Nail drills

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Hi I just wondered what the hadewe drills are like , or other types of drill. I've only really used the berchtold where I work but I'm branching out by myself and need a decent drill to set up in my new place , the berchtold are good but i need to do Dom work so that s a bit heavy to carry around . Any helpful advice greatly appreciated.

 

The problem with DOM drills is that they tend to be non-dust extraction, and, I'm sorry, but that is a no no. The health of my lungs is far more important!

Research by Gordon Burrows (H and S expert) shows that even if wearing a mask, nail dust is horrifically dangerous to your lungs. Did you know that it is possible to get fungal lung, which is very difficult to treat!

 

I use the Podospray Gold in my clinic and must say there is no dust in the air - its all kept wet and stick to the disposable bleuy under the patients feet. We get ours from DBS medical.

 

Are they reliable ? I cant say i have had too much experience with drills other than the berchtolds or footman drills back in the day .

 

I have 2 in the clinic - no issues in 2yrs....

 

Yes, I am in the same position of wanting to buy a new drill, it is an expensive piece of equipment and I want all the bells and whistles : low noise, good vacume to take away dust and excellent drilling.

 

hadewe . low cost low quality ask the repair technicians who say very rude things about them . Stick to berchtold. you get what you pay for. had a podospray 15 years but not as good as berchtold.

 

Thanks for your valuable comments.

 

I purchased the Orthofex podiatry drill Model Micro-Air from European FootCare Supply. I love it, it has a vacuum carrying bag, weighs 7.5 lbs. I'm amazed at the dust it collects. Three year warranty parts and labour.
You can try it free for two weeks with a money back guarantee.
I only wish I bought two instead of just one so I could leave one in my clinic and one for home visits.

 

Brilliant I shall research that company and see how I go, 3 yrs warranty is great.

 

Tell them Pat Cook told you about it, thanks!

 

I just wanted to add that I have always used Hadawe drills both in my clinic and for doms and I have found them to be really good value and never had any problems (dust extraction was excellent too). The only problem (with any drill) is with the handpieace as this is the most fragile part not the actual machine itself. If you use a drill for doms make sure you protect the handpiece even if you have to keep it separate from the drill as dropping or banging it will surely damage it which is mega expensive to replace/repair. One other piece of advice for doms, always go with the lighter option!!

 

European FootCare Supply (out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) likes to have the machine sent back a month or so before the 3 yr parts and warrranty runs out, so they can check it over, clean it and repair or replace any parts for free. They make a wider nose cone for a dust extraction handpiece which I opted for. They have an area on the top of the machine to which the hand piece clips into, to protect the handpiece.
Thank you Ross for your excellent comments.

 

I use a company called Canonbury Products. They are based in the UK.
I use a Podospray for both clinic and dom work. It has a handle to carry around with you, although you can buy cases for them now.
They are also very helpful. I know when I started up as a Chiropodist, I needed an awful lot of things. I spoke to the MD Hans Bakker at the time and told him my scenario that I couldn't afford it all at once, so he understood and let me pay him on a monthly basis.
That helped me out so much, that I won't go anywhere else for my goods now!!

 

Hi. If you are looking for advice on domiciliary versus surgery, dust versus spray, and all things drill related then please contact Adrian Watt at Canonbury on 01280-706661. We stock numerous ranges and can arrange demonstrations either here at our offices or at your own premises. As the last poster said we can be flexible on payment terms and offer finance facilities which can be more tax efficient.

 

Hi all,

Just thought I might mention a few points which may be helpful in deciding on which drill to purchase. First, I will declare that I am a seller and repairer of Podiatry Drills. I am by training, an instrument maker, and as such have a deep understanding of what goes on inside a Podiatry Drill. Most of my income is derived from the repair of drills. Several factors should influence your buying decision, the chief of which are- Dust Control performance, Noise levels, Reliability, Servicing frequency and cost, Operator comfort and Useful features, Warranty period, Items excluded or limited during warranty period, Country of manufacture and continuity of supply for parts and service, Use of components which are certain to become redundant after 5 or so years.

There are so many variables that it is impossible to point at any one drill and claim that it is best. Nearly every drill I have inspected has one or more design shortcomings with the attendant necessity of returning for service more frequently. I will address each of the 'factors' above.

Dust control- Suction type dust control machines tend to be more reliable than water spray systems. Most modern drills have suction motors with a power rating around 400 watts. The volume of air that is drawn in at the handpiece nozzle is important, and varies from model to model of drill. Air volume levels are affected by restrictions such as the type and condition of the dust filter bag, and the diameter of the the hose connecting the control unit to the handpiece. The smaller the hose diameter, the greater the impedance to airflow. Dust bags need to be replaced regularly to maintain airlow. There are several types of filter bag material - the best of which is HEPA rated. Be warned that some makers claim that their product is HEPA rated, but they are not. An enquiry as to the actual HEPA rating will reveal the lie in the form of an answer like "I don't know". The worst bags I have seen are consructed from paper. These could be dangerous to your health since the micron sized particles pass straight though and into the air, as well as accumulating inside the control unit and going on to cause electrical and mechanical failures.

Noise levels- If you like to maintain a conversation with the patient during treatment, then noise levels may be of concern to you. Noise suppression is a difficult problem and some manufacturers go to great lengths to obtain a deent result. Other manufacturers do nothing at all. If you are like me you will find the sound of screaming vacuum motors irritating.

Reliability- Some drills, as a result of poor design, will have trouble making it to the end of the warranty period, and often need returning several times during the warranty period. Asking colleagues and reading forums will help enlighten you as the the best and worst machines. As all drills, and their components, are made by man, there exists the possibility of failure. It is what happens next that is important. Is there a decent repair facility available, or do they just send it to the bloke up the road? How long will the repair take? Are the parts kept in stock, or are they purchased through a chain of suppliers extending to another country? A breakdown is uncomfortable, but having to wait 3 months for it's repair is painful.

Servicing frequency and cost- Most podiatrists will have their equiment serviced or inspected about once a year. This goes a long way towards averting an unexpected disruption to your practice, and can often locate a small problem before it escallates to a large one. A unit could be scheduled for service during quiet spells or during holidays. Ask colleagues how they feel about the cost of servicing, who serviced it, how long it took etc. Some companies charge an arm and a leg for parts. The most expensive and probably the most often replaced part on a drill is the handpiece motor. There are various construction tecniques used for handpiece motors, but they all have a common element - bearings. Bearings have a finite, predictable life span, and depending on the construction of the motor, may not be replaceable. Replacement motors can lead to a very expensive repair indeed, ranging from $175 to $750 for the motor alone. Before purchasing a drill, ask the supplier for the cost and availability of the handpiece motor, and if you think it is at the higher end of the spectrum, or has to be ordered from overseas, avoid the drill.

Operator comfort and features- Is the handpiece of a 'slim' design? Does it feel comfortabel in your hand? Is it heavy? Is the handpiece loud with vibrations that leave you with 'pins & needles'? IMPORTANTLY, does it have a switch on the handpiece for turning the drill and suction functions on and off? Can the handpiece be dismantled, without tools, by yourself for weekly cleaning? Controls and displays should be easy to use and see. Tiny buttons with silly pictures to indicate functions, are awkward to use. A carry handle makes it easy to transport safely. Some podiatrists like an optional foot control, so make sure the drill has the capabilities for this feature if you want it. There are two system types used to hold the cutting tool (bur or mandrel). One is the traditional lever or tumbler style which has the advantage of not allowing the tool to slip. The other is an automatic chuck which only requires the burr to be pushed in. The automatic system is the most popular. Some of the better chucks have extra protection against dust ingress (dust being the enemy of mechanical devices).

Warranty period- This varies from 1 to 3 years, with some suppliers imposing severe restrictions after only 3 months. Of course, select the drill with the longest warranty and the least restrictions. Any drill worth it's salt should be able to survive the first 3 years of it's life without attention. The worst case I have seen is where a supplier, as a condition of warranty, insists that the machine be returned every 6 months for inspection with labour being supplied at no charge, but the parts are chargeable.

Country of manufacture- so far as Australia is concerned, all drills are imported, mostly from Germany. There are some very good drills on the market now which are manufactured in Korea. If you are not in Korea or Germany, you need to find out if the drill is properly supported with parts and service in your area. A decent importer will have all parts in stock. Importation of parts takes ages and this will delay the return of your drill from service.

Razzle-Dazzle -A podiatry drill is essentially a very simple device. Its main elements are a suction motor and a handpiece motor. The rest is control systems, power supply, ducting and user interface. There has been a trend towards making the drills as complicated as possible with useless features. There are pretty lights and interesting icons on buttons. Most drills are using tactile flat keypads, and in one case, a touchscreen display. All this is wonderful and looks impressive on the shelf, but there is an underlying problem - these keypads`and displays are not generic, and will go out of production in a few years. When the keypad or display fails, it will render the whole drill unrepairable. A Korean brand of drill uses common switches, mounted behind a flat keypad panel. When the switches eventually fail, they can be replaced by parts procurable from many electronics parts vendors.

Drill longevity- Given the cost of drills, it would be reasonable to expect 10 years or more. Some of the older drills are easily achieving this with regular servicing and continuity of parts supply.

Take time to research which drill is best for you, and don't just accept the word of a salesperson who blows in off the street.

Happy drilling!

 

I have 4 Podospray Gold drills and have had no problems with them at all and i have been using them for 4 or 5 years.
I have had to replace a drill head which was easy to do and relativly inexpensive.
I got them from DBS.
They work realy well and I use IPA clear sanatizing solution which is 70% alcohol in the drill tank.