C15 drill died, Will C18 Drill Work With C15 Batteries?

[ItsBob]

While using the C15 drill, it started to smoke and flame from handle vents. Removing the battery stopped the issue, but now I'm left with 2 good BPC15 batteries and no drill. With the C15 drill discontinued, is it possible the C18 drill is backward compatible with C15 batteries?

Side question: has the overheating issue been resolved in the C18?

Cheers,
-Bob

 

[AlexThePalex]

is it possible the C18 drill is backward compatible with C15 batteries?

Yes, the C18 can take the C15 batteries, but will work at reduced power compared to 18v batteries. Not sure what percentage exactly.

Side question: has the overheating issue been resolved in the C18?

It is not an issue, but it can happen with any drill. Festool drills have an electronic protection circuit that should prevent this, but it does not always work out. I myself almost burned down a T15 once by drilling too many holes too fast.

 

[mrboult]

If your batteries are Li Ion then the C18 will work fine. If your batteries are the older NiCd then you'll need to ask someone else. Festool phased out compatibility with the older NiCad batteries at some point.

Never heard of a festool drill catching on fire before

 

[AlexThePalex]

C15 always had LiIon batteries from the start.

Modern C18's really can't take NiCd?

 

[Bob D.]

The batteries are usable in the TSC55 also.
They can be mixed with 18v batteries to give you a few combinations.

one 15v
one 18v
two 15v
two 18v
one 15v and one 18v

All with various power/speed levels.

 

[Hawkeye0001]

You could even use the NiCad batteries on the 18V drills.
I've used the C18 with the 15V batteries before, in my opinion it's still good enough to use it that way until the batteries give up the ghost. The 12V batteries however were really pushing it... [big grin]

 

[mrboult]

C15 always had LiIon batteries from the start.

Modern C18's really can't take NiCd?

Ah, good info. I wasn't sure if the T15/C15 drills ever came with NiCd batteries, no is the answer.

I know that one of my T18s from 7 years ago or so worked with a NiCd battery when I tried it, but finding out recently that the TID18 will not work with NiCd I wondered if Festool have transitioned the rest of the lines? Hence my hesitation on the subject.