2010 Kapex tune up

[jonathan-m]

I've managed to get my hands on a used hand Kapex from 2010 on our equivalent of craigslist for a reasonable price. I'm a bit wary about used tools. You never know the history of the tool. But a brand new Kapex is kind of too exuberant for me, so I made the gamble.

The saw has some obvious signs of useage. Scratches on the bed, some chipped paint here and there, and the left side of the bed isn't 100% in line with the rotating central part, maybe 0.5mm off.

I haven't done any cuts to check for accuracy and calibration and such, but after some short useage I haven't really detected anything wrong that pops out at me. But I was thinking that after 4 years of visible use, maybe it might be a good idea to send it in for a once over by a Festool technician anyway?

What's your take on this?

I'll give a cleaning and post some pictures in a few hours, so you can get a better idea.

 

[peter halle]

I would absolutely contact Festool and find out about sending it in.  Brush replacement might be a really good idea whereas you don't know about the time of usage.

Peter

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Jonathan,

Get a copy of the US Supplemental Manual. Check the saw for any safety issues before doing some test cuts. The blade may be dull or damaged and so a close inspection would be a good idea. Clean the blade if it looks bad or consider having it sharpened. Make sure that the saw is fixed to your bench top. Check that there are no obvious broken or loose parts.

Check the setup of the saw with test cuts and the US Manual. You can do a lot of tuning up yourself. Do not worry about the paint - mine has some chipped off and is about the same age.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[jonathan-m]

Thanks for the quick reply guys.
I sent an e-mail out to Festool Belgium. Eagerly awaiting their reply.
Peter, I'll take a look at that US manual and do some more test cuts tonight.

 

[jonathan-m]

As promosed, some pictures of the "damage"
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[Stone Message]

Unless I am missing something that all looks cosmetic to me. Mine is in worse shape and I do not lose any sleep over it. I have seen a Kapex that was taken in for repair or warranty that had only been used for metal cutting. It was in a dreadful (cosmetic) state - it looked awful but the Festool engineers said that it was in really good order and whatever the fault was very soon rectified.

The Kapex is a solid and dependable saw.

Peter

 

[Serge]

That's no damage, only some scratches from using for 4 years.
My new Kapex came back from testing in Germany with a big schratch over te table.

What I do not understand is why Festool coated the top of the table and not leave it bare metall like other Mitre Saws.

 

[jonathan-m]

You're not missing anything Peter, but I said I'd take a few pictures, so I did.

It was covered in tonvof dust because it's alwyas been used without dust collection. The only part missing is the dust shroud. But I can order that for about €10, so that's not an issue.

Spent a good 90 minutes cleaning it with compressed air and a damp rag. It really came out better than expected.
I was just a bit curious about how other member's saw looks like, scratch & scuffs wise. It's not always as clear in pictures and YouTube video's as it is in real life. Mine also looks better here in these photos than when you're standing in front of it. But now that you guys tell me yours looks similar it puts my mind a lot more at ease

My main concern is that there was a lot of dust covering the motor and the fact I don't know how worn the brushes are. So far I'm prettty happy I made the purchase. Everything does look acceptable.

Haven't found the time yet to do some accuracy tests though, maybe tomorrow.

 

[Stone Message]

Check 45 degree miter and bevel (both sides) as well as a square cut. Mine wouldn't cut accurately square AND 45 degree. Just one or the other.  There wasn't anything on the manual so I checked here and rick christopherson wrote a post about it.

Yes, Rick is the author of the brilliant supplemental manuals.

Peter