Professional Builder’s Tibby Singh Choda reviews Festool’s NEW TID 18 Impact Drill.
When I arrive on site the first tool I will invariably pull out is a drill, and I was recently privileged to be one of the first to get my hands on Festool’s NEW TID 18 Impact Drill. It must be one of the most memorable deliveries we have received as we knew we were expecting something but were not told what it was. The drill also arrived before its official announcement, and about two months before it was due to be launched, so we had to keep it confidential, but have since had plenty of time for a thorough test.
The tool was supplied in Festool’s latest Systainer3 – a handy and robust tool storage box designed for vehicle integration. Once opened, and with drill in hand, the first thing I noticed was its 960gm lightweight construction. Not only that but it looks impressive and is very comfortable in the hand.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with impact drivers. With only one speed to play with they can often be too aggressive, and you find yourself trying to adjust the speed from the trigger. With the introduction of three speed levels, Festool has overcome that problem and made this unit more suitable to a wider range of applications, including more refined work in furniture assembly or kitchen fitting, for instance.
It gets another big tick for its T-Mode, which is an operating mode for self-tapping drill screws. When drilling through sheet material, this intelligent technology automatically reduces the speed to enable safer screw-driving. There is a whole host of details in the design that will make a tradesman’s lot a little happier. Festool have designed the chuck so it’s compatible with commercially available tools with 1/4″ hex shank, for example, whilst the LED light has been placed above the battery, consistently illuminating the work area, without finger shadows. There is a safer kick-back-free tangential hammer mechanism and a magnetic integrated bit storage holder on its side just above the battery. Not only that, but the belt clip attachment can be placed on either side of the drill depending on your operating set-up.
We’ve been pushing this drill to new heights in installing 7″x 2″ timber joists in a roof. This involved screwing long screws into the timber and never has it felt so satisfying. To me that was proof that Festool has just raised the roof on impact drills.
For further information on Festool’s NEW TID 18 Impact Drill visit festoolproducts.com/new-festool-tid-18-impact-driver.html
Tibby Singh – www.TibbySingh.com
