Uk tools in US?

Landmade

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Nov 3, 2014
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I know I have seen the topic show up somewhere but Im not seeing it now that Im looking for it.  I have been looking for a tool that didnt exist until I happened upon it on the FOG, but sadly it appears to be limited to the UK market.    The Percussion Drill PD 20/4 I think is what its titled as.  The answer to my needs in a shop fastening system.  A corded impact drill that can switch from screw gun to drill with a flip of the switch.  It might be nice being a little smaller as I dont need to be drilling into cement with it but why wont festool sell a corded drill here?  Am I missing something and it is available here in the states or are am I SOL until Festool wants to distribute it in a 110 voltage? 
 
Landmade said:
I know I have seen the topic show up somewhere but Im not seeing it now that Im looking for it.  I have been looking for a tool that didnt exist until I happened upon it on the FOG, but sadly it appears to be limited to the UK market.    The Percussion Drill PD 20/4 I think is what its titled as.  The answer to my needs in a shop fastening system.  A corded impact drill that can switch from screw gun to drill with a flip of the switch.  It might be nice being a little smaller as I dont need to be drilling into cement with it but why wont festool sell a corded drill here?  Am I missing something and it is available here in the states or are am I SOL until Festool wants to distribute it in a 110 voltage?

Is your shop 110v only, or do you have both phases enabling 220v...?
 
Landmade said:
I know I have seen the topic show up somewhere but Im not seeing it now that Im looking for it.  I have been looking for a tool that didnt exist until I happened upon it on the FOG, but sadly it appears to be limited to the UK market.    The Percussion Drill PD 20/4 I think is what its titled as.  The answer to my needs in a shop fastening system.  A corded impact drill that can switch from screw gun to drill with a flip of the switch.  It might be nice being a little smaller as I dont need to be drilling into cement with it but why wont festool sell a corded drill here?  Am I missing something and it is available here in the states or are am I SOL until Festool wants to distribute it in a 110 voltage?

They do one which doesn't have percussion/hammer function which makes it a little smaller in length.

Jmb
 
Milwaukee makes and I use a M12 that hammers, drills and has torque adjustment for driving screws 2407-20.
 
I have 220 in my shop and have thought about buying the UK version but it would be that much more valuable to me if I could use it out on randome jobsites as well.  For example I will be building some custom built ins at a customers house and will be utilizing a pocket hole jig for the carcass assembly.  I have used my cordless tools for this task in the past but having a corded drill would be much easier and faster  My last corded drill burned out a few months back and I have been looking at buying a new one.  All the options Ive come accross are too long and limted for the money they are asking for them.   
 
rst said:
Milwaukee makes and I use a M12 that hammers, drills and has torque adjustment for driving screws 2407-20.

No, Im not looking for a hammer drill, I want a basic 1/2" chuck corded drill that has an impact setting for installing screws in hard material.  I do a lot of work for Broadway building scenery and which will quite often include mounting plywood to steel or aluminum tubing.  The thinner walled steel can be fastened with self tapping screws and an impact screw gun with little effort but it kills batteries quickly.  A drywall screwgun goes too quick, causing the screws to heat up at the tip and fail before breaking the surface of the steel, and will often be more frustrating to use than its worth.    In my experience, the torque setting on a standard drill strips out over time rendering the drill useless.  I currently have a Bosch 18 volt set, 1/2" cordless drill and impact screw gun and it has served me very well but I kill the batteries when using the drill for the pocket screw drilling and installing screws in steel.  I even went and purchased a pneumatic impact screw gun hoping it would fill my needs but it lacks power and cycles my 30 gallon air compressor often. 
 
You will have to decide if this would work for you, but i use a corded bosch 1 1/8" sds plus drill and use the bosch 1/2" keyless chuck with sds plus shank. You set it to drill only, and it is quite powerful, though not high speed. Added benefit is it has a clutch function like cordless drills, so it doesn't spin your arm off if it catches or binds. I use it for big hole saws, and for diamond bits in porcelain tile. Has worked out well.
 
If you're not desperate to spend money, I would just keep using the impact and buy more batteries.
 
You do know the festool you are talking about isn't an impact drill?

Its a light duty hammer drill....percussion.   

Festool don't do a corded impact drill.
 
jmbfestool said:
You do know the festool you are talking about isn't an impact drill?

Its a light duty hammer drill....percussion.   

Festool don't do a corded impact drill.

Perhaps I don't understand what festool means on their product description as quoted below. 

"Festool Percussion drill QUADRILL PD 20/4 E FFP-Plus
One for all - also with percussion function.

Five machines in one thanks to the FastFix interface: drill, impact screwdriver, angle drill, angle screwdriver and screwdriver"

From what I read, "impact screwdriver" kinda reads like they are selling it as a corded impact screwdriver.  I'll default to those of you more familiar with this tool, I'm just imagining the tool I've been looking for based on their description.
 
Yeah ......I don't think festool know what the differences are between impact and hammer drills to be honest.

The only drill festool do which is an impact and driver is a cordless Ti15 which they have discontinued now I think.

 
Landmade said:
I have 220 in my shop and have thought about buying the UK version but it would be that much more valuable to me if I could use it out on randome jobsites as well.  For example I will be building some custom built ins at a customers house and will be utilizing a pocket hole jig for the carcass assembly.  I have used my cordless tools for this task in the past but having a corded drill would be much easier and faster  My last corded drill burned out a few months back and I have been looking at buying a new one.  All the options Ive come accross are too long and limted for the money they are asking for them. 

I suspect that one that burnt is a prime example of why 220v is worthwhile.

Here is what you do...
Get a big length of extension cord... (Like 100'+).
If it is just cord great, otherwise cut off both ends.
Install a 220v US dry plug on one end.
Get a 220/240 UK female socket for the other end.

This assume that almost every job site has a drier or an oven that uses 220v.
Otherwise you would need a step up transformer and that only makes sense if all your tools were 220/240. Or if you used a generator and had and type of generator except for a US one (and maybe Japan and Canada are 110v as well.)
 
I may have to do just that.  Of course I've also been looking around for a electrical engineer to make a constant power source that plugs into cordless power tools allowing them to be used by plugging them in.  I've been using cordless tools for the past 30 years and have found I really hate dead batteries.  One dewalt set I had years ago came with three batteries and I purchased extra batteries just to avoid the issue.  Sadly no matter how often I swapped batteries, rotated them, charged them or prepped for jobsites, I was always left with one charged one and the rest dead and would be trying to use two of the tools at a time when I needed them the most.  Why don't tool manufacturers make corded tools as small and versatile as the cordless ones? 
 
Maybe get a fast charger?

I have four batteries on each of my cordless platforms, charger takes 30 minutes. I find it REALLY difficult to burn through three batteries by the time one is coming hot off the charger. Especially for an impact, which I can drive hundreds of screws before needing a charge. Maybe you work really fast though.

Get a second charger if you think you'll need it.
 
My Bosch charger can turn a battery around in about 20-30 minutes.  Sometimes a little longer if I just drained them and fire them right onto the charger.  Smart technology prevents charging a hot pack. With certain jobs I have to really hustle and tend to use most of the battery power on the drill if I am piloting holes or drilling for the pocket jig.  I can burn through a fully charged battery in just ten minutes when doing production work.  In the past I would use a dewalt 1/2" drill for the task which would get the job done nicely but is way too long.  The handle of the drill would be at face level just starting the bit in the jig set at workbench height.  I'm sure to some people it would sound like I'm being too picky but in this crowd, I'm sure it's right at home.  I'm willing to spend the money on the tool I want, if that option doesn't exist then fine, I'll figure out another solution.  I can't be the only carpenter looking for such a tool. 
 
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