JFelchlin
Member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2007
- Messages
- 216
21 FEBRUARY 2017
I’ve been a hobbyist woodworker for 15+ years – Making furniture, cabinets, raised panel doors, and more. Since 2005, I’ve bought and used a lot of Festool products (see my “signature” below). My tools are meticulously maintained.
Until now, I’ve never had any issue with any Festool product – And never had cause to need for Festool’s Service.
Over several decades I’ve calibrated many industrial, automotive and woodworking tools – Without any problems – Until the Domino XL DF700EQ.
I bought it in FEB 2016 - But owing to a major illness – I was unable to use it for almost a year.
After multiple tests (tight setting/8mm cutter) - Using the horizontal position gauge (also called the sight gauge) - Used for aligning Domino tenons to pencil marks on the workpieces method – I was unable to attain alignment between two pieces of material. I clamped the material and DF700. The materials were perfectly joined. And, the problem was not a “user” error. Besides myself, I also enlisted a longtime Domino user friend. No success.
I’ve been a FOG member since 2007 – And value the info and expertise it provides its members.
Searching the FOG – Paul Marcel’s Half Inch Shy (#53), the DF700’s Festool Manual, and Christopherson’s Supplemental Manual (P-20) – I carefully attempted – Multiple times - To calibrate the sight gauge. There simply isn’t enough tolerance to adjust the sight gauge the needed amount. With no success – And searching the FOG for information - I finally determined that I’m not the only one unable to calibrate the DF700 sight gauge. Research also indicated that it could be a misalignment of the gearbox.
So… I went to the Festool Service web page – Filled out at a Repair Order Form – With all the problems/details involved And then followed it up with a phone call to FS.
Sadly, the apathy and attitude I received from the Customer Service Rep - Left me stunned.
Three sentences from the CSR: “So you want to send it in for service?” Yes. “Did you fill out a Repair Order Form?” Yes (again). “Pack it in at least 2” of bubble wrap.” No questions. No suggestions. Nothing.
I packed it in at least 3” of bubble wrap – Then surrounded it in at least 3”-4” of other packing material – Securing it in a heavy duty cardboard box. It “round tripped” in about 10 days.
It got worse from there. My $1,400 tool came back in a single, thin, wrap of bubble wrap - In a Festool labled box – With room for the tool to flop around in all directions. The box was dented in on one end. A packing slip was enclosed - But nothing explaining any work/correction that was done – Or the results. I tested the tool multiple times.
The alignment problem was unchanged/uncorrected. As well, I found that the forward “snap button” (Festool Manual (6-2) P-12/13) was broken off – Making plunging the tool to a specific depth impossible without the “snap button” to arrest its forward progress. I found the broken off “snap button” - Laying in the Festool cardboard shipping box.
I’m not a Festool expert – But it appears that the poorly packed box fell – And when landing on the end of the box – The tool came forward inside – Jamming the front backward – Breaking off the “snap button”. Maybe. Maybe not. But… It was sent OK. It came back broken off.
To say I’m: Disappointed - Dissatisfied – Disgusted – Is an understatement. I’ve always been a Festool advocate. I’ve never minded paying high prices for good tools – That I thought were backed by the best service possible. Now… Not so much.
I’ll be calling Festool Service after posting this to the FOG and Amazon Reviews – Hoping for a different attitude – And a fix - For what are now two problems. Sorry this post was so long. I thought I’d pre-empt some of the back/forth I’ve seen in other posts with the alignment issue.
UPDATED 18 MAR 2017
An hour after I made my initial posts to the FOG and Amazon (Review) – Festool’s Tyler Carter posted his response to me. The next day - 22 FEB 2017 - I received a call from a Festool Service’s Supervisor – Who listened cordially to my difficulties – Regarding both the tool and FS.
He offered to fix the tool or swap me for a new one.
I opted to receive a new tool – With the explicit caveats that:
1. All moving parts would be inspected and calibrated by FS - Including the sight gauge, the fence's alignment - And the stop pins' set in equal alignment to the center line.
2. The tool would be properly packaged to arrive undamaged.
I expected a "perfect" tool. That's what I paid $1,400 for.
These were the same expectations that I emailed to Tyler Carter the day before.
The FS Supervisor agreed – And that afternoon – I again UPS’d my XL DF700EQ tool to FS.
A new XL DF700EQ (574422) was UPS’d to me. It arrived – Calibrated – And undamaged – In a T Loc Systainer Sys 5 - Including an XL D12 cutter, Plug-it Power Cord, Support Bracket and Wrench.
I very much appreciate what Tyler and the FS Supervisor did. My THANKS TO THEM BOTH.
BOTTOM LINE –
They shouldn’t have had to “go the extra mile” – For the customer to get a NEW working tool.
Since my experience with my XL DF700EQ – I’ve done a little “searching” on the FOG.
I discovered that my experience with the Domino wasn’t mine, alone. In only a couple of minutes of “Searching” – I found a dozen posts (spanning years) - Describing serious calibration problems.
These weren’t Domino tools that just needed to be calibrated to be usable. These were Domino tools that couldn’t be calibrated, at all.
While Festool has probably sold thousands of Dominos tools - For us with the Domino tool problems – They’re very real.
In a 24 OCT 2007 FOG post - Christian Oltzscher’s (a Festool employee) said:
“There should never be the need to calibrate a tool you are buying from Festool. If it doesn't work out of the box, return it. In no case there should be a need to enlarge screw holes or do similar alterations.
Each tool is calibrated in the factory and is quality checked several times. In case of the Domino, they are doing test cuts with every machine in a piece of wood and measure the mortise. They keep that piece of wood and mark it with the serial no. of the Domino, so they can go back and check the mortise in case of a complaint. They also have several other calibration stations for the Domino. Everything is done to make sure you are getting a Domino that works out of the box.”
It’s been almost 10 years since that FOG employee posting in response to the same problem.
10 years later - It hasn’t gotten any better. Festool’s still selling new Dominos that need to be calibrated (fixed) on arrival to the customer! Why?
Apparently… We customers have became Festool’s Quality Assurance.
A Festool tool should already be calibrated - And in working condition - When the customer buys it.
We shouldn’t have to: Test it - Exchange it – Calibrate (fix) it – Or send it to Customer Service.
When you buy a Mercedes – You don’t have to adjust the carburetor or the brakes when you get it home. (Maybe a Kia… Not a Mercedes.) I still don’t think Festool “gets it”. Don’t? Or Won’t?
MY SUGGESTION:
If you receive a new “less than perfect” Festool tool – Any tool - Send it to FS to be calibrated (fixed).
Maybe – Just maybe – If FS gets enough new tools to calibrate (fix) – Festool Manufacturing will upgrade their Quality Assurance.
AN ASIDE:
While I waited on Festool Service - I finished the project I was working on –
With my Leigh FMT Pro Mortise & Tenon Jig – And my DowelMax (28% of the cost of the DF500). New - They came ready to use. I didn’t have to “calibrate” (fix) ‘em when I bought ‘em. They’re still working perfectly. The jointing was easy. The joints were all “flush” and perfect. And… Both jigs came with excellent, detailed instruction manuals and videos. They didn’t need a third party to write a “Supplemental” manual.
The Leigh FMT and DowelMax work great > First time - Every time > Without any hassles.
In spite of my difficulties with my Domino XL DF700EQ – I’ve also bought the Domino DF 500.
I may keep my Domino tools – Or I may sell them – Right after Festool’s annual April price “jack up”.
