Festool Improves Its C12 Drill-driver

Since the Festool C12 drill/driver’s release, the Popular Woodworking shop has had the tool in use. In fact, someone in the shop (I’ll not mention the name) keeps this tool close at hand; it’s the first drill/driver to which she reaches.

In today’s world of battery-powered drills, models come and go. In the December 2005 issue, Popular Woodworking Magazine named the Festool C12 (then referred to as a BPS 12) one of the the year’s “Best New Tools” and five years later the C12 drill-driver remains unaltered and continues to move off store shelves. But all that’s about to change.

Festool has a new version in the works and upgrades not only make the C12 a better, more efficient tool, they make it possible to grow in size. No the C12 isn’t getting bigger, the company plans to extend the line with the introduction of a larger drill-driver based on the C12, the C15.

Both drill-drivers will have a new brushless motor design. Festool says that since the C12 has been in production, the company has, “tweaked our processes to produce a better, more efficient, and reliable motor.” Specific differences, however, are being held close to the vest.

Another change to the design is the introduction of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Due to the smaller and lighter nature of the Li-ion, Festool is able to develop a larger tool while maintaining its self-imposed height and weight restrictions to keep the drill-drivers comfortable in cabinetmakers hands. Both tools, the improved C12 and the new C15, have added torque and increased run-times. The charts below provide the tool specs of each drill-driver.

Don’t look for the updated C12 or the new C15 to hit stores until late Fall 2010 and as for prices, those have yet to be established.

– Glen D. Huey