Great content man, highly appreciated! Just for what it’s worth, if you are able to update the title you might consider putting “comparison” earlier in the title. I actually skipped this video earlier when I was looking for comparisons. I just read the saw “unboxing” and moved on, never reading the entire title. But now I was going more into depth and looked for reviews on the CSX 18, and loo and behold I also got precisely the comparison I was looking for earlier :) Btw, I got mine during a “battery included for free”-drive and it is indeed the 3 Ah size. It’s very well balanced with that and I really prefer it over my Makita 18 V brushless with the 5 Ah battery I got included in that bundle. I also have some 5 Ah Festool batteries but I never use them in this drill since them, at least for me, totally negates the “compactness” that I like so much with the CXS 18 :)
Thanks for the compliment and the tip. I appreciate both. Also thanks for taking the time to check out the video. Have you seen the 3 amp hour batteries for sale in the U.S. ?
Be careful. There are two right-angle adapters. The AN-XS fits the CSX12 and the C/TSX-1 drills only. The AN-UNI fits all of the current models. I didn't realize this, so I have to buy a AN-UNI, one of these days. The CSX-18 and CSX-12 have the same torque specs. The only difference (other than the obvious) is that the 12V battery will need charging more often. If I'd known that they were so close to each other, I probably wouldn't have bought the CSX-18. Other than the handles the CSX-8 and TSX-18 are exactly the same.
I love what you’re doing owning and comparing all these drills, and I have some questions. How do you think each of these drills would perform using the UJK Parf Guide Mark II system to drill both the 3mm and 20mm holes to build an MFT-style (a.k.a. 20-96) style bench-top like your using? And do you think any of these drills would struggle or not sufficient using the Parf Guide system in 3/4 MDF vs plywood? I ask because I’m also worried about the smoothness drilling because, even though I will be using the Parf Guide’s drill guide, the vibration and/or lack of smoothness could compound inaccuracy issues by the time you go from bench dog holes one one side of the bench to the other. For example, I tested my Bosch and Dewalt Hammer drills, and I noticed a significant difference using the Parf Guide’s drill guide. The Dewalt’s bit runout vibrated more but was very consistent where the Bosch had less wobble but it was also less consistent in its vibration. I’m not sure how to account for this but it made me think how the vast majority of people drilling their own MFT tables are using Festool. I’ve also heard of success using Dewalt and some other brands, but I think carpenters and woodworkers have a different tolerance or need for accuracy, so many might not even notice their MFT tables are not so perfectly accurate. No one really addresses these things, and I reached out to Axminster Tools/UJK but they never responded. My thought is that they might stand to lose customers if they admit they Have to use something like a Festool to get the most accuracy out of the Parf Guide Mark II. It might even get more complicated if the extra power of one Festool CXS is better than another. I had Microsoft’s Copilot AI convert the Festool UK website’s use of nm to ft. lbs. to get to the bottom of the true difference in torque between the CXS 12, CXS 18 and CXS 19. It turns out they’re using the same specs for the drills. But the CXS 18 sold in the US, however, is packaged with a 4.0 ah battery and only a 3.0 ah battery. I also know that in recent years people have figured out that adding amp hours to batteries, contrary to conventional wisdom, can get more power from saws, drills and other power tools after all. I think this might be why one comparison I saw on RUclips comparing the CXS 18 to the C 18 concluded it was a draw. I believe this is because the published torque specs may not be truly representative and that the CXS 18 might be a lot closer to the C 18’s torque than people realize. This also explains the rumor that the plan is for both the CXS 18 and TXS 18 to eventually replace the C 18 and T 18. To complicate things further, I read that one Festool user on the FOG forum said that he sold his C 18 to get both the CXS 12 and CXS 18. And although he likes them both and uses them a lot, he said he missed the smoothness of the C 18 which he believes is the smoothest drill he has ever used. I don’t know if that might make a difference or not, and he wasn’t talking about drilling his own MFT/20-96 style tables, but it’s just food for thought.
First thank you for the compliment. Regarding Festool Drill smoothness, I do feel the difference between the drills. I will do some videos to compare this when I gather a little more data on how to compare it in a way that will be transferable on video. My verbal explanation is that Festool has seemed to increased the power in the CXS 12 over the original CXS. The voltage was increased from 10.8 volts to 12 volts. In hand I the new CXS feels like it is turbo charged. The torque quick power is there you can feel it when you pull the trigger the tool can jerk in your hand. That is different from the original CXS that feels like more of a slow wind up. This example may not translate but I will try anyway. When I purchased my 2008 Yamaha R6 motorcycle (600) cc it had a lot of torque. When you accelerate it had a jerky feel. By contrast the Suzuki was also a 600 cc bike but the power band was more gradual and smooth. I am not sure which one had the higher speed as I never tested that but, I can say after purchasing the R6 I wished that I had purchased the Suzuki as the smoother power band made me feel like I had more control throughout acceleration. The t18 and c18 drills by comparison are like the Suzuki with a steady power band. The CXS 12 , 18, and TSX 18 are like the Yamaha. The Jerky quick power is more in line with the 12 volt Milwaukee and Dewalt. It is possible that Festool wanted to try to close the gap a bit in regards to power and so choose to give up a bit of the smooth feel to accomplish it. If I had always been a Festool user I might have been disappointed. Coming from Milwaukee and Dewalt it is pretty much a nonissue. That being said if I am doing things that require more refinement I will reach for the original CXS, the C18, T18, or even the newer Festool hammer drill. If I am just banging things out I have no problem using my Milwaukee and or Dewalt. I have the Part Guide system and I do plan on making some more MFT tops for practice. My 4 foot by 8 foot MFT was made with a combination of my Milwaukee 12 volt install driver and my Dewalt hammer drill. According to both my TSO and Benchdogs 18 inch triangles my hole grid is square. I plan on making a MFT top video using my Festool drill. I may make a couple of different videos where I use the different drills so that I can provide a definitive answer. I will get back to you on that in a video. First I need to clear out some shop space.
@@daddysharespace the Yamaha/Suzuki example makes great sense, and thank you for the great response generally. It also helps that I also have a DeWalt hammer drill (so perhaps it might be ok). I look forward to your future videos. By the way, I also thought the CXS 12 was a higher voltage, but it turns out that the CXS 12 is also a 10.8v drill with a 12v max. DeWalt does the same thing calling their tools 20v when they are actually 18v with a 20v max (just like Milwaukee). I was told it is a Marketing thing. The reason why the new CXS is more powerful is that it is brushless, so it has a frictionless transfer of energy which also doesn’t require replacing brushes that otherwise would wear out when they are worn out over time. This also, however, makes the brushless less smooth and more jerky, especially when they are small & lighter because they don’t have the brushes that otherwise tamp down the torque. This is why-not only is the original CXS smoother than the CXS 12/18-but it is also why the brushless C18 is smoother than either the CXS 12 or CXS 18. Its motor is heavier which mitigates startup (despite also being brushless).
I have the 3AH batteries with CXS18 which would save around 200 grams at the base. Will save quite a bit of bulk. I’m currently considering the CXS12 for smaller tasks. How would you compare the noise levels? It’d be cool to see a a stress test to see how far the 12 can push the 18.
Thanks for the tip. Using a random sound meter application that I downloaded from Google Play I got 79DB for the Festool CXS18 and 84 DB for the Festool CXS12. The 12 has more of a piercing sound when compared to the 18. Wear hearing protection. I will look into a stress test video and I may upload a clip of the sound test as well. Thanks for checking out the video
Lithium graphine batteries will soon come to market they will be lighter and more powerful you can buy the lighter festool 18v batteries which would give you more balance 3ah
Great video Will the Milwaukee and Festool chucks swap?
Great content man, highly appreciated! Just for what it’s worth, if you are able to update the title you might consider putting “comparison” earlier in the title. I actually skipped this video earlier when I was looking for comparisons. I just read the saw “unboxing” and moved on, never reading the entire title. But now I was going more into depth and looked for reviews on the CSX 18, and loo and behold I also got precisely the comparison I was looking for earlier :)
Btw, I got mine during a “battery included for free”-drive and it is indeed the 3 Ah size. It’s very well balanced with that and I really prefer it over my Makita 18 V brushless with the 5 Ah battery I got included in that bundle. I also have some 5 Ah Festool batteries but I never use them in this drill since them, at least for me, totally negates the “compactness” that I like so much with the CXS 18 :)
Thanks for the compliment and the tip. I appreciate both. Also thanks for taking the time to check out the video.
Have you seen the 3 amp hour batteries for sale in the U.S. ?
Be careful. There are two right-angle adapters. The AN-XS fits the CSX12 and the C/TSX-1 drills only. The AN-UNI fits all of the current models. I didn't realize this, so I have to buy a AN-UNI, one of these days.
The CSX-18 and CSX-12 have the same torque specs. The only difference (other than the obvious) is that the 12V battery will need charging more often. If I'd known that they were so close to each other, I probably wouldn't have bought the CSX-18. Other than the handles the CSX-8 and TSX-18 are exactly the same.
I love what you’re doing owning and comparing all these drills, and I have some questions. How do you think each of these drills would perform using the UJK Parf Guide Mark II system to drill both the 3mm and 20mm holes to build an MFT-style (a.k.a. 20-96) style bench-top like your using? And do you think any of these drills would struggle or not sufficient using the Parf Guide system in 3/4 MDF vs plywood? I ask because I’m also worried about the smoothness drilling because, even though I will be using the Parf Guide’s drill guide, the vibration and/or lack of smoothness could compound inaccuracy issues by the time you go from bench dog holes one one side of the bench to the other.
For example, I tested my Bosch and Dewalt Hammer drills, and I noticed a significant difference using the Parf Guide’s drill guide. The Dewalt’s bit runout vibrated more but was very consistent where the Bosch had less wobble but it was also less consistent in its vibration. I’m not sure how to account for this but it made me think how the vast majority of people drilling their own MFT tables are using Festool. I’ve also heard of success using Dewalt and some other brands, but I think carpenters and woodworkers have a different tolerance or need for accuracy, so many might not even notice their MFT tables are not so perfectly accurate.
No one really addresses these things, and I reached out to Axminster Tools/UJK but they never responded. My thought is that they might stand to lose customers if they admit they Have to use something like a Festool to get the most accuracy out of the Parf Guide Mark II. It might even get more complicated if the extra power of one Festool CXS is better than another.
I had Microsoft’s Copilot AI convert the Festool UK website’s use of nm to ft. lbs. to get to the bottom of the true difference in torque between the CXS 12, CXS 18 and CXS 19. It turns out they’re using the same specs for the drills. But the CXS 18 sold in the US, however, is packaged with a 4.0 ah battery and only a 3.0 ah battery. I also know that in recent years people have figured out that adding amp hours to batteries, contrary to conventional wisdom, can get more power from saws, drills and other power tools after all. I think this might be why one comparison I saw on RUclips comparing the CXS 18 to the C 18 concluded it was a draw. I believe this is because the published torque specs may not be truly representative and that the CXS 18 might be a lot closer to the C 18’s torque than people realize. This also explains the rumor that the plan is for both the CXS 18 and TXS 18 to eventually replace the C 18 and T 18.
To complicate things further, I read that one Festool user on the FOG forum said that he sold his C 18 to get both the CXS 12 and CXS 18. And although he likes them both and uses them a lot, he said he missed the smoothness of the C 18 which he believes is the smoothest drill he has ever used. I don’t know if that might make a difference or not, and he wasn’t talking about drilling his own MFT/20-96 style tables, but it’s just food for thought.
First thank you for the compliment.
Regarding Festool Drill smoothness, I do feel the difference between the drills. I will do some videos to compare this when I gather a little more data on how to compare it in a way that will be transferable on video. My verbal explanation is that Festool has seemed to increased the power in the CXS 12 over the original CXS. The voltage was increased from 10.8 volts to 12 volts. In hand I the new CXS feels like it is turbo charged. The torque quick power is there you can feel it when you pull the trigger the tool can jerk in your hand. That is different from the original CXS that feels like more of a slow wind up.
This example may not translate but I will try anyway. When I purchased my 2008 Yamaha R6 motorcycle (600) cc it had a lot of torque. When you accelerate it had a jerky feel. By contrast the Suzuki was also a 600 cc bike but the power band was more gradual and smooth. I am not sure which one had the higher speed as I never tested that but, I can say after purchasing the R6 I wished that I had purchased the Suzuki as the smoother power band made me feel like I had more control throughout acceleration.
The t18 and c18 drills by comparison are like the Suzuki with a steady power band. The CXS 12 , 18, and TSX 18 are like the Yamaha. The Jerky quick power is more in line with the 12 volt Milwaukee and Dewalt. It is possible that Festool wanted to try to close the gap a bit in regards to power and so choose to give up a bit of the smooth feel to accomplish it.
If I had always been a Festool user I might have been disappointed. Coming from Milwaukee and Dewalt it is pretty much a nonissue. That being said if I am doing things that require more refinement I will reach for the original CXS, the C18, T18, or even the newer Festool hammer drill. If I am just banging things out I have no problem using my Milwaukee and or Dewalt.
I have the Part Guide system and I do plan on making some more MFT tops for practice. My 4 foot by 8 foot MFT was made with a combination of my Milwaukee 12 volt install driver and my Dewalt hammer drill. According to both my TSO and Benchdogs 18 inch triangles my hole grid is square.
I plan on making a MFT top video using my Festool drill. I may make a couple of different videos where I use the different drills so that I can provide a definitive answer.
I will get back to you on that in a video. First I need to clear out some shop space.
@@daddysharespace the Yamaha/Suzuki example makes great sense, and thank you for the great response generally. It also helps that I also have a DeWalt hammer drill (so perhaps it might be ok). I look forward to your future videos.
By the way, I also thought the CXS 12 was a higher voltage, but it turns out that the CXS 12 is also a 10.8v drill with a 12v max. DeWalt does the same thing calling their tools 20v when they are actually 18v with a 20v max (just like Milwaukee). I was told it is a Marketing thing. The reason why the new CXS is more powerful is that it is brushless, so it has a frictionless transfer of energy which also doesn’t require replacing brushes that otherwise would wear out when they are worn out over time. This also, however, makes the brushless less smooth and more jerky, especially when they are small & lighter because they don’t have the brushes that otherwise tamp down the torque. This is why-not only is the original CXS smoother than the CXS 12/18-but it is also why the brushless C18 is smoother than either the CXS 12 or CXS 18. Its motor is heavier which mitigates startup (despite also being brushless).
so using these drills in gangsta shootin fashion fatigues, I am tempted by the cxs18 but my OG CXS + TPC cover everything along with makita impact
I cannot argue with your perspective.
I have the 3AH batteries with CXS18 which would save around 200 grams at the base. Will save quite a bit of bulk.
I’m currently considering the CXS12 for smaller tasks. How would you compare the noise levels?
It’d be cool to see a a stress test to see how far the 12 can push the 18.
Thanks for the tip.
Using a random sound meter application that I downloaded from Google Play I got 79DB for the Festool CXS18 and 84 DB for the Festool CXS12. The 12 has more of a piercing sound when compared to the 18. Wear hearing protection.
I will look into a stress test video and I may upload a clip of the sound test as well.
Thanks for checking out the video
@@daddysharespace this follows the findings in the FOG research of these banshees
Lithium graphine batteries will soon come to market they will be lighter and more powerful you can buy the lighter festool 18v batteries which would give you more balance 3ah
I keep hearing about 3 amp hour batteries, however I have not been able to find them. I have only come across the 4 amp hour batteries.