Kapex Base Casting

D

Drich

Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
246
I have a question on the base casting. I just picked up my saw today and unboxed it. Was checking it out and was a bit disappointed is the casting on the base. I spent 1800 bucks today on the saw, hose and crown wings. Just wondering if this is normal before I raise a stink. I know it won't affect the performance but with OCD it just don't seem right.The back of the saws base don't look like this. Thanks
 

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That is the casting parting line. All castings have them in one form or another. Nothing to worry about.
 
Mine is like that from years ago.  I always considered it part of the price to pay to have a light weight base with a magnesium alloy casting.  Luckily you have that thirty days to see if can live with it.

Peter
 
Ok that is what I wanted to know. I'll be cutting with it tomorrow and look forward to seeing how it does. I do want to thank my sales person ( Jay I think was his name) at Woodcraft today for spending so much time with me and the wife going over it with us and Tom who let me on his job site to see one in action in the field. Great forum here.
 
Drich said:
Ok that is what I wanted to know. I'll be cutting with it tomorrow and look forward to seeing how it does. I do want to thank my sales person ( Jay I think was his name) at Woodcraft today for spending so much time with me and the wife going over it with us and Tom who let me on his job site to see one in action in the field. Great forum here.
Click to expand...

Jay is great, glad you had a chance to work with him!
 
Normal. But for $1800 pretty pathetic.

Don't worry though you will love the saw regardless.

Imop Festool might want to look into who cast their parts and or expect i higher standard.

I got a MFT/3 and the fence clamp would not tighten due to a small piece of metal that was not cut away came out of a bad mold and a pice that should had been hollow was not hollow.

I think for $1800 Festool should be able to give us awesome tools with all the added features other manufactures are not along with both accuracy and warrantee . Call me nuts but it seems reasonable...
 
Yes the poor finish is regular on festool but that doesn't mean it's not a great tool. With the kapex you have to check to see if the table is flat. If it's not flat from one side to the other then exchange it for another until u find a good one. I only had to return one kapex before I got a good one. I wish I could say the same for the ts55. Even will all the defects the kapex still is the best u can buy.
 
FinishingCanuck said:
Yes the poor finish is regular on festool but that doesn't mean it's not a great tool. With the kapex you have to check to see if the table is flat. If it's not flat from one side to the other then exchange it for another until u find a good one. I only had to return one kapex before I got a good one. I wish I could say the same for the ts55. Even will all the defects the kapex still is the best u can buy.
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I really wouldn't call it poor finish. 

It's actually a pretty nice casting.
 
    The OP had a question about a tool he is not familiar with, simple as that. I don't think asking about the casting is an unreasonable question.  No need for the thread to become ridiculous and end up locked like the previous one.

Seth
 
i agree with "not this again" I joined fog about 6 months ago and saw 3 of these threads about the finish of the base lol.
 
SRSemenza said:
    The OP had a question about a tool he is not familiar with, simple as that. I don't think asking about the casting is an unreasonable question.  No need for the thread to become ridiculous and end up locked like the previous one.

Seth
Click to expand...

Apparently he is somewhat familiar, he met up with someone to check out his kapex. 

 
Those "defects" don't bother me at all. I think (from memory) there are similar ones on the TS55R and TS75 which I own. I am actually very fussy about anything I regard as a fault and I think this is just an aspect of the manufacturing process where making it look perfectly smooth would add cost but nothing else (to me it isn't bad aesthetically).
 
I suppose the question is are you willing to pay a german labourer to smooth out the castings at the factory? How about the trades? Would they pay more for the 'pretty work'?
 
I, too, find the finish on the casting lacking. I debated posting any comment due to the strong sentiment voiced by some that mentioning it is 'unreasonable'. But I decided to chime in because it reminded me of a quote by George Bernard Shaw:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

WE, the unreasonable few, think that the casting should and could be made to look better without having any impact on the cost of an already expensive saw. Most likely no one has figured out a way to do it - yet - but if no one is trying, it will never happen. If enough people voice their displeasure, someone may come up with a way to solve the problem. Perhaps it will take a new process, a new material, or a new casting vendor? In any case, dissatisfaction with the 'way things are' remains the primary way in which progress is made.

I am proud to be 'unreasonable' in this instance.
 
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