The Hadewe SB-X40 Plus dust extraction drill is the direct successor to the Hadewe SB-22, and it keeps the format that made the Hadewe SB series popular in UK clinics. One compact bench unit holding the control electronics and the suction motor, with power and extraction carried to the handpiece through a single combined tube.

The change sits in the handpiece. The SB-X40 Plus uses a brushless motor with a working range up to 40,000 rpm, against 22,000 rpm on the outgoing model, and it weighs 138g. Extraction is taken from the side of the handpiece at the burr, so debris is captured at the point it is produced rather than pulled across the treatment area.

Suction runs through five intensity levels, so extraction can be brought down for fine finishing work and taken back up for bulk callus reduction. The suction motor is mounted on rubber buffers, which is the main reason the unit holds a measured noise level of just 64 dB.

Who the SB-X40 Plus suits

This is a bench unit for a fixed treatment room, and not a domiciliary use. At 3.8kg and 313mm wide, it takes a permanent position on a trolley or worktop.

The 40,000 rpm ceiling matters most for practitioners working with small diameter diamond and ceramic burrs, where speed at the cutting edge falls away quickly as the burr gets smaller. Practitioners working mainly with abrasive caps and larger carbide burrs will spend most of the day in the middle of the range and won’t often use the top end.

Power clamping and burr compatibility

Hadewe Power Clamping holds the burr shank without a chuck key or collet tool. Burrs are pushed in and released by hand, which removes two common causes of runout in a busy list. A burr seated short in the collet, and a collet gradually losing grip through the day.

The handpiece takes the standard Ø 2.35mm instrument shaft, so the full podiatry burr range fits, along with mandrels and abrasive caps and discs. Every burr carries a maximum permitted speed set by its manufacturer, and that figure, not the drill, is what caps the speed for a given instrument. A large diameter carbide burr rated well below 40,000 rpm should be run within its own limit.

A burr alignment tool is worth keeping alongside any high-speed drill. It checks that a shaft is running true before the burr touches the nail, a quick check that prevents vibration, chatter and premature bearing wear. Our guide to podiatry burrs covers selection in more detail.

The SB-X40 Plus draws extracted debris into a paper dust bag inside the unit. Two consumables fit the Hadewe SB platform:

• Hadewe SB/AS2000 Dust Bags (10). The standard paper bag, bought in tens for routine stock.

• Hadewe Special Filter Dust Bags (3). A higher specification bag for practitioners who want finer retention.

Suction performance falls as a bag fills, so a bag left in place too long is the usual explanation for a drill that appears to have lost power. Changing on a set schedule, rather than waiting for a noticeable drop, keeps extraction consistent and protects the motor.

Extraction at source reduces airborne nail dust, but it does not eliminate it. 

Respiratory protection such as Protex S3 respiratory masks remains part of the safety measures alongside a working extraction system.

The SB-X40 Plus is the replacement model for the SB-22. The unit format, single combined tube and side suction carry over. The handpiece is the upgrade. A brushless motor reaching 40,000 rpm rather than 22,000 rpm, paired with a digital display and membrane keyboard on the front of the unit. Consumables are shared, so Hadewe SB dust bags already in stock will fit the new drill.

This depends on your caseload and how much callus work you do. Extraction weakens progressively as the bag fills, so set a schedule based on your own clinic volume and change on that schedule rather than waiting for suction to feel weak. Stay organised by keeping a spare pack so you don’t run out of bags during a busy shift.

Any burr with the standard Ø 2.35mm shaft, including diamond, ceramic and tungsten carbide burrs, plus mandrels for abrasive caps and discs. Burrs are held by the Hadewe Power Clamping system and change by hand without a tool.