Looking for advice about the best "cheap" Festool cordless drill. I love the Festool brand, but not always the Festool price. I was searching for a cheap but good cordless drill and this site recommends https://www.toolazine.com/best-cordless-drill-50-75-100-150-price-review/ the Festool 564513 TXSLI2.6 PLUS as the best cordless drill under $300. Yes, $300 is not the cheapest, but for a Festool it is cheap. Is the Festool 564513 TXSLI2.6 PLUS a good choice or is there another Festool drill that is cheaper and better? Thanks.
Any Festool Cordless Drill under$300, please?
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HarveyWildes
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$250 is the floor for 12V Festool drills with batteries and chargers unless you can get one used. if you buy used, make sure the price takes the portion of the warrantee that is used into account. All of the $250 drills are 12V. For an extra $50 you can get a kit with a right angle chuck. In the 18V world, you can get the bare tool for $300, but you'll need to add batteries and a charger. There are some deals to be had in the 18V line right now, at least in North America, so be sure to shop around if you go that route.
If you get a Festool drill make sure to consider the cost of accessories. Centrotec bits are not cheap. Festool drills don't come with good solutions for 1/4" ball detent bits, and although there are after-market solutions, all of them involve compromises. (For example, Snappy makes an adaptor, but it adds length). You can get some useful chucks for Festool drills, but again they are not cheap, and some chucks are limited in the bits they will accept. So before you buy, make sure you understand how you are going to use the drill, and what additional accessories you will need.
Festool has a variety of battery form factors, depending on the tool. Don't just assume that you can start with a drill and build a large collection of tools over time that will use the same batteries.
Finally, unless you have a particular need for something that a Festool drill does particularly well, I'd consider other alternatives. Both Bosch and Milwaukee now make 12V "installer" drills with interchangeable chucks, with the advantage that the batteries fit a wide variety of other tools in their lines. I have the Milwaukee drill and like it quite well. Neither of those drills was included in the review that you referred to.
If you get a Festool drill make sure to consider the cost of accessories. Centrotec bits are not cheap. Festool drills don't come with good solutions for 1/4" ball detent bits, and although there are after-market solutions, all of them involve compromises. (For example, Snappy makes an adaptor, but it adds length). You can get some useful chucks for Festool drills, but again they are not cheap, and some chucks are limited in the bits they will accept. So before you buy, make sure you understand how you are going to use the drill, and what additional accessories you will need.
Festool has a variety of battery form factors, depending on the tool. Don't just assume that you can start with a drill and build a large collection of tools over time that will use the same batteries.
Finally, unless you have a particular need for something that a Festool drill does particularly well, I'd consider other alternatives. Both Bosch and Milwaukee now make 12V "installer" drills with interchangeable chucks, with the advantage that the batteries fit a wide variety of other tools in their lines. I have the Milwaukee drill and like it quite well. Neither of those drills was included in the review that you referred to.
waho6o9
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Good advice above.
If there's any way you can get the new impact drill that's what I would do:
https://www.toolnut.com/festool/new...ordless-18v-impact-driver-plus-4-0ah-kit.html
If there's any way you can get the new impact drill that's what I would do:
https://www.toolnut.com/festool/new...ordless-18v-impact-driver-plus-4-0ah-kit.html
Cheese
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The best thing about the Festool TXS/CXS product line is the compact size. The CXS is my go-to drill for small installation projects, it is my favorite drill.
Now, also consider that the battery platform for the TXS/CXS is unique. No other Festool product uses this battery platform.
The batteries clock in at only 2.6 Ah so don't expect to use it all day without swapping batteries.
The drill only puts out 142 in/lbs of torque, so while it's powerful for its size it's not designed to install 1/4" lag bolts.
The drill comes with a chuck that's limited to a 3/8" drill bit. Again, the chuck is sized for the drill's intended purpose. You can install the 1/2" chuck from the C 15/C 18 for those instances when you need the larger size.
So the question is what type of projects will this drill be used on? If you're driving 4" long #10 wood screws all day long, there are other drills that would be a better fit.
Now, also consider that the battery platform for the TXS/CXS is unique. No other Festool product uses this battery platform.
The batteries clock in at only 2.6 Ah so don't expect to use it all day without swapping batteries.
The drill only puts out 142 in/lbs of torque, so while it's powerful for its size it's not designed to install 1/4" lag bolts.
The drill comes with a chuck that's limited to a 3/8" drill bit. Again, the chuck is sized for the drill's intended purpose. You can install the 1/2" chuck from the C 15/C 18 for those instances when you need the larger size.
So the question is what type of projects will this drill be used on? If you're driving 4" long #10 wood screws all day long, there are other drills that would be a better fit.
The CXS used to be unique. Compact form factor with a right angle chuck made it a problem solver in addition to to the ergonomics of a really light drill. There are other choices in the marketplace now, which include brushless motors for more power. And those tools also offer a family of 12V compatible tools.
That said, while I have grown to love the CXS and reach for it most of the times, I could not life with it as my only drill. It’s great for assembly and some light construction tasks, which accounts for most of my uses. But construction tasks, drilling larger holes, running holes saws or larger forstner bits requires more muscle. So as Cheese said, if you can be more specific about the uses and other tools you have, that can help folks give you a better opinion.
Lastly, don’t overlook the used market. While many Festools hold their value, drills don’t. A new kit might run $500-600, used is available around $300 for an 18v kit.
That said, while I have grown to love the CXS and reach for it most of the times, I could not life with it as my only drill. It’s great for assembly and some light construction tasks, which accounts for most of my uses. But construction tasks, drilling larger holes, running holes saws or larger forstner bits requires more muscle. So as Cheese said, if you can be more specific about the uses and other tools you have, that can help folks give you a better opinion.
Lastly, don’t overlook the used market. While many Festools hold their value, drills don’t. A new kit might run $500-600, used is available around $300 for an 18v kit.
This bit holder works will work with all bits - wire, 1/4 inch, Centrotec:
Bit Holder BHS 60 CE. Item number 205097
The new "E" series drill will give you a T-style form factor without the extra chucks for a lower price point if you want a Festool drill - just have to wait until July 1st release date. Or you can buy a basic kit if you have batteries and chargers and add other heads for the Fast-Fix version or just spring for the full kit and spend over $600 or so. I like Festool drills for the trigger and overall form factor and I am also heavily invested in batteries and Centrotec at this point. When I first bought a drill there was nothing else out there that had the interchangeable heads and so that was worth the cost. Now there are lots of other options. I still like the trigger over any other brand and would probably buy a Festool for that reason today if I were in the market.
Bit Holder BHS 60 CE. Item number 205097
The new "E" series drill will give you a T-style form factor without the extra chucks for a lower price point if you want a Festool drill - just have to wait until July 1st release date. Or you can buy a basic kit if you have batteries and chargers and add other heads for the Fast-Fix version or just spring for the full kit and spend over $600 or so. I like Festool drills for the trigger and overall form factor and I am also heavily invested in batteries and Centrotec at this point. When I first bought a drill there was nothing else out there that had the interchangeable heads and so that was worth the cost. Now there are lots of other options. I still like the trigger over any other brand and would probably buy a Festool for that reason today if I were in the market.
I'm going to be that guy. I'd not put too much credence in those toolzine fellas.
Festool makes some great and innovative stuff. they are however trailing behind in most battery powered categories though. Especially drills. The TXS/CXS platform is getting waaaaay long in the tooth, as is the PDC. Besides that, the T,CXS drills have never been performance leaders ever. And now they're bringing up the rear in terms of torque, speed, and runtime. They don't offer brushless motors, and don't have battery options. In addition, their batteries don't work in any other tools.
So, by any rational measuring stick, they cannot be the best.
Some will tout the CXS's ergonomics, but just as many will hate it. Even the lovers will still have to deal with laggard performance. But T,CXS have interchangeable heads you say. Yup, so does everyone else now. And more of them, and often better. Even milwaukee has an installation driver like CXS out now. Brushless, more accessories, more performance, and the batteries will run a hundred other tools.
I've owned and used Festools since they first arrived here , incld. CXS. I cannot recommend it to any one except those that are collectors or OCD types that need to have all matching kit.
Festool makes some great and innovative stuff. they are however trailing behind in most battery powered categories though. Especially drills. The TXS/CXS platform is getting waaaaay long in the tooth, as is the PDC. Besides that, the T,CXS drills have never been performance leaders ever. And now they're bringing up the rear in terms of torque, speed, and runtime. They don't offer brushless motors, and don't have battery options. In addition, their batteries don't work in any other tools.
So, by any rational measuring stick, they cannot be the best.
Some will tout the CXS's ergonomics, but just as many will hate it. Even the lovers will still have to deal with laggard performance. But T,CXS have interchangeable heads you say. Yup, so does everyone else now. And more of them, and often better. Even milwaukee has an installation driver like CXS out now. Brushless, more accessories, more performance, and the batteries will run a hundred other tools.
I've owned and used Festools since they first arrived here , incld. CXS. I cannot recommend it to any one except those that are collectors or OCD types that need to have all matching kit.
I use Milwaukee, Fein and Festool drills regularly. The Milwaukees anf Fein live in my service van, the Festools at home in my shop. I have the CSX and the new Milwaukee 12v installers and like both. If I was budgeting I would buy the Milwaukee and I started with Milwaukee 12v and bought into the 18v when my Makita 14v gave up. I do commercial/industrial door install and repairs and also commercial/industrial locksmithimg, so my tools get used hard.
Cheese
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rst said:
Hey [member=25351]rst[/member] I just noticed that Fein offers this collet tap adapter for their drills...pretty slick.
https://fein.com/en_us/accessories/tap-adapter-64203003010/
[attachimg=1]
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FestitaMakool
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Cheese said:
That’s cool.. Actually I did use a router bit in my Bosch PBD 40 here the other day, it was quite successful.
To the OP:
Check thoroughly what you need a drill to do. I have found Makita’s sub compact brushless extremely good. Electronics (constant speed control) are very good - up on Festool class. And they are more powerful than the T/CXS. They can be had in 12V and 18V versions (Battery is the only difference, and minute more power in 18V version - but also more bulk)
Had a chance to test when mounting a new door for my sons room today, the Festool C18 and Makita’s sub compacts, both 12V and 18V were up to the task. The CXS struggled (I could hear the motor scream.. as I was pushing it hard)
So if you want a Festool drill, that can handle “it all” look out for a deal on a near new T/C18 with compact battery(ies). For lighter work the T/CXS is ok, but it is more of a supplementary drill - great with Centrotec accessories.
Edit: I predrilled the door frame, but not the framing around the door frame.
With these screws I would normally use my bigger Makita (18V BHP 451 3-speed “beast”) to fasten with. These screws demands quite high torque, if not predrilling all the way. They have drill bit tip and a special flange that makes later adjustment of the door frame possible. Therefore they kill smaller drills in an instant.
Here are all of them:
View attachment 1
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AlexThePalex
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If you're so concerned about the price of a Festool drill that you're willing to settle for a baby 10.8v drill with lousy performance just to get the Festool label, then something's wrong.
For $250 you can get a very good 18v drill from most other manufacturers, that will give you more drill than the TXS can ever be.
But if you really want Festool you'd be better off to bite the bullit and get a T18.
For $250 you can get a very good 18v drill from most other manufacturers, that will give you more drill than the TXS can ever be.
But if you really want Festool you'd be better off to bite the bullit and get a T18.
Keep an eye open on the FOG Classifieds for deals. I bought two C15's for very reasonable prices and both were in effect brand new with no noticeable use. Very happy with them. If not look at some of the other brands though the only issue I have with them is weight and balance.
I've been generally happy with my TSX, I bought it because of its compact size and light weight, the options for a right-angle drive, and the interchangeable chucks. Plus, I thought I wanted to adopt the centrotec system.
At the time I bought it, the similar small drills from Bosch and Milwaukee weren't generally available, but did show up soon after.
Given the choices on the market now, I don't think I'd choose the Festool because of the brushed motor, and Centrotec isn't all that useful, since there is virtually only one source for bits. Whereas 1/4 in. bits and accessories are industry standards, and available from any number of sources, including Festool.
I wish Festool had a more rational battery/charger system with chargers that could handle more than one battery type.
At the time I bought it, the similar small drills from Bosch and Milwaukee weren't generally available, but did show up soon after.
Given the choices on the market now, I don't think I'd choose the Festool because of the brushed motor, and Centrotec isn't all that useful, since there is virtually only one source for bits. Whereas 1/4 in. bits and accessories are industry standards, and available from any number of sources, including Festool.
I wish Festool had a more rational battery/charger system with chargers that could handle more than one battery type.
Jim_in_PA
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Honestly, my favorite Festool drill/driver is my CSX...it's lightweight and really comfortable to hold while dealing with the workpiece with my other hand or in tight/awkward places. Yes, it's not the most powerful nor does the battery last forever (mine has the older, smaller batteries as I bought it as a refurb), but it's my "most used" Festool by touches followed by the 150/3 sander. That said, there are a number of products that compete in the same low-weight "installer" space these days as has been mentioned.
I agree with Jim.
I got a used 2nd gen CXS (plus a used 1st gen which I sold) a few months ago and for installation and cabinetry it is definitely my go to now, over my Makitas and DeWalt. Just love the weight and trigger sensitivity. The battery life is actually great for me (hobbyist). I’ve never needed to switch out the battery during a days work. I did about 10 hours of cabinet and drawer assembly over the weekend and it stayed on the same battery throughout.
The only negative is that the light only comes on while actually driving the motor not the ‘light touch on’ that the Makita units have.
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I got a used 2nd gen CXS (plus a used 1st gen which I sold) a few months ago and for installation and cabinetry it is definitely my go to now, over my Makitas and DeWalt. Just love the weight and trigger sensitivity. The battery life is actually great for me (hobbyist). I’ve never needed to switch out the battery during a days work. I did about 10 hours of cabinet and drawer assembly over the weekend and it stayed on the same battery throughout.
The only negative is that the light only comes on while actually driving the motor not the ‘light touch on’ that the Makita units have.
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FestitaMakool
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Jim’s right.. demands a little rehearsal, but there’s an very small “dent” where the light comes on. Or you can squeeze hard when setting forward/reverse selector in lock/middle position.
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