Three of my Festools have leaked. Most recently was/is my Kapex. My TS75 and TS55R have leaked in the past with the TS75 leaking more, but I assumed that was because it is usually upside down in my CMS. What are our options for tools out of warranty? Can we repack the grease ourselves? Does Festool recommend a grease to use?
Festool Service Says TS 55 REQ failed due to lack of use
- Thread starter tcscooters
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jobsworth said:
You would like using your TS75 in a CMS, if you had one.
I have a sawstop, but it has been in it’s crate for the past year. I don’t have the extra electric ran to my 3 car garage yet, where I will have my machines hooked up. I have a small 18’x18’ (5.4864m x 5.4864m) shop in my basement that will be used for my Festools (and others) and hand tools. The idea is that I easily could take power and hand tools back and forth and I would have table saw capability in both locations.
Anyway, that dang grease!
Grease is basically made out of soap and oil. It's a lot more scientific than that in practice, but that's the high level view.
I have similar issues with bicycles stored for too long in the garage in the TX heat. The oil separates and melts out of some of the parts. The Shimano STI shifters used to be notorious for this. You end up with oil and grit instead of grease. Some grease seems to last better. I've never had issues with Phil Wood green grease which is repackaged (and repriced) marine grease.
I have similar issues with bicycles stored for too long in the garage in the TX heat. The oil separates and melts out of some of the parts. The Shimano STI shifters used to be notorious for this. You end up with oil and grit instead of grease. Some grease seems to last better. I've never had issues with Phil Wood green grease which is repackaged (and repriced) marine grease.
I bought the 3hp professional, 52” with dust collection and industrial mobile base. I really consider the 5hp industrial. I went with the professional because 1, I’m a hobbiest and 2, I may want to add a euro slider tablesaw in the future. I have my TS75 in the CMS and use my TS55R for other needs, so not much of a hassle.
Jesse Cloud
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Only tools that ever leaked grease on me came from Harbor Freight. [embarassed]
I bought my TS55 when they first came to the US, no problem. I use it pretty regularly though.
I once took a course of woodworking machine maintenance. We took apart a lot of old 'junk' tools.
The worst was a 60 year old craftsman radial arm saw that had set unused in a "coastal California garage" for
most of that time. We did some simple rehab work and it was good as new, though in need of a paint job.
90% of them were up and running fine with new grease, rust removal, and an occasional set of bearings.
I bought my TS55 when they first came to the US, no problem. I use it pretty regularly though.
I once took a course of woodworking machine maintenance. We took apart a lot of old 'junk' tools.
The worst was a 60 year old craftsman radial arm saw that had set unused in a "coastal California garage" for
most of that time. We did some simple rehab work and it was good as new, though in need of a paint job.
90% of them were up and running fine with new grease, rust removal, and an occasional set of bearings.
kevinculle
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Wow...that this excuse from Festool is taken seriously is breathtaking. Festool chooses the lubricants used in its tools based on a range of criteria. One of those should surely be the typical usage across the range of users of the tools. Surely boutique tools like Festools are bought both by tradespeople who use them vigorously and by well to do hobbyists, some of whom use them as much as displays of affluence like a financial codpiece. A tool left sitting a few months or even a few years is not at all unreasonable as one typical use scenario. Furthermore, if Festool decides that a thin runny grease is best they could at least adequately engineer the cases and seals on their tools to keep this schmoo (as BOLTR described it in the teardown) where it belongs. A $1500 Kapex with oil dripping from it ready to spoil workpieces cut on the saw is simply unacceptable!
The lubricant and seal technology exists to resolve this problem and Festool's perspective that the tool left sitting unused for a while is the problem is flat out denial. Take cars as an example...they routinely sit at dealerships awaiting sale for many months, sometimes a year or more without being driven and they require no routine chassis lubrication and leave behind no puddles of schmoo when finally driven away by the buyer.
The lubricant and seal technology exists to resolve this problem and Festool's perspective that the tool left sitting unused for a while is the problem is flat out denial. Take cars as an example...they routinely sit at dealerships awaiting sale for many months, sometimes a year or more without being driven and they require no routine chassis lubrication and leave behind no puddles of schmoo when finally driven away by the buyer.
ear3
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Good reminder for me to power up my Super Sawzall from time to time. Since I got the M18 hackzall a couple of years back, the only time my Super Sawzall gets a workout is when my neighbor borrows it!
Cheese said:kevinculle said:
Not really, here’s a shot of a Milwaukee mag drill that hasn’t been fired up in the last year. It just sits in its case and waits for its opportunity. [cool]. Check out the deposits on the cord and the tell tale runs on the blow molded case.
Cars, motorcycles 🏍, and tools all need to be exercised from time to time.
I actually use the kapex to make a few cuts here and there every few months (I know that’s pathetic). So, it does not sit unused for a year or more. Granted, there are people who use their kapex more in a week than I do in a year, but mine still gets some use. My TS75 is the same situation and I have a paper towel sitting under it, on top of a CT26, collecting the oil that leaks out. I wouldn’t be surprised to here that it’s my fault because the TS75 was not designed to be used in a CMS for NA, but it’s fine every else in the world. [eek]
Trust me, I’m a big fan of Festool, but they are not perfect and no tool company is. I’ve invested over 30k in Festool alone and am hoping that the tools are working for me when I want to use them. I’m 42 and I don’t expect them to last until I retire or anything, I just want them to be usable off and on for at least another decade or so.
Nothing is broke yet, so I’ll hope for the best and see what happens. I’m concerned about the kapex because the oil/grease is eventually all going to run out. Does anyone have experience or know the rough estimate to send a kapex (out of warranty) in for a service check up? I’m 2.5hrs from Festool USA, so shipping might not be bad. Too bad they don’t let people drop things off to get serviced, or do they?
Anyway, I will probably contact Festool and look into getting my kapex serviced. I’ll report back after I get the saw back. Hopefully Festool will shed some light on this greasy situation.
[popcorn]
Trust me, I’m a big fan of Festool, but they are not perfect and no tool company is. I’ve invested over 30k in Festool alone and am hoping that the tools are working for me when I want to use them. I’m 42 and I don’t expect them to last until I retire or anything, I just want them to be usable off and on for at least another decade or so.
Nothing is broke yet, so I’ll hope for the best and see what happens. I’m concerned about the kapex because the oil/grease is eventually all going to run out. Does anyone have experience or know the rough estimate to send a kapex (out of warranty) in for a service check up? I’m 2.5hrs from Festool USA, so shipping might not be bad. Too bad they don’t let people drop things off to get serviced, or do they?
Anyway, I will probably contact Festool and look into getting my kapex serviced. I’ll report back after I get the saw back. Hopefully Festool will shed some light on this greasy situation.
[popcorn]
sancho57
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I find that if Ihad one and were to make a cut on solid wood like maple, Id get saw marks and have to joint the pieces prior to glue up. I wouldnt have a problem doing it if I had one but as all woodworkers we want to save steps on our cuts. So Im guessing it must be the fence.
I got some time this morning so If I had one I would fool with it.
I got some time this morning so If I had one I would fool with it.
Coen said:
Are you asking me or the OP?
Mine has always been in the upright position. I have it on the MFT/kapex when in my basement shop (90% of the time) or on the UG stand when in my garage (10% of the time) but always upright. It has never been subjected to extrem temperature changes. My basement is usually around 68° and the times that I had it in the garage, the temperature could range anywhere from 45° to 85°.
leakyroof
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Hmm, my now fairly old ATF55 saw doesn't leak oil or grease at all..... Must be a dried up cake of crud inside the saw.... [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]
More thoughts on the Grease leakage. I have to store grease guns in my shop with a clear plastic bag over them since I don't go through enough grease to get it empty in a hurry. I always see the base oil dripping out of the grease gun over the many months it's hanging up in my shop. Doesn't matter which grease it is except that any of them are NON-Synthetic.
More thoughts on the Grease leakage. I have to store grease guns in my shop with a clear plastic bag over them since I don't go through enough grease to get it empty in a hurry. I always see the base oil dripping out of the grease gun over the many months it's hanging up in my shop. Doesn't matter which grease it is except that any of them are NON-Synthetic.
