Festool Tape Tensioning and Assembly

[JBird]

If you have a Festool tape and you have actually used it then you have probably found that the spring no longer has enough tension to fully retract. Upon being confronted with this issue I went looking for Rick Christopherson's supplemental manual for the Festool tape. Sadly, he has not got around to it yet. So I took it upon myself to dive in and sort this out. Having emerged victorious I now present you with a quick vid showing how to re-tension the spring and actually get it re-assembled.



According to Amazon the tape is one of the top three most popular items in the Festool catalog. That to me suggests there are many thousands, if not tens of thousands, out there with this issue. I hope some of you find this helpful. If you do then you owe me $25 USD + tax.

 

[NHSP759]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

 

[#Tee]

nice! what keeps this from going bad again?

 

[Roseland]

I took mine apart about a year ago and it took me an extra evening to get it back together, and it was no better.  Now I see what I was doing wrong!

Many thanks, I might attempt it again.  In the meantime I have however bought a Class I tape (the Festool is Class II):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000X295GU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

Andrew

 

[JBird]

nice! what keeps this from going bad again?

Time will tell I guess. My working theory is that the spring was never fully wound during initial assembly.

In the meantime I have however bought a Class I tape (the Festool is Class II):

Looks promising. Even the Hultafors Talmeter is class II. Hultafors owns Fisco, and Fisco is a higher class, and yet the Fisco is half the cost. Obviously the Talmeter has an additional marking feature. But what is stopping them from making it class I?

I looked fruitlessly for a class I flat back tape, like the Fastcap, anywhere in the world. The Fastcap flatback is OK but I doesn't have class I accuracy.

I like my Festool tape because it fits neatly in the lower compartment of the Centrotec Installers Set and fits easily in a jean pocket for trips to the hardware store. I also like to have one of my desk to help me with visualizing inch/metric conversions and to remind me of my tools even when i'm not able to spend time with them.