Well, it is no secret that I prefer decent quality for my tools and ‘Dremel’ is just one of the best small electric drills for crafts that I have been using since the beginning to craft my dollhouses and miniatures.
I was going to say: German ‘gründlichkeit’ – quality, but it turns out it has Austrian origin after I Googled it 🙂 Dremel Company.
Now, as I am having my website in English, I just realized that Dremel is not always the number one choice outside of Europe or worldwide. So today I am going to review 4 other brands for you as well.
But first, what is a small power drill used for?
In short: it is basically a drill, but mini?
It is very easy to use, at a quite high speed, and it does all kinds of jobs for you:
- drilling holes
- sanding
- cutting
- engraving
- milling
- sharpening
- grinding
- cleaning
- polishing
When you buy a Dremel electric drill (or any mini drill), it comes in a kit with accessories.
Using a Dremel for miniatures can be done on any kind of material like plastic, wood, metal, etc.
The end of the mini drill has a little collet where you can attach the drills in all sizes. (my Dremel has 6 different sizes of drills, up from 1,2 mm to over 2 mm).
Which accessories come with a small electric drill?
Other handy accessories that come with the kit for crafting miniatures are the brash brush, stainless steel wire brush, and a nylon wire brush, which are used to clean up your crafted pieces of jewelry for example.
Then there are little cutting wheels that actually even cut through metal-like nails.
Also in the basic accessories, there should be sanding drums that go onto little rubber pieces. You can use those also for sanding and cleaning up metal and wood pieces.
There also should be tiny felt bulbs that you can use to polish up your artwork or jewelry or of course your miniatures if needed.
So basically you can drill, you can cut, you can sand, you can polish and you can cut through any kind of materials, except stone I think that’s not possible. The limits are endless on what you can do with the mini drill and accessories.
Let’s head over to our 5 reviews on the best small electric drills for crafts!
As an Amazon/Etsy Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. GOXAWEE; a fine mini-electric drill
Product Name : GOXAWEE Power Rotary Tool Set
Place(s) To Buy: Amazon.
Warranty:
Please contact the seller.
Product Overview :
Content:
- 1 × Mini Rotary Tool
- 1 × Flexible Shaft
- 1 × Plastic Box
- 2 × Spanner
- 2 × Carbon Brush
- 2 × Wire Brush
- 82 accessories
Technical data:
- Power: 240 KW
- 6 levels of speed, from 8000-32000 rpm
- chuck type: 3-Jaw Chuck
- Item weight: 3.69 pounds
- dimensions: 11.81 x 5.35 x 4.29 inches
The Good And The Bad :
The Good.
- includes 82 Rotary Tool Accessories
- Does a professional job
- Comfortable handle
The Bad.
- there is barely any difference between the highest setting and the lowest setting.
- Inadequate for sanding work
- the flex shaft seems to be of low quality
Support :
Contact the seller on Amazon
My Final Opinion :
I believe this to be a good rotary tool to start out with, although some reviews think it’s junk.
2. BYWOKY; a small craft drill.
Product Name : Electric Cordless Rotary Tool
Place(s) To Buy: Amazon
Owners: BYWOKY
Warranty: please contact the seller
Product Overview :
Content:
- 1 x Power Rotary Tool
- 1x Accessories Storage Case
- 1x Packaging Box
- 1x User Manual
- 1 x USB Charging Cable
- 42 pieces
Technical specifications:
- Power source: battery operated
- cordless
- speed: 5.00
- USB Charging Cable Without Adapter
- Item weight: 10.4 ounces
- Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1.8 inches
The Good And The Bad :
The Good.
- very affordable rotary tool
- battery operated, no cords are in the way
- fits well in the hand
- portable
- it has a handy extra light
The Bad.
- it loses out in a big way with how complicated and time-consuming it is to switch between different bits/attachments.
- a cheaper price means also a lower quality of materials
Support :
Contact the seller, please.
My Final Opinion :
This rotary tool seems like a nice one, to begin with, just don’t expect it to do heavy-duty’s without breaking it, in my opinion. I think it would be just enough to sand some miniatures.
3. DRILLMASTER; a small electric drill for crafts
Product Name : Hobby and Craft Rotary Tool Kit
Place(s) To Buy: Etsy or Amazon
Owners: Drillmaster
Warranty: Returns and exchanges are accepted on this Etsy shop.
Product Overview :
- for precision cutting, grinding, polishing, sharpening, and drilling
- The high-speed rotary tool delivers up to 16000 RPM
- Spindle Lock for Easy Collet Changes
- 80 pieces
- 12 Volt converter
The Good And The Bad :
The Good.
- cheaper device
- light-weight and small
- great for small jobs
The Bad.
- not suitable for heavy duty’s
- the kit is rather low quality
- the shaft seems very weak
Support:
Contact the seller on Etsy/Amazon
My Final Opinion :
Do not expect to be able to do much with this mini drill, because of the low price, but it can be perfect for some light crafting.
4. The Best Mini Drill for me= DREMEL!
Product Name : Dremel Crafting Drill/Rotary Tool
Place(s) To Buy: Amazon
Owners: Dremel
Overall Rank:
For me, it is 5 stars, as I have good experience with this rotary tool.
Warranty: returns and exchanges accepted
Product Overview :
- Two-Speed Rotary Tool Kit
- Includes an assortment of accessories
- Corded-electric
- 120 Volts
- set your speed at 15, 000 or 35, 000 RPM with just the flip of a switch
- a Dremel is perfect for miniatures
The Good And The Bad :
The Good.
- slim and ergonomic body
- best powerful rotary tool (in my opinion)
- is quiet
- ideal to craft miniatures AND (light) chores around the house (I’ve seen a lot of people saying that this tool is also great for trimming their dogs’ nails)
The Bad.
- there seem to be some issues with the lock button
- some of the cutting wheels are cheap and break easy.
Support:
tel :1-800-437-3635
Contact: Dremel countries to contact from.
My Final Opinion :
I have a Dremel with a cord. It is pricey, admitted, but for me it is, I repeat myself I know, the best one on the market. Thé best quality and thé best power.
A few more FAQs on mini craft drills.
A few more questions are answered for you below!
How to fit small drill bits on a drill?
When I haven't used the mini drill for a while and need to change a drill bit, I tend to always get confused again haha!
So I bookmarked this Youtube video below as a reminder for when I'm struggling again:
Which drill is the smallest?
There are so many sizes for miniature drills that I leave this answer up to Wikipedia if you don't mind 😉
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Is using 12v drill enough power?
A 12v power drill is more than enough for our crafts, as it is compact, light, and costs a lot less than the 18vs.
My Final Conclusion
Euhm, sorry, I made it pretty clear which one is the best mini-electric drill, in my opinion, but don’t let that influence your decision 😉 Just know this, sooner or later if you want to craft miniatures yourself (and I don’t mean the kits, etc), you will definitely use a small rotary tool!
Do you have any questions or remarks about this article, let me know in the comments!
And as always: happy crafting!
Kind regards,
Lizzy
Hi there! While the standard for pet groomers was the stylus tool made by well known rotary tool maker, this tool is equal to the task of grinding pet nails. In fact, the LED light is an improvement over the others tools enabling visibility, while the 8V battery supplies more than enough power to trim nails and the quiet motor doesn’t frighten the pet.
Hi Joy,
Thank you for that extra information, have a great day !
Lizzy
well Lizzy you helped me make my purchase of the Dremel 4300 and also got the flex shaft I hear it is pretty awesome I look forward to using it in miniature making thank you for all the comparisons
Hey Rosemary!
I wish you lots of fun with the Dremel 4300 and you will see that you will use this device a lot! I am using it at the moment again for my fourth fairy house 😉
Kind regards,
Lizzy