There are a number of highly suitable (and equal in every standard,
except perhaps customer support ) brands other than Foredom’s
pendant motors and flexshafts. Buffalo-Dental, Pfingst, and IIkohe
are excellent high torque low speed pendant motors…The Grizzly brand
is very useful as well and on par with grobet/bergeon/vigor (absorbed
by Frei) Otto Frei and manufactured to quite similar standards and
ratings as some of Blackstone’s products. I’m almost certain that
Blackstone manufactures some proprietary labels… The model, (economy
model ), that Elaine would have you compare is simply not on par with
the Grizzly Tools, or Grobet/Bergeon, or Pfingst, or
Foredom…However, don’t simply buy a Brand because it’s the most
talked about…likewise, don’t use a distributor of jewelery supplies
because it’s the most heavily advertised or mentioned (Rio Grande for
example, when many other suppliers offer most of their catalog of
consumables at far cheaper prices in addition to hard-to-find items
that RG doesn’t carry. The main advantage of RG is that they have
precious metals and findings regularly stocked in additon to
consumables and their own high end products -the Neutec line- that is
out of the range of most independent studio jewelers). It is
incorrect to assert that only Foredom “is better” than an economy
model. The two are not equivalent products to begin with and
therefore can’t compare to Grizzly Tools’ or Foredom’s products.
It’s like comparing kiwi fruit to paw-paws…both have a hoary brown
outer covering…that’s where the comparison ends…
R. E. Rourke