Help with impact drill

[gowyn]

My TDK15.6 batteries are slowly dying and replacement batteries are around $100CAD so I started looking around at drills and impact drill sets.

My local Leevalley has a demo Ti15 40% off for $355 plus an extra battery for $28 so I bought it.  It's the Ti15 3Ahr Plus kit.  Only 30 day warranty.

While I was at it I went to the local HD and picked up the Milwaukee Onekey M18 Hammer drill/Impact kit with two 5 Ahr batteries plus a free bare tool, in this case the circular saw, this was $600 but full warranty 5 year and 3 on the batteries.

I don't have the Centronic kit but have a varied assortment of DeWalt/Makita and Milwaukee impact and regular bits.

Actually the Makita bits are in the systainer style box.

Speaking of systainers I love them and that's the main reason I'm trying the Ti15.

I already have the CXS which is my goto drill for around the house.  I have a Milwaukee 12v impact drill.  The original plan was to replace the TDK15.6, larger drill for decking, framing etc.  I love the CXS, best tool ever but there is no way I'm paying $800 for a Festool drill for the limited use I will get, plus the TDK batteries have left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I know not LiON.

So which drill/driver would you keep?  The Festool Ti15 or the Milwaukee?

Thanks

 

[AlexThePalex]

No-brainer, the Milwaukee. That's a proper impact, the Ti15 is a fail.

 

[semenza]

    As an impact driver I have found the Ti15 totally fine. I don't use it a lot or for long run times though, so can't comment in that respect. The special drilling attachment is clunky and makes for a so so drill. But I don't believe it was ever intended as a primary drill. For me it makes it so I have battery compatibility with my other Festool drills.

    However, in your case it doesn't appear that you have other Festool drills that use the same batteries. The other factor is that the Ti15 is not a hammer drill. So if that is part of the equation the Ti15 will not do the job. But in that case take a look at the PDC.

Seth

 

[rst]

I do commercial/industrial steel, aluminum, and automatic door installations, along with locksmithing, glass, plastic fabrication and store front work.  Milwaukee's 12 and 18V systems are awesome.  I keep 12V impact driver (great at not shearing off screws), hammerdrill, angle drill, recip saw, dremel type tool, and oscillating tools in my van along with the 18V metal and wood cutting circular saws, impact driver, angle impact driver, 3/8" impact nut driver, and grinder for the tough stuff.  I also have the 2000 and 3000 lumen floods.  I have enough Festools to fill 65 systainers but cannot see switching to Festool drills, although I'm going to find it very hard not to invest in the HKC when it's available as the outdoor answer to my 55 and 75 that I use in my shop.

'

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I have the TI impact not a fail for me. Milwaukii is not a fall either just not on my radar..

I invested in an extra 14.4V battery for it just recently which can also be used in my other cordless festools. With two batteries I am ready for a full day's work with that set up. I notice that it sits well in the hand, and doesn't seem as gratingly loud as some of the other impact drivers.

 

[Kev]

I have a Ti15 that I NEVER use as a drill, only as an impact for light to medium work. I have a 400Nm Metabo impact wrench for anything "serious".

I have a C15 that share batteries with the Ti15 .. but I recently got a C18 that makes battery sharing between PDC, TSC, HKC, Carvex, etc a "non thinking event" .. so if a decent Ti18 was introduced I'd probably pension off my 15 Festools in a blink. What I'd be hoping for is that Festool take a leaf out of Makita's book (their oil impulse impact driver) and introduce a quiet impact.

[member=5277]Alex[/member] is right that the Ti15 was a fail, if only for the fact that it failed to meet market expectations and doesn't compete with it's competition - but as [member=1619]SRSemenza[/member] said .. it does actually work.

If you're not going to get into Centrotec (but you do have a CXS???) the Ti15 doesn't seem ideal in your case.

 

[HaKLc]

I would choose Milwaukee over Festool this time. What about Makita? I've tried Makita BTD133RFE 14.4V 160Nm and it's a great tool to use and operate with.

 

[gowyn]

Thanks everyone. I decided to return both the Festool and the Milwaukee. The Festool because of no warranty and the Ti15 wasn't such a great product. The Milwaukee because even though it's a great product I felt the Bluetooth was a little gimmicky and overkill.

I have decided to buy a Metabo cordless hammer drill. Not reply too much more than the Milwaukee, built in Germany and has the Impuls start which I'm liking. The drill kit plus the Metabo impact wrench bare tool works out to about $50 than the Milwaukee set.