Festool T 18+3 Li: WARNING! Read all safety warnings and all instructions. Failure to follow the warnings and instructions may result in electric shock, fire and/or serious injury. Save all warnings and instructions for future reference.The term "power tool" in the warnings refers to your mains-operated (corded) power toolor battery-operated (cordless) power tool.

12

T 12 + 3, T 15 + 3, T 18 + 3

GB

Original operating manual 1 Safety instructions 1.1 General safety instructions

WARNING! Read all safety warnings and all instructions.  Failure to follow the warnings and instructions may result in electric shock, fire and/or serious injury. Save all warnings and instructions for future reference. The term "power tool" in the warnings refers to your mains-operated (corded) power tool or battery-operated (cordless) power tool.

1.2 Machine-related safety instructions

– Hold power tool by insulated gripping surfaces, when performing an operation where the cutting accessory or fastener may contact hidden wiring.  Cutting acces- sory or fasteners contacting a "live" wire may make exposed metal parts of the pow- er tool "live" and could give the operator an electric shock. – This charger can be used by  children  of 8 years and upwards and persons with im- paired physical, sensory or mental abilities, or insufficient experience or knowl- edge, providing they are supervised or have been instructed in the proper use of the appliance and understand the risks involved.  Children  are not permitted to play with the appliance.  Children  must not carry out  cleaning tasks or maintenance  unless they are supervised. – Wear suitable protection:  such as ear protection, safety goggles, a dust mask for work which generates dust, and protective gloves when working with raw materials and when changing tools. CAUTION! Rebound! Rotation: Switch off device immediately! – Do not lock the on/off switch permanently! – Do not open the battery pack or the charger!  – Prevent metal parts (e.g. metal chips) or fluids from entering the charger! – Do not use battery packs or chargers from other manufacturers! – Protect the battery pack from excessive heat or constant heat sources such as sunlight or naked flames! – Never use water to extinguish burning li-ion battery packs! Use sand or a fire blanket. – Check the plug and the cable regularly and should either become damaged, in order to avoid a hazard, have them replaced by an authorised after-sales service work- shop. – Always pull the mains plug out of the socket when the charger is not in use. – Only for AS/NZS:  The tool shall always be supplied via residual current device with a rated residual current of 30 mA or less.

T 12 + 3, T 15 + 3, T 18 + 3

13

GB

1.3

Emission levels

Levels determined in accordance with EN 60745 are

typically:

Vibration emission value a

h

 (vector sum for three di-

rections) and uncertainty K measured in accordance

with EN 60745:

The specified emissions values (vibration, noise) 

– are used to compare machines.

– They are also used for making preliminary esti-

mates regarding vibration and noise loads during

operation.

– They represent the primary applications of the

power tool.

Increase possible for other applications, with other

insertion tools or if not maintained adequately. Take

note of idling and downtimes of machine!

2 Symbols 3 Technical  data

Sound pressure level

L

PA

 = 65 dB(A)

Sound power level

L

WA

 = 76 dB(A)

Uncertainty

K = 3 dB

Wear ear protection.

Drilling in metal

a

h

 < 2,5 m/s

2

K = 1,5 m/s

2

Screwing

a

h

 < 2,5 m/s

2

K = 1,5 m/s

2

Warning of general danger

Risk of electric shock

Read the Operating Instructions/Notes!

Wear ear protection.

Wear protective gloves.

Wear protective goggles.

Do not throw in the household waste.

Cordless drill

T12 + 3

T15 + 3

T18 + 3

Motor voltage

 10,8 - 12 V

 14,4 - 15,6 V

18 V

Idling speed*

1st gear

0 - 450 rpm

2nd gear

0 - 1500 rpm

Max. torque

Soft material (wood)

20 Nm

27 Nm

30 Nm

Hard material (metal)

34 Nm

40 Nm

45 Nm

Adjustable torque**

1./2. gear

0,5 - 8 Nm

Chuck clamping range

1,5 - 13 mm

Max. drill diameter in

wood

25 mm

35 mm

45 mm

metal

14 mm

16 mm

16 mm

Tool holder in drill spindle

1/4 ’’

Weight without battery, with Centrotec

1,0 kg

1,0 kg

1,05 kg

Charger 

TCL 3

Mains voltage (input)

220 - 240 V ~

Mains frequency

50/60 Hz

Charging voltage (output)

10,8 - 18 V=

Rapid charging

max. 3 A

Conservation charging, intermittent (NiCd, NiMH)

approx. 0,06 A

Charging times for BP, BPS and BPC battery packs

Li-ion 1,5 Ah, 80 %/100 %

approx. 25/35 min.

Li-ion 3,0 Ah, 80 %/100 %

approx. 55/70 min.

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T 12 + 3, T 15 + 3, T 18 + 3

GB

* Speed specifications with fully charged battery pack. 

** The maximum speed is reduced in the lower torque stages.

4 Machine features

The specified illustrations appear at the beginning of

the Operating Instructions.

5 Intended use

Cordless drill suitable for

– drilling in metal, wood, plastic and similar materi-

als,

– inserting and tightening screws

– use with Festool batteries BPC and BPS of the

same voltage.

Charger TCL 3 suitable for

– charging Festool battery packs: BP, BPS and BPC

(NiMH, NiCd, li-ion are recognised automatically.)

– indoor use only.

The user is liable for improper or non-intend-

ed use; this also includes continuous industri-

al operation.

6 Operation

6.1

Charger cable holder[3-2]

Unwind the cable completely from the recess

before using the charger.

6.2

Changing the battery pack [2]



Battery pack is ready for use immediately upon

delivery and can be charged at any time.



When using NiMH or NiCd battery packs, the va-

cant opening can be closed with the blanking plug

[2-1]

.

The capacity display 

[1-10]

 automatically displays

the charge state of the battery pack 

[1-3]

 when the

ON/OFF switch is actuated: 

(not NiCd- and NiMH-battery packs)

6.3

Charging the battery pack [3A]

The LED 

[3-1]

 on the charger indicates the respec-

tive operating status of the charger.

Li-ion 4,2 Ah, 80 %/100 %

approx. 70/90 min.

Permitted operating temperature range

  -5  °C  to  + 45 °C

Temperature monitoring

via NTC resistor

Safety class

/II

Charger 

TCL 3

Battery Pack 

BPC 12 Li

BPC 15 Li

BPC 18 Li

Voltage

10,8 V

14,4 V

18 V

Capacity

3,0 Ah

4,2 Ah

4,2 Ah

Weight

0,49 kg 

0,58 kg

0,68 kg

[1-1]

Buttons for releasing the battery pack

[1-2]

Bit store

[1-3]

On/Off switch

[1-4]

Right/left switch

[1-5]

LED lamp

[1-6]

Gear switch

[1-7]

Drilling symbol

[1-8]

Screwdriving symbol

[1-9]

Drilling/Fastening selector switch

[1-10]

Capacity display

[1-11]

Belt clip

[1-12]

Torque thumbwheel

[2-1]

Battery blanking plug

[3-1]

LED-Display

[3-2]

Cable holder

[3B]

Wall mount

70 - 100 % 

40 - 70 %

15 - 40 %

< 15 %

Recommendation:

 Charge bat-

tery pack before further use.

LED yellow - lit continuously

Charger is ready to use.

LED green - flashes quickly

Battery pack is charged to maxi-

mum capacity.

LED green - flashes slowly

Battery pack is charged with 

reduced current. Li-ion is 

charged to 80 %.

T 12 + 3, T 15 + 3, T 18 + 3

15

GB

7 Settings

7.1

Changing direction of rotation [1-4]

• Switch to the left = clockwise rotation

• Switch to the right = counterclockwise rotation

7.2

Changing gear [1-6]

• Gear switch forwards (digit 1 visible) = 1st gear

• Gear switch to rear (digit 2 visible) = 2nd gear

7.3

Fastening

Adjust the switch so that its marking 

[1-9]

 faces the

screw symbol 

[1-8]

.

Adjust the torque accordingly at the torque wheel 

[1-

12]

.

Position 1 = low torque

Position 25 = high torque

An 

acoustic signal

 sounds when the preset torque is

reached and the machine then switches off. You must

release and press the ON/OFF switch 

[1-3]

 again to

start the machine.

7.4

Drilling

Adjust the switch so that its marking 

[1-9]

  faces the

drilling symbol 

[1-7]

 = maximum torque.

8 Tool holder, attachments

The order numbers of the accessories and tools can

be found in the Festool catalogue or on the Internet

under "www.festool.com".

8.1

CENTROTEC tool chuck [4]

Quick change of tools with CENTROTEC shaft 

Only clamp CENTROTEC tools in CENTROTEC

tool chucks.

Wear gloves when replacing!

8.2

Chuck BF-FX [5]

For clamping drill bits and bits with max. shaft diam-

eter of 13 mm.

Clamp tool centrally in the chuck.

8.3

Angle attachment DD-AS [6]

Drilling and screwing at right angle to machine (part-

ly as an accessory).

8.4

Eccentric attachment DD-ES [7]

Screwdriving near edges with bits according to ISO

1173 (partly as accessory).

8.5

Tool holder in the drill spindle [8]

Bits can be inserted directly into the hexagon socket

holder of the drill spindle.

9 Working with the machine

9.1

On/Off switch [1-3]

Press = ON, release = OFF



The speed of the machine depends on how far the

on/off switch is pressed in.

The LED bulb 

[1-5]

 lights up when the ON/OFF

switch is pressed 

[1-3]

.

9.2

Bit depot [1-2]

Magnetic, for storing bits and bit holders.

9.3

Acoustic warning signals

Acoustic warning signals sound and the machine

switches off in the following operating states:

LED green - lit continuously

Charging is complete or is not 

restarted as current charge sta-

tus is greater than 80%.

LED red - flashes

General fault indication, e.g. 

incomplete contact, short circuit, 

defective battery pack, etc.

LED red - lit continuously

Battery temperature is outside 

the permitted range.

WARNING

Risk of injury



Always switch off the machine before adjusting

settings!

WARNING

Risk of injury, electric shock



Always disconnect the battery pack before any

type of work on the machine! 

Battery flat or machine overloaded.

– Change the battery.

– Place the machine under reduced

stress.

Machine is overheating.

– You must allow the machine to cool

before using again.

LiIon battery pack is faulty or has 

overheated.

– Once the battery pack has cooled,

perform a functional check using

the charger.

16

T 12 + 3, T 15 + 3, T 18 + 3

GB

10 Service and maintenance

Customer service and repair

 only

through manufacturer or service work-

shops: Please find the nearest address

at:

www.festool.com/Service

Use only original Festool spare parts!

Order No. at:

www.festool.com/Service

Note the following information:

– Keep the ventilation slits on the machine free and

clean to ensure adequate cooling.

– Keep the contacts on the machine, charger and

battery pack clean.

Information on battery packs

– Store in a cool, dry place at a temperature between

5 °C and 25 °C.

– Protect battery packs from moisture, water and

heat.

– Do not leave flat battery packs in a charger discon-

nected from the mains power supply for longer

than one month. Danger of deep discharge!

– If you intend to store li-ion battery packs for longer

periods without use, you should charge them to 40

% capacity (approx. 15 min charging time).

– To avoid short circuits the battery pack should be

stored in the packaging supplied.

– Significantly shorter operating times after each

charge indicate that the battery pack is worn and

should be replaced with a new one.

11 Environment

Do not dispose of the device in house-

hold waste!

 Recycle devices, accesso-

ries and packaging. Observe applicable

country-specific regulations.

EU only: 

European Directive 2002/96/EC

stipulates that used electric power tools must be col-

lected separately and disposed of at an environmen-

tally responsible recycling centre. 

Return 

used or faulty battery packs

  to  your  local

specialist retailer, Festool after-sales service or a

designated public waste management facility. The

battery packs will then be recycled. (Observe the reg-

ulations applicable in your country). The batteries

must be discharged on return. 

EU only: 

 European Directive 91/157/EEC stipulates

that faulty or used battery packs/batteries must be

recycled.

Information on REACh:

 www.festool.com/reach

12 Transport

A li-ion battery pack alone falls below the applicable

limit value and certified as per UN manual ST/SG/

AC.10/11/rev. 3 part III, subsection 38.3. However,

dangerous goods regulations may apply when sever-

al battery packs are transported.

13 EU Declaration of Conformity

We declare under sole responsibility that this product

complies with all the relevant requirements in the follow-

ing Directives, standards and normative documents:

2004/108/EC, 2006/95/EC, 2011/65/EU, EN 60745-1, EN

60745-2-1, EN 60745-2-2, EN 55014-1, EN 55014-2.

We declare under sole responsibility that this product

complies with all the relevant requirements in the follow-

ing Directives, standards and normative documents:

2004/108/EC, 2006/95/EC, 2011/65/EU, EN 60335-1,

EN 60335-2-29, EN 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-3, EN

61204-3.

Festool Group GmbH & Co. KG

Wertstr. 20, D-73240 Wendlingen, Germany

Dr. Martin Zimmer

Head of Research, Development and Technical Docu-

mentation 

2013-05-22

WARNING

Risk of injury, electric shock



Always disconnect the battery pack from the

machine before any maintenance or care work!



All maintenance and repair work which requires

the motor housing to be opened, must only be

carried out by an authorised service workshop.

EKAT

1

2

3

5

4

Cordless drill

Serial no.

T 12 + 3

497835

T 15 + 3

497836

Year of CE mark: 2010

T 18 + 3

497933

Year of CE mark: 2012

Charger

Serial no.

TCL 3

10002345, 10004911

Year of CE mark: 2013