A warning to jewellers – fake Foredom motors

This issue has come up a few times in the past, but has raised its head a little more of recent.

I’m sure a lot of people are aware, but Chinese fakes of Foredom motors/flexible shaft tools are very common – to the extent that the Foredom website even warns about them… 

Please be advised that counterfeit Foredom® flexible shaft machines are widely available. Be cautious about purchasing a Foredom from someone other than an Authorized Distributor or from us–the manufacturer.

Counterfeits are hard to recognize since they usually come with an authentic-looking Foredom label with a serial number right on the motor, just like the genuine article.

Please note that serial number ma068899 is used on various counterfeit machines.

Counterfeits are sometimes sold on www.alibaba.com, eBay and other websites.

The Foredom CC continues to be the most common model to be counterfeited, despite the fact that we stopped making it nearly 8 years ago. Of course, there are 1,000’s of genuine pre-owned CC motors that are sold legitimately. Counterfeits of old Series S and SR motors, and even our current SR models are also in the marketplace, as are copies of our handpieces, speed controls and BL bench lathe.

Contact Customer Service for a list of Foredom Authorized Distributors in your area.

Recently someone attempted to sell one of the fakes on a group I’m the administrator for – and it wasn’t easy to tell the difference. It was only checked on because a few people reported the post – if I’d skimmed over it I’d have missed it entirely. In this post, I thought I’d show you some of the fakes, so you can keep an eye out. 

Other than the copyright / theft of intellectual property due to Chinese companies copying these machines, there are also some safety issues, with at least three reports of electrical issues and fires that I am aware of – one of which was coincidentally a moderator on the group I mentioned – her instagram post about that incident is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRUMJLJZJe/

The first fake I found, from the sale on the facebook group.  They currently seem to offer three models via Amazon; the ‘ele ELEOPTION FOREDOM S-R’ (twice) and the ‘Eleoption Pro FOREDOM S-R’. The difference is the chuck size – 4MM or 6MM. Part numbers and references involved with these are:

• ‎FDGDZZFASDGGFDSG 
• B012723QYU
• ‎NECALON
• B01MYC9CD4
• ‎Mingpinhui
• ‎CNC3478
• B07BZPDZ1Q

I won’t link directly to these products. You can find them by searching any of the part numbers above, if you want to – but the part numbers are listed here in the hope that someone will google them and spot this post, saving them from buying one. 

This one is a little sneakier. It is sold as the ‘FORAVER S-R Hanging Flexshaft’, and  I could cope with that – until you take a close look at the photos, and find they are still using Foredoms logos, website, etc. 

‘In the wild’ – two fake Foredom motors revealed on the group.
The first belongs to a chap who unfortunately didn’t know his motor was fake until the discussion around these items started.

The second belongs to the lady who unfortunately bought the fake one from the group.

These are reasonably sophisticated fakes, and look pretty close to the real thing. I only managed to spot it because of that small ringed label – having sold some items via Amazons FBA service last year, I knew that was one of the labels they use for warehouse control.

To muddy the waters, there are, of course, legitimate Foredom motors being sold second hand. Price is often the best indicator, but not always; if you are in any doubt, ask for the serial number and check with Foredom themselves – or ask for a receipt in the sellers name from a legitimate stockist based in the UK, such as Cooksons or Betts. 

Foredom does not seem to provide a list of their international suppliers, so this list is not complete by any means – Foredom tools are used for wood carving and other crafts so it is likely there are suppliers in those trades as well as the jewellery suppliers I know of. These are purely companies that I have interacted with and had a good purchasing experience, and would personally trust. 

• https://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/-Range=Pendant_Drills/-Size=0/-Type=0/-Brand=Foredom/-Font=0/&prdsearch=y&show=N
• https://bettsmetalsales.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=foredom
• https://www.moleroda.com/?s=foredom&post_type=product

I can completely understand that genuine Foredoms are expensive. A Proxxon, or a Dremel 4000 with a flexible shaft will set you back around £100, a Dremel Fortiflex around £200, a Foredom SR kit around £300. A £100-150 budget option would be ideal – but, of course, quality tools cost money. 

Thanks to Esh, Kate, and Craig for letting me use your pictures of the motors.