Kapex died 19 months old

[peter halle]

in response to the questions or thoughts about numerous Kapex failures here is Shane's response in another thread in December 2014:

"Just a general observation from the "inside". When I go to the repair department, there aren't proportionally more Kapex than other tools. I can't say, just as a casual look around, that there's a particular tool that we see repaired more than any other. We have very low repair rates for all of the tools. We have a very small group of techs doing repairs considering the number of tools we sell.

As others have mentioned, the 30-day return guarantee and the 3 year Service All-Inclusive warranty should offer comfort.

Remember that your search of the forum doesn't show which were "problems" that needed to be repaired and which were just folks asking questions or didn't understand something. Also, we did have an issue with the Kapex during the initial launch which caused a scraping noise on the miter gauge, which might account for quite a few posts in 2007."

Here is a link to that thread:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/thinking-about-buying-a-kapex-but-nervous-about-all-the-posts-of-problems/msg355912/#msg355912

And one from October 2013:

"I'd like to first start by offering my apologies to each of you on the inconvenience, frustration and issues with your Kapex. I definitely understand.

There are numerous things that can contribute to motor damage: issuing extension cords other than those specified in the manual, blades that are dull or not cleaned periodically, etc. I'm certainly not accusing anyone of those things, just offering an explanation. While having three people post in this thread about armatures, and I've seen a few others on the forum over the years, I've talked to our service department and been assured that this is not a "chronic" problem by any means. The number of Kapex units in the wild versus the number of issues is very insignificant in terms of percentage of affected units.

That said, we realize that professionals are out there relying on their tools and do our best to get tools repaired and returned as quickly as possible. I'd recommend working directly with Festool service instead of going through your dealer, which just creates an unnecessary middle man that may slow the process.

As for shipping costs, our warranty outlines the terms of warranty service and who is responsible for shipping costs. If you feel that your circumstances are exceptional, like failure of the same component more than once, I would encourage you to bring that to the attention of the service department when you contact them.

Again, sorry for the problems with each of your saw. I'm not trying to minimize the impact of having your Kapex out of commission, but instead trying to offer some insight and recommendations to our customers.

Shane"

And that thread:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/kapex-second-armature-in-8-months/

Peter

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Thanks for sharing my previous post on the topic of whether there are widespread issues with the Kapex, Peter.

Sorry if I didn't address that before, but I didn't see (and may have overlooked) where anyone asked me about it.

I didn't post publicly about it, but I'm traveling this week and have been working from early in the morning to late at night every day this week, so my time on the forum has been very limited. Apologies for not being as responsive as usual.

 

[drbwoodworks/Dan]

Just some replies to my original post .
- there were no symptoms , 12-24-14 left the shop it was fine , returned on 12-26-14 the was grinding , smoking and would not spin.
- as for power problems , the building was built by me and was wired by a very competent licensed electrician in 2008 .
- as for cords the saw has been bolted to the bench and plugged into a festool vac with outlet 12" away.
As for a dull blade our blades are constantly checked and sharpened , always have back up blades ready to go , by the way we do like the Forrest blades for the Kapex
- anyone in southwestern Ct. Should buy their festool from John Matchak , he is the dealer who took such good care of me with the death of the Kapex , and has for the past 14 years of selling me festool.

 

[RobWoodCutter]

I have Kapex and use it nearly every other day, light usage and other than the oil leaking on the guard and the wood Zero Clearance Insert I made for it, I have had no other issues with it.

Of the 20 Festool power tools and two vacs I have, the Kapex is the only one that has had any issues.

Rob

 

[Roosterboy5x5]

Is it so coincidental that Festool is now offering the Kapex on sale?  I have been using the Festool products for only2 years without an issue other than the recall of my very first tool, TS55REQ.  I can only say that Festool and Lee Valley were more than accommodating in replacing the saw (upgraded to TS75) and were pro-active.  I have been looking at the Kapex to replace a 12" yellow saw that is 7 years old.  Perhaps I don't understand the issues fully that people are having with the saw.  However, has Festool or its dealers been delinquent or unfair in responding to service issues?  I would like a Festool guru to tell me what the failure rates are with this saw and has any work been done (if needed) to the design, manufacture or components of the Kapex? 

 

[peter halle]

Is it so coincidental that Festool is now offering the Kapex on sale?  I have been using the Festool products for only2 years without an issue other than the recall of my very first tool, TS55REQ.  I can only say that Festool and Lee Valley were more than accommodating in replacing the saw (upgraded to TS75) and were pro-active.  I have been looking at the Kapex to replace a 12" yellow saw that is 7 years old.  Perhaps I don't understand the issues fully that people are having with the saw.  However, has Festool or its dealers been delinquent or unfair in responding to service issues?  I would like a Festool guru to tell me what the failure rates are with this saw and has any work been done (if needed) to the design, manufacture or components of the Kapex?

Festool will not comment on marketing, pricing, or other any other internal company information in public or on this site.  That isn't unusual and frankly any company in any industry who did would be foolish IMHO.  Tools have evolved over the years and with their increased complexity and the increased integration of electronics there will be more issues.  There will also be more reported issues as the number of tools out in the workplace increases.  That doesn't mean that the failure rate has increased as a percentage, in fact although it might appear that there are more problems the actual percentage might have actually decreased.

Peter

 

[Gary in Texas]

Is it so coincidental that Festool is now offering the Kapex on sale?  I have been using the Festool products for only2 years without an issue other than the recall of my very first tool, TS55REQ.  I can only say that Festool and Lee Valley were more than accommodating in replacing the saw (upgraded to TS75) and were pro-active.  I have been looking at the Kapex to replace a 12" yellow saw that is 7 years old.  Perhaps I don't understand the issues fully that people are having with the saw.  However, has Festool or its dealers been delinquent or unfair in responding to service issues?  I would like a Festool guru to tell me what the failure rates are with this saw and has any work been done (if needed) to the design, manufacture or components of the Kapex?

How could Festool be unfair in responding to service issues?  If the saw has a problem, you send it in for repair.  Shane previously mentioned in a different thread that he has never noticed a disproportionate ratio of the Kapex as opposed to other Festool products at their repair facility.  Failures rates would be nice to know, but this is something no dealer/product/company is going to share with consumers, so don't expect an answer to your question.....  I've straddled the fence for a long time ref the Kapex, but this is probably more to do with the cost and the fact my "yellow" saw handles anything I need done, so the Kapex isn't a must buy for me. 

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

The Kapex promotion scheduled for February is something we had planned for quite some time. The Kapex is not being replaced by a new model and there's nothing wrong with the Kapex that we're trying to liquidate stock. We simply know that there are some fence sitters out there and hope that the promotion will put the Kapex more within their reach/budget.

I would encourage everyone to look back at the OP in this thread. The customer had an issue and said that it was resolved quickly and to his satisfaction. Our tools are covered by Service All-Inclusive, which includes a 30-day money back guarantee, a three year warranty with free shipping to/from the service centers, and a 48-hour repair turn around, among other benefits.

Shane

 

[Roosterboy5x5]

Hey guys thanks for the quick reply.  I never meant to insinuate Festool was anything more than accommodating with e to date and asked if the sale was in response to anything from market pressures, marketing or possible renewal.  I thought these were fair questions to ask before dolling out $1800 with taxes here in Canada.  really I was trying to get a feel for whether the majority are happy with the product and would recommend.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Rooster,

First, welcome to the forum.

I was just offering more insight into the reason we are running the promotion and didn't take anything you said/asked as negative. We periodically run promotions and there's nothing more to it than that. Last year we offered a promo on the Planex and later on the Domino. The year before I think it was on the TS saw.

I'm sure the members who own the Kapex can offer feedback on their experiences with it. Additionally, remember we offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So, buy it, try it and return it for a refund if it doesn't meet your expectations within 30 days.

 

[johnleve]

I have personally decided to take the plunge and purchase a Kapex in February.  I have so far been pleased with the quality of the Festools I have purchased and while I have never had to send one in for service I have never heard anything but praise for the service offered.

I have had my current 10" SCMS for perhaps 10 years and it has served me well considering the cost which was minimal in comparison with a Kapex.  I have always had to resort to the table saw for accurate cuts which from time to time can mean a bit of drudgery walking back and forth to it to check fit.  I plan on doing three piece crown in the entirety of my second floor and have a wainscoting project in mind as well- I cannot imagine hauling long trim pieces through the house time and time again to get the proper fit from the table saw.  I am looking forward to taking the tool to the job and being able to make all my cuts at location accurately and with a reduction in the amount of mess it will create.

My current plan is to purchase the Kapex, two crown extensions, an extra clamp, and two of the bolt down sets.  Does anyone know whether I need two of the bolt sets, I could not tell from the picture whether there are two or four mounting points?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Does anyone know whether I need two of the bolt sets, I could not tell from the picture whether there are two or four mounting points?

Two.

[attachimg=1]

 

[Tinker]

I let anyone try it if they want to.  Mine has been used an abused for 6 years, had stuff fall on it in my trailer, left out in the rain a few times, been up on a couple roofs, on top of 4 flights of scaffolding, has paint and stain stuck on it, blood stains, etc. 

Still cuts like the day I took it out of the box. 

It's a tool, it gets used as such.

Darcy, that sounds like the treatment my old Milwaukee 8-1/4 circular saw got over 30 years.  Only thing I added in form of abuse was that I used it for cutting all sorts of masonry materials and lumber impregnated with cement, sand and nails.  In the end, it got tired of such treatment and one day, as i plugged into a circuit, it just spit out fire in the form of actual flames. Why, that saw had hardly paid its keep  :
Tinker

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

On the hold down bolt set things, personally I say don't bother.  I got some to secure it to my kapex mft, but found them to not be needed.  The little rubber feet go right in the holes and it stays put. 

Tinker- I think I should start an ugly festool contest here. [big grin]

 

[johnleve]

Appreciate the suggestion to about leaving off the bolts but I have a miter saw stand that I am going to re-purpose and do not have an MFT.  I want to be able to get the Kapex off of the rails easily so I can use it on the floor or my long workbench with two systainers on either side when that makes more sense than using the stand.

 

[Tinker]

Tinker- I think I should start an ugly festool contest here. [big grin]

Darcy,
That wood not be fair.  You have a couple of Festoys that are even older than I. (39)
Tinker

 

[Jim Green]

So I was cutting some base shoe today and you guessed it. A strange smell and little crunching noise and my Kapex stopped working again. No generator, only used by me, plugged into ct, directly plugged into wall, sharp blade and only used inside. I baby this thing way to much for a power tool. I don't even cut clean, dry 2x4's with it(thank you trusty dw712)just trim. So can anyone tell me if there is some kind of lemon law or something that applies to my situation? This will be motor number three. I truly hope any new Kapex owners do not have the same experience that I have had. The saw when working is great but I think it is hard to deny it has motor issues. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[#Tee]

just buy another brand smcs

 

[Jim Green]

Thanks for that #tee but I was hoping for something more constructive. Maybe a recommendation on another SCMS. Or if three motors on a few year old saw is normal? Would it be reasonable to ask Festool to cover the cost for the repair. Something like that. Thanks Again

 

[#Tee]

ya if they covered the cost i think it would be fair. if something died on me 3 times like yours i would raise hell.. start a thread and question its reliability esp if someone used it for a living.