Festool Ti15?

[marlinspike]

I need to come to terms with the fact that I need to buy my own drill instead of constantly borrowing one. I like the idea of the Festool Ti15 since it can do both impact and standard. Anybody know if it does both well, or if it's like an all-season tire: it can do everything, but does nothing well?

 

[Voi]

The recent "Tools & Shops" edition of Fine Woodworking has a half page over-view of this tool. In the same edition they did an 18V brushless impact shootout but didn't include the Festool.

The author seemed to like it but described himself as "frustrated by the fact that I couldn't use the hex shank bits I already own" due to the fact the driver uses Festool propietary hex bits.

He then says a standard hex bit will fit directly into the spindle but the bit isn't locked in tightly.

Keep in mind this was from a magazine that likely accepts advertising dollars from Festool so take it for what it is worth. I'd have to take some of my hex bits into a Festool dealer and try that for myself.

I have a decent Hitachi impact driver and drill. I find that I don't use the drill much at all so the idea of a hybrid that over-rides the impact function like the Festool is intriguing to me. But a propietary bit would be a deal breaker.

Hope this helps. I was in my local Festool dealer last week and totally forgot to check this one out.

 

[marlinspike]

Definitely didn't realize it was a proprietary shank.

 

[Just_George]

A 1/4" shank bit will fit the Festool, but as mentioned, they use a different configuration (yes, it's proprietary) for locking the bit into the drill. Most frustrating part of it is their very limited selection of bits. I'm a dedicated Festool junkie, but in this case I'd buy a set of Panasonic lithium ion drill/impact drivers before I spent the bucks on a Festool. I even have a Festool C15 drill, which I love....but the Panasonics are pretty much unbeatable.

 

[marlinspike]

Wait...1/4"? I need to look at these more closely. What good is a 1/4" impact? I just sorta assumed 3/8".

 

[mobiledynamics]

I have invested in ALOT of the green tools. A cordless drill from Festool would never be something I would even consider as a 2nd or backup drill.

If I was a cabinetmaker, I may possible consider their tool just due to size profile.
But you can get away with that with similar 12V on the market just due to size..

if you're looking at a cordless drill, I would 1st look at Makita, Bosch and Milwaukee. If the budget allows, I would consider looking at Panasonic or the Hilti SID 18

 

[marlinspike]

I was originally looking at Metabo. Any reason that didn't make the list?

 

[mobiledynamics]

Cause Metabo makes my favorite angle grinders ;-)

 

[mobiledynamics]

Tools are subjective...
All somewhat based on budget to a degree. FWIW, I have 4 Panasonics and 1 Hilti.
But again....it's a personal thing...

 

[shofestoolusa]

Hello, Shane here with Festool USA. I saw the thread and wanted to correct something that was said that was inaccurate.

Our drills use standard 1/4" hex shank wire detent bits in the Centrotec (lightweight) drill chuck. All of our drills also come with a standard keyless chuck that will accepts any drill or driver bit made by any manufacturer, limited by shank size depending on the drill model. The Ti15 has a 1/2" keyless chuck, so it would accept any drill or driver bit up to 1/2" in shank diameter.

Also, all of our tools have a 30-day no-risk, no-hassle money back guarantee. Get it, try it, if it doesn't meet your expectations then return it for a refund. Worst case scenario, you get to use a Festool for free to up to a month.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Shane Holland
Festool USA
[email protected]

 

[Bolster]

Welcome to GJ, Shofestool. What software are you using to alert you to posts on your brand? Are you using Radian6 or other software to scan the internet? At any rate, stick around, we're always glad to have dealers and reps. Get that post count up to two, at least.

 

[shofestoolusa]

Thanks for the welcome.

Just a simple Google Alert brought the thread to my attention.

If any of the forum members here have questions or need assistance with a Festool product, please feel free to contact me. Glad to help out. And, glad to hear that the forum welcomes manufacturers.

Shane

 

[coxodoina]

The author seemed to like it but described himself as "frustrated by the fact that I couldn't use the hex shank bits I already own" due to the fact the driver uses Festool propietary hex bits.

 

[shofestoolusa]

The author seemed to like it but described himself as "frustrated by the fact that I couldn't use the hex shank bits I already own" due to the fact the driver uses Festool propietary hex bits.

Yeah, I read that. Sometimes having tools that are radically different than other tools means they are misunderstood. The bit holder included and the keyless chuck accept standard bits. We also have a quick change bit system called Centrotec that uses Festool bits, for those who choose to use it. It's not required to take advantage of the features of the drills.

We probably should have done a better job to educate the reviewer. I'll make sure we touch base with him.

I just wanted to make sure that the forum members here didn't get the wrong impression.

Shane