kapex #5 returned today lasted less than a week

[honeydoman]

first off, let me say that festool has been very excellant in customer service.  I waited for 2 months for another shot at the kapex, and was promised this one was correct and it just came in from germany.  got it directly from the rep via my local woodcraft store.

used it yesterday and today at 8:30 am while cutting 1x2 trim pieces the plastic blade guard decides to break!  it won't retract anymore.  WTF!  couldn't even get in to see if I could fix it.  I have owned over 14 chop saws over the last 10 years and have never had a guard not work especially on a brand new saw.

had to run home get my makita back up, great saw and workhorse, and then go back to woodcraft today and return the kapex. for good.

it is sad because one of my main reasons I love this saw is the lightweight of it and little more compact to fit in my van, plus all the other features.  but as I have said before wait till kapex version II but for now I will not get another one.  festool makes great stuff that I use everyday but they got to go back to the drawing board.

 

[nickao]

You are the most unlucky guy ever!

 

[Eli]

I had a blade guard problem with the first one I used. Not saying this was your deal, but there's a spring on the right hand side that does the retraction bit and it had become jammed with dust/chips, preventing it from pulling the guard back. Haven't had that problem again, and it was a high oil content wood, really sticky sawdust.

 

[honeydoman]

nickao,

I agree!

I did not see a spring on mine maybe it flew off, but i have never had a guard not work.

 

[nickao]

Eli deserves the credit for that comment. 

 

[Eli]

Indeed.

The spring is close to the center of the blade, on the right hand side. About four o'clock if you look side on.

 

[spikfot]

  blade guards are the first thing i modify (remove) when i buy a chop saw.  i find they work better left in the box.
   

 

[honeydoman]

  blade guards are the first thing i modify (remove) when i buy a chop saw.  i find they work better left in the box.
   

you use your chopsaws without the blade guard?  i do not have ones on my table saws.  but on chopsaws that is crazy, and I have never had one catch up or be apain.

 

[spikfot]

  blade guards are the first thing i modify (remove) when i buy a chop saw.  i find they work better left in the box.
   

you use your chopsaws without the blade guard?  i do not have ones on my table saws.  but on chopsaws that is crazy, and I have never had one catch up or be apain.

Didn't you begin the thread by saying  your plastic blade guard broke and won't retract? 

  also wondering about the "over 14 chop saws in the past 10 years"?    what happens to them?  i thought 2 ls1013 makitas was bad. 
  i don't recommend that people remove safety features,  but  blade guards get in my way and sometimes hinder parallax. 
    i don't mean to sound critical.  just curious. 

 

[honeydoman]

i sold 2 of them.  gave 2 away and still have a 10" and 12" dewalt  I use for decks and 2x work and the 8 1/2" slider from dewalt is set up in shop on rails with kreg stops.  I have a 12" scms just sitting and my 10" scms makitas.  also have the bosch 10" scms, dont use much, had the 10" with the bevels up front and did not like it and sold it.  I use to have 4 guys and I could have set ups at several locations, but now it is just me and a helper.  plus being a tool whore..... when ever a new saw comes out I usually buy it..  also had a hitichi but did not like it and just gave it to my neighbor 3 years ago. and gave my helper of 6 years in calif when I left their 3 years ago gave him a makita 10 scms to keep. and then I used to have a roybi that just feel apart and threw it away.

I use the dewalt 10" for handyman stuff, cut this or that, metal for screen doors etc.  my 12" for when I do decks. and the others for finish work  I think I lost track of the others 3 over the last 10 years of doing this business.

 

[honeydoman]

  blade guards are the first thing i modify (remove) when i buy a chop saw.  i find they work better left in the box.
   

you use your chopsaws without the blade guard?  i do not have ones on my table saws.   but on chopsaws that is crazy, and I have never had one catch up or be apain.

Didn't you begin the thread by saying  your plastic blade guard broke and won't retract? 

yes I did.... it just stayed down so I could not cut at all..... one time I used to have a chop with no guard, and never again almost cut through my arm by not thinking.  holding a piece and brought my arm back ....etc.  so on chops I keep them one.  and only once in a while are they in the way and I hold them up sorta.

 

[mastercabman]

i sold 2 of them.  gave 2 away and still have a 10" and 12" dewalt  I use for decks and 2x work and the 8 1/2" slider from dewalt is set up in shop on rails with kreg stops.  I have a 12" scms just sitting and my 10" scms makitas.  also have the bosch 10" scms, dont use much, had the 10" with the bevels up front and did not like it and sold it.  I use to have 4 guys and I could have set ups at several locations, but now it is just me and a helper.  plus being a tool whore..... when ever a new saw comes out I usually buy it..  also had a hitichi but did not like it and just gave it to my neighbor 3 years ago. and gave my helper of 6 years in calif when I left their 3 years ago gave him a makita 10 scms to keep. and then I used to have a roybi that just feel apart and threw it away.

I use the dewalt 10" for handyman stuff, cut this or that, metal for screen doors etc.  my 12" for when I do decks. and the others for finish work  I think I lost track of the others 3 over the last 10 years of doing this business.

LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING STUFF AWAY AGAIN!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

 

[Frank Pellow]

Stories like yours make me happy that I have never owned a chop saw.  The few that I have used, have not impressed me and it certainly sounds like I have been wise to give the Kapex a miss.

 

[spikfot]

  blade guards are the first thing i modify (remove) when i buy a chop saw.  i find they work better left in the box.
   

you use your chopsaws without the blade guard?  i do not have ones on my table saws.  but on chopsaws that is crazy, and I have never had one catch up or be apain.

Didn't you begin the thread by saying  your plastic blade guard broke and won't retract? 

yes I did.... it just stayed down so I could not cut at all..... one time I used to have a chop with no guard, and never again almost cut through my arm by not thinking.  holding a piece and brought my arm back ....etc.  so on chops I keep them one.  and only once in a while are they in the way and I hold them up sorta.

         
i was working next to a guy who cut his thumb off at the last knuckle on a 8" hitachi.  i found it when cleaning up later  that day and showed the homeowner who promptly turned white and passed out.     

 

[nickao]

Holy teledo! You can not remove a blade guard on a miter box!

Mine had occasionally stuck in the up position and it scared the crap out of me. After taking it apart removing dust and hitting it with the spray lithium grease it was fixed

 

[spikfot]

i sold 2 of them.  gave 2 away and still have a 10" and 12" dewalt  I use for decks and 2x work and the 8 1/2" slider from dewalt is set up in shop on rails with kreg stops.  I have a 12" scms just sitting and my 10" scms makitas.  also have the bosch 10" scms, dont use much, had the 10" with the bevels up front and did not like it and sold it.  I use to have 4 guys and I could have set ups at several locations, but now it is just me and a helper.  plus being a tool whore..... when ever a new saw comes out I usually buy it..  also had a hitichi but did not like it and just gave it to my neighbor 3 years ago. and gave my helper of 6 years in calif when I left their 3 years ago gave him a makita 10 scms to keep. and then I used to have a roybi that just feel apart and threw it away.

I use the dewalt 10" for handyman stuff, cut this or that, metal for screen doors etc.  my 12" for when I do decks. and the others for finish work  I think I lost track of the others 3 over the last 10 years of doing this business.

ok, i was thinking only of scms's  and not regular chop saws too.    now that i think of it. my precisio cs 70  does  all my ls 1013's do plus more-  tablesaw/ compound miter in one.

 

[spikfot]

Holy teledo! You can not remove a blade guard on a miter box!

Mine had occasionally stuck in the up position and it scared the crap out of me. After taking it apart removing dust and hitting it with the spray lithium grease it was fixed

the blade guards on my scms's are in place, they are just pinned up with a shim, and i removed all the lever guts so it just flops down when i pull the shim.  which i do while transporting to protect the blade.  when in use, the guards are pinned in the "out of the way" position.  same with my circlesaws.

 

[wnagle]

I knew a guy who was an animal lover... he had a dog that he like so much he built a fence around his yard so he could roam free... I figured he put the fence up to keep the dog in... to protect the neighbors yards.... But in fact he put the fence up to keep the neighbors out... to protect the dog...

kinda like using the blade gaurd to protect the blade...

LOL... Sorry... I couldn't stop myself......

 

[nickao]

Holy teledo! You can not remove a blade guard on a miter box!

Mine had occasionally stuck in the up position and it scared the crap out of me. After taking it apart removing dust and hitting it with the spray lithium grease it was fixed

the blade guards on my scms's are in place, they are just pinned up with a shim, and i removed all the lever guts so it just flops down when i pull the shim.   which i do while transporting to protect the blade.   when in use, the guards are pinned in the "out of the way" position.   same with my circlesaws.

Do what ever you want, but that 12" blade exposed on my saw is a hazard and I see no reason to ever keep it in the total up position negating its function.

Why do you do it? I see absolutely no benefit to do it except to send someone to the hospital pretty quick.

I just can't be understanding you correctly.

 

[Craftsman]

Holy teledo! You can not remove a blade guard on a miter box!

Mine had occasionally stuck in the up position and it scared the crap out of me. After taking it apart removing dust and hitting it with the spray lithium grease it was fixed

the blade guards on my scms's are in place, they are just pinned up with a shim, and i removed all the lever guts so it just flops down when i pull the shim.   which i do while transporting to protect the blade.   when in use, the guards are pinned in the "out of the way" position.   same with my circlesaws.

I was working on a post and beam house in upstate NY years ago, installing 3" thick T&G on a roof. We were using a Rockwell circular saw with a guard that was sticking. The carpenter that I was working with was cutting the over hang off, turned around and sat the saw on his leg while the blade was still coasting. not realizing that the guard hadn't dropped. It cut his leg  to the bone. I think pinning your guard up on a circular saw qualifies for a Darwin Award.