Does the cost of shipping kill the idea of non warrantee repair?

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tallgrass

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Oct 25, 2007
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As a long time Festool lover, with a deep sickness for the coolaid I have a question.

Does the cost of shipping kill the idea of non warrantee repair?
I just sent one of my vacks in for repair. The shipping was 130.00, not including the shipping materials.  I do not know what the repair will cost, the motor went up in a puff of smoke. litterely a puff of smoke. I assume I will be charged for the return, and re repair. This is all fair enough. The real question is, on the larger tools, after the warrentee is over, should I just replace the tool,and get the warrentee of the new tool? Considering the cost of the shipping materials and the time all of this took, I am thinking I should have just bought a new Vac and turned the old one into spare parts. Not really complaining, but shipping costs have gone up to the point that it is kinda a deal breaker.
 
tallgrass said:
As a long time Festool lover, with a deep sickness for the coolaid I have a question.

Does the cost of shipping kill the idea of non warrantee repair?
I just sent one of my vacks in for repair. The shipping was 130.00, not including the shipping materials.  I do not know what the repair will cost, the motor went up in a puff of smoke. litterely a puff of smoke. I assume I will be charged for the return, and re repair. This is all fair enough. The real question is, on the larger tools, after the warrentee is over, should I just replace the tool,and get the warrentee of the new tool? Considering the cost of the shipping materials and the time all of this took, I am thinking I should have just bought a new Vac and turned the old one into spare parts. Not really complaining, but shipping costs have gone up to the point that it is kinda a deal breaker.
Click to expand...

I recently went through this debate when my CT22 began leaking oil.  Also, the autostart of the socket was intermittently shutting off during use or not functioning from the beginning.  After considering the hassle and cost of shipping both ways, estimating the overall costs of labor/parts/shipping to be over 1/2 the cost of a new vac (with a 3 year waranty), I opted to just purchase a new Midi.  The CT22 has served me well over 15 years. .  .  things wear out and need servicing or replacement.  I have no regrets.  I love the Midi compared to the CT22 (hose garage, much better hose, blue tooth compatibility, compactness).  I kept the CT22 (it seems a waste to trash it and I have the space), and may send it in for repair at some point to have a second vac. and/or if I decide to get a boom arm.  I was told by Festool service that I could save by shipping the motor half of the vac alone.  The costs and packaging of shipping most other Festools isn't a concern.  Easy enough to ship in the systainers at a reasonable cost.  But this was always in the back of my mind concerning the vac.

Joe 
 
This repair would have cost way too much for me.

130 shipping + motor cost + repair fee + 130 shipping back = no way!

Would have been cheaper to find a used vac on craigslist.

I would have diagnosed the vac myself, order the motor as a spare part through a local dealer (=no shipping cost) and installed it myself for a fraction of what it will cost you now.
 
Part of the problem is that if I spend hours see what is wrong, it is not worth my time, plus all the other costs. I have several of the vaccuums. It gets close to the replcaement costs. The vac is in great shape and only 3 year and 1 month old. looks new and gently used. My tools are lovenly cared for, better than myself. LOL They repaired a simialr problem 6 months ago on the same vaccuum.
 
If the saving from a repair is not at least 50% of a new purchase price, I wouldn't have a tool fixed.

In the case if vacs, unless blue tooth is a must, a new CT15 sounds like a better option.

I love the only Ridgid machine I own (a thickness planer). It's free repairs for life (the last repair worth some $300 Cdn was on the house).
 
It probably wouldn't apply to everyone, because you may not have it available, but this is a good reason to support your local dealer. If I had an issue with any of my Festool gear, it would go to them. This in the advantage of the big city though. My local dealer is a repair center too. Out of warranty is still going to cost you, but only for the repair itself, there is no shipping involved.

As ChuckS said, there comes a point where you have to question the viability of repair, mostly because of cost. The "disposable society" mentality has made it to where even getting parts to repair things is a challenge, nearly impossible with many of the box store brands. Then on the ones where you can get them, what is the cost? Either directly or in the case of time to ship/receive, plus indirectly, through your own time to diagnose, then repair. In a hobby shop, this is different, even part of the enjoyment, but in a commercial situation? Nope, you can't be without. Maybe the repair happens later, when you have the time or the parts do come in. At that point, you have a back-up another for a different space or you sell it? I can't see a business selling it, but the option is there.
 
My local festool dealer used to handle it. IT was fantastic. Now they tell you to ship it yourself and all of that. I gues the problem is that I do not use this vac much, so it is almsot new. Maybe 40 hrs on it. As I only use it with the planex. If it was my vac that I have had for 12 plus years, I would just toss it. I buy all my festools from the local shop, that was a major reason for supporting them. Now it seems like I am going back to the original festool experience, buy online and send back by ups. Full circle . Probably just a sign of the times.
 
This Vac is the CT 36 AC. The vac that has the auto clean function. SO when this goes down so does the renovation on my house. lol. nothing likeliving in the remodel..... lol
 
If you know whats wrong ..ex: motor.. replacing parts is not that big of a deal. Pop out a few screws (long stem screw driver required) and the whole thing comes apart. Most problems are fixable if you presist and go one level deeper. The vac itself is not too complicated a mechanism. If your motor or your logic board is blown.. replacing it yourself would be 45 min tops. Cost of parts is way cheaper.. and once done..it would be like new. These are well designed products. So give it a shot before you discard...
 
My CT33 failed and I only mailed the top back. It comes off very quickly and was cheap to ship.

I don’t know if that would work for you.
 
I only shipped the motor top part , not the whole Vac. I shipped it out aleardy. I do not want to take up VAc repair as a hobby. I have other festool vacs, just not with the pulsing capacity.
 
I received the bill. 238. So it looks like it will be a 400 dollar total cost for fixing the vac when you add the the cost of shipping to Festool. Almsot half the cost of the new machine. I think next time a tool falls of warrantee, I might not send it to service. The shipping is the killing part for on this. I have already told them to fix it and send it home. HAd I know it was going to cost 400 to fixi it in the first place. I would have binned it and bought a new one.
 
It will be interesting what Festool charges for the return shipping. What it actually cost or retail cost.
I send my blades out for less than half the cost the sharpener charges me for return shipping.
I know their charging me retail.
Rick
 
RJNeal said:
It will be interesting what Festool charges for the return shipping. What it actually cost or retail cost.
I send my blades out for less than half the cost the sharpener charges me for return shipping.
I know their charging me retail.
Rick
Click to expand...

Some people choose to make a profit on shipping and others don't bother with it, just passing the direct cost along. As I understand it, the ones who do it are charging for their time and material costs as a separate item, rather than just part of doing the job.
 
The return shipping cost is 40 bucks. My cost was 130. It would be nice if for the "you pay shipping" you could a shipping label based on their rates , that you pay for. I understand they can not pay for for the shipping, nor should they. However being able ot ship at their rates, that would have changed everything.
 
before I get anything repaired, I look at the cost of replacement.

If the repair cost (including shipping) out weighs the cost of replacing then I replace.
 
To save on shipping costs I have had good results using a third party like pirateship.com.  I find their rates much lower than the post office and UPS.  Used them a number of times in the past year or two and the process was seamless.

Mike A. 
 
mike_aa said:
To save on shipping costs I have had good results using a third party like pirateship.com.  I find their rates much lower than the post office and UPS.  Used them a number of times in the past year or two and the process was seamless.

Mike A.
Click to expand...
I use pirateship as well. Great service.
 
jobsworth said:
before I get anything repaired, I look at the cost of replacement.

If the repair cost (including shipping) out weighs the cost of replacing then I replace.
Click to expand...

Sadly, this is the point of the "disposable society" that has evolved over time. Parts are very hard to get or so costly that it is not cost-effective to do it, even if you don't count your labor.
 
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