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As this job came down the home stretch the T15's versatility continued to impress. There were still a few tough tasks for the T15 to try to tackle.
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As the job starts to come down to the end there's always lots of tweaking and installing of small hardware. But I did want to try the T15 on much harder tasks before I got to the easier stuff. The tough jobs were stirring thinset and grout for the tile work.
The tile was 12" x 12" for both the floor and shower walls in both bathrooms. I was able to mix up fairly large batches of thinset to set the tiles. These larger batches of thinset proved to be too much for the T15 to handle with a large mixing paddle bit. In all fairness to the T15 I didn't expect it to able to do this task and I ended up using a corded heavy duty right angle drill. The T15 had no trouble mixing the relatively small amount of grout needed. I don't think using a cordless drill to mix stiff materials like thinset or drywall mud is a purpose they were ever intended to serve and usually reach for a corded drill for these applications. I just thought I'd give it try.
With the tile installed I’d need to drill it for the shower doors. Installing the doors sets required me to drill eight holes in the tile for each set. It was porcelain tile that turned out to be surprisingly hard to drill (mostly due to not having the best bit for the job). The T15 got a workout, not much in the way of torque, but in terms of running all out for extended periods of time. The drill was able to keep running, I assume because there wasn't much torque applied, without overheating. While the T15 soldiered on without complaint, I didn't, I passed the drill and the job onto another guy on the crew after completing one of the two sets of doors.
Window locks, door locksets, hinges and stops-there seems to be no end to all of the small items that need to be installed, adjusted or put back together at the end of the job. I clipped a four drawer Sortainer to one of the T15 Systainers and carried them to each job on the punch list. It was nice to have anything I needed such as drill bits, screw tips and a collection of screws, neatly stored and easy to carry.
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Wrapping It All Up
Closing Thoughts on the T15
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As this job came to a close and I looked back on the performance of the T15s and compared them to my old 18V drills, the T15 simply outclassed them. First, the versatility of the T15 is far superior to any other drills I've used. Festool's trademark is building tool systems and the T15 is no exception. The Fast Fix chucks make the T15 a system for solutions to almost all of the drilling/driving challenges I faced on this job. The right angle chuck is hands down my favorite.
It took me some time to warm up to the idea of investing in Centrotec system. As I said earlier, my preference is to use two drills instead of changing out the bits. However, the quality of the bits and how light weight and well balanced the drill is with the Centrotec chuck made the in-vestment worth while. For me the reduced runout and ability to quickly change out bits is just a nice bonus that comes with this system.
After versatility, the ergonomics and torque of the T15 were the next things that stood out in my mind. A few years ago the industry raced to produce larger and more powerful cordless drills. The drills became very powerful and very heavy. Some manufactures would boast about the weight of their drills as a proof of the power and robustness of the tool. More recently the trend moved to small pocket sized drills. These things hit big. They were nice when we didn't need the power or want to lug around that heavy 18V drill. I had a set of both the large and the subcompact drills. I liked the idea of having the right sized drill for the job. The problem was having the set I wanted with me when I wanted them. Carrying two sets of drills around every day was not very practical. When one of the 18V drills died I made the decision to not stay invested in this system of two different sized drills.
Throughout this job the T15 proved that I wouldn't need larger or smaller drills anymore for the type of work I do most often. It's the perfect balance of size/weight and power. The T15's torque is comparable to the mid to low end 18V drills. It does lack the torque of the most powerful drills in that class. On the other hand, there isn't a 14V drill with anywhere near its torque.
Where the T15 surpasses the larger 18V drills with equal torque is its ability to control the power. The T15 has good "feel" for the torque that allows for exceptional control. Larger drills feel clumsy and harder to control for delicate drilling/driving jobs. The T15 handles these delicate jobs with ease and precision. Tasks that in the past I was only comfortable using a hand screwdriver for I can now confidently use the T15 for.
The gearing produces a good range of RPMs for drilling and driving. The low gear isn't too slow to get work done. What I like even more is that the high gear isn't too fast to control driving most fasteners. I was able to drive 3" screws in the high gear by starting with slower RPMs then once I got going I could jump up to full speed, sinking screws quickly. The gearing and the electronics maintaining constant speed under load make controlling the torque very easy.
What took me be surprise was how much the ergonomics of the T15 played in my perception of this tool's value. The weight, balance and well placed controls make it a pleasure to use. I can't say the same for my 18V drills. The T15 is more comfortable and less fatiguing in use. This factored heavily in my deciding to buy a second T15.
The T15 is nearly a perfect tool but there are a few things I'd like to see done differently. I'd like to see a ratcheting style keyless chuck, a LED light and a removable belt clip. The chuck isn't a big deal since it is perfectly functional but to not include a light and belt clip is a mistake. Well, mistake might not be the right choice of words, let's say an oversight in what would have otherwise been a flawless design.
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Even given these small issues the T15s were the most popular drills on the job. On more than one occasion I found myself using someone else's drill because they'd pick up my T15 at every opportunity. I've since sold my other 18V drill and I'm not looking back. The T15 is a complete drilling system that is finely engineered, well built, and has a great warranty. Without question it is the best cordless drill I have ever used. I'd recommend you try one out at your local Festool dealer if you're in the market for a new cordless drill.
Update:
After using my T15 drills for over six months now I decided to add a few more thoughts to this review. The drills are holding up very well with intermittent light to moderate use. No damage or ob-vious wear to note. I've found the lithium batteries to hold their charge very well when not in use. If fact I decided to test just how well they how a charge. I charge a battery and set it aside for more than eight weeks. To my amazement the battery had plenty of power to drive 3" drywall screws. I didn't have any problems running two drills with only three batteries for the eight weeks.
Another thing I want to report on is the T15's cold weather performance. Like all other types of batteries the new Festool lithiums don't work for long in the cold. I left a T15 in my truck in temperatures below freezing for an hour and a half and the battery didn't have the power to drive a screw. Allowing the batteries to warm up (without recharging) brings them back to life.
Brice Burrell, residential remodeling contractor, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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