Finding a good mobile podiatry nail drill can be a difficult task. The K38 nail drill is becoming a popular choice with podiatrists. I take a look at why.
One reason is that there are currently no battery operated vacuum foot drills available.
The practitioner is left with a difficult choice.
Find the smallest vacuum drill and carry an additional extension lead, power would need to be provided or look at a non dust extraction option, dealing with the detritus as best you can.
I’ve seen both options taken with varying degrees of success. Check out my guide to domiciliary drills if your looking for a general overview
One of the main criticisms of this kind of drill is how easy it is to clean and how professional it looks. With it’s white easy to clean plastic case, the K38 has a professional look.
Manufactured by Saeyang in South Korea, this is a good choice for mobile podiatrists.
The K38 nail drill is one of the most economical podiatry nail drills on the market. It’s a professionally produced product in a nice shiny box, but is it up to the job?
I take a closer look at the design, features and overall quality.
K38 Domiciliary Drill Design
The K38 is a truly portable, Lithium battery nail drill that is small and compact. The main construction of the drill is in white and black plastic. It has a traditional pencil grip style hand piece.
The drill features a larger dial on the top of the main body that is used to control the speed of the drill.
The easy to read red LED display shows the current setting for the speed.
K38 Features
- Small portable design
- Variable Speed
- Good Battery Life
- Medium Size Hand piece
The hand piece for the K38 has a metal shroud and is reasonably weighted and balanced with a comfortable grip.
Whats in the K38 nail drill box?
Care should be taken when dissembling the hand piece for routine maintenance. Read the manual. It can be very easy to accidentally dislodge the ball bearings in some of the early models. It’s always best to check with your supplier for information.
Pros
- Small, Lightweight
- Battery Operated
- Professional Design
Cons
- Some hand piece models can be fiddly
- Limited Torque
- Batteries can be damaged with incorrect charging.
What maintenance is required?
As with all podiatry drills, they benefit from regular maintenance. This can range from a good cleaning routine between uses, up to a yearly or biannual service for hand piece components. The main unit battery can be changed if battery power starts to noticeably drop. With heavy use this can occur annually.
How long does the battery last?
This is a very difficult question to answer accurately, due to various different factors. These include:
- Battery age
- Speed
- Torque
- Size of Burr or Mandrel
You should get at least get 3 hours use from a full charge.
What are the other options.
Depending on your practice setup, getting a small vacuum nail drill is a recommended option. Especially if your looking to do a lot of hard skin removal.
Summary
Overall the K38 Domiciliary drill is a great choice for a mobile practitioner requiring an economical start up domiciliary drill.
Whilst it may struggle with daily hard skin removal, it would be the perfect choice for light nail work or light use in general.
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I have a friend Podiatrist in Melbourne Australia who has 3 Suda Vacume drills that are getting old. She does not want to buy any New Machines as she does not want to stay in business more than a few more years. I am looking for a second hand machine that is not to expensive. Don’t know whether you can help. Malcolm.
Hi Malcolm, Sorry we don’t have any drills at the moment. You could try FCA Seco for Suda spares, Frank may be willing to ship internationally. I will bear you in mind if anything comes up. Regards Adrian