Group order for Festool Plug-It pig-tail retrofit kits

If a group order were to be placed for Plug-It pigtails, how many would you order?

  • 1-2

    Votes: 11 25.0%
  • 3-5

    Votes: 26 59.1%
  • 5-10

    Votes: 6 13.6%
  • 10+

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .
I am willing to go in for six.  we should all agree on the heaviest cord since it will work on the lower amperage tools regardless.

now my ole' ro150 rotax  and bosch tools get to join the party!!  :) ;) :D ;D

 
I agree, I think we will go for the largest of the pig-tails, to allow for the widest variety of tools to be compatible. Do people have a preference as to length? I think someone mentioned that there were two length options?
 
Hi,

  The length doesn't matter to me, I will most likely be making it shorter anyway.  I too would want the heavier gauge.

  Seth
 
Count me in.  I'll convert the RO150 and then see if it would work on a couple of Lamello units I have.
 
I vote for the longer length too.  It can always be cut to the ideal length!

I forgot my Lamello,  My Cantex lipping planer would get converted as well.  Oooh, that would be sweet!
 
Many of you may remember that I offered to help with purchasing/shipping some of these to the US a few months ago. As it was, I had to withdraw my offer as shortly afterwards I applied for a job within Festool UK, and I didn't want to upset them. Anyway, the job didn't work out. Their loss!!! ;D

Looking at the results of this poll and quickly adding in my head, you're talking upwards of 100 plug-its. When I offered, I was thinking of a much smaller quantity. At such high levels, I don't think you'd ever be successful. Here's why.

Festool cannot sell them in the US due to lack of UL approval. Therefore, Festool could in no way support or condone anyone attempting to bypass UL. No dealer could risk upsetting Festool by supporting or condoning it either. So the problem then is, how do you get hold of 100+ plug-its, without the support of Festool (or a Festool dealer) in Europe?

My dealer (and possibly most others) only keeps 2-3 of these in stock at any one time. Even the big online dealers would, I imagine, only keep a dozen or so in stock at most. So getting together the quantities mentioned here, whilst not impossible, would be extremely difficult.

Of course, I well may be proved wrong on all the above!!!
 
I kind of figured this is where we might wind up. OTOH, perhaps Festool way come to realize there is a market for these that would warrant a little action of their own. The UL thing still baffles me. Any yahoo, like me, can walk into Home Depot and buy enough electrical componentry to get himself into lots of trouble and yet we can still do it. There are various sorts of aftermarket plugs already out there. What's really wrong with another one being added?
 
I don't know why they would not sell them.

UL certification in not a law. Many,many electrical (and other) devices are made here and imported that are not UL certified. UL is a private company.  It is not required like the CE certification in europe. There are some FCC part 15 requirements that are law but I believe they have to do with interference issues.

I'm sure there are some stores that may not carry a product unless it is UL certified but certification has absolutely nothing to do with import / or customs requirements.

Scott W.
 
I agree. It is legal to sell non-UL listed electrical stuff here but not always legal to install it. Example is the super cheap electrical outlets/switches sometimes found at big box stores. These occasionally don't have the UL listing. Ran into this doing a remodel job and the electrical inspector noticed I was using UL approved stuff and commented on how often he was running into non-UL devices. We should be able to purchase these adaptors for our own personnal use.
Pete
 
PeterK said:
We should be able to purchase these adaptors for our own personnal use.
Pete

I agree, but Festool seems to be pretty risk averse in their approach to this market. The irony is that any one of us re-wiring a Festool product is going to be pretty careful. I am sure there would be threads generated over the do's and don't's of the process.
 
jonny round boy said:
So the problem then is, how do you get hold of 100+ plug-its, without the support of Festool (or a Festool dealer) in Europe?
Hey JRB,
Your story conjures up an image of a dark alley,a mysterious figure in a trenchcoat calls from the shadows "Hey meester, you want to buy a plug-it cord?" :D :D ;)

First the stuff is so darned expensive and then they won't even sell it to you.  We call that adding insult to injury. ::)
 
jonny round boy said:
Festool cannot sell them in the US due to lack of UL approval. Therefore, Festool could in no way support or condone anyone attempting to bypass UL.

Mfg's selling in the US are required to have products tested by Independent Facilities such as UL and CSA. 

The parts that make up the appliance do not necessarily require seperate UL or CSA approval. 

If a product is altered/modified in any way from it original tested state, the UL/CSA approval and mfg warranty will be null and void. 

The issue here is liability, if these plugs were offered through Festool USA,  they would have to magically appear in their catalog with absolutely no documented mention of the intended/suggested use.  wink,wink

Simply Part#xxxxx 9.95(Including the 15% April price increase ;))

 
I posted something similar in another thread, but how hard would it be for Festool to make a plug-it pigtail, but with a 3-prong receptacle on the other end (instead of bare wire). Then we could just plug in our tools, and not have to worry about warranties or anything. I'd buy a few of those and leave them on the cords of my non-plug-it tools (you know - screwdrivers, rasps, planes, etc.).
 
Poto your "idea" makes good sense....  Probably TOO good of $en$e for Festool USA

However I sure Festool USA has no interest in this approach since "A" they would potentially hurt future sales (up grades to the PS 2, HL 850, RS 115, and DX 93 plus those of us with RO 150's, AFT 55's & AFT 65's) and "B" there is so little interest in this topic....  after all only 45 of us responded of over 1300 viewing of this topic. 

Note: I am saying "so little interest tongue in cheek" as this topic comes up month after month... some one say's they are going to Europe, or the land of "OZ" and the orders/requests start flying in.  I am sure the real issue for Festool USA is $$$ pure and simple.  The irony is for those us who buy into the Festool System we know it is proprietary & the tools are costly, but we make the commitment with our check book.  Granted Festool does support us in the long run in parts & service, but then again a parallel could be drawn between the "plug-it" adapter & a part being "no longer available"....

I fall in the middle group needing 5 "just" for adapting my Festool power tools.

I have no problem with any of the following; either re-wiring into the tool housing, cutting the cord & attaching the "plug-it" end , or simply plugging the exciting cord into a "plug-it" adapter.  Because the all of these approaches build upon the "Plug-t System" and for me since I own at least one of nearly every Festool power tool sold in the US thus being able to standardize with "Plug-it" connecters will pay me dividends in both time and on my body in getting up & down.

But again Poto your idea makes too much $en$e....

jim

 
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