HELP! - I want to buy an electric file but they are all so expensive!

[lm2501]

Hi,

I am just starting out doing nails again, i did a course last week on how to use an efile, and i really want to buy one but they are all so expensive. I've just moved into a new house so money is a bit tight, so i only want to spend maximum 100 pounds. Eventually i will save up the money to buy a very expensive one as i know they are much better to have but in the interim period i just want a file that is good and reasonably priced. Please can anyone help or offer some advice?


Thank you!!

 

[busybee32]

TBH I would just save until I could afford the decent one. Why waste money on something that eventually be upgraded.
Learn to file perfectly by hand in the meantime.
You know the saying you have to spend money to make money.
There are loads of inferior files out there the kupa that CND sell is one of the best out there so I would wait until I could afford that you may pick up bad habits with a cheaper file.
HTH
Sorry its not really the answer you are looking for just MOPO
Jen xxx

 

[Dawn1983]

I got mine off ebay and its fantastic, I think it was about £60. It came with all different drill bits and different shaped heads. And its got a foot pedal control and the normal slider controls on the unit. It's really good, I've had it nearly a year now and its been perfect to be honest, no problems.

I've just had a look on ebay for one the same as mine but no luck, just keep looking til you find a good one in your price range.

 

[lm2501]

I got mine off ebay and its fantastic, I think it was about £60. It came with all different drill bits and different shaped heads. And its got a foot pedal control and the normal slider controls on the unit. It's really good, I've had it nearly a year now and its been perfect to be honest, no problems.

I've just had a look on ebay for one the same as mine but no luck, just keep looking til you find a good one in your price range.

What is the name of the file you got on ebay? 60 would be fab, as i'm only practising at the moment and not charging anyone so i'm out of pocket quite a bit. Does it have the reverse and forward setting on it? - i'm left handed so i need the reverse setting.

 

[busybee32]

I got mine off ebay and its fantastic, I think it was about £60. It came with all different drill bits and different shaped heads. And its got a foot pedal control and the normal slider controls on the unit. It's really good, I've had it nearly a year now and its been perfect to be honest, no problems.

I've just had a look on ebay for one the same as mine but no luck, just keep looking til you find a good one in your price range.

Dawn
I'm sorry but this is a PROFESSIONAL forum for professional and we as professional do not condone the use of ebay to buy Pro products. Did you train to use an efile? also a lot of files on ebay come from china they are not the real deal so to speak.
As a newbie you may be forgiven this time as you may not realise how we feel about ebay but please dont advise other pros to purchase professional goods from ebay you may get a response back that you dont like.
Also the general public and consumers may also browse this site and they wont be happy to read that their nail tech has purchased all their goods from ebay. Especially when they are paying for a quality service from their techs.
Jen xx

 

[lm2501]

TBH I would just save until I could afford the decent one. Why waste money on something that eventually be upgraded.
Learn to file perfectly by hand in the meantime.
You know the saying you have to spend money to make money.
There are loads of inferior files out there the kupa that CND sell is one of the best out there so I would wait until I could afford that you may pick up bad habits with a cheaper file.
HTH
Sorry its not really the answer you are looking for just MOPO
Jen xxx

Hi, thanks for the reply! i knew someone would say this, and i know you are right, its just i was hoping someone might tell me about an amazing file that was next to nothing in cost, wishful thinking i know! hahah. If you dont mind me asking how much did you pay for your file and where did you buy it from? Also, do places do payments plans for them. I know in the grand scheme of things 400pound isn't LOADS and LOADS of money, but what with just moving into a new house, its an expense i cant afford to pay out all in one go at the moment.

 

[jes]

A lot of these Ebay files are finding their way here from China and are made to work on 220V and not on our 230V. They also don't have the European CE marks which makes them illegal to use in this country, so they'll, probably, fail their first PAT test anyhow.

Don't forget you'll also have to pay import tax and high postage etc and they'll be no customer support

 

[busybee32]

Sorry hun we dont give prices on the main forum as I said the general public can see everything.
Sweet squared are the distributor for the KUPA file www.sweetsquared.com
or give them a ring on 08452106060.
I honestly would save and wait until I can afford the decent file that will last you and has been properly tested and designed for this rather than wasting money on cheap that wont last 5 mins.
Jen xxx

 

[mum]

Another suggestion: an e-file isn't an essential tool. Why not practice doing nails without one and save your money. Then, later when you can afford one and still want to use one, buy it then.

It really is more valuable practice to get the overlay on perfectly with your brush than have to put it right with an e-file. Same for maintenance.

It's just a thought and no criticism before the e-file devotees jump on my back!!

 

[An*Gel]

Sorry hun we dont give prices on the main forum as I said the general public can see everything.
Sweet squared are the distributor for the KUPA file www.sweetsquared.com
or give them a ring on 08452106060.
I honestly would save and wait until I can afford the decent file that will last you and has been properly tested and designed for this rather than wasting money on cheap that wont last 5 mins.
Jen xxx

Jen has given some great advice here (as usual). :hug:

The main thing to remember here, is if you buy a nail drill, you need to be shown the correct way to use it, as you can do a lot of damage if you don't know how.

I bought one years ago from Young Nails and was given a lesson when I bought it. I would suggest, as already said that you save your money and buy from a well respected Nail company and you will have confidence when you use it.

You buy cheap... you pay twice!! :hug:

 

[Dawn1983]

Dawn
I'm sorry but this is a PROFESSIONAL forum for professional and we as professional do not condone the use of ebay to buy Pro products. Did you train to use an efile? also a lot of files on ebay come from china they are not the real deal so to speak.
As a newbie you may be forgiven this time as you may not realise how we feel about ebay but please dont advise other pros to purchase professional goods from ebay you may get a response back that you dont like.
Also the general public and consumers may also browse this site and they wont be happy to read that their nail tech has purchased all their goods from ebay. Especially when they are paying for a quality service from their techs.
Jen xx

Hi - Duly noted, thanks for the advice xx

 

[shedunlop]

I think the Kupa files are manufactured in Japan for Kupa, they will have all the relevant safety credentials you will need. I think it should be remembered though that most of the stuff we use in the Western world is manufactured in the far east, be it China, Korea, Japan or otherwise. Just because something is made in China does not make it dangerous or of a lower quality.

It is important to make sure any piece of equipment you buy adheres to the Health and Safety laws in this country. I have used an electric file from ebay and I have had the YN99 from Young Nails for over a year now. The Young Nails one is far superior to the other one with smooth running, it is quiet, smaller and more comfortable for my clients, although they did not mind the other one until I got the new one.

If you have £100 to spend on an efile at the moment then I really would wait and try and save the rest. If you look at it from the point of view that you are putting yourself back from buying the good file by £100 if you buy the cheap one, maybe that will help you a bit.

I also think that it is important that we can all do a good job when hand filing, so this will not do you any harm, as a professional, in the long term. :green:

 

[Hylidae]

I would also suggest saving and taking your time deciding that an e-file is really what you want. I have never owned one, although I was very interested when I first started out, ummm, 14 years ago I even took a hands on class with EZ-Flow. While I was saving for my e-file I discovered that I was getting so good at my application that it only took a few swipes with a hand file to perfect and finish the nails.
I had a co-worker who swore by her e-file and said she could do full sets and fills much faster, but when we timed it she was actually no faster. Her work was just as fine, mind you, you couldn't tell the difference from hand filed, but it really didn't save her any time. Once you perfect your application you may find you no longer want one and, if it only takes a bit of filing, you wouldn't even be saving your arms and hands from the wear and tear. Good luck!

 

[Sparklepink]

Another suggestion: an e-file isn't an essential tool. Why not practice doing nails without one and save your money. Then, later when you can afford one and still want to use one, buy it then.

It really is more valuable practice to get the overlay on perfectly with your brush than have to put it right with an e-file. Same for maintenance.

It's just a thought and no criticism before the e-file devotees jump on my back!!

I say this to all my students.... once you have got to grips with hand filing then look into efiles.... but if you havent improved on your hand filing what will you do if it breaks or you get a power cut??........ (believe me i've had both happen!!)

i do use and efile... but i can naturally do a set with out one... i only use my efile as i suffer from rsi and have stupid weak elbows which means i just cannot phyiscally file and buff all day long as it hurts too much

Also a biggy is training..... surely your not going to be insured with out training?... ive seen the damage a tech can do with just a hand file in the past to someones nails... just think what damage can be caused from someone not trained using an efile........would you let an untrained hairdresser cut your hair if you knew??.... no... me either so the same applies to everything in our industry... be it using l&p, gel, an efile etc...

I've also used a few efiles over the years and you do get what you pay for... I've had some of mine for nearly 10 years (omg im getting old!!lol) and have only had to have the hand piece wire fixed or have replaced just the hand piece altogether..... rather than the box unit as they are still going strong.

Jess x

 

[kasik]

**url removed **

made in germany
2 years guarantee
perfect both for mani and pedi
I used it for a few years in my studio, 3 pcs, all of them worked perfectly, no maintenance, no problems, one thing that was used and changed once in 2-3 years was the cable - exchange costs 8 eur.
Really good e-file.

 

[NoLimitNails]

I have used an electric file from ebay and I have had the YN99 from Young Nails for over a year now. The Young Nails one is far superior to the other one with smooth running, it is quiet, smaller and more comfortable for my clients, although they did not mind the other one until I got the new one.

I have had the exact same experience, the difference between the ebay one and the YN (or any quality file) is huge, I also found the ebay one shook so much that I could feel the difference as a client between those two.

If you prefer to buy an efile then save and go for good quality, untill then try sculpting with the brush as MUM suggests, it will make a huge difference even if you use an efile.

 

[kasik]

my link was removed, sorry did not know - look for xenox on german ebay, great e-file, costs with shipping to UK around 70 eur, white long version with white plastic suitcase

I was working long with xenox and its industrial version - proxxon (green not white, a little more convenient bit mount for me) for a few years
it has its limits - a little heavier, a little louder, but yet working great and not very expensive, great for pedicures, suitable for working 10-12 hours in a row - I use it to remove old enhancements, prep, file, so it was working really hard
it needed no maintenance, hit the floor many times -never broken, a new hand costs 40 eur when broken, so nothing big
I also have erica e-file, it is light, very quiet, but honestly, I have spent on it 460 eur only beacuse of curiosity, because I took part in discussions like this many times, lots of people telling me, it is impossible to find cheap and good e-file, and I really want to see the difference
So far erica seems very delicate, I do not use it for pedicures, it was to expensive it is smaller, quiet, overall cute, but price difference is sooo big...

I really can recommend xenox (or proxxon) for those, who do not want/can not spend more than 60-70 pounds.