Don’t miss our Citadel Hobby Tools review and our recommendations on cheaper alternatives to these Games Workshop products!
Rob is back unboxing and reviewing the new tools from GW! He’ll see how they work and some other alternatives you can pick up that are cheaper and work just as well.
We will show you everything about the tools, that way, you can decide if this is worth your hard-earned hobby dollars.
GW Citadel Tools: Review & Cheaper Alternatives
Click here to get yours for less from these retailers: | Amazon | Bazooka Games | Dicehead Games | Frontline Gaming
These are the four we are going to look at today, but remember, the last time GW revamped its tool line was in 2014. However, they are really expensive this time around, so we are also going to show you really good alternatives to these.
These range from $25 all the way up to $50 for the clippers…
Clippers Review
To be fair, the last run they did, Rob still has that pair, and they work pretty well, so if they are like the original pair, they should last.
It almost looks like they used the same mold for the new ones. However, the actual clippers do look slightly thinner, so might cut a little better and closer for smaller sprues.
It does cut very well and creates a very flat surface. So, it is a better clip than the cheap versions, but you’re really just clipping things off sprues, so do you really need something this expensive?
We’re not sure…
Rob grabbed these hobby clippers from Harbor Freight for about $8, and they cut almost just as well. Quality-wise, the GW one is a good tool, doesn’t seem like it will break, and cuts smoothly.
However, you could get 5-6 of the other ones, so it just doesn’t really seem worth the price. We won’t go too in-depth on alternatives because there are clippers out all over the place, and they are all pretty much good for cutting something off of a sprue.
Hobby Knife
It does seem pretty well done, and Rob’s not even sure everything inside is steel.
The one nice thing about these is that the chuck is near the bottom, so you have less chance of loosening it. However, the blade doesn’t seem very sharp, and it was hard to cut through stuff. Something that offsets that, is it is back heavy. Plus, it’s not round, so it won’t roll off a table, which is always good.
Does that justify the price, though?
Monument Hobbies has a specially-made hobby knife, that is much cheaper, isn’t round, and has a retractable blade. It’s also super easy to replace the blade and cut much better than the GW blade.
This also only runs for $10.99, so less than 1/3 of the price. For us, this seems like a much better alternative and way cheaper. The blade is also so much sharper on this, so while that’s just the blade itself, it is important to note.
Citadel Tools Mould Line Remover Review
The old one is actually a very sturdy product and has held up over the years. However, it didn’t have a very thin part which made it hard to maneuver.
The new one runs for $25, and it looks to be pretty low quality to start. As you can see, just from opening it, there is a strange fade over the whole thing. It is somewhat comfortable to hold, but feels very cheap, especially compared to the old one.
You can even tell right away the steel is bent from the factory. It is easier to use with the new size, but the quality just seems off.
There are plenty of these out there for cheaper, and even one from Monument for much cheaper and higher quality.
The Games Workshop Citadel Tools Mouldline Remover one just doesn’t feel like a premium product for a premium price.
Drill
The drill again has a cheaper plastic feel to it.
The inside isn’t steel but some alloy, and again for $35, you want something that feels like it’s tough and premium. Rob even tested it with magnets, and nothing happened, so again, not a good sign for this one to be able to last over time.
Lastly, it doesn’t have multiple chucks, so you’re just stuck to whatever diameter it can hold.
It does come with the right sizes for standard rods and paper clips which is nice. However, you can’t really go much bigger than this. The wings on the side give you some resistance, and if this was $10-$15, Rob wouldn’t care too much, but for the price, he was really expecting it to work much better.
He got all of these for about $10, and he can have three ready to go, which you can pick up here.
These actually even work better than the GW and for way cheaper. However, another product out there works even better but is a little more expensive than the ten bucks.
This is the Wowstick, and while it is a little more expensive, it’s motorized!
It has different gear ratios, and all you have to do is put it in a pilot hole and press the button.
The Wowstick also works really well for pinning as well, so if you want to spend a little more and not cramp your hand, you can pick one up here!
Final Thoughts
Overall, they seem really expensive for what they do! Here’s a list of alternatives that seem higher quality and cheaper:
- Monument Hobbies- Hobby Knife
- Monument Hobbies- Mold Line Remover
- Clippers- honestly, almost every alternative is cheaper, so just pick a brand you like!
- Drills- these are about $10, so less than a 1/3 of the price
- Wowstick Electric Drill- is more expensive, but makes life way easier
Be sure to check out the video below for all the details!
Click Here to Get Yours!
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
