I had to buy this because the battery in my old cordless tool died and Dremel no longer supports this model. Thanks Dremel. Is this one better? Yes and no. Basically no. USB charging: a plus I think. You no longer need to know where the special charger for NiMH batteries is located. Can be charged from any USB source using a standard cable. The battery is not removable / replaceable: a definite minus. When the battery dies, I have to throw the whole device away. Ease of use: * The weight is about the same. *But the front where you would hold it in "pencil style" is thicker. A clear minus. This makes precise engraving considerably more difficult. * The engine speed control slide switch is terrible. Requires too much power to work. MAJOR MINUS unless you have hands like Paul Bunyan. Not me. It takes two hands to turn it off completely. * The back end of the old device is square so you can stand it up if you need to put it down for a moment. New, that's not possible. He should lie on his side and take up more space on the bench. * BIG CONS: The block has "cooling slots" on the sides which exposes the motor to dirt/chips/swarf. The old one is completely closed. What were they thinking? I expected more from Dremel. The new model should be an improvement over the old one. It's not like this.