T15+3 in use for a month

[Wim]

I have the T15+3 in use for about a month. Today I sensed a little less power and a few times the drill gave out a few faint beeps. So faint that it looked like the drill was ashamed to tell me to charge the battery.
Over 20 year ago I bought a Makita cordless drill. No problems, it did its job like it should. I used it a lot, no easy ride. 5 years the batteries died and I bought a new battery. About 10 year ago I bought a Bosch. Also a good drill, but the batteries did not last as long as the Makita ones.
But the T15 is a class in itself. It handles better, much more power, much better to regulate the speed and power when drilling and screwing. The power of the battery last very long, I drilled with 20F and I could not sense any reduction in power. Now and then I went inside to warm up and leave the drill out on the porch. Poor thing.
With the Makita and Bosch I thought I had sufficient cordless drilling power, but the T15 showed me otherwise. If I had tried the drill before at a Festool shop, I may have been tempted to buy it earlier. I have to get used to the way the chucks are to be changed. But that is a user problem.

 

[Brice Burrell]

.....But the T15 is a class in itself. It handles better, much more power, much better to regulate the speed and power when drilling and screwing. The power of the battery last very long, I drilled with 20F and I could not sense any reduction in power. Now and then I went inside to warm up and leave the drill out on the porch. Poor thing.....

Wim, I assume your referring to the temperature with your 20F comment. I've found the Festool lithium batteries to lose their zip in the cold. This is common with most batteries, in particular lithium. Allowing them to warm up brings them back to life without recharging.

 

[Jerry Work]

For those interested in this topic I recently posted a new tutorial on my web site discussing the T +3 and C-12 drills from the inside out.  It covers motor and battery technology and I think you might find an interesting read.  Having used most all of the Festool cordless drills since they were first introduced into the US market, I could make direct comparisons between the old  brush style drills and new series brushless drills as well as between NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion batteries for this application. 

The moderators are free to post this tutorial on this forum if they wish.  Otherwise, just go to the tutorials section on my web site where the .pdf file is posted.

Jerry

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Jerry, good read.

The battery's for the c-12 were not all Nimh. 

The 1.3 and 2.4ah were nicad's.

 

[Wim]

@ Brice, I was too lazy to look up the code for the "degree" symbol. It was 20 degrees Fahrenheit or -7 degrees Celsius. With the stone cold drill I sensed no decrease in biting power.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks Jerry for a very good article on battery science.  I have a physics degree, yet I learned things that I either did not know or (perhaps) had forgotten.

And your experience with the T15+3 might just convincer me to purchase a Festool drill again.  I have been quite disappointed in my TDK 12 and am afraid of being "stung" again.

 

[Brice Burrell]

@ Brice, I was too lazy to look up the code for the "degree" symbol. It was 20 degrees Fahrenheit or -7 degrees Celsius. With the stone cold drill I sensed no decrease in biting power.

How long was your drill exposed to the cold? I found an hour and a half of below freezing temps was enough to render the batteries useless.

 

[Wim]

@ Brice, I have been busy for about a hour. I drilled maybe a 20 holes, countersunk them and screwed 6 mm x 70 mm. Kiddy stuff. But between the first and the last screw at a hour difference, I could not find less bite.
But if you can charge batteries faster than you can discharge them in the cold in a professional setting, I don't see much of a problem.
For a test, I put a freshly charged battery in the freezer for 30 minutes. I could not hold the chuck with my hand in first or second gear. I don't know if this some indication.

PS. I'm not allowed to repeat the test, a freezer is made for food (says the lady of the house).  [embarassed]

 

[Brice Burrell]

@ Brice, I have been busy for about a hour. I drilled maybe a 20 holes, countersunk them and screwed 6 mm x 70 mm. Kiddy stuff. But between the first and the last screw at a hour difference, I could not find less bite.
But if you can charge batteries faster than you can discharge them in the cold in a professional setting, I don't see much of a problem.
For a test, I put a freshly charged battery in the freezer for 30 minutes. I could not hold the chuck with my hand in first or second gear. I don't know if this some indication.

PS. I'm not allowed to repeat the test, a freezer is made for food (says the lady of the house).  [embarassed]

I noticed the drill seemed to work fine for the first second or two, then nothing. I'll try the freezer and report back.

Edit: After a half an hour in the freezer the battery was able to drive 3" screws with no problems. I've got one still chilling, I'll pull it out after an hour and report back.   

 

[woodguy7]

My 2 Panasonic bat drills that are 12 years old have just about had it.  I have the c12 but have been sitting on the fence for a while now about the t15, not to decide if its a good drill but more to do with cost.  I have pretty much decided to just go ahead & get it as practically everything i have read on the fog is positive about the drill.  I'm am interested to see what the outcome of the freezer test is, i have come to the conclusion that there is just about nothing you guys wont do to test a product  [smile]

Keep up the good work,

Woodguy.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

My 2.4ah nicad's for my c-12 will run all day long when it is 15 degrees out.
They will stay charged no matter how long they are left in below freezing temps.

All hail, Nicad's.  I have owned the makita lithium ion drill set (full size blue one) and I hated that drill. I think what I really hated were the battery's.
I still am not convinced about Li-ion.

 

[Brice Burrell]

My 2 Panasonic bat drills that are 12 years old have just about had it.  I have the c12 but have been sitting on the fence for a while now about the t15, not to decide if its a good drill but more to do with cost.  I have pretty much decided to just go ahead & get it as practically everything i have read on the fog is positive about the drill.  I'm am interested to see what the outcome of the freezer test is, i have come to the conclusion that there is just about nothing you guys wont do to test a product  [smile]

Keep up the good work,

Woodguy.

With a little over an hour of freezer time I could only drive a 3" screw about half way. Keep in mind most freezers at around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I checked mine, it came in right at 0 F.

 

[Wim]

Brice, I think we better start knitting warm covers for the drills for outside jobs in the winter.  [big grin]

 

[jvsteenb]

Won't the NiCad packs for a C12 fit the T15+3 ?
They all fit the same loader so perhaps it will fit ? Could be keyed for the voltage but we won't know till somebody tries.....
There's a NiMH pack available, I don't have experience with NiMH in the cold though.

Regards,

Job

 

[tbellemare]

Job:

You're right about the batteries...

The old batteries work with the new drills, the new batteries don't work with the old drills.

I seem to remember having to put camera batteries inside my coat during backpacking trips to warm them up when it was really cold on top of a mountain. Maybe someone will come out with a battery holster so you can wear your batteries to keep them warm.

Tom

 

[honeydoman]

well my 30 days will start today! since I just bought this drill also as I posted.  so looking forward to it.

 

[woodguy7]

Jeez Kreg, how many drills is that you have now ?  [unsure]

Woodguy

 

[honeydoman]

woodguy.... a heck of a lot.  since I started this business in 98  i have probably bought at least50-60 drills.... from  9.6 volts to the 18 volts dewalt, bosch, milwaukee makita and porter cable.. have them all most are sitting in bins with dead batteriers that will not charge much....

I basically use festool drills  and makita impact.

wow what a lot of money i have spent... it starts with one drill then two then three then porter cable comes out with a new one... then milwaukee has a new set  then bosch 14.4 then 18 then on and on... then 9.4 come out 4 of those from bosch... 2 milwaukeed, 3 makita  then this come out.

I guess I am a tool junkie and will go to meetings to cure my problems....

 

[woodguy7]

[eek]  A man after my own heart

 

[honeydoman]

i used my drill yesterday to drill out the holes for hindges by using the blum hindge jig.  it worked great no slow down.  my makita had a little problem and did slow up a bit.  but festool  performed this task very well.

next test is hanging a door and using the kwikset door knob boring jig.  through a solid pine door  not the cheepasss mdf doors those are a piece of cake for any drill !

soon I will be able to report on this deal.