Roto-Zip

[padboy]

Ok, all my fellow tool-heads, what are your opinions/impressions of the Roto-Zip tool? I bought the RZ20 model and have only used it once. Seems well made(now made by Bosch) but most suitable for dry-wall work. Does it really do all the jobs it is touted to do?

[oakchas]

Many swear by them... Many AT them, calling them "Roto Gyps"... only you can decide whether it suits you.

For $9.99 you could buy a 1/4" trim router from Homier and for another ~9.00 or so, a router speed control from HF. And in the end, have a tool that will, IMO, do more for less.

Good luck with your rotozip

[LinuxRandal]

I think it would depend on what you gave for it. I gave $10.00 for mine, and got it swapped under the recall. Then recently I found the router base cheap (I missed the big lots one). It's specs are nearly identical to the Bosch trim router, usefull for that price, and it did already pay for itself on one drywall job.

[crokett]

I got the kit as a gift several years ago that includes the cutting wheel attachment (Think angle grinder). All I've ever used it for is cutting drywall and some thin ply. It cuts hardwood worth snot and has trouble cutting ply over about 1/2" thick. A shame too - if it did a better job on thicker woods I'd use it to replace the jigsaw.

[JSCOOK]

Try one ONCE with drywall ... never again ... cut okay, but what a dust cloud it created ... never bother using one since!

IMHO their a gimmick ...

[maxparot]

When Bosch bought Rotozip they already had a similar product under the Dremel brand. IMHO they decided to discontinue the superior tool. The Dremel Advantage didn't have a sander/grinder attachment but did have a plunge handle, a circle cutter, straight cutter/router attachment and a flex handle. I have the full Advantage set and have found it to be very useful and fairly powerful for it's size.

[LCHIEN]

Rotozip is owned by Bosch...
Nonetheless, I think that the rotozip product is aimed with huge television promotions designed to entice the new home DIYer AND/OR the non-technical wife/SO/kids into buying one for their dad by protraying it as a miracle tool which I suspect it is far from being.

They show people cutting freehand openings and knocking circles oout of countertops. Basically the Rotozip, to me is a 1/8" colletted small router or a dremel tool with a base.
A 1/8" HS spiral bit will not last long at 15000 RPM, you cannot push it hard or it will break (tough to do a 3/4" countertop) and it's impossible to steer straight freehanded if you've ever tried to use a dremel tool.

The other tools - also nearly worthless.

My conclusion - too good to be true. The only thing you can cut well with this as somewone pointed out, is real thin stuff or drywall.

[kwgeorge]

I have the original version when it first came out. I also used it once for drywall and like was mentioned the dust that it created was insane. It too me is one of those tools where you can imagine all kinds of uses for it when you buy it and then after trying to use and control it a couple of times it ends up sitting on a shelf.

Ken

[Doug Jones]

My roto-zip, dremel, drill Dr, electric staple gun are all products I have. They are all stuff I may only use once or twice a year, but when I need them, I'm sure glad I have them.

[Andrew Benedetto]

They have a DC attm. that works well. I use it on rarely but it can come in handy. The DeWalt I have is more for drywall and contractor use.
The stupid 3.5" CO wheels,blades are so overpriced. You can get a 100 pk. of HF 3" for$5 on sale. Of course the have a special arbor size/dia. so you have to use their 2 for $5 wheels.

[vaking]

I got an older rotozip as a gift. Later got a plunge base from big lots (dremel advantage). Together and plus the circle guide that came with original rotozip it is very handy trim router. Its technical data is close to Bosch colt. Bases are different though.
I used it for dry wall - works. I used it to cut solid surface countertop more than 1" thick - handled it too (I needed a curved cut around a column). I used to cut holes in the computer case using dremel bits. The plunge base is not as convinient as colt's bases for trim work but it is a more universal tool than trim router. And certainly has no shortage on power. I have an external speed controller that works on my rotozip but the tool uses mostly small bits and variable speed is not necessary.