Which drill for boring framing for electrical & plumbing runs?

[JonathanJung]

I’m always struggled for a better way to bore through framing, particularly when studs are closer together. I'm renovating a house and will be running wire and plumbing, so I’ll need to drill a lot of holes through studs, joists, etc. I’ve got WoodOwl Nail Chipper bits on the way. They have a 7/16” hex shank.

The Milwaukee M18 Hole Hawg looks good, at $218 reconditioned. But then I was thinking with a Festool drill with a right angle and a handle, I could eliminate a couple of my drills, and get something strong enough to handle stud boring. A few questions:

Will the Festool right angle adapters handle auger bits and hole saws?

Which Festool drills accept handles?

Will the Festool chuck on a right angle handle a 7/16” bit? I can’t find the capacity of the chuck.

With the Festool chuck attached to the right angle attached to the drill, what’s the overall length?

Here’s the drills I already have:
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge impact driver
Milwaukee M12 Fuel hammer drill
Milwaukee M18 Fuel drywall screw gun
Milwaukee M18 Fuel hammer drill
Milwaukee M12 Installation Drill
Milwaukee M12 2407 drill
Bosch GSR12V-140FCB22 5-in-1
Bosch GSR12V-300B22 drill

Any suggestions welcome. Am I barking up the wrong tree, thinking a Festool drill can handle the task, or should I just get a heavy duty right angle drill that’s designed for large bores in framing?

 

[Duckler]

My 18volt Festool drill with QuadDrive will drill a 1” auger bit into a tree stump. Works best in lowest gear setting!
I figure the right angle attachment would do the job. Just use the lowest gear for highest torque.
1/2” shank capacity

 

[peter halle]

First, I haven't used those Wood Owl bits. I have the Wood Owl Overdrive bits and they are great - and easy to drive with. You might want to reach out to Wood Owl and ask them about how stout a drill you wood need for your situation. for your convenience below is their contact info from their website. Now of the Festool drills the only one that I know has a side handle is the TPC 18+4.

[td]

WoodOwl products are sold through authorized distributors and can be found at professional trade outlets, including plumbing, electrical, and contractor & supply houses, as well as hardware stores throughout North America. If you are a distributor and would like information from a WoodOwl sales representative, or if you are an end-user and would like to find the nearest outlet to purchase WoodOwl products, please contact us at the address, phone, or email below. Address: Star-M International, Limited 1130 N. Main Street Lombard, IL 60148 Phone: (630) 376-6486 Toll Free (877)552-WOOD(9663) Fax: (630) 519-3203 Toll Free (877)552-WISE(9473) Email: info@WoodOwl.com

[/td]

 

[P_K]

You'd have to push the TPC 18/4 pretty hard to bog it down. It's also got an electronic anti-kickback feature that prevents your arms from getting wrenched with larger sized hole saws that can bind. Great drill, just not inexpensive.

 

[JonathanJung]

Thanks everyone. Hoping someone has experience running the Festool with right angle adapter and 1”+ bits. Also would someone be able to measure the clearance length of the right angle and chuck together?

 

[P_K]

Just under 5 inches.

 

[Cheese]

Any suggestions welcome. Am I barking up the wrong tree, thinking a Festool drill can handle the task, or should I just get a heavy duty right angle drill that’s designed for large bores in framing?

I'd say get the right tool for the job.
How many holes are you boring...10 or 100?
I'm presently boring electrical & plumbing holes through garage studs using the CXS 12 and a Milwaukee 1-1/16" ship auger bit. The CXS 12 works terrific when the auger bit is used alone. However, when attaching the RA adapter to the CXS 12, the performance diminishes quickly and the auger bit continually stalls out. It'll cut for 1/4" and then stall, cut for a 1/4" and stall again. I thought it was just the CXS 12 but the same thing happens when using an older C 18.

If I had a house full of holes to drill, I'd go the Hole Hawg route. If it's just a few holes, the drills I mentioned will suffice.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Also consider a bit extension or a longer bit (~18” total) for when studs are spaced 16” oc. After the first hole is drilled you can use a drill directly, as long as the bit has shortened flutes so you can pull the drill bit back out of the bay. Or simply release the chuck and slide the bit into the next bay, and re-chuck.

 

[waho6o9]

Maybe rent a Makita corded right angle drill for about 100.00 a week from Homedepot?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/rental/Makita-Right-Angle-Drill-1-2-Rental-DA4000LR/316821878

It doesn't answer your question but it's a viable cost effective alternative.

All the Best

 

[Cheese]

Also consider a bit extension or a longer bit (~18” total) for when studs are spaced 16” oc. After the first hole is drilled you can use a drill directly, as long as the bit has shortened flutes so you can pull the drill bit back out of the bay. Or simply release the chuck and slide the bit into the next bay, and re-chuck.

This is a big deal and a great suggestion as I've used this frequently for the electrical wire installation in the garage. I'm presently using a 6" long ship auger bit and a 12" & 18" Milwaukee extension. Remember, with uneven stud spacing and 2,3 & sometimes 4 studs next to each other, it takes a few different tools in your bag to be successful.

For those who care World Series Game 7...LA 1 Jays 0
Update: LA 3...Jays 4...8th inning
12:04 Update: LA 4...Jays 4...10th inning
12:19 Update: LA Dodgers are the World Champions

 

[tjbnwi]

I’ve drilled tens of thousands of holes for EMT (I’m from Chicago, by code we cannot use NM) with and without the angle head. Using the first Festool drill I bought in 2009ish. It is a T-14, the drill is still going strong on the original batteries. It has been retire to a much gentler life now that I have T & C 18’s.

Tom

 

[onocoffee]

I've got the T18+3 and I've got all the attachments in the CXS12 kit and while I do think that the T18+3 would do a solid job boring out holes in 2x4 studs for wiring and plumbing, I'd probably use my DeWalt DCD1007 for that work as it is an utter BEAST of a drill and designed to just muscle through that kind of work.

 

[johnmpf]

I second the suggestion for buying extensions. I have the 6 and 12 inch extensions and I use them all the time running low voltage wire for audio and home theater. I have only used my Milwaukee M18 right angle drill a few times, with a stubby bit.
Most of the time I can make the hole using the extensions from the other side of the stud.

 

[JonathanJung]

Just under 5 inches.

View attachment 378943

Very helpful, thank you. Not sure what the Hole Hawg is though.

 

[JonathanJung]

I'd say get the right tool for the job.
How many holes are you boring...10 or 100?
I'm presently boring electrical & plumbing holes through garage studs using the CXS 12 and a Milwaukee 1-1/16" ship auger bit. The CXS 12 works terrific when the auger bit is used alone. However, when attaching the RA adapter to the CXS 12, the performance diminishes quickly and the auger bit continually stalls out. It'll cut for 1/4" and then stall, cut for a 1/4" and stall again. I thought it was just the CXS 12 but the same thing happens when using an older C 18.

If I had a house full of holes to drill, I'd go the Hole Hawg route. If it's just a few holes, the drills I mentioned will suffice.

On this project maybe 40-50. So thanks, I agree.

 

[JonathanJung]

Also consider a bit extension or a longer bit (~18” total) for when studs are spaced 16” oc. After the first hole is drilled you can use a drill directly, as long as the bit has shortened flutes so you can pull the drill bit back out of the bay. Or simply release the chuck and slide the bit into the next bay, and re-chuck.

Yessir, I’ve got a 20” and 10” extension for the Wood Owl bits, but I think they only go down to 7/8” or so hole size before they are too big of diameter to fit through.

 

[JonathanJung]

This is a big deal and a great suggestion as I've used this frequently for the electrical wire installation in the garage. I'm presently using a 6" long ship auger bit and a 12" & 18" Milwaukee extension. Remember, with uneven stud spacing and 2,3 & sometimes 4 studs next to each other, it takes a few different tools in your bag to be successful.

For those who care World Series Game 7...LA 1 Jays 0
Update: LA 3...Jays 4...8th inning
12:04 Update: LA 4...Jays 4...10th inning
12:19 Update: LA Dodgers are the World Champions

This is the truth, there’s no one tool size that fits every job!

 

[JonathanJung]

I’ve drilled tens of thousands of holes for EMT (I’m from Chicago, by code we cannot use NM) with and without the angle head. Using the first Festool drill I bought in 2009ish. It is a T-14, the drill is still going strong on the original batteries. It has been retire to a much gentler life now that I have T & C 18’s.

Tom

This is the info I was originally after, thank you!.

 

[JonathanJung]

Can a handle be put on any other Festool drill other than the TPC? I already have a concrete drill, a Milwaukee M18 rotary hammer. If the T18 could take a handle, for hole saws, etc., then I’d opt for that I think.

 

[thudchkr]

Milwaukee has two different M18 Hawg drills. The Super Hawg and the Hole Hawg. I originally had the M18 Hole Hawg but sold it when they came out with the Super Hawg, which I then picked up. The Super Hawg has more power which I needed for plumbing tasks, where the M18 Hole Hawg would sometimes come up short. I got them with Milwaukee's Quik-Lok chuck which is more compact than the Jacobs chuck, but requires 7/16" hex shanked bits.

If one will primarily be doing electrical tasks, however, the M18 Hole Hawg should be more than adequate. I just ran into issues using large hole saws and large self-feeding bits used for running larger plumbing pipes and fittings.

All that being said, I rarely had any issues getting between joists for punching holes, with either of the two. FWIW, I also still have a corded Hole Hawg as well but pretty much never use it since picking up the Super Hawg. It has the Jacobs chuck on there, but I never had any issues getting it between joists either.