CXS as a makita kit replacement?

[gunksman]

Pretty soon my Makita drill and impact kit is going to die and then it's time for more of the black and green! I'm a concrete artisan and build a lot of my forms with pocket screws. Think it'd be a hassle switching out the bits for bunch of pocket screws, rather than having a drill and driver? My work is both in the shop and on-site, so having fewer tools to fill the truck is appealing.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Mike,

Check out this video from Gary Katz, it may help answer your questions. I'm sure members will also chime in with their opinions and feedback.

Impact Driver or Festool CXS?

 

[GhostFist]

Great vid. A few comments on katz's techinique....if I may?  He seems to avoid using the centrotec chuck in the vid. for screwin/unscrewing it would have allowed him a little more clearance. While pilot drilling followed by screwing for the piano hinge, I would have kept the hinge bit in the jacobs and screwed with the centrotec, just a fater way to switch bits IMO plus you can stand the chucks on end so your bits don't roll off the bench (they also fit well in an apron or belt slot). Also, he likes to keep his right angle chuck in line with the drill body I would have rocked it off to the side in some instances there to prevent the drill body from getting in the way of completing the drilling/screwing process. The right angle chuck on this guy is a great way to ensure your drill holes and screws are going in perfectly perpendicular to the object or screwing or drilling.

Other than that katz's is a god amongst mortals, I humbly bow before him

 

[L.J]

Great vid. A few comments on katz's techinique....if I may?  He seems to avoid using the centrotec chuck in the vid. for screwin/unscrewing it would have allowed him a little more clearance. While pilot drilling followed by screwing for the piano hinge, I would have kept the hinge bit in the jacobs and screwed with the centrotec, just a fater way to switch bits IMO plus you can stand the chucks on end so your bits don't roll off the bench (they also fit well in an apron or belt slot). Also, he likes to keep his right angle chuck in line with the drill body I would have rocked it off to the side in some instances there to prevent the drill body from getting in the way of completing the drilling/screwing process. The right angle chuck on this guy is a great way to ensure your drill holes and screws are going in perfectly perpendicular to the object or screwing or drilling.

Other than that katz's is a god amongst mortals, I humbly bow before him

I would have to agree that he didn't use the CXS optimally but he got his point across.

 

[honeydoman]

I have them all. The Cxs is a great little drill and I use ut quite a
Bit. However I still use my makita impact driver as it has that extra umph that only an impact driver has

 

[TJ Cornish]

Apparently Gary pays extra for his tools to not be variable speed!?  I've never "featherd" the trigger like that, that's what variable speed is for.

I agree with the basic premise - a reglar drill is much easier for small screws, and in my experience is an absolute requirement for pocket screws in MDF.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I'm kind of surprised that Gary used to use an impact driver for pocket screws.  I've stripped out the hole or driven in too far pocket screws with a regular drill/driver by not feathering it.  I use the feathering method for pocket screws which helps me just get that right amount of extra tightness after the screw first seats at the bottom of the pocket hole.  I can hear and feel when it's just right.  Using an impact driver, I wouldn't  have the ability to hear or feel that slight difference you get when reaching the bottom of the  pocket hole.

Feathering sometimes works better than using the variable speed at a low speed since you're only giving it little increments at a time and can easily stop sooner.

 

[gunksman]

Thanks all! I'm sold. When I need extra grunt, I'll pull out the cords.