CXS Design Fault Question

[ELATHAN]

I bought my first Festool tool  -the CXS drill--and it is excellent except for one feature.
The built in light does not illuminate the area to be drilled when using a small drill.
If you use small drills as I do down to #50 wire size it misses the target.
Yes when using a large size drill  the light meets the target,but with a small drill a dark area.
This is an amazing drill to use with small drills due to its ability to vary speed with great sensitivity.
It is amazing to me considering the amount of work that went into this drill that this problem exists.
Harold

 

[peter halle]

Harold,

Welcome to the FOG!  I don't use drill bits that small, so I am curious how far does the bit extend from the end of the chuck?

Thanks,

Peter

 

[ELATHAN]

the small drill bits  that I use are in the 1 mm range. A #60 drill is  0.040 in/1.016 mm
by their  nature they are very flexable and subject to breaking,so the shorter the drill the less likely to break.
To answer your question the drills will extend from the chuck no more then  1/2" to 3/4". the entire drill is perhaps an inch long.
Using the cxs in a remote location means lighting is variable and the light provided (built into the drill) is very bright and because it misses
the target area ~~~ aiming the drill to a precise point  can be distracting--
Even so the best device I have ever used for drilling freehand -
Harold

 

[AlexThePalex]

Well, you can call it a design fault, but I don't think when they designed the CXS they had people who use such small bits in mind. The CXS is meant for general woodworking, but when you talk about 1 mm drill bits that's not what the average woodworker uses. For such small bits, wouldn't a Dremel suit you better?

 

[GhostFist]

As much as I love the cxs, and I love it to death, I will admit the light can cast a shadow off of your drill bits. Would be nice if there was an option to turn it off. I've seen competitors with lights that surround the bit, obviously wouldn't work with the attachments, and I don't know how well it performs on those drills but it seems like a good idea.

 

[semenza]

I am pretty sure that Dremel has a light that encircles the chuck/ bit.

Seth

 

[L.J]

I am pretty sure that Dremel has a light that encircles the chuck/ bit.

Seth

So does Bosch.

 

[Timtool]

the CXS light works good in most situations, but in some, usually in tight dark spots, your other hand that is holding the screw or hardware in place blocks the light. can be annoying.
on this matter Bosch is ahead with their lights placed around the head, the lights on their first compacts was garbage as it actually casted a shadow on the area of the bit. but now they also have battery level indicators.
being a former Bosch user i couldn't believe festool only recently added lights and belt clips to their drills, meanwhile the others have improved theirs and are adding battery level indicators and such.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

You guys piss and moan about not having a light on a Festool drill and then when they start putting them on, you piss and moan about where the light points.

Are you ever happy about anything?

Put a piece of electrical tape over it.

My only complaint is the lack luster bit holder.

I have lost at least 6 driver tips due to it's set up.

Needs better magnets.

 

[L.J]

the CXS light works good in most situations, but in some, usually in tight dark spots, your other hand that is holding the screw or hardware in place blocks the light. can be annoying.
on this matter Bosch is ahead with their lights placed around the head, the lights on their first compacts was garbage as it actually casted a shadow on the area of the bit. but now they also have battery level indicators.
being a former Bosch user i couldn't believe festool only recently added lights and belt clips to their drills, meanwhile the others have improved theirs and are adding battery level indicators and such.

You are right the lack of a battery level indicator is a turn off to me on the CXS that my Milwaukee inpactor that came free with one of my other tools has.

 

[GhostFist]

I've had battery level indicators on drills before and would check them at first but when you're busy working who has the time, honestly?

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I've had battery level indicators on drills before and would check them at first but when you're busy working who has the time, honestly?

I find them helpful when I go to grab a battery or batteries before starting a task.  They don't have to be fully charged, but depending on whether I'm just plugging one into a drill, flashlight or circular saw can be a deciding factor in the one(s) I choose.

Also a good idea to check just before you'll be doing a task that would be a PIA to stop just to get a replacement battery for the tool.  Example would be going up on a roof with a battery that's pretty low on charge.

 

[pugilato]

You guys piss and moan about not having a light on a Festool drill and then when they start putting them on, you piss and moan about where the light points.

Are you ever happy about anything?

Put a piece of electrical tape over it.

My only complaint is the lack luster bit holder.

I have lost at least 6 driver tips due to it's set up.

Needs better magnets.

You can always build a better mousetrap.  I wish my jigsaw had a light.  The bit holder is poor... if its not going to work, why put it in?

 

[GhostFist]

Here's the deal, I love the CXS, it's no secret. IMO it is the best in it's class by such a far margin it's in it's own class. That being said, if I had to suggest improvements for the next model I would suggest some sort of improved light and better bit storage. No complaining at all really it's benefits far outweigh it's minor hiccups

 

[pugilato]

No doubt... you are never done with the improvements.  Someone will put them in; may as well be Festool.

 

[GhostFist]

Probably a good idea that they have a free open forum to discuss their products

 

[Frans]

the small drill bits  that I use are in the 1 mm range. A #60 drill is  0.040 in/1.016 mm
by their  nature they are very flexable and subject to breaking,so the shorter the drill the less likely to break.
To answer your question the drills will extend from the chuck no more then  1/2" to 3/4". the entire drill is perhaps an inch long.

I have always found that these thin drill bits are less likely to break the further they extend from the chuck. This way you use the flexibility of the bit to negate any minor movements of the drill. If you keep it short, any movement of the drill will break the bit in no-time. For bits smaller than 1 mm, I prefer to use an old-fashioned human-powered handdrill.

Frans