Cordless rotary tools are essential DIY kits. They’re battery-powered, portable, and come in handy for hard-to-reach areas. In this roundup, we’ve put together some of the best cordless rotary tools that you should be using for all of your crafts, gigs, or jobs.
What to Look for In a Cordless Rotary Tool
There are hundreds or thousands of cordless rotary tool brands out in the wild. Knowing which to buy can be tricky if you haven’t used one before. Here are some factors to consider before you buy yours:
- Cordless: This should go without saying, but a cordless rotary tool should be cordless — wireless. But because corded and cordless rotary tools often look alike, newbies may tend to confuse them.
- Task Type: Having established that you’re indeed looking at a cordless rotary tool, you’ll need to figure out what types of jobs you’ll like to use it for. Light-duty DIY tasks require a different type of cordless rotary tool than heavy-duty tasks.
- Speed Settings: Understanding the task at hand will help you decide what type of variable speed rotary tool to buy. Some rotary tools have three different speed settings (in RPM), while others have more and can do more as a result.
- Battery Life/Runtime: The more your cordless rotary tool runs, the weaker its rechargeable battery gets. As a result, cordless rotary tools often come with USB chargers, and some support fast charging. Chargetime and runtime need to be well balanced for optimum results.
- LED lights/LCD: LED light indicators let you know what is happening with or in your cordless rotary tool. LCDs on rotary tools can also double as backlight allowing you to work in low-light conditions.
Best Overall: DREMEL Lite 7760-N/10 Cordless Rotary Tool
Pros
- ✓ Ideal for DIY and light-duty use
- ✓ Four-speed settings between 8,000 to 25,000 RPM
- ✓ 10 free accessories with quick accessory change function and LED battery indicator
Cons
- ✗ Not suitable for cutting, drilling, or routing
If you often carry out light-duty DIY and crafting the DREMEL Lite 7760-N/10 Cordless Rotary Tool might be the perfect fit for you. In fact, it is our top pick for the best cordless rotary tool. It comes with 10 free accessories for most of your projects and can easily handle anything from woodworking to carpentry, car care, jewelry making, and much more. However, it is not ideal for routing, cutting, and drilling.
Accessory change is a breeze with the patented EZ Twist Nose Cap which eliminates the need for a wrench. It has a 1.8-inch Collet and a variable speed of 8,000 to 25,000 RPM with four-speed setings. This 4-Volts battery-powered tool has an LED low battery indicator and can be recharged with a USB charger. Portable and lightweight, it offers comfortable handling for improved maneuverability. It is also compatible with most other DREMEL accessories.
Best Overall
DREMEL Lite 7760-N/10 Cordless Rotary Tool
The DREMEL Lite 7760-N/10 Cordless Rotary Tool has four-speed settings of 8,000 to 32,000 RPM. It is ideal for light-duty use (soft or hardwood/metal, stone, or glass).
Best Budget: HARDELL Mini Cordless Rotary Tool
Pros
- ✓ Best for DIY and light-duty use (carving, sanding, grinding, polishing, and cutting)
- ✓ Five-speed settings between 5,000 to 15,000 RPM with LED backlight
- ✓ 55 free accessories for different applications
Cons
- ✗ Not suitable for heavy-duty jobs
No matter who you are or where you are, there’s always a cordless rotary tool for you. If you like to save some bucks without sacrificing quality, you should get the HARDELL Mini Cordless Rotary Tool. It is our top pick for the best budget cordless rotary tool. It is suitable for carving, sanding, grinding, polishing, and cutting, among others. It is also not recommended for heavy-duty projects.
The HARDELL Mini Cordless Rotary Tool has five-speed settings ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 RPM for different kinds of applications. This 3.7-Volt battery-powered tool can run continuously for up to 200 minutes on a single charge. It can be charged with Quick USB charging. Its built-in LED light helps to eliminate backlight shadows and blind spots so you can work safely even in poorly lit areas.
Best Budget
Best Premium: DREMEL 8240 Cordless Rotary Tool
Pros
- ✓ Suitable for DIY, light-duty, and heavy-duty use
- ✓ Variable speed setting of 5,000 to 35,000 RPM with LED backlight
- ✓ Five free accessories for different applications and a wrench
Cons
- ✗ Battery runtime can be better
If you have a bigger budget or you need more rotary tool power, then go for the DREMEL 8240 Cordless Rotary Tool. It is our top pick for the best premium cordless rotary tool. Rated 12 Volts, the DREMEL 8240 packs nearly three times more power than the DREMEL Lite 7760. With a variable speed of 5,000 to 35,000 RPM, it can safely be used for light-to-heavy-duty applications including cutting, sharpening/grinding, polishing/cleaning, sanding, and drilling, among others.
It takes around 65 minutes to fully charge it until you get a solid battery-full indicator. With heavy-duty applications, it can last for up to 10 minutes and up to 20 minutes on light-duty jobs. Changing accessories on the DREMEL 8240 is also quick and easy, thanks to the same patented EZ Twist Nose Cap design in the DREMEL 7760 Lite. Unlike the 7760 Lite, the DREMEL 8240 comes with a wrench and five other accessories.
Best Premium
Best for Craft: Phalanx RS Mini Cordless Rotary Tool
Pros
- ✓ Suitable for crafts, DIY, and light-duty use
- ✓ Three-speed settings of 5,000 to 18,000 RPM max
- ✓ 60 free accessories for different applications
Cons
- ✗ For light-duty use only
The Phalanx RS Mini Cordless Rotary Tool is a versatile 3.7-Volt cordless rotary tool that lets you take your craftwork to the next level. Featuring variable three-speed settings between 5,000 to 15,000 RPM (no load) and 60 different accessories, there’s so much you can do with this Phalanx Cordless Rotary Tool. This includes drilling, cutting, carving, sanding, polishing, and nail shaping, among others. It is ideal for light-duty use.
Its compact, lightweight, and ergonomic design make it feel like a real pen in your hands. With its variable speed settings and supplied accessories, you can easily turn your workpiece into a canvas. Its one-touch power button lets you easily switch speeds and manipulate the device. It also has LED lights indicating speed change. It is also carefully engineered to efficiently dissipate heat thereby extending battery runtime.
Best for Craft
Phlanax RS Mini Cordless Rotary Tool
The Phlanax RS Mini Cordless Rotary Tool features three-speed settings starting from 5,000 to 18,000 RPM. It is ideal for all kinds of light craftwork.
Best for Professionals: Milwaukee 2460-20 Cordless Rotary Tool
Pros
- ✓ Useful for crafts, DIY, light-duty, and heavy-duty professional use
- ✓ Variable speed settings of 5,000 to 32,000 RPM
- ✓ Free accessories include a wrench, five cutting wheels, and a Mandrel.
Unlike the Phalanx RS Mini Cordless Rotary Tool, the Milwaukee 2460-20 Cordless Rotary Tool is designed for casual, DIY, light-duty, and especially, heavy-duty professional use. Like most other Milwaukee tools, this 12-Volt battery-powered rotary tool packs enough power to get any job done. It has a variable speed range of 5,000 to 32,000 RPM max (no load) and a variable speed dial that allows you to easily tackle any task thrown at you.
With a collet capacity of 1/8 inch (compatible with all 1 / 32-inch and 1 / 8-inch shank accessories), it can be used for thousands of heavy-duty cutting, grinding, sanding, and polishing applications. It comes with a USB charging port that allows you to fast-charge the battery (not included) when needed. It also has dedicated LED indicators that alert you to key functions and occurrences while providing backlight as well.
