Photo: Dremel
What We Like
- Affordable
- Compact and lightweight (4.85 lbs.)
- Compatible with a wide range of Dremel attachments
- Onboard storage for accessories
- 3-in-1 workstation (drill press, tool holder and flex shaft tool stand)
What We Don’t Like
- Not ideal for heavy-duty drilling
Bottom Line
The Dremel 220-01 is an affordable mini drill press that is ideal for light-duty work such as precision shaping, sanding, or drilling, mostly for decorative purposes.
Introduction
Not all drill presses have a large frame. Some are designed for light-duty work and therefore, have a small frame. Dremel’s 220-01 is a perfect example of this and it is a very affordable mini drill press.
Despite this, it is a very practical tool that houses multiple functions in one. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.
Dremel 220-01 Review
Photo: Dremel
Performance: Very Pratical Tool
Though a mini, the Dremel 220-01 is a very practical tool because it merges 3 functions into a single unit. The first is an articulating drill press and this allows you to drill perpendicular to the base (facing downwards).
The drill can be tilted, allowing you to make angled holes in 15º increments up to the horizontal level. This means you can position it at 90º, 75º, 60º, 45º, 30º, 15º, and 0º. As a result, you get a lot of flexibility and this is ideal for crafts, metalworking, etc.
While drilling, the base is fitted with inch and metric markings, and these assist you in enhancing accuracy as you position the workpiece before punching a hole through it.
Depth markings are included and a depth stop is built in to help you drill accurate, repetitive holes in different workpieces, with the maximum drill depth being 2 inches.
Other than that, this workstation can be used as a toolholder, in which it can hold tools such as the Dremel 8100 rotary tool for polishing, sanding, or grinding. The unit is designed to hold the tools horizontally (0º) so that you can use their rotary motion perpendicularly (at a 90º angle).
That said, the workstation is compatible with multiple Dremel rotary tools, which makes it very versatile.
Lastly, this unit can be used as a flex shaft tool stand, where it can hold different models, such as the Dremel 225-01. It allows for telescopic adjustment to any height between 16 and 29 inches, giving you as much flexibility as possible.
Apart from these 3 functions, the 220-01 is fitted with a crow’s nest, which is an onboard storage space that can hold drill bits, wrenches, and other accessories.
This is very handy because being a workstation, it is expected that you will attach multiple tools to it, and you will need a safe space to keep the accessories that come with these tools.
Design: Highly Portable
The model 220-01 is a mini and this is clearly visible from its size because it measures 6 x 6 x 12 inches. This has its benefits and the key one is portability.
Combined with a weight of only 4.85 lbs., this piece is highly portable and therefore, can be easily moved to different worksites as required.
However, this has its downsides because the workstation is not designed for heavy-duty drilling. Its main use is in light-duty drilling and high detail finishing work on wood and metal.
Setup: Easy Task
Since it is small and has very few pieces, setting up the Dremel 220-01 is quite an easy task. The metal base doubles up as the worktable and therefore, you simply have to attach the column to this base, then mount the drill head. Finish off by mounting the crow’s nest and that’s it.
Once assembled though, you need to mount the workstation to a stand or bench for stability. For this, the base has 4 clamping points, and tying 4 nuts will securely hold it in place to ensure you drill very accurate holes.
Cord management clips are also built-in for safe passage of the power cord from the motor to the base. These are meant for safety purposes because they eliminate the chances of this cable from coming into the work area, which can be very dangerous.
Price: Affordable
With a price tag that clocks in below $100, Dremel’s 220-01 is very affordable. However, this does not mean it is a low-quality product. In fact, being a 3-in-1 workstation means you get a lot of value for money.
That said, the manufacturer does not produce any other drill press workstation and therefore, a brand sibling comparison is not possible.
There is another mini-unit though that can compare to this model. Euro Tool’s DRL-300.00 is a very compact drill press that has its base doubling up as the worktable.
However, this model has variable speed adjustment up to 8,500 RPM, which makes it suitable for more heavy-duty work as compared to the Dremel 220-01.
On the downside, it is not suitable for precision work and does not offer the versatile functionality that the 220-01 offers. It also costs much more.
Verdict
An affordable mini drill press that has very versatile functionality and is ideal for light-duty drilling plus high detail finish work.
With its 3-in-1 workstation design, Dremel’s 220-01 is a versatile unit that can be used for other tasks other than drilling. This mostly includes high detail finish work such as sanding, grinding, and shaping, just to name a few.
However, due to its compact “mini” size, the tool is not powerful enough for heavy-duty drilling.
Find Other Options: The Best Mini Drill Press
Specs
- Product Name: Dremel 220-01
- Product Brand: Dremel
- Drill Depth: 2 inches
- Drilling Angles: 0º, 15º, 30º, 45º, 60º, 75º, 90º
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 12 inches
- Weight: 4.85 lbs.
- Warranty: 1 year
Key Features
- Compact “mini” size that is easily portable.
- 3-in-1 tool (drill press, rotary tool holder and flex shaft tool stand in one).
- Crow’s nest for onboard tool/accessories storage.
- Inch and metric markings on the base for precise drilling.
- Sturdy metal base with 4 clamping points.
- Depth markings with a depth stop.
- Cord management clips for neat and safe power cord storage.
- Includes a mounting wrench.