C18 drill

[Gunder]

I started with the PDC and the added the CXS. I thought about the C18 orT18 but figured for just about everything I can think of doing I either need the power of the PDC or I need the compactness of the CXS. Seems to me the C/T18 don’t really offer any advantage when the addition costs for the PDC is so little.

That being said I pretty much use the CXS for everything and only reach for the PDC when I need a ton of power. iE running a hole saw, drilling ½ holes in steel etc.

So my advice to anyone would be start with a CXS and then add a bigger drill when you need the power and then go as big as possible.

 

[AndrewG]

I’ll be using the T/C 18 for drilling and I’ll use my CXS for driving or even drilling small scale stuff. I reckon this will cover almost all of my drilling tasks. I mostly do joinery work, but I am a home owner and have plans for some construction type work around the house.

There will be times when I need to drive large screws/drill concrete etc and the CXS won’t be powerful enough. So the PDC will be used for drilling, and the C/T 18 for driving screws.

Festool have a promotion which includes a free 5.2 battery with a C/T purchase which will be really useful when I eventually buy a PDC skin.

 

[grobkuschelig]

If you do a lot of screws into wood and switch with drilling, the way the T/C-18 are designed is vastly superior to the PDC.

You have one button to switch between “drill mode” and electronic clutch and an additional adjuster wheel that can be dialed in and stay in its position.

With the PDC the clutch adjustment and drill mode switch are on one and the same dial.

For shop work the C18 is my preference. (With the CXS for screwing as well)
If I go out and do not really know what kind of work I’ll be facing, I mostly take the PDC because it has the bigger range of Tasks it can cover. Also because the “always on” light acts as a safety flashlight.

Obviously you can achieve the task with different drills, but the way to completion is what makes the difference.

 

[AndrewG]

Thanks for all the replies so far, I appreciate it.

Tomorrow I’m off to the dealer to check out the drills once again. I’m thinking maybe I was holding the C18 wrong, and perhaps this is why it felt awkward in my hand? Can anyone give me some tips on the proper way to hold it? Eg middle finger on the trigger etc?

Cheers

 

[peter halle]

Some hold it just like any other drill and some hold it with their pointing fingernail on the outside of the drill pointing forward parallel to the bit.

Peter

 

[Jmacpherson]

I started out with the PDC because I found that with the 5.2ah battery the weight difference vs the T18 wasn't even noticeable. Credit to the designers of the PDC for that.
Then I added the CXS.

Then it came to T18 vs C18. As others have said the C18 and CXS does not feel the same.
With the Jacobs chuck on, personally I think the T18 feels better than the C18.

Where the T18/C18 really come into their own in my opinion is when they are used with the compact 3ah batteries.

Some people fall in love with the C handle straight away, some adapt to it and others simply can't.
I fall into the latter grouping and the C18 and my brain have just never met each other in the middle yet, maybe one day.
So I went with the T18 and haven't regretted it.

 

[semenza]

Thanks for all the replies so far, I appreciate it.

Tomorrow I’m off to the dealer to check out the drills once again. I’m thinking maybe I was holding the C18 wrong, and perhaps this is why it felt awkward in my hand? Can anyone give me some tips on the proper way to hold it? Eg middle finger on the trigger etc?

Cheers

    Try to actually use the drills if your dealer has a demo bench set up.

Seth

 

[AndrewG]

I went to my local Festool dealer today but they didn’t have a C18 in stock. So I had a play with the same C12 as last time with the smaller battery, and it felt much more comfortable this time around. Maybe it’s because I changed my grip around? Who knows but it did feel better.

I also noticed they had a bench full of what looked like ex display/demo tools. There was a TI15 impact and a C15 basic that caught my eye so I was going to enquire about the C15, but then realised the newer batteries didn’t fit so I didn’t bother. I doubt they could discount much anyway.

So I ended up buying a C18, hopefully it arrives soon. There was no bench or demo area to try out the other drills, but I figure it would be even better trying the C18 in my own workshop. If for whatever reason I don’t like it, I can always send it back for the T18 within 30 days. If I had my time again I’d request to get the Festool rep over to my workshop with the two drills, but the free battery promotion finished today so I had to make the purchase.

I’ll report back when I’ve given it a good workout. I do plan on getting a 3.1ah battery down the track, I might even ask Festool if they can send one instead of the larger battery via redemption. Does anyone know how much more use you get out of 5.1ah batteries compared to a 3.1ah? Is it just the difference in size, eg 40% more battery run time.

I recently picked up a 2013 centrotec set for a very good price, so looking forward to putting them both to work. Speaking of centrotec sets, I’ve been making a list of extra bits that I need, and the 2015 imperial centrotec installers kit 201312 has pretty much everything I want. It looks like they’re all sold out, so I’ll be on the hunt for one over the next few months when I get more funds. Hopefully there’s a supplier that has one hiding somewhere that they’ve forgotten about.

Cheers

 

[Goz]

Congrats on the purchase!

Amp-hours (Ah) is a measure of battery capacity. So in theory the Ah rating of a battery directly relates to how long it will run a given tool.  There are some differences in how the larger and smaller packs are built, so they may perform slightly differently, but Ah should pretty closely relate to capacity. 

Larger capacity packs sometimes also have a higher maximize amperage output.  I don't think this will matter with your drill, but on higher demand tools it can make a slight difference.  Some users feel that the TSC has more power with higher capacity batteries.

Hope that helps!

 

[mrboult]

I wouldn't own my two T18 drills if the compact batteries weren't available. They really make the tool lighter and better balanced.

I 100% notice that the 5.2ah batteries provide more power than the 2.6ah compact batteries. No technical data to share, but in use the difference is easily noticeable to me. It's not obvious in general day to day use, but when it comes to bigger tasks like driving 25cm long screws, you definitely notice the extra power from the bigger ah packs.

I also now have the newer/current 3.1ah compact batteries, but haven't owned and used them enough to confirm the same difference. But i assume that like the older 2.6ah compact batteries there will be a small but noticeable reduction of power compared to the bigger batteries.

Finally, the TSC will aparently not run on the compact batteries. I can confirm the HKC does run with the compact batteries.

 

[Jmacpherson]

I 100% notice that the 5.2ah batteries provide more power than the 2.6ah compact batteries. No technical data to share, but in use the difference is easily noticeable to me. It's not obvious in general day to day use, but when it comes to bigger tasks like driving 25cm long screws, you definitely notice the extra power from the bigger ah packs.

I also now have the newer/current 3.1ah compact batteries, but haven't owned and used them enough to confirm the same difference. But i assume that like the older 2.6ah compact batteries there will be a small but noticeable reduction of power compared to the bigger batteries.

[member=22067]mrB[/member] I experienced the above on the BHC using the 3.1ah compact because it makes the unit even lighter without any "perceived" loss in performance. I then switched to a 5.2ah and the power difference was immediately noticeable. Discovered beast mode!
There was still charge in the 3.1 but I need to redo this compare with 100% fully charged batteries to reconfirm that this was Ah related and not additional factors

 

[AndrewG]

I picked up the C18 yesterday and got a chance to use it in the afternoon for a bit. I was a bit hesitant as the last time I picked up a C18 it felt a bit awkward. My purchase was based off the feel of a C12 and C15 that I handled and really liked it. The three are similar sizes so I put that down to trying to use the C18 with my index finger like I would a regular drill. Here in Australia the set version with the various chucks is not available, but I do intend to get the eccentric and possibly the right hand chuck down the track.

As soon as I picked it up and adopted the same grip as my CXS (middle finger on the trigger), I feel in love. The balance was spot on and it felt like an extension of my hand. I used it for a little while and it brought a smile to my face, it was smooth and powerful enough for what I need it to do. I then used a different grip with my index finger as the trigger finger, and it felt awkward like when I first picked up the drill. So I guess the grip does make a big difference.

I still need to send in for my 5.2ah battery via redemption. I initially thought I’d sell it and buy a 3.1ah battery, but the balance felt right with the right grip so I won’t be in a rush to get it, but I’ll no doubt eventually get the smaller battery.

I also picked up a centrotec installers kit the other week for cost price. It’s not the most packed out kit, but the deal was very good so it was a no brainer. I used a variety of the bits and I must say it’s nice to not have to put the drill in reverse and use the jacobs chuck. Bit changes are easy and they’re very good quality. I’m pretty keen now to pick up a 2015 imperial centrotec kit 201312 as it has a lot of the square bits that I use a lot of. I know they’re hard to get, but I’ll email around.

Obviously it’s early days, but I’m very happy with the C18. I’ll put it to use over the next week which will give me a better indication, but so far it’s all good news.

Thanks for all the input.

Cheers

 

[Gregor]

I still need to send in for my 5.2ah battery via redemption. I initially thought I’d sell it and buy a 3.1ah battery, but the balance felt right with the right grip so I won’t be in a rush to get it, but I’ll no doubt eventually get the smaller battery.

With the thing already giving you a smile with a big battery... wait till you use it with a small one  [big grin]

 

[travisj]

I love my C18.

As to the installer’s kit, if you’re only after the Robertson bits, there are aftermarket Centrotec versions. 
https://www.toolnut.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=centrotec shank robertson square

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AndrewG]

Thanks for the links. The centrotec kit has pretty much everything I need to finish my set off, but it’s looking unlikely I’ll pick one up from a dealer. My only chance will be a used one that hopefully hasn’t been used at all/much.

In the meantime, I’ll probably have to buy some aftermarket Robertson bits from atlas or snappy.

Cheers

 

[AndrewG]

So I’ve been looking for Robertson drivers from atlas and snappy. Toolnut wont ship to Australia and the atlas bits directly from them is way too expensive for shipping ($100 plus). I’m waiting for an alternative shipping option.

Anyway, I’ve now started looking here in Australia for square drive detent bits. I’ll just put them into the locking collar on the centrotec bit. But I can only find square drive bits, are these the same as Robertson? My understanding is that the Robertson bits have a taper?

I’ve been thinking of getting the PDC skin, but might now wait for the TI18 to be released and see what the reviews are like.

Cheers

 

[peter halle]

There have been conversations here about Robertson and square drive naming.  At the end of the day they are interchangeable.  Much like Kleenex and facial tissues.

Peter

 

[Coen]

Wow that wall connector on the charging cable is enormous  [eek]. Are there no smaller 2-pin plugs in Australia?

 

[AndrewG]

Got a chance to buy an old Festool (Festo) drill set for $100 (about $75 US). It’s a CDD 12 FX

I’m more interested in the right angle attachment and eccentric chuck. Does anyone know if they will fit on the newer style drills, eg my C18. The box says it’s nova drive which I assume was what they and before centrotec.

I can try and post photos later.
Cheers,
Andy

 

[AndrewG]

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