Dremel Drill Press: Is the 220-01 WorkStation a Real Drill Press or Something Else?

Search for a Dremel drill press and you will land on the 220-01 WorkStation, and here is the thing worth knowing before you buy: it is not really a drill press, and pretending it is will leave you disappointed. That is not a knock. The WorkStation is a genuinely clever tool that does several jobs well. It just is not the floor-standing, cast iron machine the phrase “drill press” conjures. Understanding exactly what it is and is not saves you from either dismissing a useful tool or buying it for work it cannot do.

The Dremel 220-01 WorkStation is a rotary tool stand and drill press attachment that holds a Dremel rotary tool vertically so you can plunge it like a small drill press, also serving as a tool holder for detail work and a stand for a flex-shaft attachment. It converts a handheld Dremel into a bench-mounted plunge tool, with a metal base, a plunge lever, and angle adjustment, but it is limited by the rotary tool’s small motor and short travel.

Short answer: buy the Dremel 220-01 WorkStation if you already own a Dremel and want more precise, hands-free plunging for small hobby work, sanding, and detail tasks. Do not buy it expecting to drill accurate holes in hardwood or metal like a real drill press, because that is not what it does. Here is the honest breakdown.

What the WorkStation actually does

The 220-01 is a three-jobs-in-one accessory. First, it works as a compact drill press, holding your Dremel vertically over a small base so you can plunge straight down with a lever, useful for drilling tiny, precise holes in thin material, circuit boards, jewelry, and hobby stock. Second, it works as a tool holder, gripping the Dremel at a set angle so you can bring the work to the tool for sanding, grinding, and polishing with both hands free. Third, it holds a flex-shaft attachment up high, keeping the cable arced for smooth detail work.

It fits the common Dremel rotary tools, including the 4300, 4000, 3000, and 8220 among others, adjusts the tool angle in 15-degree increments up to 90 degrees, and offers a telescoping flex-shaft holder that extends roughly 16 to 29 inches. The metal base has clamp points for holding small work steady.

The honest flaws

It is not a real drill press. This is the flaw that matters most, and it is a matter of expectations. The plunge travel is short, only around 2 inches, and the Dremel’s small high-speed motor is built for grinding and detail work, not for driving drill bits through wood or metal. Try to use it like a benchtop press on real material and it will bog, wander, or simply lack the reach.

Accuracy has limits. Because it holds a handheld tool in a lightweight stand, it does not deliver the rigid, repeatable precision of a machine with a cast iron column and quill. For hobby-scale holes it is fine; for anything demanding true perpendicularity under load, it is not.

Depends on owning a Dremel. The WorkStation is an accessory, not a standalone tool. It is only worth it if you already have, or plan to buy, a compatible Dremel rotary tool.

Who should buy it, and who should skip it

Buy the WorkStation if you own a Dremel and do detail work: jewelry, model making, small crafts, light PCB drilling, sanding and polishing small parts. For that world, turning your Dremel into a bench-mounted plunge tool with hands-free holding is genuinely handy, and the flex-shaft stand is a nice bonus.

Skip it if what you actually want is to drill holes in real wood or metal with any authority. In that case you want an actual drill press, not a rotary tool stand. Even an entry benchtop machine like the WEN 4208T, a genuine 8-inch drill press with a proper induction-style motor and a 1/2-inch chuck, will out-drill the WorkStation for real material while costing about the same league. The two tools solve different problems.

WorkStation versus a real benchtop press

Set them side by side and the difference is purpose. The WorkStation gives a Dremel about 2 inches of plunge and the Dremel’s high-speed, low-torque motor, ideal for tiny bits and grinding, useless for a 1/2-inch bit in oak. A real benchtop press like the WEN 4208T gives you a torquey motor, a keyed chuck that holds actual drill bits, and a stable column for perpendicular holes in wood and light metal. If your work is miniature and detail-heavy, the WorkStation wins on finesse. If your work involves real holes in real stock, the drill press wins on every count that matters. Choose by the material, not the brand.

The verdict

The Dremel 220-01 WorkStation is a smart, useful accessory that gets mislabeled as a drill press. As a way to plunge, hold, and steady a Dremel for detail work, it earns its keep, and if you already own a compatible rotary tool it is an easy recommendation for hobby-scale tasks. Just buy it for what it is. The short travel and small motor mean it cannot do real drilling in wood or metal, and anyone who needs that should buy an actual benchtop drill press instead. Match the tool to the job: detail and finesse, the WorkStation; real holes, a real press.

For genuine entry-level drilling capacity, see our WEN drill press lineup guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Dremel 220-01 a real drill press? Not in the traditional sense. It is a rotary tool stand that holds a Dremel vertically for plunging, with about 2 inches of travel and the Dremel’s small high-speed motor. It suits hobby-scale work, not real drilling in wood or metal.

What does the Dremel WorkStation do? Three things: it holds a Dremel vertically as a mini drill press, grips the tool at an angle for hands-free sanding and grinding, and holds a flex-shaft attachment up high for detail work.

Which Dremel tools fit the 220-01 WorkStation? Common rotary tools including the 4300, 4000, 3000, and 8220, among others. It is an accessory, so you need a compatible Dremel to use it.

How much plunge travel does the WorkStation have? Around 2 inches, which suits small, thin material but is not enough for deep holes or thick stock.

Can the Dremel WorkStation drill metal or hardwood? Only tiny holes at best. The Dremel’s high-speed, low-torque motor is built for grinding and detail work, not for driving drill bits through real wood or metal. Use an actual drill press for that.

What angle adjustments does it offer? The tool angle adjusts in 15-degree increments up to 90 degrees, and the flex-shaft holder telescopes roughly 16 to 29 inches.

Should I buy the WorkStation or a real drill press? Buy the WorkStation for Dremel-based detail work if you already own the rotary tool. Buy a benchtop drill press if you need to drill real holes in wood or metal.

References

• Dremel, official 220-01 WorkStation product page and specifications: https://www.dremel.com
• Dremel 220-01 WorkStation owner’s manual and compatibility list
• Popular Woodworking, rotary tools versus drill presses for small work