How to fix this jam?

squall_line

Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2021
Messages
2,927
Got my TS55 from Recon yesterday.  UPS delivered it on its side and I could hear something rattling around in the systainer before I opened the box.

Opened the box this morning, and I found a shiny lovely Systainer3 instead of a T-Loc (still not sure what the yellow dot means, as I've seen it on two items from Recon now, but not others).

In any case, the lid is jammed in the back; looks like something pushed out the lower lip in a one-inch section (see attached pictures).  I can't open the lid, and I tried to slide the lower part back into place but without much success.  The center hinge is holding the back stronger than I was willing to pry this morning.

Admittedly, I haven't tried anything like an automotive panel tool, but that's on my short list of things to try when I get home tonight.

Anyone have any recommendations on getting this back where it needs to be so that I can open this systainer and meet my new tool?

View attachment 1
View attachment 2
 

Attachments

  • IMAG5241.jpg
    IMAG5241.jpg
    623.5 KB · Views: 397
  • IMAG5242.jpg
    IMAG5242.jpg
    646.6 KB · Views: 331
I'm curious how that could happen, but am reminded of the franks and beans scene from the movie "There's Something About Mary".  [eek]


Unless it is structural, I would trim the exposed lip off with a sharp knife and be done with it.
 
MikeGE said:
I'm curious how that could happen, but am reminded of the franks and beans scene from the movie "

Now that is hilarious... [not worthy]...I had to watch that a couple of times.  [big grin]
 
MikeGE said:
I'm curious how that could happen, but am reminded of the franks and beans scene from the movie "There's Something About Mary".  [eek]

Hahah  [big grin] How did you even remember and see the connection  [big grin]

In trying not to loose the thread here.. a car panel remover for levering, and; heat it a bit so lid and back becomes a little more flexible.
 
FestitaMakool said:
Hahah  [big grin] How did you even remember and see the connection  [big grin]

Experience.  It's why I wear Levi's 501 jeans now.  [scared]
 
MikeGE said:
FestitaMakool said:
Hahah  [big grin] How did you even remember and see the connection  [big grin]

Experience.  It's why I wear Levi's 501 jeans now.  [scared]

.. Safe [cool]
But they’ve changed them, careful - they may sneak in a zipper at some point  [scared]
 
MikeGE said:
I'm curious how that could happen, but am reminded of the franks and beans scene from the movie "There's Something About Mary". 

I needed that video! Ha - then I look at some of the other new posts and see a thread labeled "Holy junk Batman" and didn't even open it [scared].
 
Of note I am not familiar with the new Systainer's. Can you pop the outer hinge pin out? On the previous model Systainer's they can be done from the outside with a sharp object. You also might be surprised how much force these boxes can take before failure, meaning you might just be able to pry the box lid up enough to slide it back in, just using more force than previously. I would just pry it back over the top myself, with a thin flat metal object, or two. Razor knife blades are thin.
 
I had something very similar happen with the Vecturo shipped in a sys3 from a vendor.  I was able to get it open by sliding a small ruler in the back to unjam it and it hasn't given me problems since.

I expect if you call Festool they'll ship out a new Systainer because this one is damaged.  They did when I got my recon vac-sys head in a damaged classic Systainer.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone!

I used a pair of automotive panel tools and pried it apart "cold" (70-ish F, 21-ish C), and it popped back into place.

Opened the systainer to find the splinter guard and track end stop floating around aimlessly in the case and the top styrofoam retainer split in half.

The rest of the experience I'll share with the good folks in Lebanon, IN.

FWIW, I received another item from Recon today (my T18+3, which was super exciting), and UPS decided that it, too, should be transported on its side.  The battery and chucks were all somewhat randomly askew in the systainer, but it's a small enough unit that they were at least mostly in their little nooks.

With the weight of the saws and the rather delicate nature of the systainer inserts, you'd think they'd put a "This end up" label on their shipping boxes to keep things from breaking when being tossed around by package handlers.  Maybe "this end up" handling costs more?
 
This end up handling won't work.  Other dealers will open the systainer and insert air bags so things don't fly about; and then put packaging outside the systainer instead of having it right up against the cardboard.  Bob Marino was the best, but USTF and ToolNut also do a good job.
 
To solve this jam, you can try to force  back the walls to the normal position using a knife or a thin blade or a very thin skrewdriver. This will leave however some marks on your systainer.

These issues are the main reasons why I am very strongly opposed the gen 3 Systainer3, even hating them. While the new middle hinge was supposed to prevent such issues, the use of much thinner plastic (too supple) for gen3 not only defeated the purpose of this new hinge, but it made things much worse.

Re. gen 2 (T-Loc) , besides some machines I bought a huge number of empty systainers (So this is statistically relevant): I never had this issue.

Now, with the gen 3 , it is completely different:
- I bought a few empty ones: one had this jam, so I returned it.
- I bought a single machine (Vecturo) with a gen 3 systainer: it had this same jam in the back. However I urgently needed the machine, so I could not return it just because of the jammed back, so I had to solve it myself with a knife (and damaged the systainer a bit).

In conclusion:
- Out of huge number of gen 2: never had the jam issue.
- Out of very few gen 3: had twice this issue!...
What I think of gen 3 is not polite enough for me to write ...

Good luck ...
 
Back
Top