PROXXON Professional Rotary Tool IBS/E, 38481

After tiring of duct taping the speed control and the front piece of my Dremel so they would stay in place and after reading several reviews on Amazon, I bought this little gem. As several other reviewers have noted, this tool is far better made than a Dremel (metal front piece and gear box, far better speed control design and construction, much sturdier plastic portion of the tool) and is far quieter. In spite of the wide quality gap, the price of this German-made unit is surprisingly similar to the Dremel. The Proxxon attachments are very good quality - I have purchased mostly the grinders and the metal cutting wheels - but the Dremel and other standard size attachments fit fine since the Proxxon comes standard with a set of collets that allow it to adapt to several spindle sizes. A couple caveats - DO NOT BUY THE KEYLESS CHUCK made by Proxxon if you buy this unit. Several people have because it is listed by Amazon as frequently purchased with this unit - but it DOES NOT FIT this model! (you can guess how I found out!) The other is to wear safety goggles - debris does fly off when cutting and grinding and the cutting wheels (multiple brands, not just Proxxon) can suddenly fly off the spindle, particularly if they bind a little, taking off like tiny little frisbees. Most of the time the screw just pulls through, but once in awhile it gets a little exciting (I have been cutting and shaping a lot of metal with this - it works terrifically!) Also, it is a little difficult to search for the Proxxon attachments on Amazon for some reason, but you can eventually find most of them by looking at the list of "frequently purchased with" items once you locate a few. There is quite a selection. Anyhow, I would recommend this product without hesitation and am thrilled with the purchase. I love using this little unit and have already logged a few hundred hours on it.

I bought the Proxxon Professional Rotary Tool in April 2012 as a replacement for a Dremel. Everything about this product screams quality: The packaging and case; the housing; the controls. The grinder motor was incredibly smooth and very quiet. Much more quiet than the Dremel grinder. I used the Proxxon to cut thin mild steel sheet to make forms, polish aluminum, perform porting work on iron cylinders and aluminum engine cases in vintage scooters, cut plastic, etc. The grinder was typically used once or twice per week since April 2012. Today I plugged it in and turned it on, but got nothing. I checked to make sure the electrical cord was in good condition and such. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, I plugged it back into the outlet and attempted to turn it on again. This time the motor began to turn slowly while white smoke came from the back of the housing. Very disappointing to have a tool listed as "Professional" completely fail after less than a year of use. The limited warranty is for 2 years so I am returning it to Proxxon USA for repair. Based on my experience wit this tool, I would not recommend this tool. UPDATE***** Feb 2015 I received the repaired Proxxon rotary grinder from Proxxon USA. Repair took about 3 weeks, including shipping to and from. I would rate this as a very quick turnaround time. I could tell that it was my original tool and not a replacement, which means they actually put their hands on it. And they did a great job. I've been using it about three times a week since, usually grinding/cutting metal. So I am very happy. It is still quiet and very powerful with no other problems. Fantastic no-nonsense support.

The positive reviews here are accurate. This tool is quiet and vibration-free through its entire speed range. It is light and comfortable to hold, and the selected speed stays constant when the tool is under load. The power cord's length is generous, but not so much so that it is cumbersome. The collets are finely crafted, and do not need excessive tightening to hold bits firmly. In fact, for work that hasn't required a lot of torque, finger tightening the collets has worked just fine. The included collet wrench is comfortable to use, and has a slit in it through which one can pass the shank of a bit with a large head. While doing my purchase research, I fretted about the problems others have had with the keyless chuck that it turns out is not made for this model. Not having the infinitely variable jaws of a chuck has not been an issue for me. The collets supplied cover six of the most common shank sizes and have met all my needs. The case is reasonably sized and is roomy inside without being cavernous. The blocks that hold the collets and accessories snap firmly into their receptacles. When the tool arrived, these blocks were loose inside the case. I had to press them in quite firmly to make them snap into place which suggests to me that either those who have had problems have not pressed firmly enough or I got lucky and received a case and blocks with tight tolerances. I measured for run out using the pre-installed 3/32" collet and one of the included bits. At the place where the shank entered the collet the reading was 0.000. That goes a long way toward explaining the absence of noise and vibration. This has been a fine purchase, and has been well worth the slightly higher purchase price versus the Dremel 4000, which I also considered. I am happy.

I've burned up two Dremel 4300 pro units in the past two years. The problem with the dremels is that the guides for the brushes are plastic so if you start getting heat build up, replacement brushes don't slide in nicely (and Dremel sends the wrong brushes anyway). The Proxxon is brushless so that's a plus right there. It's also more quiet than the dremel. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that you have to change out the collets as the adjust-ability range is non-existent. I'll update with longevity if it fails prematurely. EDIT: I ended up buying an additional one a couple months later so I can quickly switch between die grinding and flap wheel finishing without wearing out the collets. One of the units, not sure which, started squealing on me which I think is the bearing wearing out. Since I don't know which unit it is, it could be the 1.5 year old one or the 1.8 year old one. Either way both are under the 2 year warranty so I'll update on how that process goes. Really I can't complain at all because these tools get at least 10 minutes of daily use, five days a week. 2 Year Update: I have now purchased my fourth unit because the units I purchases approximately 19 and 23 months ago have given up. The one that had the bearing squeal was supposedly fixed under warranty and sent back to me but it's still making the noise. The one that is now 19 months old just blew out a bunch of white smoke and shorted out my power strip. I would send it back for warranty but the ID plate where the serial number was printed is worn to unreadable so I don't want to be accused of trying to warranty a unit that is out of date. The bottom line is that these are the best small rotary tools on the market, far better than dremel. You just have to know going in that if you use them a few minutes on daily basis that you'll get about 2 years out of it. I'm OK with it at this pricepoint. I've put clear packing tape over the ID plates of my newer ones so I can invoke the warranty on them. 3 Year Update: I'm now down to ONE working unit out of the four I bought. Again, to reiterate, they don't owe me anything. I just wish the bearings would last longer. I don't like throwing tools away and buying new ones.

Purchased to replace my Dremel #2 from the early '60's because the bearings have become worn and the armature overheats. This Proxxon comes with a set of collets in metric sizes but will take the eighth inch tools that were the Dremel standard. Replacement tools mostly use metric shanks anyway so this is convenient. Excellent speed control and good balance. The aluminum casting on this model houses the collet shaft in its own bearings, which is driven by the motor armature shaft through a coupling. I like this as I think it reduces vibration and improves concentricity at the tool. The tool is smaller than my old one and has a smaller motor but is powerful enough for my needs and is a pleasure to use. Applications include grinding, deburring and polishing steel, brass and aluminum; cutting and sanding of wood and plastic. I am very pleased with this tool.

I own a range of power tools from home-/hobby-grade to professional-grade. Very rarely, I run into a tool that's priced to be accessible to the home user, but provides quality at a professional level. This is one of those rare tools. Certainly, this tool is more expensive than Dremel's competing products, but it's almost unfair to compare this tool to anything Dremel makes. I have owned a lot of Dremel products, and I was considering purchasing the Dremel 4000 to use as a spindle for a homemade CNC PCB router. I had no previous experience with anything Proxxon makes, so it was a bit of a leap of faith. I'm more than happy I bought the Proxxon. The Proxxon IB/E is 30% more expensive than the Dremel 4000, but you get about 200% more tool for your money. The tool is built with far better precision. The plastic parts of the body feel like a serious power tool, and the aluminum nose that supports the bearings makes the whole thing feel indestructible compared to other tools in its class. You can run the Proxxon at its highest speed setting, and it's far quieter than the Dremel running at its lowest. A quieter tool isn't just beneficial to the operator's hearing. A quieter tool is also an indication of fewer wearing surfaces inside the tool (brushes, bearings, gears, etc). All Dremels I've used sound like they're actively trying to destroy themselves. The Proxxon sounds like other tools that are far more expensive. From the perspective of a student of CNC machining, the Proxxon excels at my use as a milling spindle. Even if it wasn't a more precise tool (the most important aspect), the noise level and separate power switch puts this tool way ahead of the pack. The 20mm round mounting surface (used to attach the IB/E to any "Micromot" accessory), makes this tool far easier to integrate into a micro-sized milling machine than its competitors. A lot of tool manufacturers are in a free-fall of decreasing quality right now (largely a result of dramatic cost-cutting and outsourcing of their facilities). The Proxxon tools will not disappoint you like most of the established brand names will.

WHOA! My original review/rating has bitten me on the backside. Owned this thing for about two years, only put about 5 hours or so of use on it. As you can see from my first review below, I was trying to be careful with it. It broke, doesn't run anymore. One of the case screws fell out, had to keep tightening it back down. I owned the same Dremel for over two decades until it finally died and I seriously beat it half to death every time I used it. Definitely going back to Dremel, and definitely shopping locally for it because it's just not worth the trouble of trying to warranty or return something like this with shipping and all. Very disappointed. (original review) This is a finely engineered rotary tool, but is designed mainly for detail work, not really for high-speed, heavy-duty, hard use. I haven't had any problems with it yet, but I do wish it had higher RPMs. I also wish I felt more comfortable with using it for harsher work, but I'm trying to make sure I don't break it.

I've owned two of this model. The first one died within about 4 hours of use around 8k rpm doing light grinding/shaping work on metal (1mm thick steel), specifically using the cutting wheel and a carbide burr tool (both Dremel brand). Regular Dremel brand bits will fit just fine, although finding the properly sized collet will take a minute extra. The collets grip very well and don't allow the shaft to slip, although I can't speak for longevity with only a few hours of use. Turning the tool on results the tool turning slightly in the hand, and the shaft is immediately turning at the set speed (no speed ramp up as a Dremel has). It maintains speed much, much better, is quieter, and far smoother. These are all the positives of the tool. Airflow through the tool is not bad, and it does not become nearly as warm as a Dremel does after 30-40 minutes of use. The metal nose piece gives a solid feeling in the hand. The flexi-shaft does not screw onto the nose piece, but just sits on it, which I found a little odd. The problem I had with 2 of the units (Amazon replaced the first one) were that suddenly, usually while setting the tool down just after working with it, I would hear a pop and see white smoke come from the internals, followed by a sizzling sound. This happened in two units. The first took 4 hours of use (approximate, as I didn't measure the actual minutes) and the 2nd died in less than an hour. Typical speed was 8k rpm for both, with a peak around 10k, so this was not high speed, and the tool was switched off when not going to be used for more than a minute. Exhaust air temps from the tool were warm, but not hot, nor anything I would have considered alarming. For the price, I can't suggest this tool because it breaks just as easily as a Dremel. If someone reading this wonders how I use this tool, I try to lightly and slowly grind or cut away on the metal I was working on (a computer case, to be specific). Sadly, this tool loses horribly to a $20 no-name "rotary tool" I picked up at a local tool show years ago, and overworked (setting to high RPM and causing it to run slower by cutting too fast). The $20 tool lasted for years, and was replaced by this Proxxon, which was itself replaced by a 2nd one. So I am looking for a more robust tool. For metal working, this is not a good tool, and I wonder if it's any better than a less expensive Dremel that will last a month. UPDATED 10-4-2012: Some comments were received for this review regarding contacting Proxxon. I did not contact them at all. As for a possibility of two lemons; I will concede that notion. Any warranty would be void with Proxxon as I finally opened up the unit to see exactly how it was made, and what electronics specifically burnt. I will give kudos to Proxxon for soldering each electrical connection, including the motor. No obvious damage to the motor was noticed, and nothing burnt beyond a single resistor (R1 on the circuit board). The circuit board in question is a very simple AC/DC converter with resistance controlled PWM circuit, using the output of a transistor with regulating capacitor to control motor speed. I may contact Proxxon for finding out specifically what resistance value R1 is since two of the four color bands were burnt/blown off the housing. I know brown is the first stripe with a somewhat (now) industry standard gold stripe on the other. My suggestion for Proxxon would be to use a larger R1 resistor in that position. Someone asked what Dremel survived longer than both Proxxons; it wasn't a Dremel. The closest I would be able to say is that it was similar to a "Harbor Freight" moto tool, all in plastic. It was loud, noisy, had tons of vibration, but lasted nearly 10 years with only a power switch failure (easily repaired as it used a standard power switch). I had not used a bench grinder due to an utter lack of torque those make (I have an ancient B&D for grinding edges, etc.). I am still disappointed in having an issue with two, but will at least admit the mechanical part of the tool is vastly better than anything Dremel I've repaired (I've repaired 3 different models to date). Barring any issues with replacing R1, this tool should be up and running again, but I still don't enjoy having to replace/repair my tools before using them, or spend extra shipping in order to have the tool replaced by the warrantying company, although the latter is one issue faced with anything mail order. Since not having one I have resorted to using a drill, angle grinder, bench grinder, and small needle files for any metal cutting or shaping. It's more tedious, but I don't have to worry about files breaking suddenly.

Esto es de lo mejor que ha pasado por mis manos, no demerito el valor y capacidad de los dremel peor ete modelo sobre pasa por mucho todos los modelos similares de dremel, lo recomiendo ampliamente.

I use rotary tools as part of my business; I'm a professional leatherworker and burnish edges of my products using a custom made cocobolo attachment. I have broken 3 dremels and one mastercraft rotary tool before finally getting the Proxxon 38481. Every Dremel I bought burnt out after about 20hrs of use.. so far the Proxxon has been amazing. The Proxxon makes sense: Dremel and Mastercraft rotary tools spin clockwise, so I would have debris fly into my face as I worked. The Proxxon spins counter-clockwise so debris flies away from you. The Proxxon is quiet: Compared to the Mastercraft and Dremel rotary tools, this thing is almost whisper quiet. The Proxxon is well built: I can get up to 20,000 RPMs on this thing and it won't shake or whine like the Dremel or Mastercraft tools. I would almost get carpal tunnel syndrome with how badly the dremel would shake at 14-15k RPM. The proxxon just whirrs and never complains. It's a mistake to think this is a hobby tool, it's much more robust and well worth the price. I often call it a 'dremel' but have to correct myself as I think it's an insult to such a great tool.

Muy buena calidad de acábados y función excelente

I've used several rotary tools in the past, with most being cheap hardware store brands. While this one is a fair bit more expensive, it's also much higher quality than what I'm used to. Unfortunately I haven't had any exposure to the better Dremel models, so can't really compare, but I chose to buy a Proxxon when I used one and discovered how quiet and precise it was compared to the cheap tools. Even at full speed this model is much quieter than the lowest setting of the cheaper tools I've used. My use is in hobby electronics, so mainly using the alumina abrasive cutting wheels and occasionally the milling bits. So far I've found that I break far fewer of even the thinnest cutting wheels when using this tool, as the spindle is much more accurate and less wobbly. Also, this tool is even capable of reliably drilling with solid carbide PCB drills (if held with the drill-press stand, or a very, very steady hand) which is definitely not something I could say of my previous rotary tools! Overall, a dream to use compared to most cheap tools, and easier on the ears (if not the wallet) as well.

I've only had this tool for a few days so far, so I cannot comment of longevity, but love this tool. Could have went for the Dremel, (or other brand which sell for as cheap as $30) but a previous Dremel died on me in less than a year, so I went for this. First thing, when you turn it on, you'll notice is that it doesn't have that high pitch scream sound that other rotary tools have. More of a tolerable hum. Has a dial for adjust the RMP's up to 20K. Seems to be solid and well built. The case that it comes with could be a little more form fitting for the tool, but other than that, I'm very happy with this tool so far.