Important Product Safety Recall Notice - TS 55 REQ

[Festool USA]

Dear Customer:

Festool USA ("Festool") in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada is voluntarily recalling the TS 55 REQ Plunge Cut Circular Saw. The saws were sold through Festool dealers between May 2013 and July 2013. The FastFix plunge lock may engage when not intended, causing the saw blade to remain exposed from the housing following completion of the plunge cut. This may pose a laceration hazard to the operator.

Sales records indicate that you may have purchased one of these saws. If you gave the saw as a gift, please provide this communication to the saw’s owner. A photo of the affected item is shown below:



If you have an affected saw, PLEASE STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY. You should contact Festool at the number below to request a repair at no charge.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions about this recall or whether your saw is included in the recall, please go to: www.festoolusa.com/recall or call us toll-free at 1-888-337-8600 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.


Please use this thread for questions and discussions regarding the TS 55 REQ recall. I'll do my best to assist and answer questions. The FAQ page on our website may address some of these.

There may be some questions I cannot answer. I ask for your patience because I think many of questions will be answered in the coming days as we continue to release information in a method prescribed by and in cooperation with the CPSC and Health Canada.

Thanks,
Shane

[SittingElf]

Boy, I bet this is going to become a busy thread!

This recall is nothing out of the ordinary. It happens in all fields, from tools, to automobiles, to coffee machines, to aircraft.

I fly heavy helicopters for a living. Just in the last year, there have been three different entire fleets of aircraft that have been grounded (recalled if you will) internationally for various post-accident, or other safety issues. The new Boeing 787 is a classic example. No one hurt and no crashes, but due to a faulty battery system, the multi-billion dollar fleet was grounded for nearly a year waiting on a resolution to the problem. The Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma was grounded for almost two years, and only released last week due to a potential transmission problem. These types of recalls only get released back to the public once all safety features have been resolved and corrected. That's a GOOD thing!

It is clearly painful to not have access to the products that you are forced to send back in, or take to your dealer, or to stop using in the interest of safety...but in the long run, the products end up much safer, or more useful.

I wanted to buy the TS55 REQ, and was ready to pull the trigger as soon as I got back to the USA. I was disappointed by the fact that it suddenly wasn't going to be available, but having been in an industry where this kind of thing happens on a regular basis, I know that sooner or later, the issue will be resolved, and I'll be able to order a TS55 REQ Ver2 that will be safe, productive, and just one more tool to add to the growing Green collection that I am building... despite the looks I get from the LOML!

Patiently waiting, and hoping the updated version will be available on my next return from overseas after Thanksgiving. 

[Festool USA]

Please see the communication below regarding the status of tools that have been returned for repair and our ability to repair any saws not yet received.

We are pleased to report that the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in conjunction with Health Canada, has approved a corrective action plan for the TS 55 REQ, allowing us to proceed with the correction, and to get tools back in customer hands.

Tools that have already been received and repaired will begin shipping on Wednesday, October 2, departing our warehouse in the order in which they were received. If you haven’t received your tool within 7-10 days, please feel free to contact Festool Service at 1-800-554-8741. Shipments to Canada, Alaska and Hawaii may take longer.

Tools received from October 1, forward will be processed and returned to customers, also in the order in which they were received.

If you are the owner of a Festool TS 55 REQ, and have not yet returned your tool to Festool, please discontinue its use immediately and proceed to our website at http://www.festoolusa.com/recall or call our TS hotline at (855) 784-9727 to view your options and arranged the return of your saw.

On behalf of the entire Festool staff, we thank you for your patience during this process and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Sincerely,

Michael Williams
Vice President of Marketing
Festool USA

[copcarcollector]

Shane - Seeing that you are repairing and returning saws to customers starting tomorrow, is there an anticipated date that saws in (or destined for) dealers inventories will be repaired and available for new purchases? I know there must be a backlog, just wondering if you have any timeframe for those that want to purchase the TS55REQ.

[Festool USA]

Shane - Seeing that you are repairing and returning saws to customers starting tomorrow, is there an anticipated date that saws in (or destined for) dealers inventories will be repaired and available for new purchases? I know there must be a backlog, just wondering if you have any timeframe for those that want to purchase the TS55REQ.

As I said, I anticipate that there will be many questions, many of which will likely be addressed in the coming days.

I know that our customers (and dealers) are anxious to see the REQ reintroduced to the public for purchase. But, our approach is to first take care of those customers who are affected by the recall.

After that has been done, we will communicate with our dealers and then with customers when we expect to relaunch the REQ. I'm sure it will be well publicized here and elsewhere. Things will progress much faster now with the CPSC approval, which is good.

Shane

[Paul G]

So what part was responsible for the problem?

[Festool USA]

So what part was responsible for the problem?

Information regarding the specifics of the approved fix will not be shared and don't see how that information would benefit our customers. We wouldn't want saw owners attempting to implement a home-grown repair.

To be honest, I'm not even sure the CPSC would allow us to release that information.

[Jeff R]

Oh happy day!  It's been a long wait.

I think it would be good to know the details of the repair.  If a repaired saw is identical to the brand new saws that will ship after the re-introduction (except for wear and tear), then I'll probably just have mine repaired.   If the new saws will be somehow different than a repaired saw, then I might return mine for the refund and re-purchase one after the re-introduction.

My saw has zero wear and tear because it has never been used except to trim the edge on the guide rail.

[Festool USA]

Jeff, that's a different matter, which I am willing to address but that doesn't require providing details about which component(s) were affected and/or how the repair is performed.

The CPSC dictates the approved repair process. That repair process is the same for all affected units, new or used. There are no "upgrades" or changes to features or functionality implemented with the repair. It just addresses the safety issue. Nothing more.

Hopefully, that's enough information to make an informed decision about your course of action.

Shane

[Debug]

Will those of us who returned the TS55REQ for repair get an email or notification when it was shipped?  I did receive the generic email about the recall, but not any communications that referenced the saw I returned for repair or when (wasn't sure if that quote that Shane posted further up was sent to customers or only posted in the FOG).  Glad to hear that it may just be a week or so before I get my saw back.  I'm eagerly awaiting its return, it is a great saw. 

[jonny round boy]

Shane,

I appreciate that you may not know the answer to this (or if you do, may not be able/willing to share it), but I'll ask anyway:

Are the 'faulty' components fitted to the 120V US spec saws any different to the ones fitted to the saws in other markets? I don't see why they would be, as the blade retraction mechanism is mechanical rather than electrical, but there may be a reason I'm not aware of.

I suspect that (for example) my UK spec saw may have exactly the same issue, but because we don't have as litigious a society, Festool does not see the need for a recall in Europe. I haven't had any problems with mine so far, but in the back of my mind there is a niggling thought that a problem may one day show itself...

Jonathan

[Festool USA]

Will those of us who returned the TS55REQ for repair get an email or notification when it was shipped?  I did receive the generic email about the recall, but not any communications that referenced the saw I returned for repair or when (wasn't sure if that quote that Shane posted further up was sent to customers or only posted in the FOG).  Glad to hear that it may just be a week or so before I get my saw back.  I'm eagerly awaiting its return, it is a great saw. 

There will be a generic email going out to those who returned their saw for repair that contains the same basic information provided in my previous post. Your saw will be shipping possibly as soon as today. I do not believe there will be tracking information emailed when the saw ships. If that's important to know, please contact the hotline below in my signature for assistance and they can give you that info.

Are the 'faulty' components fitted to the 120V US spec saws any different to the ones fitted to the saws in other markets? I don't see why they would be, as the blade retraction mechanism is mechanical rather than electrical, but there may be a reason I'm not aware of.

JRB, that would happen to be a question that I would prefer not to answer because I am a representative of Festool USA and do not have broad knowledge of everything going on around the world. I would suggest that you contact Festool UK (or your specific country for other members) for an official response on the topic if you're concerned. I would also reiterate what I've said before: If you own any power tool and it seems to not be operating as designed then you should stop using it immediately and contact the manufacturer.

Shane

[LZ]

Hi Shane,
Do you know if returned saw will be the same that I sended in for repair?
My saw was out of the box only to turn it on and off and never cut anything when I sended it in.
(Do not tell anybody, but I do own TS55EQ and just could not resist....)
Thanks,
Les

[Festool USA]

You will get your own saw back from repair. Same saw with original serial number and same systainer.

[Deansocial]

Will the warranty be extended for those that have sent there saw in for the down time they have lost?

[Festool USA]

Will the warranty be extended for those that have sent there saw in for the down time they have lost?

Is Dean AINA now? 

The warranty will be reset for those who opt for repair. The three year warranty will begin from the date of repair. This will be communicated via email to those who are affected.

[RL]

I checked my serial number against the list issued by Health Canada and the CPSC and my saw was included in it. I closely examined my saw- which I have been using problem-free but carefully- and eventually I found the problem. Honestly, if my attention hadn't been drawn to the problem I never would have noticed it. My saw does catch perhaps one time in ten plunges if I bring it up really really slowly, but the merest touch sends it back fully. JRB I bet that's the case for your saw too.

Anyway, I'll send my saw to Festool in a couple of days for the fix. I'm just waiting for the backlog to clear a little. I wouldn't exchange it for a new one even if offered as all my guide rails are now calibrated to this saw.

Good on Festool for turning this around fairly quickly. Interesting to see that no injuries have been reported even though there are 5000 of these saws in circulation according to the CPSC.

[Festool USA]

I checked my serial number against the list issued by Health Canada and the CPSC and my saw was included in it. I closely examined my saw- which I have been using problem-free but carefully- and eventually I found the problem. Honestly, if my attention hadn't been drawn to the problem I never would have noticed it. My saw does catch perhaps one time in ten plunges if I bring it up really really slowly, but the merest touch sends it back fully. JRB I bet that's the case for your saw too.

Anyway, I'll send my saw to Festool in a couple of days for the fix. I'm just waiting for the backlog to clear a little. I wouldn't exchange it for a new one even if offered as all my guide rails are now calibrated to this saw.

ALL TS 55 REQs sold in the US and Canada prior to October 2013 are affected by this recall. Discontinue use of the saw immediately, whether you think your saw is affected or not. The repair costs NOTHING. There is NO BACK LOG. All saws that have been sent for repair are all repaired and in transit back to their owners. We have the required capacity in our repair department to commit to a very quick turn around on any newly returned saws. Don't wait. Don't use the saw anymore.

[Deansocial]

Will the warranty be extended for those that have sent there saw in for the down time they have lost?

Is Dean AINA now? 

The warranty will be reset for those who opt for repair. The three year warranty will begin from the date of repair. This will be communicated via email to those who are affected.

No but thought I'd ask for those that may have not thought of asking

[Peter Durand]

I checked my serial number against the list issued by Health Canada and the CPSC and my saw was included in it. I closely examined my saw- which I have been using problem-free but carefully- and eventually I found the problem. Honestly, if my attention hadn't been drawn to the problem I never would have noticed it. My saw does catch perhaps one time in ten plunges if I bring it up really really slowly, but the merest touch sends it back fully. JRB I bet that's the case for your saw too.

Anyway, I'll send my saw to Festool in a couple of days for the fix. I'm just waiting for the backlog to clear a little. I wouldn't exchange it for a new one even if offered as all my guide rails are now calibrated to this saw.

ALL TS 55 REQs sold in the US and Canada prior to October 2013 are affected by this recall. Discontinue use of the saw immediately, whether you think your saw is affected or not. The repair costs NOTHING. There is NO BACK LOG. All saws that have been sent for repair are all repaired and in transit back to their owners. We have the required capacity in our repair department to commit to a very quick turn around on any newly returned saws. Don't wait. Don't use the saw anymore.

What is the current turn around time? Thanks.

[Festool USA]

What is the current turn around time? Thanks.

Per our FAQs, the repair should be completed within 6-7 business days. We have a desire to under-promise and over-deliver. As I've stated on the forum many times, our service department as a goal of turning around repairs in under 48 hours from the time the tool is received. We average about a 98%+ realization of that goal every month and that commitment has not changed.

As stated already, there is currently no back log of REQ repairs at this time.

[Peter Halle]

The questions about whether or not saws in other countries are effected brings back to mind the same sort of thing that happened with the Kapex at first introduction here in NA.  Other countries didn't have the concentration of issues like the US had did they?  Wasn't that traced back to a part from a new supplier that was introduced in that rub although within tolerances was toward the thicker side of the tolerances?  Of course not being involved in the manufacturing process it must be amazing to see how the product runs are determined especially with tools being made for different markets and all the different labeling for the 22 different countries.

Peter

[Joseph C]

Please see the communication below regarding the status of tools that have been returned for repair and our ability to repair any saws not yet received.

We are pleased to report that the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in conjunction with Health Canada, has approved a corrective action plan for the TS 55 REQ, allowing us to proceed with the correction, and to get tools back in customer hands.

Tools that have already been received and repaired will begin shipping on Wednesday, October 2, departing our warehouse in the order in which they were received. If you haven’t received your tool within 7-10 days, please feel free to contact Festool Service at 1-800-554-8741. Shipments to Canada, Alaska and Hawaii may take longer.

Tools received from October 1, forward will be processed and returned to customers, also in the order in which they were received.

If you are the owner of a Festool TS 55 REQ, and have not yet returned your tool to Festool, please discontinue its use immediately and proceed to our website at http://www.festoolusa.com/recall or call our TS hotline at (855) 784-9727 to view your options and arranged the return of your saw.

On behalf of the entire Festool staff, we thank you for your patience during this process and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Sincerely,

Michael Williams
Vice President of Marketing
Festool USA

I gotta say, I really appreciate that you guys (Festool) are handling things as you are.  I know that this is a costly issue for Festool in North America, and it means alot that you are all so dedicated to resolving the issue as quickly (and generously) as possible.

[Julian Tracy]

Now that the repairs have commenced, are the three options still available to owners of the ts55r?

Ive had mine sitting in a systainer waiting to figure out which route to take.  Still have my ts55 so there's been no rush personally to figure it out.

Jt

[Festool USA]

Yes, as stated on our website and the CPSC website, all three options are still valid and will continue to be as long as the recall is in effect.

[jstad]

Read through the FAQ and this thread. Any word on when dealers will have the TS 55 REQ back in stock? Not looking for anything exact. Even if its "news on that in a day or two" I'm happy with.

[Festool USA]

Read through the FAQ and this thread. Any word on when dealers will have the TS 55 REQ back in stock? Not looking for anything exact. Even if its "news on that in a day or two" I'm happy with.

Thought it had been asked, but no problem to answer again. There will be an announcement made to dealers on Monday with that information. The short answer is that they will be available again soon.

[David Gibson]

Read through the FAQ and this thread. Any word on when dealers will have the TS 55 REQ back in stock? Not looking for anything exact. Even if its "news on that in a day or two" I'm happy with.

Thought it had been asked, but no problem to answer again. There will be an announcement made to dealers on Monday with that information. The short answer is that they will be available again soon.

All I can say is cudo's  Festool . this was handled in a way that has garnered my respect for your company . I was affected by this recall and opted for the exchange . As soon as the 55 becomes available I plan to purchase it again. 

DWG

[elimelech12]

I have to say that I am extremely impressed by the outcome of this. Especially that, to my knowledge, there were no injuries due to the proactive actions of Festool. I must tip my hat especially after complaining and moaning after being inconvenienced by this unfortunate event. Many, especially myself, gave you guys a hard time. That was a true test of patience and character and believe when I say that you guys came out ahead. Festool gave me a TS75 in exchange and TOOLTOWN, being the awesome dealers that they are, traded my 1400 rail for a 1900 for the difference of the 2. So after tippin' my hat, hats off to Festool and their dealers, specifically, from my end, TOOLTOWN.

Now Shane, if only you can get that "other thing (via PM)" to happen!!!  

[TOOLTOWN]

I have to say that I am extremely impressed by the outcome of this. Especially that, to my knowledge, there were no injuries due to the proactive actions of Festool. I must tip my hat especially after complaining and moaning after being inconvenienced by this unfortunate event. Many, especially myself, gave you guys a hard time. That was a true test of patience and character and believe when I say that you guys came out ahead. Festool gave me a TS75 in exchange and TOOLTOWN, being the awesome dealers that they are, traded my 1400 rail for a 1900 for the difference of the 2. So after tippin' my hat, hats off to Festool and their dealers, specifically, from my end, TOOLTOWN.

Now Shane, if only you can get that "other thing (via PM)" to happen!!!  

Agreed, Festool did an amazing job of reconciling the problems with the TS-55REQ.  This jsut shows that they do care about the customers, and not just about the bottom line to them.

Also, We are more than happy to help all our customers, and all Festool users in any way we possibly can.

Ken