What don't you like about Festool

[Les]

OK, I'll ask the obvious question that keeps getting brought up in the thread "What don't you like about Festool". Will the Robertson square drives and fractional bits be available for the centrotec chuck? ??? If yes, do you have a realistic time frame? : I saw Jim's post where he is working on the Robertson.

Les (near Indy)

 

[Christian93117]

Les,

Thanks for the question.

As simple as it might sound to manufacture a square drive bit for the Centrotec, it has not been a simple project so far. We got samples from two manufacturers that were not good enough. The bits that were good enough, were way too expensive (see Jim Ray's post). So we keep looking. I don't have a realistic time frame at this point.

Sorry I don't have better news.

Regards,

Christian

 

[mysterium]

Christian O.

I really like to see SAE, or fractional bits for the Centrotec chuck.....  Any chance for that to happen?

jim

 

[Jim Becker]

Keep trying on the Robertson/Square Drive bits, Christian...there are too many times when using the bit holder with my "regular" McFeely's drivers makes for a too-long tool. Thanks in advance!

 

[Christian93117]

Jim D.,

No plans yet to add products to the Centrotec system. What is it exactly you need? Fractional drill bits?

Christian

 

[mysterium]

Christian,

Yes I'd love to see fractional bits for my Centrotec chuck.

Note: much of my work is on boats, thus in tight places, or sometime 60' up in the air on a mast.

The Centrotec Bit holder BHS 65 will not hold the "off the shelf" hex shank fractional bits securely.  The bit ends up stuck in the piece you are drilling.  And the compactness of the Centrotec chuck is no longer "compact" when you add the length of the BHS 65 + the drill bit.  It is more compact to use the standard keyless chuck although the bulk of the keyless chuck is a problem in some situations.  And you have the same situation when the right angle attachment is added in between...

Thanks for listening, jim

 

[T. Michael]

Jim,  I have the full set of Centro Tec drills in a Systainer, al metric, of course.  The Festool solution for holding twist drills is even longer than those hex drills you are trying to use.  The holders are sized to each bit (3mm to 6.5mm) with spare drills that have a flat ground on the shank that receives the setscrew in the holder. 
Their brad point drills are made from solid billits (sp?) of metal, and therefore shorter.  but expensive to make I'm sure. 

So, twist drills wouldn't be too difficult to make in fractional inch sizes, but they would be long.

Mike Ward
Near SF

 

[Jim Becker]

Well...as this thread illustrates...it's a little hard to believe that having the detent milled in the right place and the corners eased to seat properly in the Centrotec is out of the question for both quality and cost. If one guy in his home shop can do it...well...
http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1733.0

There really has to be a way to get the job done and have a large population of dedicated Robertson/Square drive users accommodated natively. Christian?

 

[Christian93117]

Jim,

Thank you for your comment and question.

We have been talking to different manufacturers and have tested numerous samples. The reason for us not to offer a square drive bit for the Centrotec chuck is this: The manufacturer who is able to produce the Centrotec interface is not able to manufacture a decent square drive tip. The manufacturer who knows how to manufacture a good square drive tip can't manufacture the Centrotec interface at an acceptable quality level. And the manufacturer who can do both ends of the bit in good quality charges so much that we had to charge $18 for a single bit.

As simple as the Centrotec interface looks, it took me 10 minutes and 2 sheets of Brilliant P120 to make the samples we got so far fit
into the chuck.

Believe me, we would love to sell square drive bits to you, and we are still trying to find somebody that can manufacture them in Festool quality at an acceptable price. We will not offer a bit with mediocre quality though and that is why it is taking so long.

Hope this answers your question.

Best regards,

Christian Oltzscher
Festool USA

 

[CharlesWilson]

If you can adjust a hex drive bit to fit in the Centrotec chuck, then you should be able to modify that little (locking) square drive chuck made by DeWalt to do that, which will then just add about an inch to the end of the chuck, and lock in those pesky hex style bits.

I am going to give it a try, and report back.

Charles

 

[CharlesWilson]

That little DeWalt chuck for the standard 1/4" bits has a 3/8" hex shank, not a 1/4" one. That just proves that I don't have a photographic memory.

It didn't take more than a couple of minutes with a file at the drill press to adjust a standard bit for use in the Centrotec chuck. Now they can work in both chucks.

Charles

 

[CharlesWilson]

Of course, the 3/8 hex shaft has to go into the 'Jacobs' chuck first.

 

[Dan Clark]

What don't I like about Festool?  That's easy...

I want a Kapex and MFK 700 now!  Oh...  And a LiIon battery upgrade for my C12 would be great!

Dan.

 

[Dave Rudy]

Dan,

Why don't you just move to Australia and stop being so greedy

  :

 

[Dan Clark]

Australia?!?   Hmmm...  We're going into winter here and into summer there.  Interesting idea!   

Nah!  With my luck, I'd step into a pile of 'Roo poo as soon as I walked off the plane!  ;D

Dan. 

 

[Eli]

Yeah, just don't do what I did and move from spring back into winter. Longest winter of my life, east coast included. It is supposed to be 27C tomorrow. (that's 80F)

 

[Dave Rudy]

My daughter moved to NZ from Vail in the sprint last year -- she was really happy with the timing.  In search of perpetual winter.  She's a snowboarding instructor.  She met a special guy there who's Australian, and he's coming back to spend the winter here this year -- hoping he can teach me how to read all my favorite posts. 

 

[ScooterX]

getting back on topic...

I'm not very happy with the adapter between the Centrotec chuck and my American-type quick release drill bits, drivers, etc. it is wobbly.

also, the short set-screws that hold two cutting rails together (for 8' cuts) keep falling out, dropping to the floor and getting lost.. the tolerance is too loose.

those are my biggest complaints.

 

[greg mann]

getting back on topic...

I'm not very happy with the adapter between the Centrotec chuck and my American-type quick release drill bits, drivers, etc. it is wobbly.

also, the short set-screws that hold two cutting rails together (for 8' cuts) keep falling out, dropping to the floor and getting lost.. the tolerance is too loose.

those are my biggest complaints.

Wrap some teflon tape around 'em.

 

[ROb McGilp]

Australia?!?   Hmmm...  We're going into winter here and into summer there.  Interesting idea!   

Nah!  With my luck, I'd step into a pile of 'Roo poo as soon as I walked off the plane!  ;D

Dan. 

Dan,
I'm here to tell you that all 'roos we have working in Customs are well and truly housebroken (with the exception maybe of Brisbane :) Also, they are quite knowledgable about where the nearest Festool agent is.

Regards,

Rob