DeformedTree said:
Jiggy Joiner said:
Over the years, I’ve owned and used professionally, many cross cut miter saws from various brands. There have been pros and cons with the majority of them but, generally they were all pretty good and all served me well for earning a living. I do look after my tools but, these saws were used in every sense of the word, no nursing or babying any of them, they were used in the manner they were designed for. None of them ever suffered motor issues though.
So reading some of the comments in this thread where owners have nursed, baby’d or held back in using the Kapex to it’s potential, is a bit worrying for me. Sure I understand as well as anybody else, that tools should be looked after and treated well in order to keep us earning or pursuing a hobby using them, especially expensive tools.
The expensive part makes it all the harder for me to understand, somebody having to nurse maid the saw when using it?
It’s a great shame, as only today, I saw a good deal on an ex display Kapex 120. I don’t currently need a new saw and had just spent a lot of money on a planer thicknesser. Even so, I was very tempted at the price, until I remembered some of the threads here. So, took one last look before moving on.
It’s a great shame that such an otherwise superb saw, has these motor issues, what’s a greater shame for me, is the way Festool seem keen to play it down, when obviously the problem still exists.
I do like investing in Festool but, for at least the foreseeable future, I’ll give the Kapex a wide berth.
I hope those of you that own one, and have no issues continue to do so. I also hope this issue becomes a distant memory.
Even outside of festool the price for stuff always causes weird dynamics. As you mention, when something cost a lot you take care off it, which can be considered ironic since the general idea of a "pro tool" is that they are durable and will hold up. So you get such tools being used less hard then the cheap tool. We all do it, we have multiples of some tools because we see a particular job as too destructive or dirty for the nice tool.
The main issue with the Kapex is the unknown, if it's something the user did, something truly wrong with the tool that can happen to every Kapex made, or is it luck of the draw, one Kapex can handle anything, the next one dies easily. Assuming the new Kapex won't have the issues, in a few years people will have new ones that don't die, and the old ones will be ones that are fine and won't die, or the way the user uses it means they won't break. The weak of the kapex herd will be dead, times will move on. Clearly if the Kapex does have an fundamental issues, this is what Festool is relying on.
No matter what I'm not sure if I would use a Kapex the same as I would a dewalt, even without "the kapex issues", I'd still see the Kapex as a finish carpentry saw and use it for "nice" tasks and use my Dewalt for abusive duty (rough construction). Same with other tools I have, I'm not going to use the Festools for everything, some jobs I'm going to use my old tools for.
I get what you’re saying regarding expensive tools but, I actually look after anything I buy regardless of cost. I think it stems from not having much when I was younger, and so learned the value and importance of taking good care of things. I can’t stand seeing anything mistreated, even other peoples stuff.
I’ve always bought what are considered by most as quality tools, so when buying a tool, it’s for the sole intention of that tool being used for any of the tasks it was designed for. I do, as you mentioned own multiples of many tools, simply because of the nature of my work, not because I think one would give a better finish to a job than the other.
My miter saws get chosen for a certain job by their size, not because one might produce a better cut than the other, I’d expect them all to give a first class cut providing the blade is correct and sharp.
A good few years ago, before I was a Festool fan, I arrived on a site and was greeted by a gang of Polish guys who were running the job. Their boss had just about every Festool tool ever made layed out and set up on the driveway.
As the job progressed, he was always pulling my leg about me not owning any Festool, and when he spotted a 27 year old Elu PS274 set up in the corner he was rolling around the room laughing! That’s an antique he said, quite possibly I replied but it still operates and cuts just fine.
I asked how much his Kapex set up cost, along with tables etc, £2,700 he replied.
After wincing, I asked him to cut a 45 degree cut in a door jamb architrave, no problem he said, and made the cut, and proudly offered me the timber to inspect. Very nice indeed I said, ok, now hold on a moment. Then I cut the head architrave to marry up to his, on the 27 year old Elu, then offered him the architrave. Not bad at all he said, it was actually the same quality cut as his, as he later admitted. I then offered the two cuts together, and put a square on them.
The corner was as good as you could ever expect from any saw, as he also agreed.
So, I said to him, your saw is £2,700 and that old Elu cost £225 27 years ago.
Why aren’t you still laughing?
If I bought a Kapex, it would be as usual, well looked after but, also well used and not shown any favouritism, my other saw don’t have special treatment neither would a Kapex.
There is obviously an issue with the Kapex, there’s been too many cases of them smoking. No smoke without fire, maybe that should be, no smoke without an issue?
What the issue is, doesn’t seem clear, possibly/hopefully Festool know, and are currently bringing out a new version that will definitely not have this issue risk?
The issue is real enough to put me off owning one, when the time comes that I need a new saw or saws, I’m hoping this problem will be done and dusted.
I love everything about the Kapex, apart from the doubt that this issue has instilled into me.
I love the Festool tools and equipment, so like a lot of other people, I wish they’d be a little more transparent about the Kapex problem, and give us assurance that it will be fixed.
