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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 9/11/2008 12:05:59 AM
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I bought an XPR 400 from Home Depot about a month ago. When I went to use the planer attachment, I followed the instructions exactly as they are stated - I turned it on and revved it up to the highest speed before using it to plane things... but I never got a chance to plane anything because a few seconds after turning it on - POOF - black smoke and a dead motor.
It was a Friday night, and I needed to use my Dremel for some stuff Saturday - so rather than deal with Dremel customer service I brought it back to Home Depot and swapped it out for a new one.
Tonight was the second time I've used the new Dremel XPR 400. I was using the little circular-saw attachment to cut some paint-stirrer sticks in half to use as shims to go under some transition molding, when again - POOF - black smoke, and the motor dies.
Having TWO dremels die on me within a few hours of use makes me thing one of three things:
1. The Dremel XPR 400 is a piece of **** or
2. I'm some kind of Dremel killer
3. I got extremely unlucky and somehow got two "lemons" of Dremels
I've always heard great things about Dremel and how they are supposed to last forever. EVERYTHING I am doing is exactly as I am instructed to do in the manuals.
Has anyone else smoked an XPR 400? What am I doing wrong? I have seen small amount of smoke coming out of the motor when just using a cutting wheel to cut through some laminate - and I've turned it off and let it cool down - only to have it die on my shortly afterwards.
I still have projects I need to use it for, so I'm going to return this one to Home Depot again tomorrow to get a new one...
(Sorry Dremel, but I find your "DON'T RETURN TO THE STORE YOU BOUGHT IT FROM" messages offensive and self-serving on your part. I'll return it to wherever I can get the fastest service - and unless you have some kind of courier service doing same-day delivery to me, returning it to the store is a much better option for me)
I want to avoid having to take this tool back to Home Depot every time I want to use it. Anyone have any tips that can help keep me from frying another one?
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Supreme Being
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Have you let the new tools run for 5min without a load to break it in.
Doug 
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Forum Newbie
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Dougmo60 (8/8/2007)
Have you let the new tools run for 5min without a load to break it in.
The second time, I did. 
When using the little circular-saw attachment, should I have the thing at full speed? It is very loud even at a low speed - when it burnt out this last time I had the dial set on "7" - not on "10" - but I would think that ripping through soft wood shouldn't be a problem for it...
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Supreme Being
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That shouldn't be a problem you might call or send an e-mail to Dremel service and let them know the problem and see if they can offer any support. I have noticed that my 400 does run hot I thought it might be that when I run it I noticed that I was covering up the cooling vents so that might be a problem. I only run mine for a few minutes at a time. Let me know if you can fix the problem.
Doug
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Forum Guru
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| Have you checked your line voltage ? If the motor is smoking and overheating, it means it is drawing much more current. And the 400 XPR is designed to run on 110V - a higher voltage could do some serious damage.
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Supreme Being
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| I think Diy-sam and Doug have some valid points here. One thing I have noticed is that you mentioned that you shut the Dremel off to let it cool down. When my Dremel is hot, I also make sure that I am not covering the cooling vents. Furthermore, I also leave the Dremel running for a while at about 10,000 rpm to cool it down, after using it, or inbetween uses. It is a judgement call. This allows the tool to cool itself down by letting it suck in cool air, and exhausting the hot air through the vents. What I do is while the tool is running, I usually hang it up somewhere where nothing will interfere with the tools operation. I make sure that the rpm's are at 10,000. Every so often I feel the air coming out of the vents. When the air coming out of the vents are cooling down, I turn the rpm's right down to 5,000 rpm. When the vented air is luke warm, I know the tool has cooled itself down and I can shut it off. I hang it up somewhere because the last time I just held it up, my arm became very sore and started to cramp after awhile(LOL, just kidding about the arm part). Goodluck. Barry
If you live to love, then you'll love to live!
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Forum Newbie
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| I have the Dremel 400 XPR. I purchased it from Home Depot as well. It has not failed at all. Sounds like you are just having some bad luck. Steve
Steve
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Forum Newbie
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| I am with you buddy, on my second one from home Depot and poof! If there is some special mojo on how to keep this puppy cool I wish someone would let me know. And not for nothing but the support people while really nice are in my mind a little too close to the cult of Dremel to really be objective. How can it be that not only myself but DOZENS of people get the little poof of black smoke on the Dremel. And oh by the way it is a POTENT smoke your hands and house stink. The store manager at my local home depot said this happens all the time and that they are moving away from Dremel as evidenced from the stack of 6 scroll stations 50% off at 99.00 on my way out the door. Oh well one more trip for a refund. Does anyone have an answer here?
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 8/1/2009 9:35:07 AM
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Ryan / J,
I can appreciate your frustration at having your 400XPR breakdown, but owning one myself I can tell you that they don't all do that. As the others have stated, the 400 XPR does have a tendency to run hot. When it does, I power it down and let it cool off a bit. However, I do not treat the 400 XPR any differently than I do my other power tools. I rarely let any of them stay on more than a few minutes before cooling them down.
It is likely that the ones you have are lemons. Although two in a row for Ryan is strange.
Ryan, you mentioned that you were using the scroll saw attachment when your second Dremel failed. Was the wood you were sawing through 1/4" or less? I am asking because if it was greater than 1/4 that may have been the problem.
As suggested in the other posts, you should call Dremel to let them know what happened to your new tools. I agree that the "do not return to store policy" is frustrating. It is especially so, if you have a project to complete and cannot wait a few weeks. However, you should still call in and let them know about the problem. Dremel has done some nice things for people to make up for any issues their tools cause.
Good luck. I hope that all works out for you both.
Thanks,
Kurgan
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 9/12/2008 7:47:58 PM
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the 400 is junk iv been throug 3 and cant get 3 hours of use
kelly
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