Cordless Drill
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Sorry, but I read all the way through this thread, folks passionately recommending different Makita models, De Walt, Bosch, Hilti, etc.... and then Boo's post saying he's settled on a.... Milwaukee!
... and then Gidon comparing his cordless drill to his daughter's beloved pet dog.
Say what you like, but puppies are useless in wood, nevermind brick and concrete.Not at all a criticism, just really made me laugh, thanks guys!
Keep on drillin'...
p.s. I favour Makita- have an 18v Ni-Cd drill for driving and wood and a corded 240v percussion drill for the tough stuff.
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I just recently did a LOT of research on the topic of cordless drills building this site. (BTW, my research suggests that Panasonic has the best drills.) But I just came across Festool recently, which surprised me. What's the deal with this brand? I haven't seen them sold anywhere and only talked about in two places. But when I see something mentioned only twice and the people say it's the best thing ever, I'm intrigued.
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Festool has been around for a long time. Their products are for sale online from quite a few sources. I'm surprised you haven't heard of the brand. I don't have any of their cordless drills although with the business end being interchangeable with several different chucks, they seem to be very handy. I have three corded Festool tools along with a dust extractor. They are, by far, better than any equivalent tool I've used. Not inexpensive but I won't ever be buying replacements due to wearing them out or breaking them.
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Looks like you got the last laugh Jackson. Just under 2 years and my Milwaukee died. The batteries will not hold a charge long enough to tighten a bit in the chuck. Whether or not it is the charger or the batteries makes no difference, I pitched it already. Off to buy a Makita.
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Eric, get a drill with Li-ion batteries. They'll last longer.
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Get a Festool C12 or T12 / T13 drill / driver - they are the best tools you can buy and the system they are a part of is second to none. You will pay more initially but the investment will be worth it over time. I have used Makita / Dewalt / Metabo but Festool outclasses all of them by miles - we also get a three year guarantee on all their products over here on this side of the pond.
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@dave r said:
Eric, get a drill with Li-ion batteries. They'll last longer.
Funny, the Milwaukee was a Li-Ion set and only lasted 1/3 the time as my old Porter Cable Ni-Cad.
I will check out the Festool. The closest retailer is in Scottsboro which is almost 2 hours from my house. I just might order online.
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That's odd. I have a DeWalt Li-ion drill and have excellent service from it.
Festool is indeed good. I have several of their tools but not the drill.
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@dermotcoll said:
Get a Festool C12 or T12 / T13 drill / driver - they are the best tools you can buy and the system they are a part of is second to none. You will pay more initially but the investment will be worth it over time.
@bluecollar said:
Once you have done Festool there ain't no going back. I honestly regret buying any other brand.
What they said, +1. I have a couple of the C12's with 3.0 ah batteries. The interchangeable chucks are great time savers. I can install most of a kitchen (near continuous use) on one battery. Have used them with a 4" hole saw on occasion with no problem. I honestly think they have near as much torque as the 18v Dewalts I used to use. The price is hard to swallow if you don't use 'em every day, but well worth it IMHO.
BTW, LOVE that SU version Jenny!
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Thanks
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Are you going to get the Festool C12 cordless with your winnings on the challenge Boo????
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YES! ha ha.
I had surgery recently so all "projects" have been on the back burner. I am getting back to normal, whatever that is, and will most likely order one soon.
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My 4 year old Festool cordless was stolen the other year. I was gutted. When i first had it a freind of mine looked in the case filled with eccentric and round corner attatchments and said it looked like a sniper rifle. In terms of precision and performance the comparison proved pretty much spot on.
I went for a Makita Li ion 18v replacement, it was on offer at a significant reduction, dont remember the number but it is strangely coloured white and grey and it certainly does all i ask of it through timber (big forstner bits) and 8mm mild steel flat bar (12ml bits): it is extremely powerful. I tend to think that the ah on the battery is maybe more important than the volts. The weight is also a winner after a long day.
Bought this before the Li ion festools came out and i can imagine that in terms of power and controlability these will be somewhere near the best machine money can buy and even though the outlay is large, if they are to be used every day as they are designed to be, they will represent good value for money and be a joy to use. The Festool deburring countersink is also really nicely engineered and recommended.
I also have an old Fein cordless that keeps on going and an obvious weakness for European tools! One day i WILL own a Felder cf741. Good luck with the cordless hunt, dont think you will be dissapointed with the Festool.
Regards
Sam
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well ive had a dewalt 18v for about 10 years still going strong and i use it hard doing alarm and cctv install drilling concrete for plugs etc. i bought a new one last year because it came with 2 batteries and was only about $10 more than the batteries alone.
i recently found that the new dewalt li-ion batteries with also fit my old drill and recip saw and circular-saw and side grinder (all 18v) so i'm smiling. when its time i'll buy the li-ion batteries and be good to go.
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If Planet Festool is too far, something closer to earth is the Panasonic range. I love Festool stuff and have several of their tools but for a drill I couldn't face the cost but wanted a good tool. Lots of research led me to Panasonic and I am very happy indeed with it. My new 14.4 Li-ion drill is lighter than the 12v NiCad drills I have had, much more powerful and very well balanced. It drives screws perfectly too.
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Ok, so I am ready to purchase a Festool C12.
Sticker shock yes so I have a couple questions if you please:
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Is there a big difference in usage between the 3 battery types? I would be using it mostly for around the house stuff. But larger projects could be in order. I mean come on, I built my shed already
I also understand that if one wants the larger battery in the future it is compatible. -
Recommendations for places to purchase. I found out that the only place close to me that sold them is no longer in business. So unless I want to drive to Nashville, Chattanooga or Atlanta, which I don't, I should get it online. And Rockler is sold out... boo hoo. So who do you trust?
Thanks again all.
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Eric, considering things like replacement cost, battery life and run time, I would be inclined to go for the for the NiMh battery. It'll last much longer in terms of years than the NiCd batteries. From my experience with them at work and here at home, they hold a charge longer, too. That means you can not use it for awhile and it'll work when you need it
As to supplier, I've gotten all of my Festool stuff from Jamestown Distributors. They are very good to deal with and they have fast service. I don't think there's any point in price shopping. Everyone is the same on the price.
Good choice of drill.
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Thanks Dave. And it seems Jamestown is having a 15% sale so it is the best price I have seen yet.
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Order it now, then.
You can also get an anchor for your boat while you're at it. And some pine tar and whipping twine and...
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Hey, do you need Festool driver and drill bits? I notice some are notched. Will standard drill and driver bits work ok?
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