Collection: Nail Drills

Why use an electric nail drill?

An e-file does three jobs a hand file does slowly: it takes cured product down for a fill or a removal, it blends the seam of a tip or a form into the natural nail, and it cleans the cuticle area before prep. On a dip removal the drill takes the top coat and most of the powder off in a minute so the acetone wrap works on a thin layer; on a builder gel fill it thins the old apex without soaking; on a set of half-cover tips it flushes the well edge in one pass. The two drills on this page are both cordless, both rated to 35,000 RPM, and both run forward and reverse for left- and right-handed techs.

The two drills

Same speed ceiling, different emphasis. The Lavis drill is the fuller-featured desk unit: a display you can read mid-service, a charge base the handpiece drops into, a control box that shrugs off acetone. The LDS drill is the lighter, simpler handpiece, with the twist-lock that makes bit changes a one-hand job.

How do you pick between them?

• A salon station: the Lavis drill. The charge base keeps it topped up between clients and the display shows battery level before a long removal.
• A mobile tech or a home user: the LDS drill, or either one; both are cordless and light. The LDS twist-lock suits anyone who swaps bits often in one service.
• Acrylic and hard gel work: either at the top of the range. Reducing a thick acrylic set is where 35,000 RPM and torque matter; a low-torque drill stalls under a coarse bit.
• Dip and gel polish removal: either, run slow. Most removal work sits well below top speed.
• Left-handed techs: both reverse, which turns the bit the right way for a left hand working toward the cuticle.
• Color: both come in seven; pick the one that matches the lamp on the same desk.

Which bits fit, and how fast should they run?

Neither drill is listed with bits on this site, so bring your own. Salon bits and sanding bands are made on a 3/32 inch shank; neither listing states its collet size, so confirm with us before ordering bits in bulk. As a working guide, not a brand spec:

Speed is only half of it: a sharp bit at medium speed with light pressure removes more product with less heat than a worn bit at full speed pressed hard.

Safe use, step by step

1. Charge before the first session. Lavis quotes three hours to full; charge the LDS drill fully before its first use as well.
2. Seat the bit fully and lock the collet. A bit that is not seated wobbles, and wobble is what burns a nail.
3. Start slow. Set the lowest speed the job allows and increase only if the bit skates rather than cuts.
4. Keep the bit moving and flat. A barrel bit is held parallel to the nail and swept from the cuticle toward the free edge; stopping in one spot creates a heat ring. If the client feels warmth, lift off and come back.
5. Reverse for the other hand. Switch direction so the bit turns away from the cuticle whichever hand you are working on.
6. Dust. A dust brush or collector and a mask; e-filing acrylic and dip throws fine dust. Brushes and prep tools are under Nail Tools & Accessories.

Care and maintenance

• Wipe the handpiece after each client with a disinfectant wipe, not a soak. The Lavis control box is acetone-resistant; the handpiece of either drill is not meant to be immersed.
• Clean and disinfect bits after every use; metal bits soak, sanding bands are single-use.
• Do not run a bent bit. A bit that vibrates in the collet has a bent shank; it damages the bearing over time.
• Charge cycles: let the battery run down through a working day rather than topping up after every client; the Lavis display shows when it needs the base.
• Overload: the Lavis drill is rated with overload protection; if it cuts out under a stalled bit, ease the pressure and restart rather than forcing it.

Troubleshooting

• The nail gets hot: too much pressure, too slow a sweep, or a dull bit. Lighten, keep moving, replace the bit.
• The bit skates and does not cut: speed too low for a coarse bit, or the bit is glazed with product. Raise speed a step or clean the bit.
• Vibration at the handpiece: bit not seated, or a bent shank. Reseat; if it persists with a new bit, the collet needs attention.
• Short battery life: a drill run at top speed for removals drains faster than the quoted figure, which Lavis gives for normal use; drop the speed for fills and prep.

Related collections

• Nail Tools & Accessories Files, buffers, dust brushes and our cordless lamp.
• Nail Tools, All Brands Every tool on the site, SNS, Lavis and LDS.
• Lavis Nail Lamp The lamp to match the drill on the desk.
• Lavis Nail Tips Half-cover tips whose well edge the drill blends.
• Brushes Dust brushes and builder brushes.

Related reads

• How to remove dip powder at home safely
• The 10-step nail prep checklist
• Safety and hygiene in the salon
• Nail anatomy for dip users