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AWFS Tool News: Festool Launches Drill for Under $300

Ed Pirnik, Senior Web Producer

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Festool's latest drill offers small size, a variety of chucks, and brushless technology, for under $300.

Festool

You can grab the CXS plus set, including a Centrotec chuck, keyless chuck, 2 batteries, and charger, for $225. For $50 more, they'll throw in the right angle chuck.

Festool

While the drill boasts only 10.8-volts, the technology employed in this unit allows for a heck of a punch--or so they say.

Festool

Festool's latest drill offers small size, a variety of chucks, and brushless technology, for under $300.

Photo: Festool

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AWFS Tool News

Despite the fact that we're not even in Vegas yet, we're still seeing a trickle of tool news making its way to our in-boxes. First up is an announcement from Festool regarding their new CXS Compact Cordless Drill.

Here's the scoop: The CXS offers 10.8 Li-Ion battery technology in a compact drill that seems as though it'd be well at home in most any furniture shop. UPDATE: Upon our arrival in Las Vegas, we found out that there may have been a mix-up with some of the promotional materials for the CXS. In fact, it's not a brushless motor as we previously reported. However, Festool is gearing up to launch two more powerful drills in that new lineup which will, in fact, be brushless.

Three Chucks for Under 300 Bucks

What makes this drill even more interesting is the fact that for well under $300 (not bad for a Festool product), you're coming away with three chucks (including a right angle model) as well as two batteries. All this in a drill that weighs in at under 2lbs. Are we skeptical? Always--but you can bet on the fact that we'll be making a bee-line for the Festool booth. Heck, I might even pack a 4/4 white oak board and a whole mess of wood screws to really put this thing through its paces! We'll most certainly have more to report on this drill upon our arrival in Nevada.

2011 Tool Guide
From the editors of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding 225 tools tested $9.99 more info...

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Comments (7)

KenBee writes: Buying Festool is like buying Levis, all you are doing is buying a name. Wrangler jeans wear just as well as Levi's and cost a fraction of what Levi's cost. The same goes for Festool, my $79.00 Hitachi router will route dovetails just as fast and clean as a Festool and my $59.00 Ridgid corded drill will drill just as straight and fast as the Festool. I don't buy or use battery powered tools because they are not worth the money they cost and Murphy's law applies to the battery, just when you need it the most the battery goes dead.
Posted: 10:10 am on September 12th

denwag writes: really? 300 bucks? ok it comes with a right angle chuck
except that ra chuck looks almost useless i own a few festool products and they are built well, my bosch and dewalt tools are also built well, festool tools are more of a system than a line
of tools.a very expensive system and thats where they really
want to get you hooked, i didnt bite for the system but thier
sanders rock,
Posted: 9:21 pm on July 27th

TVJ writes: Yes I agree tools are very nice no matter high or low cost.But men let us look at the real problem that i think all you big shots have overlooked.The way i see it electronics in woodwoorking is shorting out the craft and the learning abilty of future customers.Here in cleveland ohio, one of the largest 25 cities in the country, we have no woodworking supply store within 35 miles of my home shop. Futhermore, if you suppliers would open woodworking schools in many locations, you would create more customers.
Posted: 5:16 pm on July 21st

beem writes: Lie-Nielsen bench plane? What's wrong with the Stanley bench planes? It shaves wood - that's it! Just kidding ;-)

Yeah, I also have a Milwaukee corded drill that suits me just fine, but I've heard that this new Festool has a feature that generates a tachyon field which creates faster than light speed holes...
Posted: 10:22 am on July 21st

Dean2 writes: I have never understood how people will shell out tons of bucks for a Festool when others perform just as well and for as long for half the money. I've got a cople of Milwaukee M12's that are small compact and powerful and run all day and have served me very well building furniture. If I need more than that then I get my cored Milwuakee and drill the holes. The money I saved got me a beautiful Lie- Neilsen bench plane.
Posted: 7:46 pm on July 20th

Preston71 writes: Yes it drills holes...yes... But they are German holes. That should be at least worth an extra $100 or so, right?
Posted: 9:43 pm on July 19th

jake_shackelford writes: Am I the only one who is not impressed by the fact that I can now buy a drill for "less than $300"? I mean, it's a drill. Seriously. It drills holes.
Posted: 6:20 pm on July 19th

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