EHL 65 Planer Quality

[biff]

Please accept my apologies if some of my terminology isn't quite right as I'm only an amateur, just getting into some basic wood working.

I recently took delivery of a new EHL 65 planer and immediately noticed scratches on both the front and rear shoe and a poor finish to the heel of the rear shoe – rough to the touch. I received a replacement unit, which didn't have any obvious scratches on either shoe but it has exactly the same issue with the heel of the rear shoe.

I guess scratching of the shoes and the poor finish of the rear shoe is unlikely to affect the performance of the tool and no doubt the shoes will eventually become scratched anyway. However, although this is only my second Festool purchase, it doesn't meet the sort of quality that I'd expect from Festool.

Do all EHL 65 planers have the poor quality finishing of the rear shoe?

 

[_Ben_]

Mine doesn't have the rough finish on the heel of the rear shoe but did have a few scuffs on the front sole from transit. Maybe could take a small file to it if sharp, or just send back again. If I remember rightly there was a very small swarf of metal trapped between the sole and plastic inlay.

Looking at it now, and not having noticed it before, the front shoe on mine not completely level with respect to the heel. looks to be about 0.25mm higher on one side than the other.

I've only used it to trim down doors and hasn't caused any issues in practice. Not sure what could have caused it as tool still looks brand new. Probably like it from factory.

Cheers.

 

[xedos]

Sounds like you got a display tool rather than a new off the shelf one. 

 

[FestitaMakool]

This is more or less like mine.
Wonky shoe in relation to the cutting apparatus as well on mine.
The EHL 65 is nothing that Festool should be very proud of.
I’m considering getting the new brushless Makita for handheld work and make my EHL 65 stationary on its stand.

 

[Rob Z]

Hello Biff

I had both the 65 and the 850 years ago, and I recall both were  well made and didn't have anything on them that looked rough or unfinished. But it has been some years since then so maybe I've forgotten.  It's always hard to tell from a picture like that because of the sense of scale but it does seem like the finish quality has some issues. 

Sometime after I sold the Festool planers I ended up buying a Makita KP0810.  It is a well-made tool and it's hard to find any flaws with it. 

So, as suggested you might find that your plane works well enough and you can keep it and not worry about it. But if that does bug you, especially considering the price paid, return it and look for a Makita and save some dough.

 

[AlexThePalex]

My EHL is from 2001 and the edge of the sole on the back is machined very well, no rough spots like in the pictures above.