Why the CXS over Milwaukee Fuel 12v

[sofa_king_rad]

i use a milwaukee mostly for my small drills and have an 18v Hilti hammer when needed. However, I don't have a light weight 12v ish drill. the milwaukee i use mostly is a impact driver, not an actual drill. I sometimes need a drill. I was just looking at picking up a Milwaukee Fuel Brushless 12v, but after buying the Systainer for it. the price of a CXS is there.

So, than I saw a bunch of posts of people happy with their CXS but not much as to why, so why do you like it over other small 10-12v drills that you've used?

Any reason why the D handle over the T handle? i've always used T handle style drills

 

[bobfog]

I made this decision last week. I have 8 Milwaukee 18v Fuel tools and rate them extremely highly, but I went for the CXS. My main reason was because I wanted a new lightweight drill to complement my more heavy duty 18v stuff. The Milwaukee Fuel 12v is 1500g with battery vs the 900g of the CXS so for me the Milwaukee was a non-starter. Neither lightweight enough for getting into tight/awkward places like the CXS does nor heavy duty enough to replace my 18v drill.

As for CXS vs TXS, it's just personal preference, I can't really explain why, but the CXS just felt better and made me feel like I was holding a precision tool more than the TXS did.

 

[Holmz]

i use a Milwaukee mostly...
... but after buying the Systainer for it. the price of a CXS is there.
...

The Metabo I use use is nice, but BobFog said that the CXS felt better. Most others have only handled one or the other, so I defer to his observations.

However if it sits on the bench one does not need a systainer for it, and if one already has a drill it then one does not NEED it.
Basically my big ol' Bosch was battery dead, and the batteries are hard to come by, so a smaller new drill was the cheaper route..

 

[six-point socket]

Hi!

If you had asked me a couple of months ago I would have said I was tired of a competitor and his products and bought it because I wanted it.

Fast forward I'm really, really happy about the excellent angle attachment - that thing really stands out because it is very compact, much smaller than competitors solutions, it's fixed to the machine = can be used one handed, aftermarket supplied angle attachments often/mostly need a second hand. But all in all, size is the major factor. Compared to competitors angle attachments or purebred angled drills/drivers.

I personally also like Centrotec.

It is maybe a little more precise than my "old" Bosch 12V max was and I like the C-type-handle.

Overall I simply like it, but I still like my Bosch, too.  [smile] [smile] [smile] ....

One point beside the tool itself to consider is battery system. If you think you will get/need other cordless 10.8/12 V tools, Festool only has the CXS in their 10.8 / 12 V line-up. Milwaukee, Bosch, (....) have more. Milwaukee being the one company that hast most if memory serves me right. This is definitely a point to consider under certain circumstances in my humble opinion - YMMV.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[rst]

I own most of the Festool sanders, a 55, 75, the 850 planer, a domino 500, a Midi, a ct 26, seven rails, the LS 32 system, one of each of the routers.. two 2200s and around 90 systainers.  That being said I use Milwaukee 12 and 18v drilling systems for the same reasons that I buy Festool...the systems.  I have 12v hammer drills, impact driver, right angle drill, recip saw, rotary tool and multi tool.  All take the same batteries and are quaranteed for five years.  These tools work for the small limited jobs.  I have the 18v tools for the heavy duty stuff.  I have the impact driver, hammer drill, disc grinder, vac, right angle impact, the 2000 and 4000 led floods, metal and wood cutting circulars, the caulking gun, and just bought the fan.  In September they will be bring out the 9 amp hour battery and I am seriously considering the 1 1/8 rotary hammer because they have a 12v battery powered vac that attaches to the drill.  I do a lot of different kinds of jobs and the Milwaukee platforms work for me.

 

[HarveyWildes]

...
One point beside the tool itself to consider is battery system. If you think you will get/need other cordless 10.8/12 V tools, Festool only has the CXS in their 10.8 / 12 V line-up. Milwaukee, Bosch, (....) have more. Milwaukee being the one company that hast most if memory serves me right. This is definitely a point to consider under certain circumstances in my humble opinion - YMMV.
...

That's why I'll stick with Milwaukee - I've got a bunch of the 12v tools, and they all do their job admirably.  I have about 10 batteries, including two of the larger ones.  I had one battery fail relatively quickly, the others are all still running strong.  I've never used a CXS.

 

[Mort]

For me it came down to price and battery compatibility. For around $90 I got a drill (non-Fuel) and radio for my wife. Now that we have two batteries, those will operate a Hackzall, a grease gun, or an inspection camera. The CXS batteries will operate... a CXS.

I've handled a CXS in a store and it feels magnificent, and if one of the two factors I listed were eliminated I probably would've bought one. I still might.

 

[thudchkr]

One thing I really like about the M12 Fuel drill is the fact it has a 1/2" chuck on it.  It has has very good power for a 12V tool to take advantage of that chuck. I have many M12 tools and batteries already so for me, the Milwaukee is a no-brainer.

YMMV

Clint

 

[Discap]

For me the accessories shine. The right angle and centrotec driver get used a lot. I need the sustainer to hold everything for travel even though it does sit on the bench most of the time. This is by far my most used drill

 

[sae]

One thing I really like about the M12 Fuel drill is the fact it has a 1/2" chuck on it.  It has has very good power for a 12V tool to take advantage of that chuck. I have many M12 tools and batteries already so for me, the Milwaukee is a no-brainer.

YMMV

Clint

I had the M12 Fuel drill and hex driver for a while, both are larger than some 18v drills.

If you want small, look at the Bosch brushless hex driver, or the new Makita 12v brushless stuff. I have the Bosch, it's a treat to use. 700g weight, really short front to back, clutch is very quiet and doesn't rattle your brains out. Makita is brand new, so I haven't seen much other than a spec sheet. Both are pint sized compared to the Milwaukee.

 

[Ajax]

Love my Bosch 12v drills and drivers.

Would have bought Festool but couldn't see that much benefit for the increased cost.

 

[Holmz]

They all are pretty short... The Metabo also has the 90 degree attachment, and I bought a Kress corded which looks like it has the same 90-degree attachment. Like a John Prime album, I am awaiting the postman.

 

[FastEasySmartTOOL]

I have both. I use the CXS for Centrotec bits, and the Milwaukee for anything else.

The Centrotec system is amazing because you can switch from a screwdriver bit to a forstner bit, or anything in between – literally in 2 seconds. It’s spoiled me so much that I can’t stand Jacobs chucks anymore.

Other remarks about the CXS:
1. (personal preference) it’s more comfortable
2. has smoother soft start/soft stop (whereas Milwaukee gives quite a kick if you stop it suddenly from high speed; it’s enough to loosen your chuck over time if you don’t have it on really tight)
3. has better LED light position
4. does not make the annoying high pitched sound every other drill’s PWM controller produces

If I could keep just one, it would 100% be the CXS. I bought the Milwaukee only because of the 1/2” chuck to use for larger bits – a Festool drill with that capability runs a lot more $

Kriss

 

[sofa_king_rad]

My work is primarily light duty and at job-sites, not at the bench. I probably break out my 18v Hilti less than a dozen times per year, unless a specific job calls for it regularly, like prewiring a home. Even then, I used a corded hole hawg quite often.

B/c i don't need many tools that i often, i've picked up many more corded than cordless tools than I used to. Simply b/c the batteries wouldn't be charged or would lose their charging ability...maybe this is less issue now that everything is lithium.

I really just have the one Milwaukee Fuel 12v Impact driver that I use 90% of the time. Drilling holes with an impact driver is a little annoying but it works fine. The CXS seems like it maybe be a more well rounded light weight option.

 

[slalom]

I got a "free" Milwaukee 12v Fuel driver when I bought the Milwaukee inspection camera. It has been a very useful light weight tool. Later I bought the drill, and hacksaw. Good reliable tools. Unfortunately, the parent company TTI fails in comparison to Festool on repairs and warranty.

Thanks to this forum, I learned of a safety recall on a TTI product. I called TTI, was told to ship it back. Almost 3 weeks later, I received the replacement. Sorry, but you can't expect people to close up shop for 3 weeks.

Net result, I like the Milwaukee tool but will never buy another. Festool has them beaten on warranty and customer service. I had a problem with my Festool ETS sander and dust extractor combination (static shocks) the follow-up and personalized attention to the issue and resolution was impressive (turned out to be a fault in one outlet in my shop).

 

[DB10]

I use a lot of the Milwakee 12v tools every day, for the price they can't be beaten.
I've only ever had one problem with a Milwaukee 12v drill, it was about 8 months old and I started to notice it had an intermittent problem, I took it back to the dealer I bought it from to see what could be done and they just swapped it over straight away for a new drill, no messing around for me having to send it off, I guess it depends where you live in the world, but down here if you depend on your tools then financially Milwaukke makes a lot of sense. I got a CXS as well but use that for mainly kitchen installs and inside work.

 

[Grakat]

Hi there

At home I use the Makita 10.8v drill and impact driver in the aluminium case to do my small drilling and screw fastening. I have considered a CXS but more for system integration and easier to transport with my other systainers.

One thing that makes the CXS stand out is its unique shape, there is nothing out there that comes close.

 

[kixnbux]

I used dewalt 12v for my small drill prior to the cxs. Haven't touched it since [emoji1303][emoji41]

 

[Birdhunter]

Do any other small drills other than the Festool offer the ability to switch between the bit holder (ala Centrotec) and a Jacobs, and an offset, and a 90 degree?

 

[Holmz]

Do any other small drills other than the Festool offer the ability to switch between the bit holder (ala Centrotec) and a Jacobs, and an offset, and a 90 degree?

The Metabo/Mafell has that with the exception of the offset chuck.
The 90 degree unit pretty much obviates the need for the offset, so I gave my FT offset chuck away.

Not sure about the Milwaukee Fuel.