Festool Work App

[tigger]

Hi guys

Ok, so Festool Germany has responded and is sending over the firmware update to NZ along with some gadget for dealers to use to update the saw. Bit of a hassle as I now have to take my saw back to the dealer to get it updated. Should be here by next Friday.

As a side note, I'm still loving this tool. Even with the occasional error message. It's been an absolute game changer on site.

Thanks for all the replies

Cheers

 

[Coen]

Why not get the APK from an alternative source and be done with it?

How do you think I have the German DHL app? Right...

 

[ElectricFeet]

Some input (from Italy):

I have the Work app. I cannot use it to update my CSC SYS 50 because my batteries are not bluetooth. (I remember when I bought them thinking “Bluetooth? On a battery? Nah, gimmick, why would I ever need that?” Ha! )

So, fast-forward to today, and I will not be able to update my tool unless I buy a BT battery, I think. Sigh. Hope I’m wrong. I certainly don’t get any of the screens that you see in the Festool video on how to update. And I cannot press the battery power indicator button until it is blue because it only has green LEDs in it.

However:

Interestingly, my supplier has an overload error while demonstrating the saw for a client in store. He wasn't cutting anything. He just switched it on. [blink] Lost that sale  [crying]

I have had this error.

I was cutting some plastic, which was “stringing” at the top — the phenomenon where, despite the teeth being above the surface, a long kerf-width “string” of plastic peels off the top and eventually gets sucked down below the plate.

After about 1/2 hour of cutting, I switched the blade on and after about 1/2 a second, it stopped dead with a red error code. In a panic, I immediately shut off the saw. Which, I should point out, is not something I would ordinarily do with a piece of software. However, when you’re adrenalined-up, feeding something into a spinning blade, safety is the first immediate concern, so it’s what you do. So I didn’t get a good, long look at the error, but “overload error” sounds familiar.

So, I switched off, pulled out the batteries, opened it up as per instructions and cleaned it out. There was a bit of a mess, but nothing I could see that would have caused the error. I closed everything up, switched it on and everything was fine (cue “have you tried switching it off and on again?”)

Interestingly, I forgot to reattach the dust hose after the clean-up, realised my mistake after the first cut, and went round the back to reattach it. at which point, I saw that the saw had spat out a big 1x3cm ball of stringy plastic onto the table.

It’s worked absolutely fine ever since.

I actually found the experience quite heartening because (a) switching it off/on allowed me to carry on; (b) everything worked fine afterwards; (c) it spat out the problem, even without dust extraction attached; and (d) it stopped the motor dead amazingly fast when it encountered unusual resistance.

I very much liked (d). I know it’s not a sawstop and I know you can do major, even fatal, damage to yourself in half a second, but I saw this as a major positive, frankly.

That said (as someone who has a background in IT), if the saw has a function to stop the saw dead when it encounters resistance, then at some point Sod’s Law says that this function will kick in when it has not encountered resistance. But I don’t believe we have reached that point yet.

I suspect that your supplier simply hadn’t cleaned the saw and it got clogged.

The saw spitting out the plastic string-ball was interesting too. A sort of cat-puking-fur-balls functionality. Nice.

 

[squall_line]

Some input (from Italy):

I have the Work app. I cannot use it to update my CSC SYS 50 because my batteries are not bluetooth. (I remember when I bought them thinking “Bluetooth? On a battery? Nah, gimmick, why would I ever need that?” Ha! )

So, fast-forward to today, and I will not be able to update my tool unless I buy a BT battery, I think. Sigh. Hope I’m wrong. I certainly don’t get any of the screens that you see in the Festool video on how to update. And I cannot press the battery power indicator button until it is blue because it only has green LEDs in it.

I find the "side-load the firmware update for the tool through the battery" to be a clever way of doing this.

I also think that it's "too clever by half", as they say in some parts.

I think both things can be true at the same time.

I wonder if it's easier for stores to rent out a bluetooth battery to update firmware rather than force people to drag the thing in to get it updated?  I don't have any Festool-owning friends myself (other than all of the fine folks on here), so if I were without a BT battery, I'd be forced to go to a retailer to update my tool.  I have two close by, but packing up the saw and carrying it there, even in the Systainer, seems annoying.

 

[ElectricFeet]

I find the "side-load the firmware update for the tool through the battery" to be a clever way of doing this.

I also think that it's "too clever by half", as they say in some parts.

Have to agree. I mean, if you can pack the functionality into a battery, then why not put it in the saw itself and be done with it?

Back on this topic: I still haven’t seen anything that says we need to update the saw at all, or even can. Sure, Sedge might have V7, but that could just be a beta test internal to Festool.

I wonder if they’ll release new functionality in the updates? Similar to Shaper Origin? Not sure what they could add to the CSC software, unless there are hardware add-ons to come.

 

[mino]

Have to agree. I mean, if you can pack the functionality into a battery, then why not put it in the saw itself and be done with it?
...

Then one would have the situation Makita has with LXT. A need to buy new tools that accept the Bluetooth module.

BT in the battery means the same BT batteries work with *any* tool. Irrespective how old it is. It is a better and more flexible system.

Using the serial link with the tool (where the tool supports it) and using the batteries as transceivers is just logical once it is there. It is a more flexible system, it allows to monitor the battery health, etc., etc.

Having the BT *also* on the tool when it is already on the battery would actually be the overengineering here ... besides, all tools which can make use o the BT packs for firmware updates are sold with those packs these days. And with tools like the CSC you really want to use BT packs if only to hook up with the DEs.

 

[ElectricFeet]

Have to agree. I mean, if you can pack the functionality into a battery, then why not put it in the saw itself and be done with it?
...

Then one would have the situation Makita has with LXT. A need to buy new tools that accept the Bluetooth module.

BT in the battery means the same BT batteries work with *any* tool. Irrespective how old it is. It is a better and more flexible system.

Using the serial link with the tool (where the tool supports it) and using the batteries as transceivers is just logical once it is there. It is a more flexible system, it allows to monitor the battery health, etc., etc.

Having the BT *also* on the tool when it is already on the battery would actually be the overengineering here ... besides, all tools which can make use o the BT packs for firmware updates are sold with those packs these days.

Good arguments to have BT in the batteries — especially for legacy tools and more simple tools.

For anything that will need software updates — which we see more of in future, I guess — then including something in the tool might be better. Thinking it through a bit more, wireless is the answer for bigger, stationary/semi-stationary tools. Even in the absence of fixed wifi, a phone can supply a hotspot. The Shaper Origin has shown how easy this can be.

I don’t know if you’ve watched the CSC quick guide video on updating, but it’s a really clunky process through the batteries / Work app. This list assumes that a Festool account has already been created and you are logged in.

• Find out that you need to update — it’s not yet clear to me how you’ll know this. Word of mouth? From the Work app itself, if you use it? An email from Festool?
• Switch on CSC
• Open Work app on phone
• Press and hold battery button to pair BT battery with phone
• Accept pairing on phone
• Detach battery
• Download update onto battery via phone
• Reattach battery and switch on CSC
• Press and hold battery button (again? It’s shown on the video a 2nd time)
• (Register tool, if not already done)
• Press and hold battery BT button (again? Really? It’s shown on the video a 3rd time)
• Press install button on phone to update CSC
• Wait
• Switch CSC off & on
• Close software update in Work app

Compare that to the process for Shaper Origin, which has wireless built-in. If you are in your regular place of work then you will normally be connected to wifi, as it’s used for transferring your files to and from Shaper hub / Shaper Studio (if you aren’t using a USB instead). Origin connects to wi-fi automatically at start-up. This list assumes that at least on the day you want to update you are logged in to wireless or a hotspot on your phone.

• See that you need to update because there’s a blue notification blob on the settings icon
• Press settings and select “info: update available”
• Press “update now”
• Wait; after which, Origin restarts itself

If you can’t / don’t want to connect Origin to wireless, Shapertools make available a version you can download onto a USB. It’s generally available a few weeks after the main wireless update.

A USB drive could be a good solution for the CSC too: plug in USB drive; a prompt appears; press update.

And with tools like the CSC you really want to use BT packs if only to hook up with the DEs.

Soooo right. With the TSC 55, the bluetooth switch is right by my hand on the hose and easy to remember, but with the CSC you forget to walk round the back. My next batteries will be Bluetooth for sure, but I really can’t justify them yet. I’m still mostly corded.

 

[tigger]

Unfortunately it does use the BT battery to connect to the saw  [crying]

Some input (from Italy):

I have the Work app. I cannot use it to update my CSC SYS 50 because my batteries are not bluetooth. (I remember when I bought them thinking “Bluetooth? On a battery? Nah, gimmick, why would I ever need that?” Ha! )

So, fast-forward to today, and I will not be able to update my tool unless I buy a BT battery, I think. Sigh. Hope I’m wrong. I certainly don’t get any of the screens that you see in the Festool video on how to update. And I cannot press the battery power indicator button until it is blue because it only has green LEDs in it.

However:

Interestingly, my supplier has an overload error while demonstrating the saw for a client in store. He wasn't cutting anything. He just switched it on. [blink] Lost that sale  [crying]

I have had this error.

I was cutting some plastic, which was “stringing” at the top — the phenomenon where, despite the teeth being above the surface, a long kerf-width “string” of plastic peels off the top and eventually gets sucked down below the plate.

After about 1/2 hour of cutting, I switched the blade on and after about 1/2 a second, it stopped dead with a red error code. In a panic, I immediately shut off the saw. Which, I should point out, is not something I would ordinarily do with a piece of software. However, when you’re adrenalined-up, feeding something into a spinning blade, safety is the first immediate concern, so it’s what you do. So I didn’t get a good, long look at the error, but “overload error” sounds familiar.

So, I switched off, pulled out the batteries, opened it up as per instructions and cleaned it out. There was a bit of a mess, but nothing I could see that would have caused the error. I closed everything up, switched it on and everything was fine (cue “have you tried switching it off and on again?”)

Interestingly, I forgot to reattach the dust hose after the clean-up, realised my mistake after the first cut, and went round the back to reattach it. at which point, I saw that the saw had spat out a big 1x3cm ball of stringy plastic onto the table.

It’s worked absolutely fine ever since.

I actually found the experience quite heartening because (a) switching it off/on allowed me to carry on; (b) everything worked fine afterwards; (c) it spat out the problem, even without dust extraction attached; and (d) it stopped the motor dead amazingly fast when it encountered unusual resistance.

I very much liked (d). I know it’s not a sawstop and I know you can do major, even fatal, damage to yourself in half a second, but I saw this as a major positive, frankly.

That said (as someone who has a background in IT), if the saw has a function to stop the saw dead when it encounters resistance, then at some point Sod’s Law says that this function will kick in when it has not encountered resistance. But I don’t believe we have reached that point yet.

I suspect that your supplier simply hadn’t cleaned the saw and it got clogged.

The saw spitting out the plastic string-ball was interesting too. A sort of cat-puking-fur-balls functionality. Nice.

 

[ElectricFeet]

Unfortunately it does use the BT battery to connect to the saw  [crying]

No harm in us gently nudging Festool in that direction for the second iteration

I’m looking forward to the next gen electronic fold-out router table in a systainer, so I hope they get it right for that [big grin]