Best Engravers

What Features to Compare

As we have mentioned, the engraver is a multi-functional tool utilized for finishing, polishing, engraving, drilling small holes and other jobs. That is why you should first of all decide which tasks need to be fulfilled and which materials will be processed. So, from the very beginning take a look at the Type and Purpose of the engraver. It might have a rotary or a vibration motor. Vibration engravers are designed for special purposes and quite efficient for the engraving of the metal, wood, stone, and other materials. Note that they must be held in the vertical position. These engravers can be used for the engraving only and they allow drawing 3-D pictures on the metal or stone. The rotary engravers are multi-functional and used for finishing, polishing, cutting, drilling, and engraving. Such tools are equipped with rotary motors and can be used in any position and reach the most distant and hard-to-reach areas. If you need a right tool for processing and engraving glass, ceramics, or jewelry, the rotary engraver is the right choice.

The speed of the engraver depends on its Performance. The rotary ones differ from other electrical tools in their high rotation speed. For example, if a power saw or a drill makes 1,000 – 8,500 rotations per minute (rpm), the engraver’s motor can perform from 5,000 to 35,000 rpm. You should be aware of the fact that the engravers with regulated rotation speed give you a possibility to save time and efforts. While engraving and polishing of the glass require a high speed of rotation, the wood may be engraved with some minimum speed just to avoid grain dividing. The performance of the vibration engravers depends on the number of vibrations or strokes per minute; on average, the speed of vibration is 5,000 – 10,000 strokes per minute (spm).  

The engravers also differ in the type of socket or chuck fixing bits that have different thickness, length, and purposes. The most common type of socket is the chuck securely fixing the bit with the clamp nut. This type of fixation is good because it allows supporting several types of bits, for example, with diameters from 0.8 mm up to 6 mm. Another popular type of socket is the chuck fixing the bit with the lock screw. This type of fixation is typical for non-professional engravers intended for framing, polishing, and other small tasks. The bits used for these purposes have 3/32” and 5/64” diameters.

The Comfort and Kit of the engraver are very important factors affecting the right choice. That is why this issue should be carefully considered in advance. Engraving tools may use different power sources that influence the weight, dimensions, and comfort of use. If you need a powerful engraver for long-lasting jobs, we advise you to look at the mains-powered devices. Such tools can operate for a long time without breaks and are suitable for use in professional workshops. But if you do not wish to utilize the engraver frequently, you should better consider models with rechargeable batteries as well as ordinary AA or AAA batteries. These engravers boast a compact size and autonomy of use. What's more, you can make an engraving on a stone or a nameplate of the workshop using the autonomous device. Speaking about the size and dimensions, the lighter is the engraver, the longer can you hold it (before your hand gets tired). But if the engraver is 2 pounds or more, you will definitely feel a hand fatigue very soon.