POLL: Would You Purchase a Centrotec-Driver if Available in USA?

[tbellemare]

Are Torx drive screws banned from Canada? I sincerely just don't understand the Canadian affinity for square drive. Is it an invented here thing?

Tom

 

[Kevin D.]

Are Torx drive screws banned from Canada? I sincerely just don't understand the Canadian affinity for square drive. Is it an invented here thing?

Tom

It was a Canadian invention, or at least the tapered head square version was which is far superior to the non-tapered version, as the tapered head allows the screw to be held by the bit without slipping out.  Very handy when trying to get that screw in position in an awkward location or one handing it.

As great as it is to be Canadian and be simply inclined to promote a fellow Canadians invention/product, the real matter is that THEY'RE EVERYWHERE here in Canada, and going with another type of screw is a PITA typically.

OK...I'm ready for my banning!  [unsure] [sad] [scared]

 

[Corwin]

...
OK...I'm ready for my banning!  [unsure] [sad] [scared]

Hey, get to the back of the line!  [big grin]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

The most ironic part is that GRK is a Canadian company.

You guys want to buy a nice bit holder like the centrotec driver thingy, get a Wera Kraftform Kompact.

 

[Corwin]

The most ironic part is that GRK is a Canadian company.

You guys want to buy a nice bit holder like the centrotec driver thingy, get a Wera Kraftform Kompact.

Yeah, I already have a Wera driver.  But, I also have the '07 Centrotec Set, and would like the Centrotec-Driver to use with all the bits in that set.  The Wera and Centrotec systems are not interchangeable, at least the tools I have aren't.  So, this is a different issue than just getting a Wera product instead.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

The most ironic part is that GRK is a Canadian company.

You guys want to buy a nice bit holder like the centrotec driver thingy, get a Wera Kraftform Kompact.

Yeah, I already have a Wera driver.  But, I also have the '07 Centrotec Set, and would like the Centrotec-Driver to use with all the bits in that set.  The Wera and Centrotec systems are not interchangeable, at least the tools I have aren't.  So, this is a different issue than just getting a Wera product instead.

I don't get the whole hang up with having centrotec shafted drivers.  The bit/tip holders are perfectly acceptable for anything I have ever done with my c-12.
How would someone lose the bit holder?  I dont ever take mine out of the little chucky thing.

 

[Corwin]

I don't get the whole hang up with having centrotec shafted drivers.  The bit/tip holders are perfectly acceptable for anything I have ever done with my c-12.
How would someone lose the bit holder?  I dont ever take mine out of the little chucky thing.

Yes, it is true that a bit holder is useful with the C12 drill/driver to hold standard (non-Centrotec) hex bits.  But, that has absolutely nothing to do with wanting a Centrotec-Driver.  The C12 is a battery operated drill/driver.  The Centrotec-Driver is a handheld driver that accepts the Centrotec chuck, and therefor accepts any Centrotec item without requiring any bit holder in between.  This handheld driver should prove useful for anyone that already owns any of the Centrotec items.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I say the next guy that mentions the Robertson Centrotec bits issue gets this [ban]
[poke] [big grin]

Brice, I expect that it will be me who gets banned then, because I am not planning to give up on the particular dead horse.   [dead horse]

...
whole hang up with having centrotec shafted drivers.  The bit/tip holders are perfectly acceptable for anything I have ever done with my c-12.
How would someone lose the bit holder?  I dont ever take mine out of the little chucky thing.

I lost my bit holder because I frequesnly took it out of the chuck in order to use centronec bits.  For me, the loss was inevitable  [embarassed] and I am amazed that was was able to keep track something as small as the bit holder for about 4 years.  I usually keep at least three of every small item around so that I am able to locate one of them when needed.

 

[Neill]

Has anyone noticed that when Tom Silva uses his C12 on TOH or ATOH, he always uses it with the Jacobsen Chuck and not the centrotec system?

We need to see if Bob Marino can get him in tune with the program.

Neill

 

[Jim Becker]

Honestly, this would provide little value to me since I'm a Robertson/Square drive fastener user. I wouldn't complain about having one, but wouldn't buy it outright.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

OMG!!

 

[Sparktrician]

If my Kreg tool(s) didn't use square drive screws, I'd likely not bother with them at all, using GRK or other Torx screws in preference.  Nothing in particular against square drive, but (with one exception) I use far more Torx screws in various sizes for both woodworking and mechanical applications.  The one exception was a handicapped access ramp I built for a friend's mother a bunch of years ago.  That was built using the Kreg tool and had only six nails in the entire assembly.  

That having been said, I'd love to find a Centrotec-based set of Torx, Phillips, and PosiDrive drivers to fit my C12 without using the intermediate adapter.  While the adapter works well in in-line applications, I often don't have room inside cabinets to use it.   

 

[tbellemare]

I'd love to find a Centrotec-based set of Torx, Phillips, and PosiDrive drivers to fit my C12 without using the intermediate adapter

Those driver bits are available individually. I just put mine in the "attic". I also put the twist drills in there but I put a sheet of small bubble wrap to keep them from banging around.

There's also a bunch of room underneath the tray that the drill (T +) sits in.

Tom

 

[AlexThePalex]

That having been said, I'd love to find a Centrotec-based set of Torx, Phillips, and PosiDrive drivers to fit my C12 without using the intermediate adapter.  While the adapter works well in in-line applications, I often don't have room inside cabinets to use it.    

If you have room for a centrotec bit then you most certainly have room for the bitholder + bit because the latter is actually shorter. Festool's centrotec bits are 100 mm and the bitholder with bit is only 75 mm.

[attachthumb=1]

The only bits that are shorter than the BH60 bitholder are the NAINA Protool CE bits that are 55 mm. That's only a 20 mm difference and although those 20 mm could be crucial in some spaces I doubt it makes a difference in 98% of the cases. And then you can simply take off the CE chuck and put the bit in the drill's drive shaft directly and you'll have the shortest possibility of all. So what's the problem?

 

[Sparktrician]

I'd love to find a Centrotec-based set of Torx, Phillips, and PosiDrive drivers to fit my C12 without using the intermediate adapter

Those driver bits are available individually. I just put mine in the "attic". I also put the twist drills in there but I put a sheet of small bubble wrap to keep them from banging around.

There's also a bunch of room underneath the tray that the drill (T +) sits in.

Tom

Well, DUH!, if I'd have looked further into the catalog, I'd have seen them.  Thanks for pointing this out, Tom.  I use a companion "Stuff-tainer" for the assorted drill bits and drivers that I use most frequently.  Snap-On distributes a closed-cell foam liner for tool boxes that I've cut down to fit the drawers in the "Stuff-tainer".  This is particularly nice in that it doesn't absorb water or other gunk. 

 

[fdengel]

We have tried with numerous suppliers of bits to get a square drive bit in Centrotec format. We have tried on our own, and we enlisted the help of
McFeely's. It was not possible to get a Centrotec square drive bit in Festool quality at an acceptable price. We are well aware of the issue and we would love
to offer Centrotec square drive bits.

From what I understand, the issue was that the companies that can make the square bits cannot make the centrotec shanks, and the companies that can make the centrotec shanks cannot make the square bits, correct?

I wonder if you couldn't do something similar to the way the spiral bits are made, where the bit's tip fits into a separate holder?

In this case, have the square-bit company make the square part of the bit and taper the back down somehow so that it can be fit into a holder with the shank on it, made by the centrotec-shank company?

Just a strange idea I thought I'd throw out there... might not be useful logistically...

 

[Tim Morris]

Shane any update on this handle/driver? Approximate date and whether or not it will be available on its own? THANKS

 

[RONWEN]

We've discussed this here before, but maybe if we had a poll...

This is the Centrotec-Driver.  Part Number 495228.  And for some unknown reason, it is not (yet) available here in the United States.  

So, would you purchase one of these babies if you could?  I would.

The problem is that UL approval thing again...  [big grin]  I want the "Full Monty".

 

[mntbighker]

I have been getting really irritated lately not only that Festool won't adopt Robertson in some fashion. But actually now I can't blame them because there are so many of these double ended Robertson bits that are non-standard and don't even work in my Robertson bit holder :-(  Centrotec is so damn close to Robertson that bugs me too. What is so hard about standardizing within a given industry?

 

[semenza]

I have been getting really irritated lately not only that Festool won't adopt Robertson in some fashion. But actually now I can't blame them because there are so many of these double ended Robertson bits that are non-standard and don't even work in my Robertson bit holder :-(  Centrotec is so damn close to Robertson that bugs me too. What is so hard about standardizing within a given industry?

Huh?  ???

Seth