Best drill combo for 2023, and someone new to the ecosystem?

[RHymc4qH6sg7]

Hey all. Am a new member to the FOG after I took the plunge recently with a CT26, OSC 18, and Carvex PSC 420.

I am now looking for good drill combo recommendations for various jobs. My work is primarily a hobbyist garage shop building, storage shelving, and small wood furniture (side tables, coffee tables etc.). However, I also get involved in the occasional fence-building and deck repair work. I have become the go-to handyman for the family for any repairs or requests.

I've been eyeing the new CXS 18V to become my daily runner drill for simple repair and general shop work.

However, for those jobs requiring more power and juice, does getting a T18/C18 make sense today? I understand the new CXS 18V lags only slightly behind these models now, right?

Does it make more sense to grab the CXS 18V and then jump straight to the TID18 for the bigger jobs?

Interestingly the Festool Canada 2023 Catalogue makes ZERO mention of the CXS 18 and only mentions the TXS12 / CXS 12. [huh]

Thanks all!

 

[usernumber1]

sorry I'm going to suggest the Makita oil impulse impact driver

 

[Cheese]

Interestingly the Festool Canada 2023 Catalogue makes ZERO mention of the CXS 18 and only mentions the TXS12 / CXS 12. [huh]

That "CXS 12" in the catalog is actually the original CXS with the 10.8V battery and not the yet to be released CSX 12.

 

[RHymc4qH6sg7]

That "CXS 12" in the catalog is actually the original CXS with the 10.8V battery and not the yet to be released CSX 12.

Oh man. Does that mean Canada may not even see the new CXS 18 or CXS 12 this year ?!

 

[Birdhunter]

My most used drills are the TSX and the TID18. You could do just fine with only the T18. Get the complete kit with all the attachments. If you get the TID, remember to use impact rated drivers.

 

[Cheese]

Oh man. Does that mean Canada may not even see the new CXS 18 or CXS 12 this year ?!

I'd make a bet that when the CXS 18 is released in the States, it will also be offered in Canada...now when that will happen is anyone's guess. I'm pulling for the new CXS 12 with the higher 1600 RPM drill speed. [cool]

Oh and  [welcome] to the FOG.  [smile]

 

[jonnyrocket]

[member=80051]RHymc4qH6sg7[/member]  For what you have described,  I would pursue the following as time permits.
1- CXS18 when released
2- TID 18
3- TPC 18, if you feel the need.

My current list of festool drills contains: CXS10.8, the C18, the PDC (precursor to TPC), BHS, TID18 and one T18+3-E. Of all the tools listed here, my C18 gets used very, very, little, and the T18+3-E never (when I purchased the T18+3 -E, I knew I would never use it, but I bought it for the good deal on the batteries at the time).

The CXS18 over the current CXS10.8 would be my first choice if I was starting over with todays lineup. Closely followed by the TID to keep it all on the same battery platform.  If that isn’t a key factor, wait to see what happens with the rumored CXS12 and then decide if you want a separate battery for the small drill/driver as the smaller size of the rumored CXS12 is very desirable.

 

[RHymc4qH6sg7]

[member=80051]RHymc4qH6sg7[/member]  For what you have described,  I would pursue the following as time permits.
1- CXS18 when released
2- TID 18
3- TPC 18, if you feel the need.

Thanks for this recommendation, and funnily enough just before I saw your post I was actually just thinking about the same thing.
The TPC 18/4 Hammer Drill spec wise looks to be a slightly superior T18+3. I realize the TPC is marketed as a Hammer drill but I've seen that you can switch the hammer feature on/off.

You can basically use it as a 4 gear quadrive regular drill too. Overall the TPC looks the perfect in-between drill (CXS 18 > TPC 18/4 > TID). Added benefit of working on the Fastfix chuck system too. When the CXS 18 doesn't cut it you can bring out the TPC 18/4 in drill mode, and when you need that super rarely needed max torque you can jump to the TID18.

The TPC then has that added bonus of being able to jump into hammer mode if you need to do some quick brick/concrete holes for mounting a tv in a condo or something  [cool]

 

[jonnyrocket]

The TPC 18/4 Hammer Drill spec wise looks to be a slightly superior T18+3.

[member=80051]RHymc4qH6sg7[/member]
In Festool’s  lineup your statement makes sense. However, as of today, the current generation T18+3 hasn’t been refreshed in quite some time. Whereas the TPC was just updated and is much Improved compared to the previous PDC.

I believe that a more accurate summary would be that the TPC is a much more capable drill compared to the T18+3. And the recent improvements make it vastly more desirable compared to the existing T18+3.

 

[slavi.yordanov]

T18+3, TPC18 and TID18 are completely different drills for different tasks. I have all three, in addition to CXS and C18.

T18+3 is the best all around drill if you are not driving huge screws and drilling big holes. Think shop use.

TPC is more of a heavy duty drill, which also drills in concrete and masonry. It works great for drilling bigger holes and possibly driving huge screws. For everyday medium duty use and screws under 4”, I wouldn’t use this one, it’s heavy and bulky.

TID is an impact driver, it would also work for drilling pocket holes. I don’t generally like impact drivers and prefer my Milwaukee M12 Surge. Other than ergonomics, there is nothing special about this drill. Ideal use would be driving big screws.

TPC/TID kit would be the best option if you ask me. For $650 it’s actually a good value. The T18+3 kit is only $100 less.

 

[derekcohen]

Agree with Slavi. I have the 10.8v C12 and 18v PDC ( plus a very old 12v Panasonic). The C12 is the best for use in a workshop building furniture. Lightness is a preference when linked to enough power. Most work in a workshop is drilling for and sinking screws. You do not need much power for this. The PDC is for heavy duty use, mostly for carpentry, which is rarely the norm in the shop, especially if you have a drill press.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[RHymc4qH6sg7]

T18+3, TPC18 and TID18 are completely different drills for different tasks. I have all three, in addition to CXS and C18.

T18+3 is the best all around drill if you are not driving huge screws and drilling big holes. Think shop use.

TPC is more of a heavy duty drill, which also drills in concrete and masonry. It works great for drilling bigger holes and possibly driving huge screws. For everyday medium duty use and screws under 4”, I wouldn’t use this one, it’s heavy and bulky.

TID is an impact driver, it would also work for drilling pocket holes. I don’t generally like impact drivers and prefer my Milwaukee M12 Surge. Other than ergonomics, there is nothing special about this drill. Ideal use would be driving big screws.

Nice. Thanks for clean explanation on their differences. Fair to say that the TPC (in drill mode) and T18+3 can handle mostly all the same jobs. The downside to the TPC being that it's just so much bulkier and clunkier?

I'm curious. You mentioned you own a CXS too. What kind of shop use jobs would you reach for the T18+3 instead of the CXS?

TPC/TID kit would be the best option if you ask me. For $650 it’s actually a good value. The T18+3 kit is only $100 less.

Yeah. This kit is what I'm leaning toward now plus the new CXS18 once it's released here in Canada.

 

[tango63]

CXS covers most of installing screws and drilling. I think I reach for CXS 90% of them time.

When installing larger lag screws or drilling large holes, that’s when C18/T18 kicks in.

 

[Coen]

The TPC then has that added bonus of being able to jump into hammer mode if you need to do some quick brick/concrete holes for mounting a tv in a condo or something  [cool]

Structural concrete is something else than brick.

I stopped using percussion drills like the TPC for concrete ages ago. Rotary hammer drill is so much easier for that. With the rotary hammer you can drill 15 holes in the same time and with less drillbit wear as 1 hole with a percussion drill. Not to mention the sound is horrible with percussion drills.

In the USA / Canada the frequency you encounter concrete might be different. Lots of regular row houses here have concrete walls.

 

[mino]

+1 for getting the TPC and later a CXS 18 to go along

What many do not mention is the 4-speed nature of the TPC makes it useful for tasks where you need the speed, not necessarily the power.

If I were to have only one drill, it would be the TPC 18/4. The T18+3 makes very little sense these days IMO.

Were I in the US, I would consider the T18 E Easy first though as the third drill to go along the TPC and CXS. You loose Centrotec, but you get two batteries and charger with the drill effectively for free.

my 2c

ADD:

... Fair to say that the TPC (in drill mode) and T18+3 can handle mostly all the same jobs. The downside to the TPC being that it's just so much bulkier and clunkier?
...

The TPC gives you a 3600 rpm drill versus a 1500 rpm T18 ... not really comparable.
The TPC gives you about twice the power compared to T18+3 ... not really comparable.

The (new) CXS/TXS 18 are way closer to current C/T 18+3 models in terms of capabilities, but they are also way lighter, making them much more useful in the ergonomic sense. Both the T18 and the TPC are "heavy" drills, so the weight advantage of the T18 is not that visible.

 

[slavi.yordanov]

I really don’t use the CXS much. It’s smooth, but underpowered, pretty long and uses a specific battery. Most of the time I just use my 12v Bosch Flexiclick.

For hole saws with 7/16 arbor, you will need T18 or TPC18

Before I got the TPC, I was using the C18 at work for drilling holes (I’m a plumber). It got the job done, but it’s slow and lacks power in that application. The TPC has 4 speeds, and it’s twice as quick. Also more torque and anti kickback (And that’s not a gimmick) One of my employees had a swollen hand for 2 weeks after his M18 drill kicked back and hit his hand.

 

[oberlin1]

Another contrarian view here.  I have the cxs12 and the big brother c12.  I like both but the splendor of the Festool system is the dust collection and many tools are set up to use that capability.  The drills are just drills, nothing special.  The c12 does take advantage of the battery system but at a premium.  I would check out other vendors to see what is in their lineup.

 

[Coen]

I really don’t use the CXS much. It’s smooth, but underpowered, pretty long and uses a specific battery. Most of the time I just use my 12v Bosch Flexiclick.

For hole saws with 7/16 arbor, you will need T18 or TPC18

Before I got the TPC, I was using the C18 at work for drilling holes (I’m a plumber). It got the job done, but it’s slow and lacks power in that application. The TPC has 4 speeds, and it’s twice as quick. Also more torque and anti kickback (And that’s not a gimmick) One of my employees had a swollen hand for 2 weeks after his M18 drill kicked back and hit his hand.

For the Bosch Powerchange holesaws you don't have to use the 11mm adapter. You can also get an 8mm one that fits their 12V drill.

I use my GSR 12v all the time for (76mm) holes in glass fibre, drywall, 90 year old plywood, etc. etc.

Below is with the 76mm holesaw for adding some outlets in a hollow wall.
[attachimg=1]

Same adapter fits their whole range of holesaws. If I'm not mistaken it goes up to 210mm. My personal collection tops out at 152mm. Although for that diameter I would prefer the 18V with kickback control. I think I made the 76mm hole in the pictured glassfibre reinforced wall with the clutch and slow feed. You can still see the cutout on the floor. And also that I apparently cut 1/2mm off the mark. But that might have been on purpose to make it align even more perfect with the adjacent hole.

Another contrarian view here.  I have the cxs12 and the big brother c12.  I like both but the splendor of the Festool system is the dust collection and many tools are set up to use that capability.  The drills are just drills, nothing special.  The c12 does take advantage of the battery system but at a premium.  I would check out other vendors to see what is in their lineup.

What battery system of the C12? There is the C12... what else uses that battery? Almost nothing. Sure, plenty of things are compatible, but they run with very poor performance on the 12V (10.8V) battery.

 

[oberlin1]

Sorry, meant the C18.

 

[mino]

What battery system of the C12? There is the C12... what else uses that battery? Almost nothing. Sure, plenty of things are compatible, but they run with very poor performance on the 12V (10.8V) battery.

The C12 (Li version) uses the "big" style 12V batteries.

Fun fact:
Those 12V 3-cell packs are 100 g lighter than the standard 3.1 18V packs AND work with both the DRC 18/4 *and* the PSC/PSBC 420. Especially with the PSC these are a boon - that tool screams for light batteries ... With the DRC they lower the top speed, so not too practical.

I hope the new 2.5 packs - while shorter per videos - will be compatible with the "old" 1.5Ah packs from my C12 Li per above.