As a cabinetmaker I use my CXS daily and have found it more than I had hoped for. It's light, more versatile than expected, fits perfectly in my hand, and the right angle attachment is great. Some folks will undoubtedly need more power than the CXS can deliver but for my use, I'm thrilled.

I have the CXS and an older  T-15.  Use the CXS a lot for general screwdriving and occasional drilling.  T-15 doesn't see much use except for heavier drilling.

It's an excellent drill - lightweight and very useful.

Love the light and the belt clip too!

neil

Actually, I use my CXS more than any other drill/driver.  I got myself into a situation the other day where the CXS and its 90 degree head really saved my a**. I'm mostly doing small stuff, but unless your doing decks day in and out, there's a lot of small stuff out there...

You could regret a lot of things ... but buying a CXS won't be one of them 

still completely love my CXS.

I got it because I was tired of hassling with a larger drill or impact on some cabinet hardware.

And, truthfully, it was an impulse purchase for me, too. I was pretty skeptical that the Festool drills were worth the money and decided to take a chance.

Was I ever wrong in my previous assessment. It's probably my most used tool these days, and does more than I expected it to.

I appreciate the accuracy of the centrotec system and that I can put a vix bit in the chuck and a driver tip in the extension and switch back and forth easily. Also love the light weight/the balance of the drill/and the way it feels like a natural extension of my hand. It's not just me; my 2 year old daughter has taken to it and will put it to use on any fastener in the house.

And my bigger drill hasn't been out of the box in ages.

I find that the CXS is just the thing for working in tight spaces like cabinets with face frames.  The right angle attachment makes installing drawer glides a piece of cake.  Putting slight pressure on the trigger also turns on the light without starting the motor, making work inside cabinets that much easier.  As a comparison, try installing drawer glides using the CXS on one side and the C12 on the other, with right angle attachments on both.  The decision will be made before you complete one set.  I still continue to use my C12 regularly and love it, but there are just some times that the CXS is the best tool for the job. 

 

Very happy with mine so far.  Is it safe to say that users being happy with their CXS is "common"? 

Not until you have 30 Responses...

For furniture, I use my CSX first.  I also have a T15+3.  I use both when pre-drilling to drive screws -- The T15 to drill the hole, the CSX to drive the screw.
I am very impressed with the power, convenience and versatility of the CSX.  Make sure you get the kit with the right angle fixture, etc.

As a non-pro, I needed one drill that handle all that I could throw at it.  I purchased the CSX in advance of building an outdoor bbq table using Philippine mahogany.  I used kreg pocket screws for the frame construction (2.5" and 1.5" pockets / screws) and I found that the CSX would struggle to drill the holes and even have a hard time driving some of the screws.  I was also draining the battery every 20 mins or so.  I really wanted the CSX to work because it really is a thing of beauty.



The dealbreaker ended up being that the chuck would not hold my 3/8" and larger bits.  I could deal with the relative weakness of the drill for boring out holes in hardwood (using the slow speed was necessary in most cases), but not being able to use a bunch of my bits was too much.  Half way through the project, I returned the CSX and purchased the C15 with the right angle and eccentric attachments. 

 

The C15 just flies through the mahogany but it is much larger / heavier than the CSX.  My next Festool purchases will include the router and domino before considering the CSX again.

My $0.02 anyway.

I have had the ancient CD 12 for many moons.  also several corded drills of various sizes up to a 1/2" HoleHawg with right angle head.  The CDX I have had for only a few months and it is my GO-TO-Drill.  I could live without some of the other drills, but not the CD 12 or especially, the CDX.
Tinker

I reluctantly got the old C12 with all the chucks as part of a package Festool deal (a woodworker passed away, I bought all the Festool gear.)  I felt it was too expensive for what it was and found the Centrotec bits annoying.  I already had the full Makita LXT kit, plus the pair of Makita 10.8v drivers.  Once I had the C12, I forced myself to use it.  I quickly learned to like it, but didn't care for the weight.  I found a buyer for my LXT gear and got a CXS.  The ergonomics are superior to anything else I've used... and that's it's major selling point.  I do wish I had an impact driver though, for the few big screws / easily stripped phillips heads I occasionally have to deal with.  The worst part about the CXS is that it pushed me to drop close to $400 on that darn Centrotec installer kit.  I'm happy with the end result, but never planned on dropping $1k on drills and accessories.

When making the purchase decision, I discussed my needs with the dealer and he suggested trying the CSX and if it didn't fully meet my needs - then I could always return/exchange it within the 30 day period.  I think that is one of the best "test drive" option out there.  I had suspected the CSX wouldn't cut it, but due to the form factor/weight/price - I wanted to give it a go.

For the table, I adapted an existing design from here (link).  In hindsight, the only change I would have made was to used 5/4 material in the horizontal framing.  I though it was great that the original designer used SketchUp and that helped me with the overall vision. 

Here's a shot post assembly and after two coats of Teak oil.

I'm on set right now and the cxs is on my hip. 15 hour days, lots of crew in a tight set, cxs allows me to do my job quickly comfortably and quietly. Light it's a God send, and chuck agreeableness allow me to do stuff effortlessly that would otherwise be a huge PITA
..wouldn't be without it. Bringing my festool gear on set also guarantees me a larger weekly kit rental. So just having them around makes me money even if they just sit in the box.