Festool Vs. Hilti Drills

[orm8426]

Basically, my understanding is:

Axial force = banging on the end of the drill bit with a hammer.

Torsional = welding a rod perpendicular to the length of the drill shaft and banging on that with a hammer.

 

[EV]

For what it's worth I was talking to a guy who works for Hilti a few months ago, he's an area sales manager. I asked him what make Hilti so good and expensive.

He said obviously he has a slightly bias opinion, but his analogy was that Hilti are true industrial rated tools as opposed just high end trade tools. i.e. Festool is the Toyota Land Cruiser or Range Rover i.e. they are the very best of the mainstream 4x4 vehicles, where as Hilti is the military spec Humvee.

I'm glad my festool drills don't have the reliability issues of range rovers . Humvee = brute force / No finesse . Hilti make good kit but their drills and festool drills are totally different beasts .
Dave

Slightly of topic but speaking of Land Rover reliability, I work right next to a local dealerships service station and a brand spanking new "15" Plate (registered after 1st of March 2015, for those not in the know) had two blokes in the back of the new discovery scratching their heads with a set of electrical tools!

 

[WelshWood]

This is the hard part, I'm into Conservation and Renovation mainly, but that also groups first fix, second fix and trim, so in short, I do all aspects of site carpentry with a pinch of workshop when I want to get artistic

If power is readily available then there is no question that corded should be the preference, however, alot of the time I find myself only having to drill

 

[orm8426]

Makita do make a 4in1:

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-btp141rfe-18v-li-ion-4-mode-combi-p145978?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-extensions&gclid=CJqbu9L4wcQCFdMatAodk3cA_g

I know it's not the lovely green and black brand, but looks like a decent piece of kit.

 

[joiner1970]

Makita do make a 4in1:

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-btp141rfe-18v-li-ion-4-mode-combi-p145978?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-extensions&gclid=CJqbu9L4wcQCFdMatAodk3cA_g

I know it's not the lovely green and black brand, but looks like a decent piece of kit.

I'd avoid them 4 in 1's . Years ago when Makita first bought them out my local dealer was getting loads back for warranty repair. It's just too much stuff squashed in a tool.

Their impacts and drills are great I've used them for years

 

[Jason Kehl]

I use a Festool T18 every day for residential construction, for all my drilling and driving needs (other than lag bolts) and In all weather conditions. It has not been smashed or run over, but it's been dropped and banged around and has not let me down. The only gripe I have is the belt hook is a joke, it worked fine until I broke the little plastic tabs on the battery where the belt hook goes. The battery is fine still. All in all I consider it tough enough for general construction.

 

[promhandicam]

I was using my PDC today for driving 5 x 50mm screws into oak and it was a complete PITA. Had to keep changing the torque setting depending on how dense the bit of oak was - too low and it cuts out before the screw is tight,  too high and it wrenches your wrist when the screw bottoms out. Ended up going out  to the van to get my hilti impact which was lighter and so much easier. If you want something primarily for driving screws then go for an impact driver. 

 

[EV]

I was using my PDC today for driving 5 x 50mm screws into oak and it was a complete PITA. Had to keep changing the torque setting depending on how dense the bit of oak was - too low and it cuts out before the screw is tight,  too high and it wrenches your wrist when the screw bottoms out. Ended up going out  to the van to get my hilti impact which was lighter and so much easier. If you want something primarily for driving screws then go for an impact driver.

But festool don't do an impact driver at the moment. and I'm not paying over £300 for a Ti15 with 3ah batteries. would consider no more than £200 as 3ah batteries is a bit old school in this day and age  [big grin]

EV

 

[acrewood1]

Not to sure if this is still relevant but i brought my C12 in 2007 and still use it on the same nicad batteries, at the same time a main contractor i work for brought 6 hilti drills at the same cost (500 euro) as the C12. the hilti only lasted two years. I smile when i think how he would laugh about the bleep from the C12 when the battery is low. 

 

[WelshWood]

Thanks again for all the great replies guys,

After having more viewing of the drills, I've seen a few things that worry me;

Festool - As it looks, the belt clip is 90' to the bottom of the battery, if this doesn't swivel a further 90', it looks like it would break quite easily! Also, a few people have commented about the noise.. I have had a Milwaukee impact drill for some years and I HATE using it because it is so ridiculously loud, almost embarrassing at times!

Hilti - Impact driver limits the use of auger/flat bits, as well as the combi drill in my opinion being quite average in my opinion..

ARGH! so frustrating! Hahaha

Any more feedback will be massively welcomed!

~WW