Dremel 8260 Cordless Brushless Smart Rotary Tool

An indispensable tool for all manner of small scale cutting, drilling, grinding, shaping, sanding and smoothing tasks.

Author: Carl Duguay

The word ‘Dremel’ has become synonymous with ‘rotary tool’, which is not surprising, as Dremel invented the tool, round about 1932. Since then a host of other rotary tools have hit the market though Dremel is still widely seen as the ‘rotary tool of choice’. While targeted to home owners, crafters and hobbyists, a Dremel rotary tool is a very handy and convenient power tool to have in any workshop.

A rotary tool is not to be confused with it’s larger and more powerful sibling, the oscillating multi-tool. Rotary tools have small high-speed motors and an interchangeable chuck that accepts a vast array of bits with 1/8″ shanks for a wide variety of cutting, drilling, grinding, shaping, sanding and smoothing tasks.

Manufacturer: Dremel
Model: 8260
Price: $229.99
Warranty: Limited lifetime
Made in: Mexico
Source: Hardware and building supply centers across Canada

Power: 12V 3Ah, 32.4Wh battery
Motor: brushless
Charge time: 1-1/2 hours
No load speed: 5,000 – 30,000 RPM
Eccentric Offset: 3/32″
Weight: 1.3 pounds

Includes: 12V battery, 1 plastic cut-off disc, 3 metal cut-off discs, EZ Lock Mandrel, wrench, accessory storage box, fabric carry case.

What makes the new Dremel 8260 different than previous Dremel models is it’s brushless motor and Bluetooth connectivity.

The brushless motor extends tool life because there is no brush or commutator erosion, and it delivers increased torque per watt of power input for greater motor efficiency and performance.

Bluetooth connectivity enables you to monitor and manage the 8260 from your smartphone or tablet by means of the Dremel app (Apple, Android). With the app you can set tool speed, monitor battery percentage, tool and battery temperature, and get help on selecting the right bit for the job at hand. This is a feature that I think is best suited to users unfamiliar with rotary tools.

The 8260 has Dremel’s ‘EZ Lock Mandrel’, an innovative device that enables you to quickly mount cutting wheels without having to resort to screws to hold the wheels in place.

The tool is equipped with a 3Ah (32.4Wh) battery that spins the shaft at speeds of 5,000 to 30,000 RPM which can be adjusted in 5,000 RPM increments. The speed range is higher than the Dremel 7760 but lower than the Dremel 8220. Run-time will, of course, depend on the speed you select, along with the accessory you use, and how aggressively you use the tool.

There is an easy-to-read digital display that shows spindle speed and battery life, along with warning LED indicators that come on it the tool or battery experiences temperature overload.

At 20.9 ounces the 8260 isn’t nearly as light at the 7760, and just a tad lighter than the 8220. In use I found that there wasn’t a lot of vibration, even at the highest speed setting. However it’s still a noisy tool and you’ll definitely want to wear ear protection if you use it for more than a few minutes at a time.

If you already have a Dremel there isn’t any reason to trade up to this model. If you don’t have a rotary tool then you’ll definitely want to take a look at the Dremel 8260.