4500 Drywall screw gun - Discontinued in USA

[redcliff]

I have been on the fence for some time about buying the 4500 screw gun. The only version that is available in the US that i am aware of. Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that I talked to ToolNirvana and they said that Festool is no longer selling them in the US and their inventory was out. I found it somewhere else and purchased it. So, if they are discontinuing it, and you ever thought you wanted the one from Festool, now might be the time.

<<Edit - Added to title - P.Halle, Moderator>>

 

[Cheese]

I have been on the fence for some time about buying the 4500 screw gun. The only version that is available in the US that i am aware of. Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that I talked to ToolNirvana and they said that Festool is no longer selling them in the US and their inventory was out. I found it somewhere else and purchased it. So, if they are discontinuing it, and you ever thought you wanted the one from Festool, now might be the time.

<<Edit - Added to title - P.Halle, Moderator>>

That's a good heads-up.

Festool still has them on the USA website but unfortunately, they've been known to be wrong before.

 

[Coen]

Why would they discontinue that in the USA? It's a battery tool, so no grid voltage specific things.

It has happened before that Festool runs out X only for that tool to re-appear in stock everywhere a few months later.

 

[SoonerFan]

That's a good heads-up.

Festool still has them on the USA website but unfortunately, they've been known to be wrong before.

@Cheese Wrong before like a couple weeks ago when Festool USA website had the corded CT SYS back in the dust extractor line up? Or did we decide that was just a cruel April 1st joke?

 

[UncleRunkle]

Man I wish I'd known this a week ago. There was one on eBay at a good price (for FT); I don't do a ton of drywall but am taking on more and have a couple house projects where it would be handy as well. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Cheese]

@Cheese Wrong before like a couple weeks ago when Festool USA website had the corded CT SYS back in the dust extractor line up? Or did we decide that was just a cruel April 1st joke?

It may have been......but I think I remember seeing the CT SYS on the Festool website prior to April 1st.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I bought the 4500 and hands down it's by far the best collated/screwgun I've used. Very, very nicely engineered. I'm really impressed and extremely happy with it.

I ended up selling my corded Fein's, Hitachi and Makita as a result. And have only kept the cordless Makita's as they have proven to be exceptional workhorses, and also because I've bought a lifetime supply of driver bits and replacement nose ends for them.

I just wish they hadn't discontinued the 2500 as I would love to get that one for the slower sped and extra torque.

 

[slomustang]

Thanks for the info. I have one that I bought used and the guy threw in like 7 boxes of screws.

So I'm set for a while, but might pick up a few bits to have on hand while they're easy to source.

 

[usernumber1]

I went through two of them when they changed the Systainers. The guns were actually different—the old one was made in Germany, and the new one in the Czech Republic, if I remember correctly. They didn’t actually perform the same. The older, German-made one had more impacts per second, but they were more gentle. The newer release had harder impacts, but they were more spaced out.


I chose to keep the German-made one, and it’s been quite good. There’s a learning curve for sure, until you get in tune with the settings and develop a feel for it.


The collated attachment was exactly the same. I’ve been thinking about modifying the spring—I think it’s a bit too stiff. The gun works much nicer when I feed it screws manually with no auto-feed attachment.

It gets the weirdest looks from everyone since all they know is Hilti/Dewalt which runs the market here. I don't think they did well marketing it. Hilti would be a good competitor and even more costly with proprietary screws and nobody bats an eye so I don't think it's the cost

 

[luvmytoolz]

@usernumber1 I think the spring is just right on mine, it's a little stiffer than my Makita's but that's good as it helps reduce mis-drives. The spring on the Makita's is very soft, so if you aren't attuned to how they operate you can end up having to pull a lot of screws out of the nose assembly which means you have re-feed the screw strip. I haven't had that happen yet in the Festool.

 

[Coen]

2500 or 4500... before you reach max torque the PH2 bit already cams out anyway

 

[luvmytoolz]

2500 or 4500... before you reach max torque the PH2 bit already cams out anyway

I haven't found that to be the case with decent quality bits. The cheapo ones I buy in bulk absolutely yes, I drive them to destruction, but I can't remember the last time I destroyed a good bit in a driver, and I easily go through probably 5k or so screws a year, mostly into very old Aussie hardwood studs. Snapped screws are the real issue there.

It definitely does help to "get in the groove" when using collated guns, to avoid camming out or ruining the nose end, just a little off angle or lack of tension can be costly.

 

[Cheese]

If the DuraDrive has been discontinued in the US, that’s unfortunate because it was only released in 2017.

 

[mike_aa]

I bought the 4500 on the recon site about 8 years ago. I've used it sparingly, primarily for patching drywall and fixing nail pops with the depth collar and single screws. Works well most of the time, but it seems the depth collar won't adjust far enough back since I sometimes get screws that protrude a bit. I cranked the depth collar in as far as it would go. Is there a special PH-2 bit made for the gun that's a tad longer so I would have a bit more adjustment with the depth collar or is this a case of user error?

 

[six-point socket II]

The bit holder that comes with the screw gun is a bit longer, did you accidentally swap that for another one?

Let me get a picture …

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[six-point socket II]

Here:





Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[mike_aa]

The bit holder that comes with the screw gun is a bit longer, did you accidentally swap that for another one?

Let me get a picture …

Kind regards,
Oliver

@six-point socket II Oliver, That's a good point!

The tool is currently at another location - I'll take a closer look at it tomorrow or Friday when I get back there and report back.

Thanks, Mike A.

 

[squall_line]

The bit holder that came with my 4500 from the Recon website (a year or two ago) was the wrong length in the box. The long bits for the collated feeder were also rusted something fierce. I realized it within the first few months and sent an email and got a replacement bit holder, luckily. I've done my best to make sure that the correct one stays in the 4500 case.