Dremel Versa Power Cleaner:

Let’s face it; no one likes spending hours trying to scrub away persistent dirt or stains.

Yes, the overall result may be satisfying, but the lengthy process beforehand involving the three S’s (sweating, straining your muscles, and, if you’re anything like us, swearing repeatedly!) is anything but fun.

Thankfully, there is a smarter way to make cleaning both easier and more bearable, and it comes in the form of a power cleaner.

Nowadays, there is no shortage of small-scale, compact power cleaners to help you tackle even the toughest of cleaning tasks with ease. These include cheap, AA-battery powered, low-RPM options, as well as more expensive high-speed lithium-ion battery-powered cleaners, and even scrubbing brushes that you can fit into a power drill to provide the rotation needed to remove stubborn dirt.

Today, we’re going to be looking at the Dremel Versa power cleaner; a cleaning tool that sits firmly in the bracket of a high-speed (and more expensive) option given its powerful motor and lithium-ion battery.

So, how does the Dremel scrubber stack up by itself and against the competition?

And more importantly, is it the right choice for you and your cleaning needs?

Let’s find out by looking at everything you need to know about the Dremel Versa cleaner…

The Versa power cleaner is ideally suited to homeowners who want a quicker and easier way to tackle the toughest of cleaning tasks, either indoors or outdoors.

Given its status as one of the fastest power cleaning tools on the market (the output speed is a massive 2,200 RPM), much less elbow grease is needed to remove stubborn, persistent dirt from surfaces when using the Dremel Versa cleaner versus manual cleaning.

As a result, the Versa is also an excellent option for users who suffer from medical conditions such as arthritis, or for elderly users who may struggle to apply enough manual force when cleaning using just a cloth, for example.

Finally, while it isn’t intended for applying polish to vehicles, the Versa offers a much quicker and less labor-intensive method for car owners to remove stubborn, caked-on brake dust from specific areas of a car, for example, the wheel rims.

Depending on the specific cleaning accessory attachment used, the Dremel scrubber can be used both indoors and outdoors, for either dry or wet uses.

Here are a few examples of tasks that you can use it for:

One of the most important factors to look at when choosing a power cleaner is the output speed, because for a battery-powered scrubber to be both effective and useful, it needs to spin fast enough to demolish any dirt or grime that gets in its way.

The Dremel Versa more than meets this requirement thanks to its colossal output speed of 2,200 RPM, which as we’ve mentioned above, makes it one of the fastest power cleaners available to buy.

Just imagine how much effort it would take to come even close to matching the Versa’s cleaning ability using a cloth alone. The fact is, manual scrubbing can’t even begin to compete with the Versa when it comes to the toughest cleaning tasks such as removing soap scum from a shower or stubborn grease from around a cooker.

It’s the perfect example of using brains and brawn to work smarter, not harder, in a bid to save you both time and effort.

Another factor that boosts the Dremel Versa’s performance is its lithium-ion battery. While many competing power scrubbers use conventional batteries, for example, AA-batteries, a significant advantage of lithium-ion ones is that they have a much higher ‘energy density‘ versus standard batteries. All told, this helps provide additional power to energy-hungry tools like the Versa, and ultimately helps them run for longer between charges.

Sounds great, right? Well, it is, and it isn’t.

You see, while lithium-ion batteries do usually last longer than conventional types, the small profile of the Dremel scrubber has clearly limited the size of the power unit with which it has been paired.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that continually running at 2,200 RPM makes the Versa particularly power-hungry, but when combined with the relatively small battery size, it ends up running for only about 15-minutes or so non-stop when tackling tougher cleaning tasks.

Yes, you can extend the life to around one hour if you opt to use it on lighter cleaning tasks instead, but this may prove too restrictive for some users.

Thankfully, when it does come time to charge the Versa, it only takes about two hours using the convenient USB adapter included in the PC10-01 kit.

Let’s face it; nobody likes to buy a new gadget, only to have to spend loads of money on additional accessories and attachments to make it perform as advertised.

You can forget about this problem with the Dremel Versa, as it comes with a variety of different cleaning pad types and the all-important splash guard to let you tackle any indoor, outdoor, wet, or dry task as soon as you’ve opened the box and charged it up.

Here’s a summary of the accessories that you get as standard:

Even better? Once you’ve used and abused all of the cleaning pads in the kit to the point that they need throwing out, you can buy new cleaning pads easily and cheaply to let you keep using your Dremel scrubber.

Click here for more information on replacement cleaning pads.

Not only does the Dremel Versa cleaner come with everything you need to get started, but it also comes with a whole host of features designed to make it as easy to use as possible.

When it comes to using it, Dremel has kept it as simple and intuitive as possible by keeping the number of buttons and control settings to an absolute minimum. For example, apart from the power button, charging terminal, and the charging light, there are no other inputs to fiddle with on the Versa’s body.

There are no speed adjustment settings to worry about either – simply switch it on, and get to work.

Dremel also understands that giving you all of the accessories we mentioned above is only half the battle. The other half? Making sure you can swap them out as easily as possible on the fly to help you achieve the best cleaning finish possible, and thanks to their innovative hook and loop system, you can do precisely that.

So now, for example, you can quickly swap out the foam eraser pad after cleaning your bathroom mirror in favor of the bristle brush that you’ll need to tackle the tiles and grout, all with minimal delay or hassle. Simple, eh?

Finally, another advantage of the Versa is that it’s fully water-resistant, giving you the peace of mind that it’s safe to use when completing wet tasks either indoors or outdoors. It even comes with a handy splash guard to minimize mess and to reduce the spray of any water or cleaning solutions that you’re using.

Building on its reputation as the go-to brand for rotary tools, Dremel has incorporated into the Versa many of the benefits that make their rotary toolss so popular, including a compact design, the ability to use a whole host of attachments, and perhaps, most importantly, enough grunt to get the job done.

While there’s no getting away from the fact that the Versa is more expensive than other power cleaners on the market, we feel that the price is justified for a few reasons.

Firstly, there’s no denying Dremel’s reputation for quality when it comes to producing rotating tools, and the Versa more than lives up to this. Secondly, it’s one of the fastest power cleaners you can buy thanks to its punchy output of 2,200 RPM, and it comes with all the benefits of a lithium-ion battery.

Finally, unlike most of the competition, you also get a multitude of cleaning accessory attachments included as standard, helping you tackle a broader range of cleaning tasks from the get-go.

Having said that, nothing’s perfect, and the Versa is no exception. The main drawback in our opinion is that the battery only lasts about 15 minutes when the tool is used non-stop on tougher cleaning tasks. You can stretch this out to about one hour with general-purpose usage though, and this should be more than enough for most users.

As mentioned above, we’d recommend the Dremel Versa cleaner to a wide variety of users including homeowners, users who struggle to apply enough force for effective manual cleaning (for example, those with medical conditions such as arthritis, or elderly users), and also car owners for particular tasks.

Still not convinced? We’ve included a summary of the various advantages and disadvantages of this Dremel scrubber below to help you make up your mind.

Dremel Versa vs Black+Decker PKS160 Power Scrubber

While they’re both intended for cleaning tasks, there are quite a few differences between the Dremel Versa vs Black+Decker PSK160 Power Scrubber.

Perhaps the most significant difference is the fact that the Versa comes with a built-in lithium-ion battery which isn’t removable, whereas the PKS160 is powered by 4x AA batteries that can easily be removed and replaced when necessary.

Along with a more powerful motor, the lithium-ion battery is one of the main contributing factors that helps the Versa achieve a much faster speed output of 2,200 RPM, versus only 160 RPM from the Black+Decker model.

The Dremel scrubber also comes with a broader range of accessory pads as standard (see table below), whereas the offering from the PKS160 is a lot more limited with only two heavy-duty pads provided in the kit.

It isn’t all bad news for the Black+Decker model though, as one of the main benefits of the PKS160 is that it is fully submersible, meaning you can use it underwater. The Versa, on the other hand, is only waterproof against splashes when carrying out wet tasks, and should never be fully submerged in water.

Another significant difference is price, with the Versa being quite a bit more expensive than the PKS160. When you consider the fact that the former comes with a lithium-ion battery, a much faster speed output, and more accessory pads as standard, however, this is hardly surprising.

Here is a summary of the key details of the Dremel Versa vs Black+Decker PSK160 Power Scrubber:

(Scroll table if needed)

Model Number:	Versa	PKS160
Manufacturer:	Dremel	Black+Decker
Rated Speed:	2,200 RPM	160 RPM
Variable Speed:	No	No
Cordless/Corded:	Cordless	Cordless
Power Type:	Battery	Battery
Battery Included:	Yes	Yes
Battery Type:	Lithium Ion	4x AA Batteries
Charger Included:	Yes	No
Charger Type:	120V USB Charger	N/A
Charge Time	2 Hours	Various
Waterproof/Submersible:	No	Yes
Cleaning Pads Included:	1x Eraser Pad 1x Non-Scratch Pad 1x Bristle Brush 1x Heavy-Duty Pad	2x Heavy Duty Scrub Pads
Warranty:	2-Year Limited	2 Years
Item Weight:	1.6 LBS	0.97 LBS
Item Size:	3.5″ x 10″ x 10.2″	6.3″ x 2.8″ x 9.4″
	Read Reviews	Read Reviews

Unlike with Dremel’s more popular rotary tools, for example, the Dremel 4000 series rotary tool, and because it is intended for cleaning tasks only, there isn’t a massive amount of accessories available for the Versa power scrubber.

While the cleaning pads supplied with the Dremel scrubber are highly durable, it isn’t surprising that some of the most popular aftermarket purchases for the Versa are replacement cleaning pads given that they’ll be subjected to the toughest of cleaning tasks regularly.

Thankfully, Dremel has you covered in this regard, with each of the cleaning pads being available separately to allow you to stock up on them when required.

Here are some of the most popular options:

Dremel PC362-3 Power Cleaner Eraser Pads (3 Pieces)

The PC362-3 pack comes with 3x additional multi-purpose micro-abrasive pads for use on hard surfaces such as walls, floors, doors, shoes, glass and more. It’s quick and easy to add to your Dremel Versa given its hook and loop system.

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Dremel PC361-3 Power Cleaner Heavy-Duty Pads (3 Pieces)

The PC361-3 pack consists of three embedded grit abrasive pads to cut through tough, stuck on messes. They’re recommended for use on patio furniture, uncoated cookware, and when tackling paint removal tasks with the Versa.

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Dremel PC364-1 Power Cleaner Bristle Brush (1 Piece)

The PC-364-1 kit comes with one bristle brush featuring nylon bristles for tough scrubbing applications. It’s recommended for use on grout, tire rims, sinks, and fixtures, and it features angled bristles to get into corners and tight spaces.

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1. Does the Dremel Versa feature a variable speed?

2. Does the brush spin or oscillate on this model?

3. Is the Dremel Versa waterproof?

4. Does it come with a storage case?

5. Does it come with a charger?

6. How long does it take to charge?

7. How long does the Dremel Versa run for on a single charge?

8. Is the battery removable?

9. What cleaning pads and accessories does the Dremel Versa kit come with?

10. Can you buy spare cleaning pads for the Dremel Versa?

11. How do you clean the pads after use?

12. Can you use it for sanding as well as cleaning?

13. Can you use it to apply wax to a car?

14. How long is the warranty period?