I discovered them on AliExpress after seeing a recommendation from a jeweler. In the photos they looked remarkable — fully metal, made from stainless steel, aluminum, and brass. Although I rarely need to drill holes of microscopic diameter, and the price was rather steep, the sale discount convinced me to give in and order them. If you become interested as well, I’d suggest waiting for a sale — AliExpress runs them every few months.
The drill arrived very well packaged, and assembling it took only a couple of minutes. The machine is extremely compact — just 22 cm (8.66 in) tall but quite heavy. It features a 3V–24V motor with adjustable RPM and a quality ER11 chuck that securely holds drill bits with a 3.175 mm shank. The set also includes ten drill bits ranging from 0.15 mm to 1 mm in diameter.
Part of the reason for the higher price is the set of watchmaker-style vise included, which has extremely pricise movement along the X and Y axes. The manufacturer claims a tolerance of just 0.01 μ, and after testing it myself, I can confirm that this seems accurate. That said, the vise travel is only a few millimeters, so it’s strictly for holding very small parts. I’ll be using it for tiny projects — pendants, jewelry pieces, and similar items.
Naturally, I tested it right away — I drilled through a pencil with a 0.5 mm bit. I can say the precision is astonishing: both the vise movement and the drilling itself show absolutely no play, and the holes came out perfectly round. The drilling speed is adjusted by changing the voltage on the power supply.
After examining the construction of the drill, it became clear that there’s very little to worry about in terms of reliability. The mechanical part is very simple, and I even found an identical replacement motor on AliExpress for just a few euros (you can find it there if you’re interested).
By the way, AliExpress also sells very similar-looking but much cheaper versions of this drill. They differ slightly in appearance and use less brass. Most of them come without vises and usually have weaker motors and power supplies; they’re also a bit shorter (though the 13 mm rod can be replaced with a longer one if needed, I suppose). Here’s an example of such model. I also see a slightly more expensive mid-range version with a stronger motor (example here), which is probably the one I would choose if buying now. Not sure about their accuracy, though. Also, pay attention to which chuck is included — there are several types. For best precision, I recommend choosing an ER11.
