Centrotec - Is standard better than better?

[Claimdude]

I guess necessity is the mother of invention but I have I only one hand and love my Festool drills and the centrotec. Takes a little getting used to but putting in centrotec bits is only marginally more difficult than the standard 1/4" hex. I also have a Makita 18v impact and hammer drill. The centrotec is the bees knees for accuracy and minimal run out.

Jack

What I found that I do not like about Centrotec while playing with the drill during the Festool roadshow. Correct me if I am wrong, but there is no easy one handed operation to insert or remove a bit.

On my DeWalt, Milwaukee, and some Makita the 1/4" bit chuck is slick. I can just press the desired bit into the chuck and it snaps in, locked, no removing it. On the DeWalt and Wera Rapidapters releasing the bit is a simple collar pull and the bit is 'ejected' forward for easy one handed removal. The others, pull the collar forward, same direction as removing the bit to easily remove one handed.

I found the Centrotec to be cumbersome to insert and remove bits in comparison. That was my initial impression. I expected for such a premium that it would have all the great features of the 1/4" bit chucks.

 

[Coen]

I never had a problem with it. If you use the BH 60 CE, you can fit in any normal hex bit. Or am I missing something here? Normal bits also fit just fine directly in the driveshaft if you take off all the chucks in the front. Very useful for making the machine length very short.

Even without buying any of the expensive Centrotec bits, the system is very useful. BH 60 CE with normal (cheap) bit in WH CE Centrotec chuck, and a normal cilindrical drill in the BF-FX 13. Switching between the two goes very fast, without bitholder or drill rolling away  [tongue]

 

[Ado]

I use the Wiha Cenrofix bit holder. Locks in Centrotec and standard hex shaft bits. Great quality bit of kit.

 

[HarveyWildes]

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Snappy and Atlas make aftermarket Centrotec bits. They aren't super cheap but cheaper than the Festool brand. I don't see anyone making 99 cent throwaway bits though, if they only work in $600 drills.
...

I got the aftermarket Festool Centrotec adaptor for 1/4" shank bits.  It works fine for wire detent bits and mag head bits, but the adaptor that came with the drill did that OK.  Does not work well at all for ball detent 1/4" bits, which I have a lot of.  Way too much wobble.

So per Mort's suggestion, I looked at Snappy's bits, which were just as limited and almost as expensive as Festool.  But then I saw the Snappy Centrotec to 1/4" ball detent adapter.  Brilliant!! Finally I can use my 1/4" ball detent bits with an adapter that works as well or better than the 1/4" chucks on my Milwaukee tools.  Thanks [member=46908]Mort[/member] for pointing me at Snappy.

And Festool could do better, because they could do a 1/4" chuck similar to the Centrotec chuck.

 

[HarveyWildes]

...
Snappy and Atlas make aftermarket Centrotec bits. They aren't super cheap but cheaper than the Festool brand. I don't see anyone making 99 cent throwaway bits though, if they only work in $600 drills.
...

I got the aftermarket Festool Centrotec adaptor for 1/4" shank bits.  It works fine for wire detent bits and mag head bits, but the adaptor that came with the drill did that OK.  Does not work well at all for ball detent 1/4" bits, which I have a lot of.  Way too much wobble.

So per Mort's suggestion, I looked at Snappy's bits, which were just as limited and almost as expensive as Festool.  But then I saw the Snappy Centrotec to 1/4" ball detent adapter.  Brilliant!! Finally I can use my 1/4" ball detent bits with an adapter that works as well or better than the 1/4" chucks on my Milwaukee tools.  Thanks [member=46908]Mort[/member] for pointing me at Snappy.

And Festool could do better, because they could do a 1/4" chuck similar to the Centrotec chuck.

And by the way, this was the last chance for the drill.  If I hadn't found the Snappy adapter, the drill was going back under the 30-day return policy.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I bought a lot of centrotec bits when I got the PDC drill. It feels right to follow the system idea here. Works is high quality. I was able to get the individual bits and zobo set broken up. I don't have a need for a whole installers set, but would consider buying a used as new set on the local version craigslist.