Is Festool worth it?

[joe lear]

I have a Makita LXT 18v, a Dewalt 14.4v, another Dewalt 9.6v and a Bosch 10.8v pocket driver. For woodworking I use the Dewalt 14.4v the most. I recently went to a Woodcraft store and saw a Festool C12 drill/driver. I loved it, but at $100 more than my Makita hammer drill/ driver it's something to think about. Does anyone have any experience with the C12? Does it have enough power for general woodworkig? Is it really that good? Thanks

[Bill Wyko]

I don't know about the drills but my BIL just got the saw and he loves it.

[Ed Falis]

I have the discontinued drill (don't remember the model offhand). I like it a lot. But the real proof is that my wife, the former porter-cable fanatic and finish carpenter, always grabs the festool first. She still prefers her Skil to the ATF 55, though.

[Tom Quatsoe]

I can't comment on this tool, but I finally broke down and got a C22 vac and the ETS 150/3 sander last week.

I am absolutely amazed! Excellent quality, quiet, sand for hours without sore hands, and almost zero dust. At 4X the cost of other options, I would definately do it again.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

[Jim Hager]

I've got the C12 and it is an awsome little drill. Lots of power for it's class and I mostly like the interchangeable chucks that come with it. I didn't think that I would use them all that much but I was wrong. So well balanced and extremely well engineered.

[Gary Keedwell]

I bought the 15.6 last year and I really like it. I'm only a hobbyist, though, so I don't know how it would hold up on a daily grind.

Gary K.

[Steven Wilson]

I had a Dewalt 14.4V drill/driver and right-angle 14.4v Dewalt drill. I replaced both of those drills with a Festool TDD12 (an older 12V version of the TDK). I didn't like the ergonomics of the CD so the TDD was the one for me. The Festool drill chucks give you a lot of flexability and makes a great system. BTW the 12V Festool has as much torque (or more) than the 14.4v Dewalt.

And since I was replacing drills I sold my vac (Fein) and sanders (Porter Cable, Dewalt) and picked up Festool replacements (CT-22, RO150, RTS400EQ, ETS 150/3 EQ)

[Jim Becker]

I have the 12v TDK drill/driver and couldn't be happier...and if the C12 had been available when I was buying, I probably would have bought it. Power? Oh, yea...

[Rob Will]

I looked at some Festool stuff today at the local WoodCraft. I know I'm being old fashioned here but the Festool items feel awkward to me. The Festool quality is obviously great but the ol standby DeWalt and Milwaukee tools feel more natural in my hand.

Rob

[Jim Becker]

I looked at some Festool stuff today at the local WoodCraft. I know I'm being old fashioned here but the Festool items feel awkward to me. The Festool quality is obviously great but the ol standby DeWalt and Milwaukee tools feel more natural in my hand.

Actually, that's important, Rob. Everyone's hand is different and if you are going to use a tool, it's gotta fit. That said, sometimes what feels awkward at first is just "unfamiliar". One test run may not be enough. Remember that you also have a 30 day money back deal with Festool, too.

[joe lear]

Is there a big difference in power between the three different battery pack or is the difference in the run time only?

[Dan Clark]

I looked at some Festool stuff today at the local WoodCraft. I know I'm being old fashioned here but the Festool items feel awkward to me. The Festool quality is obviously great but the ol standby DeWalt and Milwaukee tools feel more natural in my hand.

Rob
I have the C12 and all the chucks including the Depth Stop Chuck. The C12 is a great drill. Lots of power for its size and the chucks make it VERY flexible.

The C12 has a lot of features that aren't obvious. For example, what happens when a cordless drill overheats? With some drills, they just burn themselves out. Or, the hot battery goes into meltdown when you pop it into the charger. Do a Google on battery meltdown to see what I mean.

With a C12, if the drill overheats, it turns itself off and beeps at you when you pull the trigger. If you load an overheated battery into the charger, it detects the overheat condition, a light on the charger flashes red, and the charger waits until the battery cools down.

Regarding the feel in your hand, I agree with you. My Dewalt 18V XRP feels much more natural in my hand. That is until I start driving big lag screws. Then it starts feeling unnatural. Because your hand isn't in line with the torque, the drill tends to twist your wrist.

With the C12, it's normal to move your hand up to be inline with the center of the chuck. You pull the trigger with your middle finger. It gives you a lot better grip in tough conditions.

Or take the quick disconnect chucks. One of my favorite tricks is to put a screw bit into the CentroTec chuck (the little one) and a drill bit in the FastFix chuck (the big black one). Then I can drill pilot holes and then switch chucks to the screw bit in about 4 seconds. That may not sound like a big deal. That is, until you have to mount boards in a jig, drill pilot holes, and then screw the boards together. Thirty four times! I got the whole job done in 30 minutes.

Festool tools are pretty plain. Flat blue-black with lime green accents. But every lime green accent does something - triggers, speed switches, chuck adjustments. Form (including color) follows function.

The C12 is one great drill. It is by far and away the most used Festool that I have. I have used every chuck in ways that I never dreamed of when I bought it.

Oh, I forgot... What about my Dewalt 18V drill? It still works well. I let one of my helpers use it when needed. :D

Regards,

Dan.

p.s., if you're interested in the C12, check out my Depth Stop Chuck Review (with pics) in the Tool Reviews section of the Festool Owners Group. Just enter "festoolownersgroup" in your browser's address bar and it will help you figure out how to get there.

Come on over and ask questions. We're a nice friendly group and are happy to help anyone interested in Festools.

[Dan Clark]

Is there a big difference in power between the three different battery pack or is the difference in the run time only?
The difference is in runtime. I have the middlesized 2.4Ah NiCD battery and am pretty happy with it.

I've heard a rumor Festool is working on a Lithium version. I'm hoping that I can just upgrade the battery and keep my current drill.

Regards,

Dan.

[Rob Will]

We mostly use Dewalt 12V cordless drills because the higher voltage battery packs (on all brands) get a little too bulky for my preference.

Again, I'm sort of old fashioned but I like having multiple (less expensive) drills that all use the same battery pack. We carry the same Dewalt 12V drills in service trucks, at the farm shop, and at the wood shop. Errr....hopefully we have a nice clean one for the wood shop or taking into the house :eek:. Whenever we buy a new drill we try to take it the wood shop first. When it gets a little age on it or it becomes grungy from use, we send that drill to the farm shop or one of the service trucks. One unlucky 1/2" drill usually ends up with a 6" hole saw to be used down in muddy start holes when we are installing field tile. Read this SEVERE duty.

Another advantage of having multiple drills is that all of the chargers are alike and, all batteries are alike:D We can mix and match anywhere we are working without regard to what a particular battery fits. (Even our flashlights use the same 12V battery). When building a project, I usually have at least two drills on hand. One with a drill bit, the other with a driver. If I have a helper, we use both drills at the same time.

When the need arrises for an additional cordless tool, there's no reason to stop the employees while I search for something exotic. I just run in the closest Borg and buy any 12V Dewalt. It's quick and convenient to use common readily available tools.....and time is money.

Rob

[Gary Keedwell]

Buying an expensive tool is similar to buying an expensive car. Either will get you to where you want to go . Seems to be as many different cars as there is personalities out there. And your going to have the type of personality that likes to stand on the roof of the car and yell ,at anybody who listens, about how great their car is.;) Most of the time you get what you pay for.
Me personally? I only have a few years till retirement so I'm buying top shelf, but there was times in my past where my budget dictated the cost of my toys.(tools):D
Gary K.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If you absolutely need good DC for whatever reason maybe that alone will make it worth it.

I think that their prices are overly high and I won't pay 'em. However, they do produce high end machinery.

Most of my objection to their prices is essentially nationalistic politics on my part. Yah they make good stuff but those prices are reflective of the luxurious worker's paradise in Europe and I just don't please to pay for some German guy's monster vacation in paradise and retirement and medical and what all else.

So I don't buy the stuff.


However, I am a traitor to my own cause 'cause I own an Austrian slider and J/P

So don't listen to me I'm a hypocrite.

[Dennis Peacock]

It's very hard to beat a Festool powertool. I have never been happier since making my very first Festool purchase. I do plan on getting more in time.

[jason lambert]

The battery pack voltage has little to do withthe power of a drill there is a coralation in most brands but it is done that way because that is how the public understands it. This is the same reason a 3hp 110v motor and a 3 hp 220v motor are the same power.

Now one thing that festool does is they use a 3 phase moter instead of a 2 phase. This allows more power and efficiency from the battery the same way a 3 phase table saw uses less power than a 2 phase one in the shop.

I really wish these manfactures wold lable tork and run time instead of voltage. Measuring the battery pack voltage is not a good way to qualify the power of a drill. I think the festool drill is probably the best one out there I have used it and it is just grate with it's accessories and power verse weight. With that being said I use a dewalt 14.4 just alwas have and it is easy to get battries for, althought I toasted one about two weeks ago. May go to a festool one day but for now I have to many 14.4 v battries and other tools.

[Paul Mattaliano]

Now one thing that festool does is they use a 3 phase moter instead of a 2 phase. This allows more power and efficiency from the battery the same way a 3 phase table saw uses less power than a 2 phase one in the shop.

Don't know much about Festool but I can't believe their battery powered tools are 3 phase or 1 phase. Batteries produce direct current (no phases like AC)

Battery voltage is a way to indirectly measure power, Power=voltage x current, higher the voltage, the more power. I see your point, however, as a lot has to do with the motor, etc. but all things being equal (the big assumption here), a 14.4V tool will have less power than a 28V

[Ron Crusee]

Just a guess, they probably use brushless DC motors in their tools.

[Joe Jensen]

Don't know much about Festool but I can't believe their battery powered tools are 3 phase or 1 phase. Batteries produce direct current (no phases like AC)

Battery voltage is a way to indirectly measure power, Power=voltage x current, higher the voltage, the more power. I see your point, however, as a lot has to do with the motor, etc. but all things being equal (the big assumption here), a 14.4V tool will have less power than a 28V

It's possible they are using a 3 3phase motor and using electronics to create 3 phase power. Doing so allows for much more consistent torque across speed ranges. It is however much more expensive.

Update, I found this whitepaper on the C12 motor. It is indeed a 3 phase motor with PWM speed control. This is very advanced and explains how the C12 delivers such continous torque over the speed range...joe
http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/C12_technical_review.pdf

[Rick Christopherson]

Don't know much about Festool but I can't believe their battery powered tools are 3 phase or 1 phase. Batteries produce direct current (no phases like AC)

Battery voltage is a way to indirectly measure power, Power=voltage x current, higher the voltage, the more power. I see your point, however, as a lot has to do with the motor, etc. but all things being equal (the big assumption here), a 14.4V tool will have less power than a 28VAs Joe mentioned above, it is in fact a 3-phase motor with a 3-phase pulse width modulation. If you manually spun the motor shaft, you would get true 3-phase, sinusoidal, power coming out of the motor as a generator.

P.S. Don't ever try to spin the motor shaft manually because the backfed power will fry the controller, and yes, I know this from experience.:eek:

[Howard Hanger]

I'm working on my Festool collection. For the moment, it includes the TS55, ct-22 DC, R0150FEQ, OF1400, MFT1080 and the Domino. That drill you mentioned is my next purchase. The sticker shock hurts at first until you use them and see what an absolute joy they are. It's almost a sickness, an addiction that once you start down the slippery slope, there's no going back!

Howard from Plano