Bad batch of 200140 Centrotec Hand Drivers

[COBill]

Heads up:

There seem to be a bad batch of Centrotec Hand Drivers (Festool 200140) out there.

Centrotec bits are supposed to lock into the driver and not release until you pull down the sleeve, but on the bad batch they pull right out.

However normal hex bits do lock into the defective batch, so it's clear the wrong bit holder, a regular hex adapter rather than a Centrotec adapter, was used to make the batch of hand drivers.

I don't know how extensive the defective batch is, but I do know two purchased from my dealer in March (they had two, I bought both) worked properly.

They got two more into stock about a week ago, and both of those were defective.

I've now ordered two from a different dealer and hope those are from an older batch that works properly.

Update: Called around and my local Woodcraft had one, clearly one that's been in the store a while. Worked perfectly.

Update #2: My dealer got a third set in and of those, one worked properly and one did not.

 

[jonnyrocket]

I too have discovered this. I purchased two handles about a year ago. One functions as expected. One does not. It doesn’t even hold 1/4” bits. I have a hunch that the issue is caused when the bit holder is inserted too far into the plastic handle. On my non-locking handle, the “release sleeve” bottoms out on the plastic handle when trying to “lock” the bit. On my other handle which functions correctly, there is an air gap between the plastic handle and the locking sleeve when the bits are fully locked in.