T15-3, is it really worth it?

[AlexThePalex]

I've got the opportunity right now to buy me one for just 330 euro ........ instead of the normal 510. I'm in heavy contemplation whether I should go for it or not. My 10 year old 12v DeWalt drill's batteries are toast and I'm heavily irritated every day when I have to use it and get just 10 minutes of work out of each charge. On the other hand, I can't really afford it. I mean, I can if I really want to, but then some other necessary upgrades/replacements will have to wait ........  which means bye bye to the 24'' monitor and the 2TB harddisk for half a year ......... sigh, I wish Festool wasn't so damn expensive. Even if you can get them at a rare bargain price they cost a rib out of your body.

I am also eyeballing a nice Makita 10.8v combi set of the drill and the impact driver. At 180 euro this comes at quite a bit more economical price.

 

[peter halle]

Alex,

You already know the answer deep inside.  You really wanted it and destiny has provided you a deal.  Don't worry, buy the Festool now, wait on the electronics.  You'll save even more money - the electronics will become cheaper.

Peter

 

[honeydoman]

I agree buy the drill it is a great powerful drill and you will be very happy!  done deal.  get going and get it...

 

[Brice Burrell]

Alex, is the drill used? I bet you could buy the T15 and if you aren't happy you could easily sell it for what you paid.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Alex, is the drill used? I bet you could buy the T15 and if you aren't happy you could easily sell it for what you paid.

It's brand new. But you're right, if I don't like it I can sell it again.

 

[Bro]

Alex, you can get all of this...

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LXT702-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B001DNNT9W/ref=br_fq_5?pf_rd_p=484657931&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=228375&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15JJTQXP4NA5JNJSSZ5N

for the same price.  Well that's here in the states but you get my point.  I have the Makita 10.8 combo very nice tool.  The Festool drill may be the best drill but it's not worth that much cash.  Drills don't have very many functions...they drill holes and run in screws.  It costs more than the TS 55 for goodness sake. ???

 

[wintu]

i think that only two use full things from that set are drill and imapact drill. the rest is pretty much use  less because the battery won't last much for any saw for real cutting.(i know i have one set)  Alex im in the same boat like you i dont like the price of festool drill but if you going to buy festool you have regular drill plus right angle drill (which is another $200 from makita) so you end up with about same money like makita or any other brands if you buying regular and right angle drill. and other good thing is you get 3 years warranty and made in germany tool from festool.
Paul

 

[Eli]

I really enjoy using the T15. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

 

[score0matic]

Eli
Welcome back [big grin]

 

[AlexThePalex]

I have the Makita 10.8 combo very nice tool.  The Festool drill may be the best drill but it's not worth that much cash.  Drills don't have very many functions...they drill holes and run in screws.   It costs more than the TS 55 for goodness sake. ???

Well, if you look at it that way, there aren't many tools with many functions, they mostly do one specific thing. A saw saws and a router routs. But when it comes down to it, for me, the drill is one of the tools with most functions and it's also my most used tool of all.

But how does the Makita combo hold up? Do you get a lot of use out of one battery charge, or do you constantly have to swap batteries, since they're so small. And how big are the holes and screws you can make/drive?

Alex im in the same boat like you i dont like the price of festool drill but if you going to buy festool you have regular drill plus right angle drill (which is another $200 from makita) so you end up with about same money like makita or any other brands if you buying regular and right angle drill. and other good thing is you get 3 years warranty and made in germany tool from festool.

This one doesn't come with the extra right angle and off center chuck. And no 3 years warranty since it's not from an official dealer. It's from a guy who buys up large lots of used tools from companies and then sells them again. Once in a while he gets an unused tool between the used ones, like in this case. But both the warranty and the extra chucks aren't my biggest concern. I'm thoroughly convinced of the robustness of Festools. And I can get the extra chucks later on. I don't expect to use the chucks very often.

I really enjoy using the T15. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Unfortunately, spending money is never a no-brainer for me. Since I don't have a regular job, I'm dependent on small jobs I get from people from time to time. And the upcoming winter season is not as abundant in jobs as summer is. 330 euro could see me through 2 or 3 months of modest living.

 

[jvsteenb]

Alex,

You're gonna love the drill.... but from the price you stated, it seems like it's the bare drill, and not the set with the excentric chuck and angle chuck?
If there's a possibility to get the complete set with the same kind of discount I'd definately go for that - it makes the drill stand out even farther.
Both add-ons are about 100 Euro's a piece if bought seperately, so getting the set makes a lot of sense. ( If only they'd have added the drywall chuck in the deal.... [sad] )

But either way you'll be pleased with it, and the price is certainly right.

Regards,

Job

Edit:

Oops, you beat me to it. Still: it's a great drill.

 

[honeydoman]

the makita is a small drill, I have 2 of them and they have there uses.  yes the batteries will not last as long as the festool, in fact probably about 1/4.  the festool drill has power, centroloc for easy on and off bits, has the drill chuck for drilling, the right angle and the offset for when those times are needed.  it is a system.  it is lightweight.

the makitas are good for average use of putting in screws, using a predrilling bit for countersinking etc.  once you have the festool you will go to it all the time.  yes it is pricey but all well made things are.  my entertainment centers are pricey, but they well made and cannot be compared to particle board, mdf, non custom units.

so invest in the best and the tool will do the rest!,  faster, easier and smarter!

 

[Nigel]

Hi Alex,I have Makita Lxt 18v drill and impact combo (350 euro)which replaced my Makita 12v Nimh drill and impact.The 18 is the same weight, more powerfull and lasts longer than the 12 but not by an enormous amount.I recently had the chance to use a Festool C12.That drill is so good (controllable and progressive)it made me re-think.If all Festools are equal or at least as good I would get the the T15 , use Torx head screws and forget the impact.Impacts excell for phillips and pozi but Torx are different.I reckon you have a good price on the drill ,so go for it.You can get the angle head accesssories later.
Now off subject ,I'd be very interested to know how you can go 2-3 months on 330 euros?That's very modest living!Please tell.

 

[mhoy]

Alex, get the drill and if you don't like it re-sell it.  You might even make some money...

Mark

 

[James Watriss]

Sounds like a question of priorities.

I have a good complement of the 10.8 Bosch drivers. Drill, impact, and the single speed driver. They're nice enough. They're not the most powerful tools, but they're nice.

I also have the 15+3. It's not quite as powerful as my 18V NiCd DeWalt, I don't think. But then again, it also has a lot of built in limiters. The DW will burn itself up getting the job done, if you want it to... the Festool will just last forever.

I guess it's a question of priorities. If you use a drill frequently, the Festool is a no-brainer. The chucks available make it a really versatile system of its own, and it's my primary drill for almost everything. (Which means it's time to thin the herd, I think. Bye-Bye Bosch, DW, and one of my C12s...) I actually use the eccentric, and the right angle, and the screw gun chuck. So it's worth it for me.

If you're a serious computer guy, then I guess 2TB is more worth your while, for whatever. I haven't quite filled the hard drive on my laptop, so 2TB sounds a bit excessive to me, since I'm primarily an internet and music guy, and not a harvester of games and movies and viruses and things. I could see the use of a 24" flat screen, for watching movies on the computer, since I got rid of my TV over a year ago. But then again, I'm now lusting for the 26" iMac for that reason. Not gonna buy it, but it is tasty.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I guess it's a question of priorities. If you use a drill frequently, the Festool is a no-brainer.

It's good you mention the word priorities. When I start to think about what my biggest priority is, I'd say the drill. My DW has served me well for over 10 years but the batteries are completely wasted now. I can get 2 new ones but they'll cost me 60 euro a piece. Then I'll be stuck with it for another couple of years and considering the drill is getting older it could break too at one time. And I find it too bulky now that I use systainers as tool boxes. It takes up more space then I like. The T15 is smaller and almost half a kilo lighter.

The computer stuff is nice, but it's more of a luxury because I already have stuff that's working fine. I already got 2TB of hd space, but it's filling up quickly.  ;D  I do consider myself a power user. I also got me a new used 19'' TFT monitor a short while ago. I have two monitors hooked up to my pc and wanted to change the two CRT's for two TFT's. Thought of using this 19'' as secondary monitor and a big 24'' as primary. But the 19'' TFT is already a nice step up from the old 17'' CRT I was using as primary. Guess I can hold out a bit longer with this one. 

If you're a serious computer guy, then I guess 2TB is more worth your while, for whatever. I haven't quite filled the hard drive on my laptop, so 2TB sounds a bit excessive to me, since I'm primarily an internet and music guy, and not a harvester of games and movies and viruses and things.

I got 3 computers in the house. I do a lot of stuff with them. Programming, imaging, video editing, gaming. Also got one hooked up to the TV downstairs so it's an entertainment center. A lot of harddisk space is always nice. I recall how Macintosh introduced the 20 MB hd 20 years ago and experts would say you'd never fill it up. Now, that 20 MB holds a whopping 4 mp3 songs  [laughing]

So looking at my priorities, I decided to go for the drill. Had a nice long look at it at my local dealer today. Checked out the chucks. It also struck me that the centrotec system is REALLY comfortable in use. It is very nice you can just take the bits out without having to turn the jaws of a standard chuck open. I really hated that with my old drill, because when assembling something I often had to change between a drill bit and a screw bit and a countersink. That sometimes means 3 changes for on screw. With centrotec, that's just a simple and fast click. I'm gonna enjoy that.

Made an appointment for tomorrow evening with the guy who sells it.

If there's a possibility to get the complete set with the same kind of discount I'd definately go for that - it makes the drill stand out even farther.
Both add-ons are about 100 Euro's a piece if bought seperately, so getting the set makes a lot of sense.

I'll get them separately later. They are very easy to come by. The (Dutch) internet is full with offers of those chucks for about 50 euro a piece. I guess a lot of people who buy a drill realise after a while they hardly use the chucks and try to get some money back by selling them. I don't see myself using them that often to be honest. I'd probably use them with less than 1% of all screw/holes I'd have to drive.

 

[peter halle]

Alex,

The crystal ball shows that you will come home with a new drill.  Try as you might you will not be able to avoid the lure.

Peter

 

[Dan Clark]

...
I'll get them separately later. They are very easy to come by. The (Dutch) internet is full with offers of those chucks for about 50 euro a piece. I guess a lot of people who buy a drill realise after a while they hardly use the chucks and try to get some money back by selling them. I don't see myself using them that often to be honest. I'd probably use them with less than 1% of all screw/holes I'd have to drive.

Alex,

I bought the chuck kit when I got my C12.  And I said the same thing about the extra chucks.  And I used both of them within the first week.  Those chucks are like a Fein Multimaster - you don't need them often, but when you need them, you REALLY need them!  And the cost of the chucks (and the Multimaster) becomes a distant memory.

Regards,

Dan. 

 

[AlexThePalex]

you don't need them often, but when you need them, you REALLY need them! 

That is true. Sometimes you simply can't do without. That's why I bought this baby some time ago.

[attachthumb=#]

In the 1,5 year I have it now I used on just 2 occasions driving less than 20 screws with it. Couldn't have done the job without it. Not as nice as the Festool chuck of course, but coming at 8 euros vs 100 euros, I can live with that.

 

[peter halle]

Alex,

Haven't you found that one of the joys of working with wood is that you will buy something because you are so sure that you'll use it and then put it away only to be discovered years later?  Kind of like getting it twice? [big grin]

I have a 10 x 12 building full of them.

Peter