Rubi wall tile drill set or Rotozip?

[Deleted member 1779]

The issue with the Armeg system is that in order for it to work it relies on a carbide centre pilot at £28.50 each (price source Screwfix)

A centre pilots serves no useful purpose for hole drilling, gets in the way, and yet need continuous cooling via a water jet. The advice from Armeg as to the best way to handle a pilot drill is actually to SPEED UP. I believe this advice flys in the face of the normal instinct when working with expensive marble, granite, porcelain to drill slowly and at steady careful speed so as not to lose control.

Source of advice: "Armeg Rubbish" Post 12 THIS IS THE DIRECT LINK TO THAT POST
Reprinted below (not all the post is reproduced)
a) the speed must be 700-900 r.pm. We have had drill bits sent back that have heavy scoring around the shanks. This indicates that the chuck of the power tool has not been tightened correctly and so speed of operation cannot be guaranteed.
b) a constant flow of water must be applied to the drill tip at all times during drilling. This is not massive volumes of water, a fine jet is sufficient from a pressure sprayer.
c) in the hardest grades of porcelain, a fairly firm pressure must be applied to keep the drill bit progressing through the tile. If the drill bit is allowed to "dwell" in the tile, not making progress, then wear can occur. If it is taking you more than a few seconds to produce a hole then it is invariably due to the fact that not enough pressure is being applied.

OK so at 365drills we hold the opposite view to drilling holes into expensive material which is

1) Drill carefully using your own battery drill at any speed that suits you! Would you know if you were drilling at 700rpm? We wouldnt !
2) Dont apply excessive pressure to the drills. Hang back. Its ok to dwell. No harm will come to either the drill or that luxury material.
3) Keep the drill bit cool by holding a wet sponge underneath. Diamond drills are quite forgiving so if you did accidently overheat the drill it will forgive you once or twice - but dont make a habit of it. In contrast Carbide burns out first time - game over.

Operating the two systems requires different rules but in essence Armeg rely on a centre pilot which works best at a faster speed, requires pressure to work correctly, and must be kept cool with a constant running flow of water.

Our system doesn't need the pilot in the first place (saving £28+) doesnt need a water cooler (saving £30 for the water container, and £20 for the arbour). Doesnt need to be run at high speed so giving you control of the drill site especially as you punch through expensive fitted tiles. Doesnt need a water stream saving you A) the effort in the first place of filling up the bucket, moving it, using it. B) Having used a secondary water system the additional effort of mopping up the jetted water.

I accept there is a market for both systems. But I believe that the reason we sell thousands of these kits is because people do the math and work out the savings.

Finally we are open book about our customer complaints and returns. If you want to see IN REAL TIME what professional installers, tilers and plumbers really think about 365Drills Porsadrill system then do no more than click this feedback link.

We are NOT 98% Good. We are NOT 99.5% Good. We are NOT 99.9% Good. Not even 99.99999% Good.

The customer (YOU) is king. And thats why we continue to bring you value for money.

 

[macten]

I'm of the rotozip camp.
£13 for an x-bit floor tile bit and it will cut any size hole you want in porcies, last longer and no water.
Can't see me ever using diamond core drills again.

 

[david campbell]

:yes::yes:

 

[Deleted member 1779]

Rotozip do have negatives:

1) The initial cost of purchase. You have to spend £166.36 to buy one. {Source Tradetiler - Model 240v}

2) Voltage: You have to pick and stick with your voltage at 110 or 240 its not switchable If you chose 110v and went to a domestic job you have two choices to get out of trouble: A) buy the other rotozip. B) Buy our BFKMX and use with battery drill. Either way will cost you money.

3) The diamond Xdbits cost £24.46 Including VAT at 15% each {source TradeTiler}

4) Every time you use a Rotozip you have to find a source of power. Plug sockets. In contrast the BFKMX is used with a battery hand drill. Freedom!

5) The lead restricts your movement about the job site. Are trip hazards, can tangle and a pain in the A**e when either working at height or in confined areas.

6) Power leads = Rely on voltage power requirements in wet areas. Require extention leads and tie up power sockets, site needs power requirements and loadings.

7) The Xbit is a dry bit. Dust flys everywhere. At height you must be careful with your eyes.

8) Xbit speed is fast. Control of an Xbit requires the use of both hands. One slip and you are....

9) The results are ragged and only as good as your freehand workmanship.

10) Plunging an Xbit deep into a tiled wall can snag hidden wires and pierce water pipes..

You never know what first fix items are behind the tiles buried in the stud walls...


Our core drills are safer because they dont drill that deep. They only drill to tile depth and remove a perfect disk:

365drills slowly take out the tile - hidden pipes underneath? With 365Drills holesaw you cant plunge deeper

11) Rotozips are another piece of kit to nick. (sorry to say theft of equipment is a fact of life) / and £166 to Replace. OK so a Cordless drill could also be stolen but these days you can replace hand drills for below £80. Thats less than half the cost.

12) With the Xbit you have to "plung cut " freehand to start the hole. Freehand drilling of porcelain, granite, marble risks skating and scratching that lovely tiled shower cubical you just finished. In contrast we provide a guide plate for accuracy every time.

13) Putting the Rotozip down may scratch tiles if the bit hasnt stopped completely.

14) You MUST wear safety GOOGLES at all times due to the high speed cutting, dry dust and chips that fly off porcelain, granite etc. The dust gets everywhere - and has to be cleaned up. In contrast we recommend a wet sponge to catch and control the mess at safer lower speeds.

15) When you spend £24.46 on a single Xbit you have to buy a spare in case you lose the first bit or it wears out mid-job. So you actually spend £48.92 in contrast to our 8mm pack of four at £29.99 from 365Drills where you get FOUR cores not one.

£29.99 = FOUR cores for the money. Value for money

16) When drilling with the Xbit you have to "plunge cut" (cut at an angle) to fit your rawl plug fittings which means the Xbit is off-angle forming an olypical hole rather than a perfect barrel. This weakens the hole.

17) Some people want a minimal look. The BFKMX will form perfect holes in tiles allowing service pipes to be exposed through the tile. The Xbit results are ragged and dependant on the skill of the operator.

Perfect results every time. Capping off is not required and showcases your work as a pro!

18) Using the BFKMX in a hand held battery drill gives you freedom to move about the site and total control over the speed and accuracy of drilling every time especially at height or above head for example when fitting bathroom cabinets and mirrors or even shower heads.

19) For some installers they may not actually do that much drilling to justify the cost. The initial cost of buying a 240v rotozip and a spare bit is £190. In contrast at £49.99 you can buy almost 4x BFKMX for that money. Or put another way opting to choose the BFKMX is almost 75% cheaper and a cost effective way to get the same results for less money. You can also add the cost of the BFKMX to the job as a consumable item thus keeping your costs down. Its not unknown for an installer to leave the customer with the pack of drills for them to fit their own items at a later date (example blinds, curtains, loo rolls, toothbrush, soap dish). With a Rotozip the installer cant leave it with the customer.

20) Some bathrooms require accuracy in drilling to form perfect holes with only 2mm spare. Example: LED Lights. Very popular with contemporary bathrooms. Or in kitchens people have powerdocks set into granite counters. We provide kits within a 2mm tolerance so you can fit those 10 x spotlights and those powerdocsk perfectly without chipping any tiles.

Sometimes perfection is required. With 365drills our holesaws are accurate to within 0.5mm and our range is available in 2mm increments to give installers and customers the results that show.

But as I said in post above there is room in the market for all these tools so we respect your purchasing decision. Its just that we believe we have the best solution.

 

[pt44]

365 Drills get my vote every time - superb kit. Has served me well, every time I've had to call upon it.

Paul

 

[may richie]

I dont use either of them brands just make sure you cut with plenty of water on slow speed voila!

 

[Dan]

Don't mind me while I bump up some of the old threads. I wont be doing this much more. Just the last few in the Tile Drilling forum - How to Drill Porcelain Tiles. Just one of the many tiling advice forums.