foredom's
However, the most used and most popular were my Dremel Lite, cordless tools, and although they broke, you can read below about why I've decided to stick with them and keep recommending them, with one little fix!
You can find a selection of the tools and attachments I use in my studio on my Amazon List
#paidlinks - Please note, this post contains some Amazon affiliate links. I have compiled many of the tools and attachments I use into an Amazon List to make them easy to find. If you choose to buy from my list, I may receive a small payment from Amazon. However, I am not sponsored or endorsed by Amazon; these links are to products that are the same or similar to the ones I have personally purchased for my own studio. I have not provided links to any tools I would no longer recommend. Links to retailers other than Amazon are not paid or sponsored in any way.
So here’s the rub….Why have I fallen out of love with Dremel, and what am I doing about it?
As a jewellery tutor, I have used and owned many Dremels and other rotary tools over the 25+ years I have been making and teaching jewellery.
Until the Dremel 4000 came on the market in 2009, most diy rotary tools were far too fast, and most flexshaft pendant motors were too big or expensive for home jewellery makers. The Dremel 4000 & 4250, (although still limited compared to a more premium flexshaft pendant motor), was a good quality tool at an accessible price point. I still have the Dremel 4000 that I bought over 10 years ago, and it works well.
However, over the years I have witnessed the Dremel tools get cheaper and cheaper, both in price and most importantly, build. I have seen once robust tools, develop common faults and the provided accessories, such as additional sizes of collet, become more limited.
They have also become known for poor customer service and (according to online reviews) not honouring their warranty.
I have experienced this with the Dremel Lites (that until recently, I heartily recommended).
Out of the 5 Dremel Lites I own, four of them have developed the same fault. They no longer charge because the charging port in the machine has fallen off. This fault developed on all the machines after 13-20 months of use.
Although Dremel advertised a 2 year warranty, it is actually 1 year if you are using them for professional use. So my machines weren’t eligible for refund or repair.
Once I knew my warranty was lapsed, I opened up a couple of the Dremel Lites, try and see exactly what the failure was. It turns out, the charging port is only lightly tacked onto the internal circuit board, so they had popped off.
In my opinion, this means they were always destined to fail with wear and tear. Plugging and unplugging a charging cable will always put force on a charging port and if it’s just tacked on with a tiny bit of electrical solder, I can’t imagine it takes much for it to snap off. Which makes it seem inevitable that any more machines I buy will suffer the same fate and no matter how useful my students and I found the tool, I don’t want to spend money on something I don’t deem fit for purpose.
I am planning to take the broken machines to my local repair café to see if they are salvageable, but there is a good chance the circuit board is now damaged and even if they can be fixed, it is likely, due to the design, the same fault will happen again in the near future. This is why I have fallen out of love.
However! When discussing a possible fix, I was told about magnetic charging cables. I had no idea these existed! Instead of plugging the charging cable in and out of the machine, you insert the tiny charger adapter and leave it in the machine. When you need to charge, the power cable has a small magnet on the end which pops onto the charging adapter. No wear and tear to the charging port!!! I bought a couple of these chargers, and they're charging my remaining Dremel Lites really well.
So while I am still disappointed in the quality of some Dremel tools, I have decided I will be buying replacements for my broken Dremel Lite machines, but they will only be charged with magnetic chargers from now on.
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