festool kapex motor burnt up?

[Dan1210]

daz, you know what i thought the same thing when i got the new ts55, it feels cheaper, im not sure what it is but it doesnt feel as good quality as my original ts55, as festool is becoming more popular it could well be they are skimping on quality parts to be competitive in the market place. I might have a look at the maffel plunge saw soon.

 

[Kev]

I think festool is going the same way elu went when dewalt bought them out they get a good name and then go chep on parts to save cash

That's just another good reason why we should send all of the world's cost accountants to a tiny little remote island ....... then nuke it!

 

[DAZ40]

it is to do with the transformer i was told you should use 5KVA plenty of power but who is going to carry that about.
i use 3.3KVA with no extension lead

DAZ

 

[Doug S]

Hi, my first post, sorry its a negative one but just got my 240v Kapex back from repair, its under 2yrs old, only used by me and never abused. It just went pop, stopped working and smelt of burning. Can't knock the festool service, collected, repaired and returned in under a week, all under warranty. It had new armature, bearings, brushes and a few other bits, about £200 worth of parts. It is a fantastic saw but I am now worried that there is a good chance it will happen again and I will have to pay for it. 

 

[DAZ40]

Hi, Doug S i though it was just the 110volt saw that did it like i said before it is like walking on egg shells my Kapex is 5 year's old i have spent £570 [mad]        on it with two new motor's and a full guard rebuild.
can i ask what sort of work do you do

DAZ

 

[hopper]

Daz40, sorry for my ignorance,  I understood that all of Europe was on 240 volt 50 cycles. Are there places that use 110/120 volts ?

 

[ifit]

Ive had a 110v kapex for 12 months and I'm disappointed with it
I use a 3.3kva tranny and it feels underpowered - reading this thread was the 1st i heard of using a 5kva but im not going to shell out to hump one of them around
It wont run on a genny and wont lock in on any angles other than pre-sets
I like the ug stand  and the bevel adjust other than that prefer my old dewalt 717xps

 

[E30Mark]

Daz40, sorry for my ignorance,  I understood that all of Europe was on 240 volt 50 cycles. Are there places that use 110/120 volts ?

Most construction sites in the UK use 110V, it's an old regulation that still seems to be in use today. The idea is the 110V transformers are centre tapped to earth, so the maximum shock you can receive is 55V, which is deemed safe. The use of a RCD on a 230V system also meets this 50V safe shock voltage, but alot of sites still insist on 110V tools. I only buy 230V tools these days, and I don't work on 110V sites anymore  [cool]

 

[DAZ40]

The reason i was told to use a 5KVA is that the Kapex has a induction motor so it takes a big charge to get it going not like a motor with brushes.
That could be the reason why it will not run on a genny

 

[amt]

I don't have a kapex, but I thought it did have a brushed motor.  Regardless of the motor type, I would expect the initial charge to be very low, since it should have a soft start.

 

[DAZ40]

I think festool is going the same way elu went when dewalt bought them out they get a good name and then go chep on parts to save cash

That's just another good reason why we should send all of the world's cost accountants to a tiny little remote island ....... then nuke it!

I totally agree

 

[Doug S]

Hi Daz, I do general joinery making windows, doors, cabinets etc. Kapex spends most of its time in the workshop running off a Ct26 extractor. It never cuts any large section stuff and has really not done much work. My OF1400 router needed new brushes and bearings a few weeks ago, have had it about 9 years so am okay with that but not very happy about the Kapex breaking down before its second birthday, hoping I was just unlucky. Just saw new post while typing, Kapex does have brushes cos they replaced them in mine.

 

[hopper]

Daz40, sorry for my ignorance,  I understood that all of Europe was on 240 volt 50 cycles. Are there places that use 110/120 volts ?

Most construction sites in the UK use 110V, it's an old regulation that still seems to be in use today. The idea is the 110V transformers are centre tapped to earth, so the maximum shock you can receive is 55V, which is deemed safe. The use of a RCD on a 230V system also meets this 50V safe shock voltage, but alot of sites still insist on 110V tools. I only buy 230V tools these days, and I don't work on 110V sites anymore  [cool]

Thanks e30mark,  That is interesting history.  I learned something new today.

 

[DAZ40]

My Kapex motor burned up in just under a year of minimal use. It was obviously repaired through the warranty but I was very disappointed. I've had a hitachi for almost 8 years with no issues and I use it for some rough stuff. Also have a Bosch for 4-5 years with zero issues.
I think Festool should do the right thing and recall the Kapex or extent the warranty.

On a side note my festool jigsaw is failing also. Again, I've had a Bosch for 7+ years, no problems. I have further complaints and issues with some of my Festools but I won't continue. It seems to me that in general I have more problems with my Festools than any other brands.
What's up with Festool?

A lot of these companies get a good name and then let themselves dawn by putting cheap part's on to save cash  [scared]

 

[DAZ40]

I have been in touch with festool to see what is the best size of 110v  transformer for the Kapez they said the min is a 3.5 kva without the hoover with the hoover 4kva -5kva

DAZ

 

[joiner1970]

This thread worried me as I bought the full kapex kit in 110v at Christmas but haven't used it much yet. Anyway used it the other day on my midi off a 3.3 kva tranny and it was fine. Yeah it did die at one point but like any saw you have to let it run a little to pick up speed

 

[Belfast Bespoke]

Had exactly the same thing happen two weeks ago. 240V Kapex 120, only used in the workshop to cut miters ect. nothing heavy.
Started spluttering and a burning smell, i thought the brushes were gone.
I decided to take it to my supplier, who sold me it, as they have a good repair man. After looking at it, he said the motor was burnt out !! There was nothing wrong with  the brushes, they were like new. So they arranged to send it  back to Festool UK for warranty repair as its only just over 2 years old.
I had a phone call from the supplier yesterday with a cost for repair of £342.00. Festool said the saw was not registered for warranty. Talk about shocked !!
The saw was registered for warranty by my supplier there and then when i bought it, but it seems the paper work was mixed up with a UG stand, and it was the stand that was registered. So to cut a long story short, it has all been sorted out and will be repaired through the warranty which will run for the remaining year.
The fact that the saws motor has burnt out after 2 years is very worrying indeed, i had justified the cost of over £1000 with the fact that it is supposed to be vastly better than the rest. Seems i, and from what i have read here, others, are wrong in the assumption that "you get what you pay for"
Surely, with the price paid, the motor should last a lot longer than a couple of years ??
If the warranty mix up had not been sorted out for a repair, i think i would have been going down the route of Sale of goods act which says goods should last a reasonable amount of time !!
I am now contemplating selling it on when it is fixed.

 

[Doug S]

Are we guys just unlucky or is there a problem with the kapex? Going on my experience if it was used hard it would only last 6 months, can someone restore my faith and tell me they have a 4 year old kapex that is used daily in a busy professional shop and never had a problem? I like to think if there were any problems festool would address it and sort it.

 

[Gary_L]

My motor burnt up after about 1 1/2 years of use in a 1 man shop. This is my third one. First 2 had a seal leak behind the blade. Spoke with festool and they have steped up and tried to make it right. Problem is I have lost all confidence in the saw. They told me the. 90 tooth Tenru blade is what caused the motor to go. I have a makita I used for 4 years with a 100 tooth blade and still use the saw today. This saw cost 1/3 of what the kapex cost. Very disappointed.

 

[Brandon]

At some point I hope Festool openly recognizes the problem and does something about it