Festool Centrotec

[Gary Keedwell]

Fellow Woodworkers,


I just love my new 15.6 Festool Cordless Drill. Being a machinist in my other life and a handyman wannabe, I'm most impressed with the centrotec chuck. I never liked using the hex shanked drill bits because the "run-out" used to drive me crazy. I used mostly round-shanked bits in a 3 jaw chuck. Now it is hex shanked 24 -7 for me!!!



I was wondering if anybody figured out how to get-around buying the expensive Festool bits. Has anybody experimented with other bits? I was thinking about modifying bits to fit the Festool. Sure would save alot of money. Any Thoughts?


Gary K.

[Bob Stegemann]

I also like my Festool Drill and us regular bits that fit into a magnetic holder that also has a hex insert. These are the same bits used in other drills I've used.

[Gary Keedwell]

Yea, I use it too, but it eliminates the centrotec chuck. I paid the big bucks for Festools drill bit set. Haven't put them to the test yet, but they better hold up for the money I spent!!! LOL

Gary K.

[Jim Becker]

If you have the ability to make tooling, you may be able to create or modify for your own use less expensive options for use with the Centrotec system. I really haven't felt the need most of the time; the exception being "native" square drive bits which just don't exist. I just use the Festool adapter and it works fine with all my hex tooling including McFeeley's square drivers...the only real down side is losing the ability to get "really short" in some close quarter situation. And yes, I've expressed my concern about this to Festool...right to the top of the food chain...when I was reviewing a whole bunch of tools a couple years ago.

[Gary Keedwell]

Yea, I understand , Jim, just seems like a little waste to me. I have all these drills that I accumulated over all these years and when I put them in the centrotec and pull the trigger...well..don't wanna go there. lol Since I'm just a hobbyist, it will not be such a big deal. I've already laid out the initial $ for the set of drills but I might have to order a few small ones for my screw predrilling. Still like my 15.6 very, very much!!!

Gary K.

[Jim Becker]

Gary, I happen to like the two Festool drill bits I own. Unfortuantely, they are metric and I don't generally work in that measurment system...not because I don't like it, but because I never got into the habit since the country I live in hasn't, umm...adopted it for common usage...like the rest of the world. And, like you, I have a lot of existing hex-shank stuff in the drawer. They work. Precise? Not! But they work.

[David Romasco]

Gentlemen, I have the C-12, and when the 'funky chucks' are off, there's a handy hex drive socket on the motor that fits all the hex stuff I've accumulated. Downside is, there's no retention system (magnetic or clip), so I wind up picking up the hex doodad just about every time I use it. Yep: I, too, would like to see the Centrotec chuck come in an alternate size...

[Gary Keedwell]

Well, that's where the machinists part of me comes out...I have all these conversion charts that give me everything in decimals and I always have a dial caliper nearby. You can get pretty close to Imperial sizes with the metric drills. Still seems ashamed that your not getting the full benefit from that ingeniously engineered Centrotec chuck. I get a big kick out of it. Can't walk by it without trying it out again, and again, and again..............

Gary K.

[Christian Aufreiter]

Gentlemen, I have the C-12, and when the 'funky chucks' are off, there's a handy hex drive socket on the motor that fits all the hex stuff I've accumulated. Downside is, there's no retention system (magnetic or clip), so I wind up picking up the hex doodad just about every time I use it. Yep: I, too, would like to see the Centrotec chuck come in an alternate size...

I use the CDD and would greatly appreciate a magnetic holder in the spindle. Honestly, I don't understand why Festool didn't equip the spindle with a magnet. As a consequence I'm thinking about gluing a small magnet in the hex socket.
What do you think?

Christian

[nic obie]

I use the CDD and would greatly appreciate a magnetic holder in the spindle. Honestly, I don't understand why Festool didn't equip the spindle with a magnet. As a consequence I'm thinking about gluing a small magnet in the hex socket.
What do you think?

Christian

Good idea. I think I'll do the same.