I don't own a SCMS and am looking to remodel a house. I've got some other Festools but I've always considered them more cabinet making tools than stuff you use for rough framing or deck building. Am I wrong? I am the only one that will be using the saw and don't mind investing in serious equipment if it makes sense. I need one saw that does it all and will probably sell a car to get the cash to buy this and some other stuff. The Kapex seems to excel in accuracy and dust collection but other than those two features is the build quality etc. worth the extra money? Sorry if this topic has been discussed but I also need a "reason" to justify the acquisition of a Kapex.
Kapex for deck building and framing?
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
Mark,
I bought a Kapex, MFT table, two blades, and Saw Helper supports back in July. I used it mainly for building a new ipe deck. The whole job took me four months. This was not your average deck either. The Kapex worked flawlessly. It performed especially well making the railings, hand rails, and other compound cuts. I believe it would have taken me longer with some other brand of saw, because with the Kapex it is easy to make accurate adjustments and repeatable cuts compared to other miter saws that I have used / owned.
As far as "rough framing" it does not get any tougher than cutting ipe.
I say go ahead and get a Kapex because it is the only SCMS that you will need.
Regards,
Phil
I bought a Kapex, MFT table, two blades, and Saw Helper supports back in July. I used it mainly for building a new ipe deck. The whole job took me four months. This was not your average deck either. The Kapex worked flawlessly. It performed especially well making the railings, hand rails, and other compound cuts. I believe it would have taken me longer with some other brand of saw, because with the Kapex it is easy to make accurate adjustments and repeatable cuts compared to other miter saws that I have used / owned.
As far as "rough framing" it does not get any tougher than cutting ipe.
I say go ahead and get a Kapex because it is the only SCMS that you will need.
Regards,
Phil
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The price tag on the KAPEX may be higher then most miter saws and with it you get a lighter weight saw, lasers which stay on and a small footprint.
Sure, you are going to scratch the table up with rough cut lumber dragged over the ground but a saw is a saw and they are designed to cut wood.
While at Festool Fantasy camp last year I remember someone from Festool mentioning how people in Europe choose Festool for the ruggedness and durability.
You should be fine and you've got a three year warranty to boot.
Good Luck
Dan Clermont
Sure, you are going to scratch the table up with rough cut lumber dragged over the ground but a saw is a saw and they are designed to cut wood.
While at Festool Fantasy camp last year I remember someone from Festool mentioning how people in Europe choose Festool for the ruggedness and durability.
You should be fine and you've got a three year warranty to boot.
Good Luck
Dan Clermont
Here's another vote for the Kapex. I've had mine for 5 or 6 months and the work I've had since then has been more structural than cosmetic, so the saw has seen a lot of douglas fir, both treated and untreated. I have no complaints and lots of praise for the Kapex.
Erik
Erik
Brice Burrell
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Jason, I don't thing Mark's only use for the saw will be for the deck project. He wrote:
He states he going to remodel a house so I'm sure he'll find plenty of use for a miter saw, Kapex or otherwise. He also said he needs a saw that will do it all so that means more than decking.
Mark Enomoto said:
He states he going to remodel a house so I'm sure he'll find plenty of use for a miter saw, Kapex or otherwise. He also said he needs a saw that will do it all so that means more than decking.
Toolpig
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He also stated that he's going to sell his car to buy a Kapex.
Lots of other quality miter saws out there for half the cost (or less).
I'm just not sure the Kapex is worth the price of admission, especially when you consider that he's not a professional remodeler.
JW
Lots of other quality miter saws out there for half the cost (or less).
I'm just not sure the Kapex is worth the price of admission, especially when you consider that he's not a professional remodeler.
JW
Brice Burrell said:
My thinking in buying tools are that they will be the last ones I buy. True the cost of admission is pretty steep but since I'm not a professional remodeler the tool won't be seeing kind of field use and abuse that many of you guys see. From all that I gather about form FOG is that the Kapex excels in dust collection and that is primarily my interest. The price of blades kind of puts me off despite their quality and makes me think harder about getting a Makita. In the end its not the tool but ME that will ultimately determine the craft or "crap" that is made. Thanks for the input... buying a cheaper saw could also allow me to buy other "stuff" so there is that logic as well.
dont post much but I think that this is a question that i can specifically answer.
The Kapex is a great saw (arguably the best out there) and I have used it for everything from trimming out a house to chopping up exterior trim peices (Fascia etc. )....
However, that being said, I simply refuse to use it for framing. The framers are notoriously rough on tools and you can simply use a skil saw for framing; in framing you need to use the mentality of it being "close enough".
So if you really want to seriously frame youll probably need a skill saw to cut things like headers and stair stringers. for about 150.00 you can purchase a nice skillsaw and then for about another 25 you can get the rafter hook and add a cord on the back of it.
It seems kind of wimpy to not use the saw for framing, but I think the cost of the saw justifies my carefullness (and after all its my tool) and anyhow speedframing is faster with a skill saw.
The Kapex is a great saw (arguably the best out there) and I have used it for everything from trimming out a house to chopping up exterior trim peices (Fascia etc. )....
However, that being said, I simply refuse to use it for framing. The framers are notoriously rough on tools and you can simply use a skil saw for framing; in framing you need to use the mentality of it being "close enough".
So if you really want to seriously frame youll probably need a skill saw to cut things like headers and stair stringers. for about 150.00 you can purchase a nice skillsaw and then for about another 25 you can get the rafter hook and add a cord on the back of it.
It seems kind of wimpy to not use the saw for framing, but I think the cost of the saw justifies my carefullness (and after all its my tool) and anyhow speedframing is faster with a skill saw.
quijas23 said:
Ok, now I understand why my house is skweaking here and there. It also allows me to better understand the value of my Kapex. In fixing "close enough" framing problems in my house attic was so far the most valuable use of the Kapex. Interesting enough, trying to do the fix in the past with a DeWalt, only aggravated the problem.
Mark,
Thanks for asking. 3 story beach house in L.A. The treads run through the structure and anchor to the orange dividing wall without interrupting the rhythm of the shelves. There's a landing half way up next to the oven cabinet and the first flight goes up behind the orange wall. Those "float" as well without risers.
The teak is all reclaimed from old buildings in Indonesia and sourced from Terramai. www.terramai.com.
The architects are Make Architecture. www.makearch.com. You can see quite a bit of my work on their website.
Roger
Thanks for asking. 3 story beach house in L.A. The treads run through the structure and anchor to the orange dividing wall without interrupting the rhythm of the shelves. There's a landing half way up next to the oven cabinet and the first flight goes up behind the orange wall. Those "float" as well without risers.
The teak is all reclaimed from old buildings in Indonesia and sourced from Terramai. www.terramai.com.
The architects are Make Architecture. www.makearch.com. You can see quite a bit of my work on their website.
Roger
Don't buy a Kapex to do framing!! BUY A KAPEX, and then buy a makita magnesium hypoid saw! Close enough is relative and does not explain squeeks in any given house. If I can slip two pieces of paper between my crown miters(outside corners of course) I'm not happy but if it can slip between the nails on the cheeks cuts of my hip rafters, well then that's CLOSE ENOUGH. Decks are another story for me. Wouldn't most of you agree that decks are finish carpentry albeit exterior nontheless finish? If I left my worm drive saw in the truck and used my Kapex to do the framing I do I'd be jobless, homeless and would never been able to afford the Kapex anyway. As far as it's durability IMO, I can see it cutting rough lumber but I don't think any of us really want to do that anyway. I would not recommend to my apprentices to sell their car and buy a Kapex as their first all around SCMS. Just my opinion, and I'm not saying anyone here is an apprentice. 
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