Nail cutter attachments - comparison & guide [2021 - 2022]

Medium abrasive sleeves : Used to remove excess after acrylic has been applied to cuticles, under the nails or around the tips.

Coarse Abrasive Sleeves : Used to trim or shorten long acrylic nails for refills or new full sets.

Although many nail technicians now own many different types of nail bits, they always use them another mandrel with fine grinding belts to roughen the nail surfaces before applying gel polish or other artificial nails such as acrylic, hard gel or dip powder.

One should pay attention to this: The quality differences are often enormously. Very cheap bits run off quickly or sometimes fly off mandrel bit. This can be dangerous and the result of the design is often worse.

We recommend these premium abrasive sleeves

Carbide bits - basic knowledge

Tungsten carbide bits are practically the second generation of attachments for electric nail files

They look very similar to a mandrel bit with an inverted sleeve, but you don't have to slip anything onto a tungsten carbide bit.

Tungsten carbide bits are popular mainly because of the high quality materials from which they are made.

They are made of stainless steel and, depending on the thickness, work even faster and more efficiently than abrasive sleeves.

The heat development can be felt in part, but it also depends on the technology of the application.

They often come in different colors, however, differences in color are not an indicator of different quality.

We advise against using it on natural nails, regardless of strength, and recommend abrasive sleeves.

This is very important to know: The color of the ring around the attachment indicates the thickness.



As with grinding belts, there are usually three different degrees of coarseness for carbide bits.

Fine metal nail bits : are mainly used for Used to smooth the top of artificial nails.

They can also be used to clean or smooth the powder along the cuticle curves.

Medium metal nail tips: are used to smooth out clumped areas that are accidentally caused by acrylic, dipping powder or gel.

Coarse metal nail drills: They are very sharp and must therefore never be used on natural nails. Greatest caution!

Coarse HM bits are used to remove gel topcoat, dilute hard gels or acrylic powder on nails to speed up the removal process.


The edge at the tip of the coarse metal drill bit is also very sharp so it's often used to repair cracks on acrylic nails.

All drum or barrel shaped bits can have a procurement where the edges at the tip are rounded to remove the sharpness.

These variants are safer for working on cuticles.

We recommend these carbide bits

Ceramic Bits

Ceramic bits usually do not warm up as quickly as hard metal bits, which is why they can be used on natural nails.

The primary difference is the material. They are also lighter.

We recommend ceramic attachments for your electric nail file, especially for longer sessions.

Attention: Ceramic bits are more sensitive than hard metal bits. Therefore, they shouldn't fall off. But they are very durable.

We recommend these ceramic bits

Special shapes of bits: conical or pointed

These attachments are primarily used to remove excess acrylic or gel that has built up under the nails during use.


You can use a conical Have a shape, a pointed tip or a rounded tip.

They are very useful for removing excess under the nails as they are relatively small and thin.

Which nail bits for beginners?

As a beginner, you should initially limit yourself to a selection of bits.

Tungsten carbide attachments are more for more advanced users, which is why ceramic bits or grinding sleeves are often recommended for beginners.

Gel varnish can be easily removed with this ceramic bit set.


As already mentioned, ceramic bits generate less heat when you remove the gel polish from your nails.

The drum and cone bit shapes are ideal for removing gel varnish

Remember that the varnish should be softened with acetone before it can be safely scraped off, peeled off or pushed off.

Thin, pointed long bits are intended for cleaning under the nails.

It can remove any dirt or gel polish that may be underneath.

Spherical bits are used to clean excess cuticles.

We do not recommend using it until you feel very confident with the nail drill bit so that you don't accidentally damage your nails.

Nail bit brushes can help you remove dust on and along your nails Remove the hard-to-reach cuticle lines.

Nail drill for advanced users

After six months of regular use of an electric nailer, you can call yourself an advanced user.

In this phase you can try out various nail strengthening products such as dip powder, polygel, hard gel or acrylic nails.

All of these nail products are much tougher than gel polish and require a different set of bits.

There are two types of nail bits that you should have in your nail tool box: Abrasive belts and hard metal bits.

With the hard metal nail bits you can work on the various nail products mentioned above.

They are better at removing nail products, and you can also complete all the steps of filing and shaping your nails faster.

They also last longer, so you don't have to replace your worn carbide attachments for a long time.

Nail bits for advanced users

If you've been nailing for at least a year and family members and friends are delighted with your results, then you are an advanced user of nail burr attachments.

You can use any nail bits that you, as a beginner, can use and advanced users bought.

There is no one rigid procedure that nail professionals should follow when using a bit.

Rather, they are used in the way that every nail professional is most comfortable with.

This is how a nail professional creates a great looking set of nails that is individual.

What bit for what? An application overview

The different bits are used in different work steps.

In general, one can distinguish between the following areas of application:

Removal of gel varnishes:

A medium coarse carbide bit with a rounded edge is very efficient at removing the top layer of gel before the gel polish is softened.

Which bit is best for acrylic nails:

Mandrel bit with high quality abrasive sleeves in three different degrees of hardness.


Nail bit for dip powder:

Mandrel bit with high quality abrasive sleeves in 3 different degrees of hardness.

Safety instructions for nail milling bits

To ensure maximum protection, you should wear protective goggles when you practice with bits.


Never turn the cutter to the highest speed level immediately, as the attachment could come loose or break and the Splinters could fly in your eyes.

This may be the case, especially with inferior bits.

For beginners, it is safest to practice with abrasive sleeves, as this gives you a feel for the device and gives you initial experience with the nail burr - Can collect the handpiece without accidentally cutting yourself.

Good to know: As a beginner, never test a bit on a natural nail at maximum speed.

How you can tell whether a nail attachment is defective

Attachments are bad if the shaft and the head are no longer balanced, so to speak,

If vibrations are transmitted from the bit to the nail cutter and also to the fingernail to be machined, the bit or attachment is largely worn out.

It is good practice to Always remove bits after use.

After cleaning, they should be kept in a suitable container so that they do not accidentally fall.

Bits often contain extra holders in the scope of delivery.

How to clean bits properly

If metal or ceramic bits are bonded with dried or hardened gel lacquer, hard gel, glue or acrylic, soaking them in acetone dissolves these residues and can then be cleaned and disinfected.

Metal objects can be brushed off with soap and water and then disinfected with alcohol or a 10% bleach solution, dipped in a disinfectant solution or treated in a UV disinfection lamp.

Can nail bit attachments be sharpened or refurbished?

No.

Bits and abrasive belts cannot be sharpened to be restored to their original state.

When they are worn out, they should be disposed of.

Bits for left-handers

Many electric nail drills have a forward and a reverse function so that left-handers can simply switch the drill into reverse gear so that they can work with their left hand.

​​As for the drills, the sanding belts can be used either way, but most metal drills are designed for right-handed use.

If you are left-handed, make sure the drill bits are suitable for left-handers before you buy them, as it is not easy to tell the difference just by looking at them.

How long do bits for electric files last?

Nail bits should only be used for artificial nails.

With the exception of sanding belts, which are only used once, metal drills can withstand hundreds of uses or up to six months of daily use because these high quality drills are used on relatively soft materials, not hardwood or metals. < br>

This is how you care for nail cutter attachments

Remove the drill from the handpiece after each use.

Brush off the nail dust, wash it off with soap and water, dry it, and disinfect it with alcohol or a disinfectant.

Keep them in their own case or in a suitable case.
Never use nail drills on materials that are harder than acrylic glass, as they wear out faster and due to excessive pressure on the workpiece can get out of whack.

How to: How to use nail cutter bits: Instructions

The handling of a milling cutter should be acquired with extreme caution.

There are numerous YouTube videos, training courses (online and offline) as well as books, which can be purchased on amazon, for example.

This section briefly summarizes essential tips.

How to use the nail cutter handpiece

In order to practice using cutters , one should first practice being able to hold the handpiece comfortably.

Hold the handpiece as you'd hold a pen

Improve the mobility of your fingers, hand and wrist by moving or rotating the handpiece in your hand

Use a pen (e.g. highlighter) that is similar in size to the handpiece and use it to train the mobility of your hand.

This is a tried and tested and risk-free method to get used to the handpiece.

We strongly advise against "practicing" on the real nail!

Practice hands for nails

The best DIY practice hand to practice on is a piece of white PVC pipe.

You will need about four pieces that are 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.

You can get them at your local hardware store. There they are usually sold by the meter. The local staff can also cut the pipe.

Click here to view practice hands on amazon

Practice nail design on the PVC pipe

It is important to improve the flexibility of the fingers, hands and the wrist.

The nail burr should be set to a slow speed that you can handle well.

Start filing the PVC pipe freely. Use different strengths of the sanding sleeves as an attachment.

At first it should be about getting a feel on your hands and seeing how powerful and dangerous the cutter is at the same time.


As soon as you feel comfortable with the low speed, you can do it Gradually increase the speed of the e-file, but never turn the speed higher than halfway, because it is not safe and not necessary to go that high.

Play it safe and wear protective goggles.

The more you have practiced on the dummy fingers, the less damage you will do to the real nails.