NSK PRESTO KIT

At first I thought this tool was awesome. After using it only for apprx. 50 hours on one cartridge, if that, it failed and the bearings no longer worked. I purchased a second one and after doing all the recommended maintenance per the manufacturer, it failed also. I was doing relief carving with it too and the second cartridge lasted even less 25 hours. This tool is not what I would recommend for wood carvers. It was designed for dentists not wood carvers. (Posted on 3/18/11)

I purchased the Presto about three years ago to upgrade from a Powercrafter. Aside from the things already mentioned, I really really like the burr release mechanism and that no lubrication of the bearing is needed. All the other manufacturers use a push-to-extract plunger. I found that to be very annoying when using sharp pointed burrs and a little dangerous as well. Some burrs required more force than others and would eject burrs like thrown darts. The Presto release mechanism solves this issue quite well. It is very light weight which makes delicate carving much easier also. If you are searching for a high-speed cutter, you can stop your search now. I looked at about six different manufacturer's models. This is the one. (Posted on 11/1/10)

I have had my Nsk Presto for two years. First I bought just the air tool and the hose etc. A year later I added the regulator and the foot pedal. I love everything about this tool. It was highly recommended by another Egg Artist who is a professional and does LOTS of carving. He had tried every tool on the market and this is his favorite and now mine also. I have three other air tools and this one is the absolute best. (Posted on 2/1/09)

I've been using the Foredom and the Powercrafter for the last 5 or 6 years. I like them. My only complaint though, has always been the lack of power, the ability to stop the tool even when you are barely touching the tool to the material, and the tendency to burn through turbines. In the last 4 years, I've gone through 3 Powercrafter turbines. The Foredom was a lot better, but Foredom doesn't support them anymore.

So, anyway, I was looking for a new tool. I knew about the NSK, but it was expensive. I got a chance to try it out at the Woodturner's symposium, though, and it's awesome. I went out and told PJ and Brian about it immediately and got them to bring one in. What a great tool. It has a phenomenal amount of power. You can get it to stop, but you'll have to work at it. It has sealed bearings, so they should last a long time. This seems to be true from my conversations with professionals. They claim that a turbine will last 2000 hours or so. The bit basically locks in place, which is great. You want have it come out on you at 400,000 rpm. Not pretty when that happens.

I highly recommend this tool. It's expensive. But in this case you are getting what you pay for. (Posted on 1/13/09)