kapex july 1st

[Terp]

  I try to precut all that I can as well.  By coping the moldings, in the corners, this is very easy.  Each wall's crown is extended, at one end, behind the coped end of the adjoining wall.  With paint grade crown this is very simple.  Other times the crown is prefinished hardwood though.  That is when each piece must be cut more deliberately, checking each pieces fit, prior to cutting another.  In my home I love finished milwork, but in other peoples homes I like paint grade,
  Seriously though, in commercial millwork you are quite often installing pre-finished trims & millwork, residential also.  In that case joints & nail holes must be kept to a minimum, no caulking allowed.  Usually a little touch up is required here or there, just to fill brad holes & such.  The finisher is my friend, 

 

[Per Swenson]

Ok, Ok,

I went back and read all the pros, cons, and opinions.

Granted this saw is not for every body, and of course

it all depends on the work you do.

But still....this is the FOG, right?

Per

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

By the way, I'd like to qualify my comments by saying that because I'm in remodeling, I don't use my miter saw every day. I'd LIKE to, but there are a myriad of other duties I have to attend to that don't involve my miter saw, such as sheetrock, tile, roof framing, etc... If I used a miter saw every day, I doubt I'd think twice about buying the Kapex, I just have to take into consideration it's just one of MANY tools I need to do my job. 

 

[jo041326]

Things I'm not impressed by:

1. The angle finder looks nice, but it's certainly nothing new. In fact, when I was playing around with the saw I found that, with the angle finder stored on the saw, it limited the maximum miter range of the saw..... Is this just my perception? What do current Kapex owners say?

2. The laser seems nice, but if I had to chose between a light (like on the Makita) and a laser, I'd chose the light. I work primarily on-site, and so I don't get the kind of great lighting you'd find in a well-equipped shop, and I don't really like staring into a halogen lamp all day either. I know it seems hokey, but that little snake light mounted on the Makita is VERY handy!

3. The 45lb weight sounds nice, but my Makita 12" SCMS weighs a mere 52lbs, so I won't be shedding a lot of weight.

[/quote]

Hi,
yesterday I picked up my Kapex.

As for the angle unit. Yes, you are rigt. When you want turn the saw far to the right, the angle unit is blocking it. But you can just pull it away a little and it's OK.

Both lasers are spot on directly from the box. I need not try to lower the blade to be sure. Just align laser line with pencil mark or an edge and that's it.

7lb is probably minimal difference, but Kapex has handle on the back and the mass is so well distributed it seems the saw is much lighter.

The price is horrible (nearly twice so high in Europe than in US), but the saw is so well thought out and build (and the cut is so smooth ) I believe it's a good investment.

Joseph

 

[Steveo48]

The sticker shock is starting to wear off a little

Lets see I have to pay $1300...but only once

and then I can keep the machine, and use it ,how long?  Forever?

maybe it's not that out of the question. 

My DeWalt is over 15 years old, done a ton of crown molding, base molding, lots of it in hardwoods, bars, fire place mantels, I've even brought it to school to let my students use it (shudder :'()

It cost slightly more than 1/3 the cost of the Kapex with my amana finish blade.  I think I'll keep it.

 

[Steveo48]

I dont think so.

I make a cut list for an entire room or even an entire floor......
Eiji

I got wise words about 22 years ago from Bernie Juarez, a drywall hanger , he said "make every motion count, don't waste any energy".  He was serious about it too.

 

[waynew]

Will a mitre stand become available at the same time, if so can we get some idea of price?

Thanks.

 

[billybokay]

It is ,made to be used on an mft.
It does have support wings and rear fence with a stop mechanism that is in addition to the saw. Maybe a dealer can give is the price on that.

 

[Eli]

Quote  Walking back and forth is the only way to do it when putting up crown or base. I don't think I've seen a corner yet that was actually 90%, you pretty much have to measure each piece for length and each angle to custom fit it. Besides, you have to go there to hang the piece you just cut then you measure for the next piece.

I dont think so.

I make a cut list for an entire room or even an entire floor. I measure each inside and outside corner while measuring the lengths and notate the angle measurments on the list. Then go to the saw and cut all the trim (base or crown or whatever). Once I have got an entire room cut, I take the pieces and place them in the room. My cut list is in reverse order of install so that last piece I cut for a room is the first one that gets installed. that piece happens to be on top of the pile that is in the room and the rest of the pile is in the correct installation order. Once I have cut and placed all the mouldings. THEN I install. No walking back and forth. Ever. I can do an entire house and not have ro recut a single piece. It is called measuring accurately and measuring all the angles of every corner and putting it on a list. In the style of the Master, Gary M. Katz.

Eiji

Somehow I knew you were going to take issue with that......

 

[Steveo48]

Will a mitre stand become available at the same time, if so can we get some idea of price?

Thanks.

Sigh.  If you deserve a $1,300.00 saw, (not afford, there's a difference) cannot your skills support making one?  ;D An MFT isn't long enough to support molding.  Spending over $800.00 on two MFT's for a saw bench is just plain crazy.

Steve
OK, getting off of my soapbox    You know how I feel about this , a good finish carpenter should be capable of making some of his own "stuff"!

 

[waynew]

Sigh.  If you deserve a $1,300.00 saw, (not afford, there's a difference) cannot your skills support making one?  ;D An MFT isn't long enough to support molding.  Spending over $800.00 on two MFT's for a saw bench is just plain crazy.
Steve
OK, getting off of my soapbox    You know how I feel about this , a good finish carpenter should be capable of making some of his own "stuff"!

I saw this and thought it was a full stand, on closer inspection it appears the saw is sitting on a table. Appologies for wearing you down with my questions 

 

[Steveo48]

If you can bear my sarcasm, we should be able to bear anyones questions. 

Steve

Sigh.  If you deserve a $1,300.00 saw, (not afford, there's a difference) cannot your skills support making one?  ;D An MFT isn't long enough to support molding.  Spending over $800.00 on two MFT's for a saw bench is just plain crazy.
Steve
OK, getting off of my soapbox    You know how I feel about this , a good finish carpenter should be capable of making some of his own "stuff"!

I saw this and thought it was a full stand, on closer inspection it appears the saw is sitting on a table. Appologies for wearing you down with my questions 

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Ok, I swung my Makita 12" SCMS around a bunch today installing TigerDeck decking and chopping up some framing materials and cedar 4x4 posts.... The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I'm going to go for the Kapex. I was initially a little put-off by the price, and my perception that it didn't have some sort of world-first, ground breaking feature. But, the more I've "used" the Kapex in my mind, the more I find myself justifying the cost, if not from a productivity standpoint, as from an ergonomic and precision perspective. So, if I sell my Makita for roughly $350 (including 2 stock Makita 80 tooth blades), ask for a bunch of gift cards for my birthday (June 20) (I'll guess I can amass roughly $300 in gift cards), that brings the price down to around $650, so it'd just feel like going out and buying a new 12" SCMS from Makita, Bosch, Hitachi, etc.....  Ok, I've convinced myself, thanks for your patience!  :

By the way, I can't wait to hook the Kapex up to my Sawhelper Ultrafence!.... (mouth agape with eyes glossed-over, staring off into the distance imagining what will hopefully be.....)  ;D

 

[Dan Clermont]

Ok, I swung my Makita 12" SCMS around a bunch today installing TigerDeck decking and chopping up some framing materials and cedar 4x4 posts.... The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I'm going to go for the Kapex. I was initially a little put-off by the price, and my perception that it didn't have some sort of world-first, ground breaking feature. But, the more I've "used" the Kapex in my mind, the more I find myself justifying the cost, if not from a productivity standpoint, as from an ergonomic and precision perspective. So, if I sell my Makita for roughly $350 (including 2 stock Makita 80 tooth blades), ask for a bunch of gift cards for my birthday (June 20) (I'll guess I can amass roughly $300 in gift cards), that brings the price down to around $650, so it'd just feel like going out and buying a new 12" SCMS from Makita, Bosch, Hitachi, etc.....  Ok, I've convinced myself, thanks for your patience!  :

By the way, I can't wait to hook the Kapex up to my Sawhelper Ultrafence!.... (mouth agape with eyes glossed-over, staring off into the distance imagining what will hopefully be.....)  ;D

Hey Tom

That is the way I always justify tools!

Dan Clermont

 

[alg]

Me too... I justify the incremental cost after I sell stuff that I don't need or want.

My fear is ... what if the price is not set to $1300 and it really comes out to be more than $1500. I will have a lot saved in my tool fund, I hope Festool keeps it below $1,500 for the Kapex.

 

[Dan Uhlir]

  I passed on the domino, in anticipation of the kapex, now as a reward, for that restraint alone, I do believe I deserve a Kapex. Might even sell one of the 5 sanders to help defray the cost.
            Nice to see Swenson, back in the house, makin some noise.
                                                                              Dan

 

[Eli]

Will a mitre stand become available at the same time, if so can we get some idea of price?

Thanks.

Sigh.  If you deserve a $1,300.00 saw, (not afford, there's a difference) cannot your skills support making one?  ;D An MFT isn't long enough to support molding.  Spending over $800.00 on two MFT's for a saw bench is just plain crazy.

Steve
OK, getting off of my soapbox    You know how I feel about this , a good finish carpenter should be capable of making some of his own "stuff"!

The MFT800 is the saw stand, those legs attach to the crown molding wings or the edge of the saw itself and are freestanding other wise. They attach to the saw, not the table.

FTR, a good finish carpenter might be too busy to build that stuff when he can buy something designed for the job.

 

[Dan Clermont]

Me too... I justify the incremental cost after I sell stuff that I don't need or want.

My fear is ... what if the price is not set to $1300 and it really comes out to be more than $1500. I will have a lot saved in my tool fund, I hope Festool keeps it below $1,500 for the Kapex.

At $1000 I am in!

Atr $1200 with the angle guide I am in!

At $1300 I am in but for now and hope to see one in the very near future to either say "yup" or "nope"

At $1500 I can't do it.  :-\ No way, I'd love to own one but financially right now it is hard enough even at $1000!

Maybe I need a job selling Festool's in Canada or I can sweet talk Hafele into hiring me on to deal with the Festool account! ;D

I showed many of my woodworking friends the video last night and asked if they would pay $1300 for it. Now granted none of them own a Festool so they don't really understand what it is like to use a Rotex or Domino but not one of them would replace their saw with it.

I think it will be a hard sell to the general public in North America at much more then a $1000.

Dan Clermont

 

[vkumar]

Dan,

We all know that Festools arent aimed at the general public but to the Festoolaholics-- I am one ;D.  Yet I agree with you I am not about to replace my Dewalt with this.  I am just a homeowner.

However if I was in the business like Per then it is a slam dunk decision--tax deductible tool, high productivity etc.

Vijay

 

[Dan Clermont]

Dan,

We all know that Festools arent aimed at the general public but to the Festoolaholics-- I am one ;D.  Yet I agree with you I am not about to replace my Dewalt with this.  I am just a homeowner.

I need to join the Festool Aholics in my area cause I have gotten hooked on the system in a bad, bad way.  ;D

I've managed to drag a couple of friends down this dark path of German made tools and they've only begun!

Dan C