Customer Reviews

Dremel MM501 1/16-Inch Multi-Max Carbide Grout Blade

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this blade to remove some damaged grout and to remove grout from around a broken floor tile in the kitchen. These are heavy tiles, so the grout is thick and about 3/8 inch wide.

My wife was really concerned that I would end up cutting into or otherwise damage good tile. Never a problem.

This was absolutely effortless, fast, and allowed surgical precision. No kidding. The control this offered was astounding. Since the tool doesn't rotate, it can't grab or run. It goes ONLY where you want it to go.

Also, since it doesn't rotate, it doesn't kick up a cloud of dust. This is not to say there is no dust - there is. But, it stays right in the area you are cutting. One tip here is to keep a small paint brush handy to gently brush back the little bit of dust from around your work area to keep your work clearly visible. From there, a quick vacuum hose will pick up the dust.

After a couple of minutes, the grout was completely cleared and my skeptical wife was amazed that this tool could go right to the edge of the tile and do it perfectly without touching the tile. It is THAT good.

I got the 1/16 inch blade in case I need to do narrow grout work in the bathrooms, but if you are working on broader grouting, you may want to opt for the 1/8 inch blade.

This was perfect for my shower and counter tiles. They have thin grout lines and so obviously the 1/16th blade was the right one for that. Floor tiles would usually require the 1/8th size.

The carbide grits held up for about an hour of work and still are fine. I even used it flat like a rasp to modify some saltino (pretty soft) tiles and that worked well. I wish Dremel had a true rasp like some other companies offer to grind down the thinset under the tiles you remove.

This sort of tool and blade is not for huge nasty demolition jobs, you would want an angle-grinder and diamond blade for that, but it is great for renewing a few grout lines, allowing a couple of tiles to be removed without damaging the others, all without a room full of dust.

This accessory is not overly expensive for what it does and also because it will likely last for a long time in typical homeowner use.

I'm not sure this could be a whole lot better, so it gets five whole stars.

This product worked perfectly to remove grout that a tile installer had used in corner joints in a shower that were too small for the 1/8 blade that came with the tool. It quickly removed the grout so I could replace it with caulk and stop the leak caused by cracked grout. One of the best purchases of a tool for a specific project I have made.

I've used a few different brands of these grout removal tools. Just for comparison, I also used a Harbor Freight version as well as a Bosch. (And just an FYI, the tool I'm using this with is a Harbor Freight pneumatic multi-tool, which has proved to be an exceptionally useful tool for the twenty-something dollars I invested in it.)

Where this Dremel version stands out is its "square" corners and its beefy construction. The corners make it easy to get into the tight corner spaces which proved difficult with the other tools, and the thick construction is better than the rather thin HF bit which, after time, begins cracking where the metal bends flat to the base.

Grout removal is quick -- just have a vacuum ready. It won't eat into the tile unless you really are trying to grind into it, so you'll end up with a clean, grout-free groove to caulk or re-grout.

I've also used this to strip down a layer of thin set mortar down to the backerboard, for reapplication of tiles. It's not the fastest job, but I haven't figured out a better way of doing it. I just had to use a lot of care because the bit eats into the backerboard faster than the mortar, though the resulting grooved surface doesn't result in any problems, and probably help in adhesion of the re-application.

It's also a good bit for cleaning up exterior stucco slop.

As for value, I can buy 2 or 3 Harbor freight bits for every Dremel bit, but the HF bits have not only the breakage problem after about an hour of use, but also wear a bit more quickly and don't have the squared-off corners to get into the grout corners (where a wall meets another wall, or where a wall meets a horizontal surface.

If it weren't for the corners, I'd probably give this a 4-star rating (due to usefulness for value). For instance, if you're re-grouting an entire flat wall or floor, use there's money to be saved by using HF for most of the work, and this bit for the tight areas.

I previously have owned a Fein and a Rockwell tool but recently switched to Dremel. The Rockwell is a more beefy tool but the Dremel accessories seem to last dramatically longer, especially these carbide grout blades. If you are doing alot of grout removal work I would recommend these blades. Dremel makes 2 sizes for grout lines as well and I haven't really seen that with other brands which is surprising to me. Fein's grout blade is made well but is extremely expensive. I would recommend these.

Service and delivery was spot on,excellent, as for the product it is good for soft or grout that is falling out but not for grout that has aged and has gone hard.

Although intended for removing grouting from between tiles, I use this tool bit to cut electrical utility box openings through historic lime plaster. Unlike chipping through it with a chisel, which tends to loosen the entire wall/ceiling plaster slab from the underlying wooden lath and which leaves a ragged edge needing repairs, this tool bit will cut a perfectly clean opening extremely quickly without loosening the plaster from the wooden lath substrate. Fantastic for restoration work on this old material!

This is a wonderful tool if you plan to re-grout your tiles. Makes the work easier. Great price on Amazon too.

Thank you for the wonderful service - we were working on a project and needed this as quickly as we could get it without having to pay a mint for one.

I did expect to remove grout easily with this blade, but it was a tough job, requiring a lot of patience. The blade was not really sharp.