am I to hard on my kapex

[geo4848]

I am not bashing festool. I was just wondering if I am to hard. I do high end interior trim, lots of 2 pc crown,

7 1/4 base etc I bought 2  kapex and both have been back in the shop for service.

I try to use no longer then a 50 ft cord 10/3 20 amp. My compressor is plunged in to a different outlet.

any ideals?

thanks Bill

 

[galwaydude18@gmail.com]

Why have they been in for service?

 

[Samo]

I also have two and work with a bunch of Monkeys.  Some of them have the Kapex.

If you had another brand of saw, you may have had to replace it because its not worth repairing or is not able to be repaired to any level of professional use again.

Just speculating and not saying the Kapex is perfect, but name a contender?

Sam

 

[mastercabman]

Can you tell us why you had to send them in for?

 

[Kev]

Are you killing the motor??

 

[ajones]

Are you killing the motor??

Its going to be the armatures..

 

[geo4848]

yes it was the armature on both . I'm wondering if maybe they had a bad batch. bought both within a couple weeks

of each other.

 

[ccmviking]

I sent both of mine in at the beginning of the year for tune ups (neither were inoperable) and the armatures were replaced on both.  One was under warranty and the other was not.  The saws get a lot of daily use so I wasn't at all worried about it.  Most equipment has some weak point in common that will get attention as the masses experience failures in it and the Kapex armature could be one of those things.  I doubt we'll ever know if there was a "bad batch".  The repair service is so fast from Festool, that I've never missed a tool that went in for service.

Chris...

 

[Jim Green]

Hello GEO4848. Trust me you are not alone. I have just sent my Kapex in again for what seems to be the same problem. Unlike your post , when I questioned the Kapex armature/motor problem it was not received well. I kind of felt like the victim being blamed for the crime. I too do high end finish carpentry and use the saw daily. I purchased it for the quality of cuts and I guess a little bit of show for my clients. Also like you I'm sure, mine does not look new. I use mine with a Festool dust extractor since day one and have treated it well other than I guess commercial use. So in short I personally don't think you are too hard on your saws. I'm guessing they are not designed for commercial use or have a week spot in the motors or electronics. My reply may ruffle a few feathers but it's the truth. Other than my kapex all of my other Festool tools have performed well in the same environment unfortunately I guess the kapex will continue to cost more and more in shipping and repairs.Thanks

 

[Julian Tracy]

Jeez,

Though not nearly as fancy, my Dewalt slider has seen me thru 4-5 basement total finish jobs at an average of 500-700 studs + the associated trim work as well as every other job requiring a miter saw for the last 7 years or so with no problems at all.

So yes, I'd say there are a few "contenders" for for a jobsite saw that will hold up to commercial use.

I have no doubt the Kapex is a better design, nicer to use, etc, but when I spend $500 plus on a saw, I expect not to EVER have to bring it in for service.  When I spend $1300 for a saw, i'd have a big problem with have to ship back for any amount of service work.

Quit apologizing, these saws are too new to require service....

Jt

 

[jonny round boy]

when I spend $500 plus on a saw, I expect not to EVER have to bring it in for service.

Really? Do you honestly think that because something is expensive it's invincible?

So, if you spent $10,000 on a car, you'd be happy to pay for servicing on that, but if you bought a top-of-the-range Mercedes for ten times that, you wouldn't expect to have it serviced?

 

[Julian Tracy]

No, but when I buy good quality power tools and use them myself and treat them properly, I expect them to outlast my need for them. (batteries/brushes excluded)

A Bosch or Trion Jigsaw for example will probably not ever require a spec of service when used by a homeowner or tradesman.  The Kapex is too young to expect ANY service calls for major parts replacement, especially as it's one of those tools selling at 2.5-3 times the cost of comparable products.

JT