Why Festool Drills?

[Kevin D.]

You need to pre-drill to avoid breaking off your fasteners.

Soaping the fasteners also helps tremendously, even if you pre-drill and especially if you don't. If you are using positive contact heads (not Phillips), you can just have your screws in a pot of soapy water. It kind of depends on your process. If outside, any remaining soap washes right off.

There are also decking fasteners that are designed to sort of drill a pilot as you drive them.

Tom

Your'e better off with wax, soap can discolor, especially high tannin woods like oak.

Get a water closet wax ring, do not remove the plastic cover, stick your screws in the ring. Better is 50% bees wax and 50% wax from a closet ring, if you care to melt and blend your own.

Tom

Where does one typically go to buy Bees Wax?

 

[tjbnwi]

You need to pre-drill to avoid breaking off your fasteners.

Soaping the fasteners also helps tremendously, even if you pre-drill and especially if you don't. If you are using positive contact heads (not Phillips), you can just have your screws in a pot of soapy water. It kind of depends on your process. If outside, any remaining soap washes right off.

There are also decking fasteners that are designed to sort of drill a pilot as you drive them.

Tom

Your'e better off with wax, soap can discolor, especially high tannin woods like oak.

Get a water closet wax ring, do not remove the plastic cover, stick your screws in the ring. Better is 50% bees wax and 50% wax from a closet ring, if you care to melt and blend your own.

Tom

Where does one typically go to buy Bees Wax?

Hardware store, around here it is in the canning jar isle. Comes in a brick about the size of a quart milk carton.

Tom

 

[semenza]

The  Woodcraft/Snappy  Centrotec compatible bits nicely fill in the types and sizes that Festool doesn't make. The Atlas  Robertson are nice quality.

Seth

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Personally (and I think Paul-Marcel has tested this theory) the C12/T12 doesn't offer much extra over the CXS, but the CXS has a lot to offer over the C12/T12.

I went for the CXS and a T15 and am very happy with my choices. The CXS is my go to drill, and as a set, provides a great selection of chucks for most circumstances.

You have this backward. The T and C drills are EC-TEC while the CXS is their little brother with standard motor technology.

http://www.waterfront-woods.com/festool/EC-TEC_Review.pdf

 

[mike68au]

Is it that a higher Ah rating is how long the battery can last?

Yes

I have noted already that the C-12 body does allow for use in tighter situations, which is of course a plus.

Have you considered the CXS instead?

Personally (and I think Paul-Marcel has tested this theory) the C12/T12 doesn't offer much extra over the CXS, but the CXS has a lot to offer over the C12/T12.

I went for the CXS and a T15 and am very happy with my choices. The CXS is my go to drill, and as a set, provides a great selection of chucks for most circumstances.

I have to totally agree CXS and T15 are a perfect combo, i have done the same thing, and yes the CXS is my go to drill,  I had to use self drilling screws into hard wood the other day and it did it with no effort.