Another Kapex Bites the dust. Again.

[Cheese]

For almost 30 years I owned and used 2 Milwaukee mitre saws. Over that time I used the supplied Milwaukee clamp at the most 15-20 times.

And then I bought a Kapex...because of the wacky off-cut issues and throwing small pieces of wood, I use the Kapex clamp 90% of the time. I'm not afraid of the saw, but I do get startled when a piece of wood gets bounced off the saw or blade guard. The last thing I need is to become startled by the noise and move my hand into the spinning blade...the clamp prevents that from happening.  [cool]

And I'm certainly not a safety freak as I usually drive a motorcycle without a helmet and the blade guard/splitter on my Bosch 4000 series table was removed 10 years ago.  [tongue]

 

[waho6o9]

After I bent a Festool blade on my Kapex I started using a ZCF (zero clearance fence) to minimize projectiles. I wasn't getting 90 degree cuts so I placed the blade on a piece of granite and used my feeler gauges to find out  that the blade wasn't  flat.

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[antss]

What I'm saying is I prefer companies that don't bundle accessories (that most people don't use) into the price of their machines. 

You don't think FT is giving the clamp away ? 

Having them as additional cost accessories is the fairest way. You can buy them because you want one , or need them to so,be a design flaw. But I don't have to pay for one when I feel they are of no value.   

 

[ChuckM]

Festool is not known for giving out free lunches.

It cuts both ways. If a clamp wasn't part of the deal, people could challenge or criticize it as being an incomplete saw for that kind of price (assuming it took out the clamp and lowered the price to, say, $1400).

Bundled or not, I look at the total cost and the benefits before I decide on a purchase.

 

[Naildrivingman]

Earlier today I stopped into my local woodcraft and in the process of purchasing a few accessories I offhandedly asked if anyone had heard of the Kapex burning up issues.  Neither one of the sales associates had heard anything about it.  This particular woodcraft is the largest distributor of Festool in my area. How is it possible that they had not heard about this?

I was working with a another Festoolian today and his saw went up in smoke after  about a year and a half. It was repaired under warranty he and he maintains it is because the saw was not designed to be plugged into the CT 26 outlet. Now he uses a remote starter switch with two independent cords, one powers the vacuum and the other powers the saw.  Each cord from the switch is routed to its own 20A circuit.

When I mentioned the issue with my coworker to the woodcraft sales associates they both said that their demonstration saw has been plugged into the CT vacuum for its entire life and they have had no problems with their demonstration saw.  This particular saw is used daily to cut millwork for customers and for classroom activities. It likely does not get the same use as a contractor would give it, but this particular unit they said is 10 years old and they have had no problems with it.

I am beginning to think that when the Kapex became popular about five years ago, festool changed internal components and this has led to the failures.

 

[kdzito]

Festool is not known for giving out free lunches.

It's a secret but Festool will give you a free lunch at Festool Connect!

 

[ear3]

Not to hijack the thread [member=44099]Cheese[/member] , but I've always wondered why people ride motorcycles without helmets.  Is it a conscious decision because wearing a helmet cuts down on visibility, or somehow impedes the total experience of being on a bike?  It's always seemed to me like a needless risk to go without a helmet, but I'm not a motorcyclist.

For almost 30 years I owned and used 2 Milwaukee mitre saws. Over that time I used the supplied Milwaukee clamp at the most 15-20 times.

And then I bought a Kapex...because of the wacky off-cut issues and throwing small pieces of wood, I use the Kapex clamp 90% of the time. I'm not afraid of the saw, but I do get startled when a piece of wood gets bounced off the saw or blade guard. The last thing I need is to become startled by the noise and move my hand into the spinning blade...the clamp prevents that from happening.  [cool]

And I'm certainly not a safety freak as I usually drive a motorcycle without a helmet and the blade guard/splitter on my Bosch 4000 series table was removed 10 years ago.  [tongue]

 

[Holmz]

Not to hijack the thread [member=44099]Cheese[/member] , but I've always wondered why people ride motorcycles without helmets.  Is it a conscious decision because wearing a helmet cuts down on visibility, or somehow impedes the total experience of being on a bike?  It's always seemed to me like a needless risk to go without a helmet, but I'm not a motorcyclist.

...

It is interesting, I always wear one.
But when skiing, when one wears googles for racing when they wear sunnies for regular skiing it changes the experience a lot.

In any case, in Denmark there is no helmet law.
The incidence of accidents is lower without a helmet, which is contrary to "common sense". Maybe they are more conscience, or maybe the car drivers are more aware, or maybe the cyclist are more careful and cautious.

If you plan on crashing, then a helmet is clearly a good idea.

Motorcycle have the benefit of being faster than push-bikes, so when it all goes "pear-shaped" it happens faster and with more force and energy.

 

[ChuckM]

Festool is not known for giving out free lunches.

It's a secret but Festool will give you a free lunch at Festool Connect!

I know they hand out T-shirts, stickers and at some events (Connect?), even systainers, too!

 

[Bohdan]

In any case, in Denmark there is no helmet law.
The incidence of accidents is lower without a helmet, which is contrary to "common sense".

It's not the incidents of accidents but the severity of head injuries that should be compared.

 

[AlexThePalex]

In any case, in Denmark there is no helmet law.

Uhm, yes there is.  [blink]

 

[ChuckM]

The incidence of accidents is lower without a helmet, which is contrary to "common sense".

Sure about this???

How to prove that? It is like saying using a tablesaw without any safety precautions (no guards, splitters, etc.) would reduce the incidence of accidents.

I can understand that a biker or tabelsaw user might exercise more precaution in such circumstances, but that doesn't necessarily result in lower incidence of accidents than when a helmet or guard is used, as for example, a motor cycle accident can be caused by other users of the road, whether or not a biker wears a helmet.

 

[Llap Goch]

In any case, in Denmark there is no helmet law.

Uhm, yes there is.  [blink]

Uhm, no there isn't.  [blink]

It is recommended that you wear a cycle helmet in Denmark but it is neither the law or obligatory. Just like The Netherlands.

 

[AlexThePalex]

In any case, in Denmark there is no helmet law.

Uhm, yes there is.  [blink]

Uhm, no there isn't.  [blink]

It is recommended that you wear a cycle helmet in Denmark but it is neither the law or obligatory. Just like The Netherlands.

Interesting how some people seem to jump from motorcycle to bicycle. There's a difference, you know. Maybe read a bit back.

 

[Naildrivingman]

Squirrel

 

[Tinker]

When I was riding motorcycles, I always wore a helmet.  anybody who rode on my bike was required to wear a hlmet.
I had a young man orking for me who loved to rid.  I allowed him to ride only if he wore a helmet, which, BTW, I supplied.  One day he got cut off head on by a driver making an illegal left turn at a traffic light.  My helper ended up with a dislocatd shoulder,a stretched knee ligament and an undamaged head.  He thanked me for the undamaged head.  I told me that he felt and heard his helmet banging along the side of the car. He told me his helmet might have hit the side of the car at least 5 or six times. He and his newly wed wife were happy that he was still alive.  They attributed that to having worn a helmet.  Just one life saved makes it worth while to me to have insisted.  I no longer ride motorcycles.  My children and grandchild do ride.  AND they all wear helmets when riding.
Tinker

 

[ChuckM]

In my province, one must wear an approved motorcycle helmet when operating a power bicycle/motorcycle.

In addition, 6 years ago, the government made it mandatory for bicycle riders under 18 to wear helmets. Safety experts were applauding the legislation, citing studies "which show helmets reduce head injuries in cycling crashes by 90 per cent."

 

[Naildrivingman]

Rabbit

 

[Cheese]

Not to hijack the thread [member=44099]Cheese[/member] , but I've always wondered why people ride motorcycles without helmets.  Is it a conscious decision because wearing a helmet cuts down on visibility, or somehow impedes the total experience of being on a bike?  It's always seemed to me like a needless risk to go without a helmet, but I'm not a motorcyclist.

Hey Edward...it probably goes back to when I first started riding bikes when I was around 15. At that time, light weight/high strength plastics were not yet available (or maybe even invented) at a reasonable consumer price. The norm was hand laid fiber glass mat and resin. This led to a strong but very heavy helmet.
I preferred a half helmet for dirt biking and a full helmet for street biking.
The half helmet was manageable but the full Bell Star helmet was extremely heavy. It also had limited peripheral vision. To make matters worse, at speeds over 30 mph, air pressure would build inside the helmet and attempt to pull the helmet off your head, straining your neck.
So, between the weight at lower speeds, and the extreme lifting forces at higher speeds along with the decreased peripheral vision, the full Bell Star helmet became a non-starter for me. I found I was more aware of traffic conditions and better able to be out of harms way without a helmet as opposed to with a helmet.

Interestingly enough, I've always worn a helmet for dirt biking and have always worn gloves, jeans and a long sleeved shirt or leather jacket for street riding. The helmet just messed with my visual and aural sensitivities when it came to street riding.
I do use a full face helmet when riding on the interstate...go figure.

 

[ear3]

Ah, that makes more sense. 

Not to hijack the thread [member=44099]Cheese[/member] , but I've always wondered why people ride motorcycles without helmets.  Is it a conscious decision because wearing a helmet cuts down on visibility, or somehow impedes the total experience of being on a bike?  It's always seemed to me like a needless risk to go without a helmet, but I'm not a motorcyclist.

Hey Edward...it probably goes back to when I first started riding bikes when I was around 15. At that time, light weight/high strength plastics were not yet available (or maybe even invented) at a reasonable consumer price. The norm was hand laid fiber glass mat and resin. This led to a strong but very heavy helmet.
I preferred a half helmet for dirt biking and a full helmet for street biking.
The half helmet was manageable but the full Bell Star helmet was extremely heavy. It also had limited peripheral vision. To make matters worse, at speeds over 30 mph, air pressure would build inside the helmet and attempt to pull the helmet off your head, straining your neck.
So, between the weight at lower speeds, and the extreme lifting forces at higher speeds along with the decreased peripheral vision, the full Bell Star helmet became a non-starter for me. I found I was more aware of traffic conditions and better able to be out of harms way without a helmet as opposed to with a helmet.

Interestingly enough, I've always worn a helmet for dirt biking and have always worn gloves, jeans and a long sleeved shirt or leather jacket for street riding. The helmet just messed with my visual and aural sensitivities when it came to street riding.
I do use a full face helmet when riding on the interstate...go figure.