Festool drill

1A quality with the cordless drills from Festool

The Festool company originates from Baden-Württemberg and has existed for almost 100 years. The company has dedicated itself to the production of professional tools. Anyone who buys a product from this manufacturer certainly expects only the best. A Festool drill should be no exception. The tools are manufactured to the highest standards and are a perfect solution for continuous use in the trade. They work with either an 18V battery or a 10.8V battery.

In the following, we will show you which Festool cordless drill is a good choice. You will also find out what you should consider when choosing. We hope to be able to help you with this guide.

Festool drill – These models are recommended

Festool CXS

Although Festool cordless drills are clearly robust professional tools, some models can be extremely handy. A good example here is the Festool CXS .

This model is a 10.8V cordless drill. It comes with a practical carrying case (Systainer), two 2.6 Ah batteries and a charger. Even including the battery, the tool still weighs a light 900 g. Accordingly, it can still be carried absolutely comfortably above the shoulders. In addition to the classic 10 mm quick-action drill chuck, there is also a CENTROTEC bit holder. The latter already has a very small diameter, which is why it is possible to work reliably in narrow areas.

The power can be adjusted in 2 gears and 12 torque levels. The peak torque is 16 Nm, which is why this cordless drill is more suitable for delicate work. Nevertheless, holes up to 8 mm in size can be made in steel. The manufacturer recommends the cordless drill primarily for assembling furniture and kitchens as well as for light drilling and screwing work.

Festool TXS

Festool cordless drills can be used universally. A flexible model for the home and business is the Festool TXS .

This cordless drill has the same performance values as the CXS model. However, it is more compact. So when it comes to working in confined spaces, such as inside a wall cupboard, this model is to be favoured. It is also supplied in a comprehensive set, including a 10 mm quick-action drill chuck, two 2.6 Ah batteries and a Systainer box. Assembled, this cordless drill also weighs less than 1 kg.

Other features include an LED light that can be switched on and off and a belt hook. The battery also has a capacity indicator. Drills with a diameter of 1 mm or more can be fastened in the chuck. An intelligent torque cut-off prevents spasmodic overtightening of the bit.

Festool DRC 18/4

A Festool drill is particularly recommended for the highest demands. The manufacturer’s current most powerful model is the Festool DRC 18/4 .

The device works with an 18V battery. Depending on the selection, two such batteries are included in the scope of delivery. They have a capacity of 4 Ah and 5.2 Ah. This means you can work for a long time without interruption. Although the torque is up to 60 Nm, the drill weighs only 1.9 kg including the 5 Ah battery. To distribute the dead weight evenly on both arms, you can optionally mount the enclosed additional handle.

With this cordless drill, you can drive in and remove 10 mm thick and 30 cm long screws without complications. In addition, you can drill holes up to 50 mm in size in wood and up to 13 mm in size in steel – with the 13 mm quick-action drill chuck, many possibilities are open to you. Because there are 4 gears, it is also possible to work quite sensitively with this model.

Festool drill – You should always pay attention to the following

Selection options & drive

The traditional company Festool currently offers 6 different cordless drills. These can be used for either screwing or drilling. The energy is provided either by a 10.8V battery or an 18V battery.

Visually, some of the devices resemble a normal drill. The head can sometimes be completely exchanged so that a classic drill drill becomes, for example, an angle drill (angle attachment).

Festool relies exclusively on high-quality lithium-ion technology for its rechargeable batteries. Although this is not exactly cheap, it has unique advantages. Since there is no memory effect, these batteries promise a long service life. In addition, there is only minimal self-discharge. Another practical feature is the high energy density. As a result, the batteries can be designed to be compact and light – with a comparatively high capacity.

The available battery capacity ranges between 2.6 and 6.2 Ah (ampere hours). The higher the numerical value, the longer you can work without interruption. At the same time, however, the weight, dimensions and price also increase. Incidentally, the 18V batteries always have a three-stage capacity display. The more LEDs light up, the fuller the battery is.

All 18V cordless drills from Festool also have a brushless motor. This is particularly powerful because there are no pronounced frictional losses. BL motors are also compact and durable. Because there are no carbon brushes, they cannot wear out.

Power

The power output always plays a decisive role. It must fit the conditions on site. Otherwise, the project cannot be implemented as desired. To be on the safe side, it makes sense to look at several parameters in this context.

For use as a drill, a look at the torque is particularly useful. It is shown in the unit Nm (newton metres). The higher the numerical value, the longer and thicker the screws that can be driven in and removed. A Festool drill can provide up to 60 Nm, depending on the model. Admittedly, other brand manufacturers can reach into the triple-digit segment – but 60 Nm is also sufficient to drive XXL screws (10×300 mm) without complications.

With Festool you can vary the torque in 2-4 gears and various torque pre-selection levels. The greatest power is available in 1st gear. In the higher gears, the motor turns faster but develops less power. The latter is ideal for driving small screws into wood and plastic without splintering. With high torque, small screws would disappear uncontrollably deep into the material.

The maximum drill diameters in wood and steel are always indicated on a Festool cordless drill. At the top, you can make 50 mm holes in wood (using a Forstner bit) and up to 13 mm holes in steel.

The battery voltage also indicates the potential power. Therefore, you can assume that the 18V cordless drills are always superior to the 10.8V drills.

Drill chuck

The drill chuck has a great influence on the possible applications and the comfort. Festool uses a so-called quick-action drill chuck for all cordless drills. This offers you the best possible comfort. It can be opened and closed intuitively with one hand. There is no need to use a separate tool.

While the 18V cordless drills from Festool have a 13 mm quick-action drill chuck (1.5-13 mm), the 10.8V cordless drills have a 10 mm quick-action drill chuck (1-10 mm). If you have a suitable angle attachment, you can drill, screw, angle drill and angle screw flexibly.

In addition to the quick-action drill chuck, some Festool cordless drills are also supplied with a CENTROTEC attachment. This is very narrow, which is why you can easily sink screws into small holes with it.

Handling

The handling of a cordless drill should of course be as comfortable as possible. In this case, you can devote yourself fully to the task at hand and expect efficient and precise results. In addition, physical discomfort is kept to a minimum.

Of course, the weight has a great influence on the handling. Some Festool drills weigh less than 1 kg including the battery. Such tools can be easily carried above the shoulders even by women and senior citizens. Even the powerful 18V cordless drills still weigh a moderate 1.5-1.9 kg.

An additional handle can also contribute to a high level of operating comfort. This makes it possible to distribute the weight evenly over both arms. Of course, the grip surfaces are rubberised so that there are no feelings of pressure or even calluses on the palm.

Generally, the drill can be used without the need for additional tools. Opening and closing the drill chuck, attaching the angle attachment, repositioning the belt clip – everything can be done with your own hands.

In addition, all the operating elements are located where you would expect them from other manufacturers. Clear symbols help you to immediately find your way around the tool of your choice.

Functionality

A Festool drill can come up with special features that improve comfort, application possibilities and safety. We will briefly explain which features are useful in the following.

First of all, you can classically set the torque on a pre-selection ring. The higher the numerical value, the more torque is available. Then, of course, there is the drill setting for drilling.

Furthermore, depending on the model, you can switch back and forth between 2 and 4 gears on the top of the tool. Such a large number of gears is rare and shows that it is possible to proceed with both precision and power.

Right-hand and left-hand rotation can be switched on a bolt near the throttle switch. In addition to using different gears, you can also vary the speed of the motor by pressing your finger on the accelerator switch.

Another special feature of Festool cordless drills is the fact that you can switch the front LED on and off as you wish. With other manufacturers, this only comes on when there is a certain amount of darkness.

As already mentioned, there can be a belt clip. This allows you to climb ladders and scaffolding safely with both hands. The clip can be mounted on the left as well as on the right, so it does not matter whether you are left- or right-handed.

Thanks to the intelligent motor management, the entire electronics of a Festool drill driver are protected against overload and overheating. Excessive wear is preemptively prevented by an automatic shutdown.

The 18V rechargeable batteries from Festool also have a three-stage capacity display. In addition, there is a Bluetooth connection via which the cordless tools can be connected to an extraction system.

Price

Of course, the price always has a certain influence on the decision. It should be in a fair relation to your own requirements. If this is not the case, there is an increased potential for disappointment. The more performance is required and the more durable the components should be, the more you have to invest. Therefore, a higher budget is required, especially for the high demands in the trade.

A Festool drill is anything but cheap. Even the smallest versions all have an RRP of more than 200 Pounds. This circumstance does not matter to the manufacturer and the customer clientele anyway. The aim here is to meet the highest demands. For do-it-yourselfers, the devices are therefore not necessarily the most obvious choice.

Festool drill – It has unique advantages

Festool cordless drills offer unique advantages. A good example is the fact that there can be up to 4 gears. This makes it possible to adjust the power very precisely. In addition, the head can be partly exchanged, so that one and the same device can act as a drill driver as well as an angle drill. Nevertheless, Festool cordless drills are not always an adequate choice. So that you can quickly weigh up their pros and cons, we have prepared a table for you below:

Video: Festool CXS review