Dremel 120-Volt Engraver Rotary Tool with Stencils - Crafting Machine Perfect for DIY Personalizing and Engraving Leather, Metal, Glass, and Wood , Black, 290-02

Works as intended, I use it for engraving hand tools. I purchased separately the diamond point dremel engraving bit. Cuts better than the one included with this engraver (see my review). Lighter than dremel rotary tools, and smaller, though the plastic seems to be of the same or similar quality. Stroke per minute dial works as described, engraving depth can also be adjusted by the pressure you apply with the tool, the bit (like the diamond bit), and how many passes you do. Engraving small initials is easy, making decorative glass would be more challenging and would require more skill, but this is not what I use it for. After a few tests on some scrap to get the feel of it, I was ready to go. I was pleased with the results from the tool, but my handwriting, not so much. Tool worked well. Included stencil works if the tool is help perfectly vertical to the engraving surface. Though the way the letters are stenciled, there are large gaps due to the thickness and design of the stencil. For example a letter B looks more like 13. Sometimes I used the stencil and then filled in the gaps by hand. It's very similar to writing with a large, vibrating, noisy pencil. If you have a steady hand you could easily write someone a letter on a piece of sheet metal. It is rather noisy, especially on the higher settings, lots of buzzing and rattling but doesn't retract from the functionality. This isn't the sort of thing that requires stealth anyway. I had no problems with the set screw when changing bits. I was prepared with a small flat bladed pocket type screwdriver and know how not to strip a screw. Snug it up and you're done. If the bit comes loose (which mine hasn't) snug it down a little more. If you start perspiring, grunting, or shaking violently while tightening it down, ease up. It's a set screw, not the lug nuts on your spare tire. Good price, Dremel is a name brand, and bits can be purchased at most hardware stores. I was unable to find the diamond bits at my local hardware stores so I just orded it with the engraver from Amazon. Good tool

Good power, worked as spected.

The first thing I'll say, is that most of the negative reviews are a result of a poor understanding of what this is and how it works, or a simple lack of mechanical knowledge and skills. It does engrave, but some people seem to have unrealistic expectations as to how it will engrave. Don't expect a vibrating tool to allow you to draw perfectly accurate images, no matter what they are. I bought it to engrave my phone number on some dog tags. Do they look factory engraved - NO! But, do they need to?! Anyone who's been past the first grade can read them, but it does sort of look like a 1st grader did them! But, as long as they're legible, that's all that I need. I did pull one star for Dremel being cheap with the set screw the holds the bit in place. One reviewer commented that it has to be completely removed to get the bit in. That isn't true, as I got mine in without removing it. But, I had to take it out a turn at a time, once it looked like it was close to being all the way out, and push down on the bit as I did so. When the screw was clear, it went it, but with a bit more force than it should have taken. I suspect that this is due to a bur being left behind when the threads in that hole were made. This could cause some to remove the screw, totally. And, if they do so, some people will have a very hard time getting it back in the hole and started. If one has a screw starter tool, that can hold a straight blade type of screw, then that will make it easy. But, most folks don't have one. I happen to have one, but as I said, I got my bit in without removing the screw. The proper solution was for Dremel to not be so freakin' cheap and use an Allen screw for the set screw. Allen type set screws can be used to hold the screw while starting it, as long as the Allen wrench is kept at a vertical angle, so the screw doesn't fall off of it. Shame on Dremel for that! Otherwise, it's as good a hand held engraver as I've ever used in my 79 years!

This takes a bit of getting used to when using and suggest anyone start with some junk pieces of metal and glass. But once you get the hang of it this works great. This is an update of my previous review. I have recently started using this tool to do engraving on glass. If you consider doing this I recommend two things. One is a dust mask, preferably one where you can pinch the nose to make it fit well. You do not want to be inhaling glass debris! These are inexpensive at any pharmacy or hardware store. And you will want to use work area where you can use a paper towel to clean up the small bits of glass that come off the glass you are working on. Glasses or goggles are advisable as well. I started doing work on small vases and am now using old wine bottles putting scenes from Italy and France on them and using these as gifts for people to use for olive oil or oil and vinegar or other similar uses. I do my work freehand and while it is tricky engraving on a slick surface after getting used to it I have found it works beautifully. I have set of diamond tips but find that the tool that came with the Dremel works great and I seldom use any other bit. I use lowest setting for speed since at higher speed I did crack one vase while engraving. Was able to save it, as it was minor crack, but since then I have done probably 25 vases and bottles and no cracks. Using old bottles is great way to gain experience with the tool and find how you have to hold it to get the right cut but once you do if you have any artistic skills (mine are probably average) you should find you can produce good work that make great and inexpensive gifts. I wait for Bed, Bath and Beyond to send me $5 off on $15 coupons and use those to buy pourers for olive oil, etc. to add to the bottle when using for myself or for gifts. These pourers do not come with dust/bug caps which you need. Solution I found was to go to Home Depot and buy a pack of 96 small end caps for shelving units. Works perfectly as a cap for pourers. At $6 with tax for 96 this is very economical.

I bought this Dremel 120-Volt Engraver Rotary Tool with Stencils for my husband, and honestly? If your goal is a happy spouse who immediately starts labeling things like a slightly unhinged artisan… mission accomplished. He plugged it in, tested it on scrap, and within minutes was asking what else in the house “needed words.” The tool feels solid, easy to control, nice weight, and surprisingly straightforward even if engraving isn’t your “thing.” The battery life and stencils helped take the fear out of the first try, which was appreciated by both of us. Now, do I hope this eventually results in something engraved with “World’s Best…” (you get the gist 😉)? Yes. Absolutely. I’m playing the long game here. Bottom line: it works, it makes him happy, and I didn’t have to watch a YouTube tutorial to understand what it does. That’s a win in my book!

Really good tool!

You're going to want to buy this because it's 1) 25 or so dollars and 2) it's a Dremel. Please reconsider. This is just a bad product. Here are some reasons: 1) This is NOT a rotary tool. The engraving bit does NOT spin. It vibrates. The vibrating element is housed in the rear of the unit. If you've ever pulled a heavy trailer with a small truck, then you know that it's a bad idea to have something heavy, swinging back and forth at the opposite end of the thing you're trying to control. The point? Good luck drawing/cutting a straight line with this thing. Curves are a fantasy. It's hard as hell to hold, all the weight is in the back of the unit and it is constantly shaking. Whoever designed this does not actually engrave things. 2) This is the LOUDEST, smallest tool I (unfortunately) own. Imagine a dentist's drill, drilling into sheet-metal, inside an echo chamber and you're halfway there. I am not sure why the Dremel company thought that this product was ready to go without a surgeon general's warning about the threat to human hearing. Please do not use this without serious ear protection. 3) No power. For as loud as this thing is. It sure isn't powerful. Press it as much as you want. Nothing will be engraved, but you will lose feeling in your hand from the vibration. 4) It feels cheep. It is cheap and it feels cheap. This feels like the first version of a college engineering students freshman build project. Or something a friend fabricated with a 3D printer and off the shelf parts. I've seen prison tattoo guns that look more sophisticated than this piece of junk. Really disappointed in Dremel. 5) This is not a quality product. This is a cash grab. This is Dremel doing some fast market research and realizing that it could invest $15 into an terrible engraver and see a $10 profit on the sale of each unit. I really like Dremel. I used to own one of their rotary machines until it crapped out after about 10 years. The difference is...I paid good money for that one. I relied on the Dremel name and got burned. This is a piece of junk. Save your $25.

Purchased the Volt Engraver, and it has become a favorite of my husband's. He thoroughly enjoys using it, finding it to be a valuable tool. The engraver has met his expectations, and its performance has impressed him. It has quickly become an appreciated addition to his tools, demonstrating its effectiveness and ease of use. Overall, this Volt Engraver has earned his approval and proven to be a worthwhile purchase for anyone looking for a reliable and enjoyable engraving tool.