WOOD Magazine 12V Cordless Drill Shop Test

[Gary in Texas]

Picked up a copy of Wood Magazine March 2015 edition today, which had an article on shop testing of 12 volt drill/drivers.  I was surprised to see the CXS included in the review.  The CXS did not fare well, coming in at middle to bottom of the group collectively in all tests.  The test included drill/drivers from Black and Decker, Bosch (x2), Chicago Electric, Craftsman, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee (x2), Porter Cable, Ridgid and Ryobi.

For drilling screws on a single charge, the CXS came in 5th (out of the 13 drills tested) behind a set of Bosch and a set of Milwaukee units. 

For drilling a 3/4" hole into a 2 x 6 pine board, in a 5 way tie for 7th place.  The Bosch was top with 24 holes.

For torque, the CXS scored a "B-".  Nine other drills scored better. The CXS beat out the B&D, CE, and Ryobi.

Top winners were the Bosch PS32-02 and Milwaukee 2403-22 (which also comes with a 1/2" chuck and 4.0 Amp hour battery, but Wood used a 2 A/h battery for the test).  Top value went to Craftsman...

Last, the CXS cost $115 more than the next expensive drill.

Although the CXS didn't fare well, I still enjoy using my little Festool drill....

 

[#Tee]

thats good to know, but how did they test the grip/finish/ergonomics/durability/adaptability/customer service. the extra cost of festool is worth the extra money imo. another disadvantage is the csx is using old brush technology vs a brushless bosch.

 

[sae]

I didn't read the test, but you could've come to that conclusion by just comparing the specs. The CXS was never meant to be a brute force tool.

Would I say no to more power? No, but if it were at the expense of weight or control, then yes.

That said, my assembly tool is actually the hex version of that Milwaukee drill, the 2402. Its has pretty good guts to it, but is a little top heavy. The CXS has better balance and weight, but I'm pretty deep into the M12 stuff, it'd be hard for me to give up the multitool, impact driver, die grinder, and I ordered the M12 dustbuster from Toolnut.  [eek] I also have the jigsaw which is surprisingly good, a flashlight, and the right angle drill.

Also the price disparity isn't that large. The 2403-22 is $179, the CXS is $245. So $66 extra, but it nets you a SYS-1 as well.

 

[NHSP759]

I'm all about the Milwaukee and Bosch line but until both companies release their multiple chucks in the market the CXS still excels in functionality in my humble opinion. No doubt that Bosch and Milwaukee have little powerhouses that in many cases (especially Milwaukee Fuel) can perform what would have been left to some 18v drills.

 

[sancho57]

I look at it this way.

Sure the Bosch and whatever maybe good out of the gate but let me know how they are working after about 3 years or so.

It's been my experiance that those drills will need to be replacing in anywhere from 6 most to a year.

I buy for reliability , service, longevity and quality.

 

[rst]

I have been using the Milwaukee M12 and 18 volt drills for years and have never had any of the 12 tools I own die, plus there is a 5 year guarantee.  The only problem i ever had was with my M18 cordless vac (which I hook up to my Festool sanders regularly) was that it stopped working with the older style batteries.  The 18V vac worked with both the older and newer batteries unlike most manufacturers which when they update the older stuff will no longer be utilized.  The vac worked fine with my 5 newer batteries and was a month and a half out of warranty.  I told my local distributor and they contacted Milwaukee, two weeks later i had a brand new vac along with another 5 year guarantee.  I love my Festools but Milwaukee at least is trying hard to be customer driven.

 

[Gary in Texas]

I look at it this way.

Sure the Bosch and whatever maybe good out of the gate but let me know how they are working after about 3 years or so.

It's been my experiance that those drills will need to be replacing in anywhere from 6 most to a year.

I buy for reliability , service, longevity and quality.

Some of these drill / drivers may have a shortened life span if being used by a contractor day in / day out in all kinds of conditions.  I can't really assess them at that level.....

Like user "rst", I've never had one of my drills or drivers fail in the past decade.  Mine are DeWalt, 12, 18 and now 20V, and they get the job done.  I really like the smaller yellow drill/drivers.  Do they have the precision of the Festool drills, no...  My tools for the most part stay in my shop, thus, I expect they will last longer than the batteries.....

I bought my CXS set new, but was lucky enough to land a new T-18 set with the 4.2 batteries along with C-15 set, both at 40% discount during the recon sale.  The T-18 set will replace my 18V DeWalts, which will go to my oldest son (he gladly received his first shipment at Christmas)....  This after I swore I would never buy a Festool drill.....wrong!!!  My son keeps eyeing my DeWalt miter saw and encouraging me to buy the Kapex, very tempting now with the pending sale....something else I swore I wouldn't buy..... 

 

[Birdhunter]

The review is interesting, but as an owner of several DeWalt drills, Bosch drills, and Festool drills; I seem to reach for the Festool drills. I will never stretch the capacity of the batteries so the overall ergonomics, build quality, and accessories determine my preference.

 

[SoonerFan]

I bought my CXS set new, but was lucky enough to land a new T-18 set with the 4.2 batteries along with C-15 set, both at 40% discount during the recon sale.  The T-18 set will replace my 18V DeWalts, which will go to my oldest son (he gladly received his first shipment at Christmas)....  This after I swore I would never buy a Festool drill.....wrong!!! My son keeps eyeing my DeWalt miter saw and encouraging me to buy the Kapex, very tempting now with the pending sale....something else I swore I wouldn't buy..... 

Like you I never thought I would switch to Festool drills.  I then made the plunge with CXS, T18 +3 and Centrotec Set.  Shortly after I gave my Dewalt saw to my brother and got a Kapex.  Maybe you should get a Kapex during the sale in Feb.

 

[andvari]

I love my Festools, they have made a big difference in the way I approach my hobby.

However I kind of think that with drills it's much harder to take advantage of the Festool system so the leverage just isn't there.

 

[DB10]

Gota agree, My little Bosh and Milwaukee 12vs are so versatile and get used daily, my drills get Alot of abuse, it's just the nature of a drill working outside, they get dropped and kicked around and covered in crap, clean them off and there good for next time, if I had paid Festool money for them, I wouldn't be so relaxed about them.

 

[NHSP759]

I have to admit one of my most useful 12v is the Milwaukee Fuel impact. Not a drill but it is a powerhouse.

 

[sancho57]

The review is interesting, but as an owner of several DeWalt drills, Bosch drills, and Festool drills; I seem to reach for the Festool drills. I will never stretch the capacity of the batteries so the overall ergonomics, build quality, and accessories determine my preference.

I had a Makita impact. I was talking about its performance and along with a DeWalt sander I had to a bud. He told me it will need replacing. He said that even though I don't notice it but it has lost or reduced its power . Took longer to drive screw ect . I tested it and he was correct. I'm a HO not a pro and after about 2 years I had. To replace it. The batteries weren't holding a charge and its performance was reduced. Same with the sander the performance was reduced.
My C12 is still doing great holding its charge no issues.
Also for the price of the replacement batteries I could of bought a new kit. They were about $90 bucks each

 

[wow]

Another enthusiastic vote for the Milwaukee M12 stuff! I have a lot of it and I can't believe how good it is. In the two years that I've owned it I have only had one issue, and that was a bad battery.

I have ( I think ) 5 drills and 3 hex impact drivers - and it's just me that uses them. I even fitted a drill and an impact in a Systainer to take with me on projects:

[attachimg=1]

Gotta love those M12 tools!

 

[MAK]

I love my cxs, had it since they came out. It is so comfortable and light to use. I mainly do kitchen fitting. I also have a t15 and c15 use these for heavier stuff drilling holes and bigger screws.I find though the batteries on cxs don't last long, it is 4yrs old and used almost every day. Maybe the newer batteries will be better.
I received a milwaukee 12v free for opening an trade account,  haven't used it yet and probably wont because it doesn't fit in with centrotec system. It seems a quality drill, powerfull but slightly heavy for it's size.
I think I will ebay it and my old cxs and put proceeds toward new cxs with newer batteries,  waiting to see txs to compare.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

I admire the M12 range and I think Milwaukee are on the right track with it. They have a few drills I would consider but they are sturdy with a weight penalty and they are quite large for being so small. Don't get me wrong - I like the heft but they are too close to the light weight Bosch 18V in weight and size.  I am waiting for the Bosch FlexiClick to arrive in Sweden and might grab an 18V impact while I am at it.

But I am keeping CXS... ...and for the very same reason as MAK wrote above. For kitchen fitting and most mounting tasks it is truly great.  I just wish they had a regular locking bit chuck option like the M12 has in the above photo. Imagine a CXS impact with a regular locking hex bit... ...yesssssssss

I looked at the TXS but it is taller, hasn't got the large bit garage that the CXS has and the small foot print is what sold me on the CXS in the first place. My CXS is four years old too and I think the new CXS 2,6Ah battery is what will make the biggest difference for me personally. I also have the C15 and it steps in when needed. 

 

[andy5405]

I must admit I have never been that bothered by the Festool drills and don't think I will ever purchase one. However I said that about the sanders too and then bought an RO150 and now I want more. I guess it's the same as a lot of Festool stuff,  you have to use it to fully appreciate it.

 

[NHSP759]

Yeah I agree with that sentiment. I still have a range of other drill I use and love but that CXS and my T15 set make things so much easier with those special chucks.

 

[cue003]

I am waiting for a cxs/txs type impact with a regular locking hex bit.  once that shows up it will be an expensive day to purchase that full set/ a drill full set plus the centrotec installers set and many other bits.

Come on festool.

 

[Staniam]

Having been a Milwaukee fan boy for many years (still am) I can say first hand that their M12 line is awesome. They have numerous tools for all sorts of jobs. The M12 Fuel Hammer drill is insanely powerful so much so that after a year using it I ended up giving it to my dad since he would utilize it to.its full potential where I wouldnt. I grabbed the CXS and that's perfect for 8/10 times for me. The M12 Fuel Impact driver, as Chris said earlier, is easily my all time favorite impact driver. I never found a task it couldn't handle and I took that thing to at least 5 decking jobs and numerous contraction projects. Even the M12 jigsaw exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed using that immensely.

As my projects and work has steered way more in the direction of pure wood working I have moved over to Festool. That being said, it's not because those tools aren't great and full of awesome features, Festool just makes things a little easier.