Rotozip or Dremel?
 

Any opinions on which is the more useful tool?

Depends on the application. Dremel is better for smaller or more intricate stuff. Lot's of add-ons available too, making it a bit more versatile.
What do you plan to do?

They are made for a different purpose. Although they make alot of attachments for the rotozip now, what its best for is zipping drywall. The dremmel works best as a craft and hobby tool, but you can get attachments to go beyond. A dremmel is lightweight for fine work and is not made for the punishment a rotozip can take. A rotozip on the other hand is too heavy and is like working with a gyroscope. Much too unwieldy for fine detail work.

Which do you need? Only you can answer...

What you want to do with it is key.

I have terrazzo floors, that used to have carpeting. The nails from the tack strips, cannot be simply pulled out, because you end up with a small crater. I used a Dremel to cut off several hundred nails. Broke a bunch of blades, but after a while, I got good enough, that I could actually wear the blade out, before breaking it.

I have used Dremel tools many times, and have even burned out a few.

Once I first used an air-powered die-grinder, I never touched a Dremel again.

A 4.5" grinder with a cut off wheel works very well for that.

I bought a no-name brand rotary tool for $5.99 on sale, so far its taken a ton of punishment, and a bunch of dremel attachments work with it.

Dremel is tougher than you think. I use it for grinding, including rusted exhaust bolts and hangers. It gets into tight places. Replacement parts are dirt cheap. I had to get a new locking pin and it cost all of $1.98.

I have a Dremel I bought back in the seventies and still use it to sharpen the chain saw. It has seen many hrs of use.

I would be looking for something handy, which is sounds like the Dremel wins here. I was at Lowes and they had displays for both tools and lots of attachments. Having used neither I had no clue. I could see using it mostly for detail work on small wood objects, like flooring.

Fred

I'd stear away from the actual dremel name brand unless you can find a good, really old one. A couple years back i got the new set they came out with including the extension cable, right angle adapter etc etc, within two months the bearings on the thing were shot and the tool was useless. Contrary, we have a 20 year old dremel that still kicks absolute ass. Maybe dremel has fixed their issues by now though....

If you have an air compressor, you can get a mini die grinder for twenty bucks. That sure beats Dremel prices, and they seem to last for a very long time.

If you don't have an air compressor, why not?

Lot of good responses here. I've seen some sheetrock hangers fly with a rotozip. It's great for cutting the holes for outlets, etc. Can also cut through wood in places where you can't get any other tool in.

One use I've recently found for the Dremel that is pretty handy is using a little diamond or carbide ball tip bit to make a start on a broken screw I want to use an easy out on. It can be real hard to drill into the center of the busted bolt cause the surface is irregular. Put a little hole right where you want it with the dremel and you have a fighting chance of getting your bit to go where you want it to.

I found a great website for dremel bits at much better prices than you usually find:

http://www.widgetsupply.com/

I think there's a minimum order, I forget, but I got plenty of diamond bits and the little steel cutoff wheels for a great price.

Roto zip has a grinding wheel attachment. I have used it to cut rebar so nails will be no problem.