Brice Burrell
Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2007
- Messages
- 7,385
In the interest of full disclosure Festool provided this tool for review purposes.
Well the day has arrived, the new CXS drill is on the shelves of your favorite Festool dealer. In honor of the big day I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the CXS. I know this drill has been the center of a lot of talk recently so I’ll try to focus on the stuff not covered or skimmed over
When news about the Festool CXS cordless drill being released here in the US I wasn’t very excited. If fact I questioned its value compared to other Festool drills. Well, it’s time for me to eat some crow. [crying] What can I say, I was dead wrong and now the CSX is the drill I reach for first. Why is that you may ask?? First, we’ve got the obvious stuff, interchangeable chucks, three year warranty, built-in protection for the drill and the batteries, Systainer storage and so on. That stuff has been talked about plenty already so I’ll move on. Next, this drill is smaller than you’d think it’s going to be when you see it person. Also, this puppy has got more muscle than I thought it would. It hasn’t had much trouble driving almost and screw I’ve tried including a couple 6” Spax screw. On a small framing I drove one pound box of 3” Spax screws (that was 70 screws) without predrilling, and that was on a partially charged battery. [thumbs up] For lighter duty tasks like driving pocket screws, attaching cabinet hardware and other lighter duty jobs a battery can last for days.
This brings us to drilling. If I had to pick something, I’d say this is the CXS’ weakest link. Small holes aren’t a problem at all. I have the imperial Centrotec drill bit set and I have no problem drilling with the largest bit (1/2"). Medium and large holes are more of a challenge for the CXS. I was only able to get a dozen holes in framing lumber with a used 1” spade bit on a fully charged battery. I’m sure you’d get a little better performance out of a sharper spade bit or a bit with a better cutting action like the “Speedbor” and “Speed Feed” bits. In fairness to the CXS it’s not really meant to drill big holes so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you’re thinking about getting this drill. Another thing to be mindful of is the 5/16” Jacobs chuck so you’re limited to what you can put in the chuck. A set of 1/4" hex shank drill bits will take care of that problem.
As you would expect from a 10.8V, 1.3ah battery, the CXS is geared a little slower than the larger Festool drills. I don’t see this as a problem at all. The RPM in second gear is perfect for driving screws quickly. A couple of other things to mention, this is a brushed or DC motor. You might say this is a step back for Festool. Well, maybe, but I can’t see a brushless motor in this thing without a big price increase. One other small thing Festool did was put a magnet to hold bits in the driveshaft of the drill and right angle chuck. And let’s not forget the T-Loc Systainer and bit storage built into the plastic insert.
[attachthumb=#]
Now let me talk about the two things that made the biggest impression on me, the belt clip and the ergonomics of the drill. CXS belt clip, oh how I love thee. :-* In the past I would have to be careful managing my other drills when working on a ladder. The CXS’ clip is long and it really holds on like a champ. I jumped around like a madman trying to shake the CXS free from my belt with no luck dislodging it. I have faith that I’m not going to lose the CXS when I’m working at the top of 40 foot extension ladder. Even when I’m not on a ladder the clip keeps the drill right at hand on my belt instead of my having to constantly set the drill down and bending over to pick it up. Also, the CXS is small and light enough not to be an inconvenience carrying on my hip (and it won’t cause any embarrassment by pulling your pants down on the job [embarassed]).
Now for the most important thing to me, the ergonomics of the drill. Really, this shouldn’t be underestimated. The drill just feels good in the hand but there’s more to it than that. I’ve seen numerous videos of guys holding the CXS incorrectly (including a promotional video from Festool). I should rephrase that since whatever feels right to the user is what’s correct for them. The CXS is intended to held differently than most other cordless drills. The hand should grab the drill high on the drill body with the index finger on the side of the drill and the middle finger on the trigger, this puts your hand directly in line with the driveshaft. Some people describe this design as allowing you to put more force behind the drill. That’s not exactly how I describe it. I say it lets get the force you need to drill or drive with less effort needed on your part. And the body of the CXS is narrow and that makes feel a lot better on my hand than the C12. When you these things with its light weight you can feel a difference. For guys with a bad elbow or shoulder that can make a big difference, I know my elbow feels better at the end of the day.
[attachthumb=#]
This drill could be ideal for cabinet makers and guys that do other assembly. It would also work well for a hobbyist that doesn’t need or want a larger drill. For a general contractor like me the CXS wouldn’t work out as my only drill. It does make a great second drill. The pricepoint on this drill might make it attractive as a second drill or anyone wanting to get in on the versatility of a Festool drill at a reduced cost. So if you’re thinking about a small cordless drill take a look at the CXS, see how it feels in your hand. Remember, you’ve got 30 days to try it out before you’re committed.
Well the day has arrived, the new CXS drill is on the shelves of your favorite Festool dealer. In honor of the big day I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the CXS. I know this drill has been the center of a lot of talk recently so I’ll try to focus on the stuff not covered or skimmed over
When news about the Festool CXS cordless drill being released here in the US I wasn’t very excited. If fact I questioned its value compared to other Festool drills. Well, it’s time for me to eat some crow. [crying] What can I say, I was dead wrong and now the CSX is the drill I reach for first. Why is that you may ask?? First, we’ve got the obvious stuff, interchangeable chucks, three year warranty, built-in protection for the drill and the batteries, Systainer storage and so on. That stuff has been talked about plenty already so I’ll move on. Next, this drill is smaller than you’d think it’s going to be when you see it person. Also, this puppy has got more muscle than I thought it would. It hasn’t had much trouble driving almost and screw I’ve tried including a couple 6” Spax screw. On a small framing I drove one pound box of 3” Spax screws (that was 70 screws) without predrilling, and that was on a partially charged battery. [thumbs up] For lighter duty tasks like driving pocket screws, attaching cabinet hardware and other lighter duty jobs a battery can last for days.
This brings us to drilling. If I had to pick something, I’d say this is the CXS’ weakest link. Small holes aren’t a problem at all. I have the imperial Centrotec drill bit set and I have no problem drilling with the largest bit (1/2"). Medium and large holes are more of a challenge for the CXS. I was only able to get a dozen holes in framing lumber with a used 1” spade bit on a fully charged battery. I’m sure you’d get a little better performance out of a sharper spade bit or a bit with a better cutting action like the “Speedbor” and “Speed Feed” bits. In fairness to the CXS it’s not really meant to drill big holes so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you’re thinking about getting this drill. Another thing to be mindful of is the 5/16” Jacobs chuck so you’re limited to what you can put in the chuck. A set of 1/4" hex shank drill bits will take care of that problem.
As you would expect from a 10.8V, 1.3ah battery, the CXS is geared a little slower than the larger Festool drills. I don’t see this as a problem at all. The RPM in second gear is perfect for driving screws quickly. A couple of other things to mention, this is a brushed or DC motor. You might say this is a step back for Festool. Well, maybe, but I can’t see a brushless motor in this thing without a big price increase. One other small thing Festool did was put a magnet to hold bits in the driveshaft of the drill and right angle chuck. And let’s not forget the T-Loc Systainer and bit storage built into the plastic insert.
[attachthumb=#]
Now let me talk about the two things that made the biggest impression on me, the belt clip and the ergonomics of the drill. CXS belt clip, oh how I love thee. :-* In the past I would have to be careful managing my other drills when working on a ladder. The CXS’ clip is long and it really holds on like a champ. I jumped around like a madman trying to shake the CXS free from my belt with no luck dislodging it. I have faith that I’m not going to lose the CXS when I’m working at the top of 40 foot extension ladder. Even when I’m not on a ladder the clip keeps the drill right at hand on my belt instead of my having to constantly set the drill down and bending over to pick it up. Also, the CXS is small and light enough not to be an inconvenience carrying on my hip (and it won’t cause any embarrassment by pulling your pants down on the job [embarassed]).
Now for the most important thing to me, the ergonomics of the drill. Really, this shouldn’t be underestimated. The drill just feels good in the hand but there’s more to it than that. I’ve seen numerous videos of guys holding the CXS incorrectly (including a promotional video from Festool). I should rephrase that since whatever feels right to the user is what’s correct for them. The CXS is intended to held differently than most other cordless drills. The hand should grab the drill high on the drill body with the index finger on the side of the drill and the middle finger on the trigger, this puts your hand directly in line with the driveshaft. Some people describe this design as allowing you to put more force behind the drill. That’s not exactly how I describe it. I say it lets get the force you need to drill or drive with less effort needed on your part. And the body of the CXS is narrow and that makes feel a lot better on my hand than the C12. When you these things with its light weight you can feel a difference. For guys with a bad elbow or shoulder that can make a big difference, I know my elbow feels better at the end of the day.
[attachthumb=#]
This drill could be ideal for cabinet makers and guys that do other assembly. It would also work well for a hobbyist that doesn’t need or want a larger drill. For a general contractor like me the CXS wouldn’t work out as my only drill. It does make a great second drill. The pricepoint on this drill might make it attractive as a second drill or anyone wanting to get in on the versatility of a Festool drill at a reduced cost. So if you’re thinking about a small cordless drill take a look at the CXS, see how it feels in your hand. Remember, you’ve got 30 days to try it out before you’re committed.
