My view is different than most (all).
Contrary to the ads, I look at Festool products as more precision tools as oppose to construction grade tools. Can you use them in the field, yeah sure, but they seem more at home in the shop.
I have Milwaukee 1/2" corded drill, circular saw, sawzall, and router that I bought 30 years ago and they have been dropped and are still running and I expect will continue to be running 30 years from now. They were made for contractor use (and abuse) and can take a beating. I don't see that in the Festool product line. I would be amazed if any of the Festool line lasted the first 30 years alone. I also had a 12" skilsaw mitre saw that I used for 20 years and gave to a neighbor 10 years ago that is still going strong. It has been dropped off a workmate table twice. But it simply does not have the precision, repeatable and cleans cuts that the Kapex has.
The difference is the precision and the dust collection.
I have had a Kapex since soon after they came out in the USA.
I always adjust the speed based on the material being cut.
I always bring the saw up to speed before cutting the material (yeah I know it doesn't say you have to but having been WW for the past 45+ years, this is common sense and mentioned in a number of tool manuals.)
I always use the Kapex as a sliding cut and never as a plunge cut. If you cut a 1x6 as plunge cut you are engaging 6"+ inches of the blade circumference, by sliding cut you are only engaging 1" of blade circumference. You are putting more pressure on the motor by engaging more of the teeth at one time. (If I compare say the motor size on the Kapex to my 18" 5 hp delta radial saw, the 5hp motor does not care how many teeth are engage or what you are cutting.) This is similar comparison to a small motor on a tabletop tablesaw and HD motor on a cabinet saw.
You also get better dust collection by sliding because all of the sawdust is being pushed upwards and not rearward.
I always take my time making the cut because I am looking for a clean last cut not a hacking/splittering cut a contractor saw does on a 2x4, 2x8 etc. with the expectation of sanding.
I always disconnect the hose to the Kapex and vacuum up the Kapex each day after it has been used.
The problem with Festool not responding to the Kapex issue, is we don't know how many have been sold and what percentage have had motor issues and of the ones that do have motor issues, what was the actual usage and environment. (i.e. was the saw mostly used outside in a construction environment with high humidity or in excessive dusty area with no vac attached.) If Festool were to published they have sold 50,000 Kapex worldwide and only a dozen have had motor issues is completely different that if they have sold only 200 worldwide and 50 have motor issues.
My neighbor borrowed a small in-expensive miter saw from another neighbor to work on replacing some porch rails. Instead of putting the saw on a bench or the concrete porch, he just left it sitting in the grass/dirt and even left it with just towel over it during a brief rain shower. To accurately assess why a product is failing, you have to look at all of the reasons that potentially caused the failure. What one person may view as normal usage may be considered by another as abusive.
Therein lies the problem of identifying what is causing the problem.
As someone with now has over $20K invested in Festool products, I would still continue to give them high marks overall....even if the my Kapex motor fries, in which case I will just order the replacement parts and fix it myself.
Rob
