Kapex life span
- Thread starter jmbfestool
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[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member] I checked out the Metabo Induction saw before I bought the Kapex, nice saw I was very impressed, only down side is it's quite heavy, about 32kg that's 10kg more than the Kapex. If you are keeping it in a workshop most of the time then it shouldn't be a problem.
jmbfestool
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Im sure festool kapex problems are going to grow very quickly as their sales have increased over the years so every year more and more are going to blow up. Its no cost to festool because they seem to blow up outside of the warrenty but it will cost festool their reputation.
It seems like they are happy with the short life span of the kapex otherwise they would consider a redesign like they did with the carvex mk2 in a short space of time. Thats why ive started this thread so to say we as customers are not happy with the short life span even though festool might be.
Ive looked at the new kapex and i remember one problem kapex had was the guard lever wore out and so stopped you from plunging this was because it was running on just a bar so they drilled it and bolted through attaching a bearing for the people like me who had an earlier kapex model and had to send it in for warranty. Looking at the new ones they come with the bearings and the bolt fixed into a threaded hole and not through so its done from manufacture.
So they improved a simple part like the bearing but wont improve a major life span problem with the motor?
It seems like they are happy with the short life span of the kapex otherwise they would consider a redesign like they did with the carvex mk2 in a short space of time. Thats why ive started this thread so to say we as customers are not happy with the short life span even though festool might be.
Ive looked at the new kapex and i remember one problem kapex had was the guard lever wore out and so stopped you from plunging this was because it was running on just a bar so they drilled it and bolted through attaching a bearing for the people like me who had an earlier kapex model and had to send it in for warranty. Looking at the new ones they come with the bearings and the bolt fixed into a threaded hole and not through so its done from manufacture.
So they improved a simple part like the bearing but wont improve a major life span problem with the motor?
jmbfestool
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Festoolfootstool said:
I dont make any money [tongue]
I have read through all 8 pages of this thread now, and I got to say I'm realy regretting buying the kapex a year ago. Luckily, in Norway all items have a two years warranty, or five years warranty for items meant to last significantly longer, according to the consumer purchase act. So I guess, I can keep my kapex for almost four years more.
I had my almost new ETS 150/3 stop working today, and also have an almost new rotex 90 where the random orbit mode doesn't work (I'm shipping it to have it repaired soon). I must say I feel a little fooled, thinking Festool was really high quality/industry grade tools, in range with Hilti for example. I expect my Festools to last at least 10 - 15 years of high/moderate use. Almost all the tools I've bought the last couple of years have been Festool (Kapex, OF1400, ETS 150/3, RO90, PDC, TSC55, MFT+), Lie Nielsen, Bosch, Makita and such. They have been bought because they were what I thought to be the highest quality tool within that segment (thoughest and with the longest life expectancy). I feel fooled by the festool-hype, and have learned that Festool is no better then the other brands out there. There is no way I would have paid that much more for the extra features/ease of use on the Festools, since these tools are used mainly as a hobby and for home improvement for me. So I think I have bought my last festool (maybe with the exception of a domino).
It is also very disappointing to see the way festool is handling this, earning money on their loyal customers, repairing their own faulty tools.
I had my almost new ETS 150/3 stop working today, and also have an almost new rotex 90 where the random orbit mode doesn't work (I'm shipping it to have it repaired soon). I must say I feel a little fooled, thinking Festool was really high quality/industry grade tools, in range with Hilti for example. I expect my Festools to last at least 10 - 15 years of high/moderate use. Almost all the tools I've bought the last couple of years have been Festool (Kapex, OF1400, ETS 150/3, RO90, PDC, TSC55, MFT+), Lie Nielsen, Bosch, Makita and such. They have been bought because they were what I thought to be the highest quality tool within that segment (thoughest and with the longest life expectancy). I feel fooled by the festool-hype, and have learned that Festool is no better then the other brands out there. There is no way I would have paid that much more for the extra features/ease of use on the Festools, since these tools are used mainly as a hobby and for home improvement for me. So I think I have bought my last festool (maybe with the exception of a domino).
It is also very disappointing to see the way festool is handling this, earning money on their loyal customers, repairing their own faulty tools.
Just a little comment to my own post: I know I'm being very negative, but thats only because I really wanted Festools to be as good and though as I thought they were (and the reputation has it), after reading alot about the brand here, and in different reviews. I'm truly disappointed, and even feeling a little sad, that it seems impossible to buy the same quality powertools now that one could buy for 10-20 years ago. At least there's some hand tool companies that has understood that there's people out there thats willing to pay much more if you make high quality tools.
Hmm. So I see Edward Reno has a thread going in this sub forum about being without his kapex for a while and a festool employee responded twice to tout their repair department. Yet not a peep in this thread? I hope everyone else is seeing how comments with negative festool connotations get ignored and positive ones get the limelight.
bkharman said:
[member=21412]bkharman[/member] I clamped on a rubber sleve with hose clamp. A clamp at other end for my vac hose to fit. I found I had to really screw the clamp on the SCMS end very (extremely) tight, or it pops off. I have watched others use the Kapex and was amazed at how little dust escapes onto bench and floor. I have the 8-1/2" Hitachi from somewhere around 20 years ago. Once I spent a little extra time adjusting anything that could be adjusted on it, I was able to get acurate results for the miters. Not so close with the beveling. I just did not have the patience to work on that part as I almost never use it for beveling.
The biggest problem I have with the saw now that I have adjusted is the slides just pust the saw too far out into the floor space. I still get more dust escaping than I have seen fom the Kapex demos I have watched; but the amount is acceptable now. I am concerned about the problem with the motor that is being discussed in this discussion. I have an ancient Bandsaw I inherited from my dad. 25 years ago, I found out it was nearly 45 years old. It still works fine. I have no more blades for it and will order new ones. The motor has only received new brushes as far as I know. I have had milwaukkee circular saws that with tons of every day abuse lasted over 30 years.
I am concerned about the motor on the Kapex and a not so hot to jump on the bandwagon to get one.
Tinker
Is there a public link to Edward's sub Forum?
[member=20320]rizzoa13[/member] [member=37411]Edward A Reno III[/member]
[/quote]
Here you go.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/kapex-less-for-a-while/
A response in 6 minutes initially.
I guess Festool don't want to draw any more attention to this topic, so by not responding they are hoping that the subject will die out faster. If they reply to this, it will start a discussion, and even more people will read about this. So I suggest that if Festool doesn't aleast make a statement by Monday evening, then all those who's experiencing problems write reviews and tell about their problems on eBay, axminster, Amazon and such. By saying nothing Festool is saying alot. As said before, we vote with our wallets, but that vote has already been cast. So if Festool won't listen, then let's get their new kapex customers attention.
Kev
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Ingebrigt said:
I think that's a fair thing to do, but ONLY if you have genuinely experienced a KAPEX failure. This thread and others have made me nervous about the KAPEX I have (though mine is working flawlessly and it isn't high use either).
It would be really insightful to know the total number of units sold in 110V and 240V and the average percentage failing within warranty, 1 year out, 2 years out, etc .. but I doubt we'll ever know. Results here could be skewed or they could be indicative. I do strongly agree that Festool should make some form of statement. Even if they dismissed the failures as a small relative number and statistically acceptable to them, we'd at least know their position!
Len Coleman
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As a long time Festool user and member of this forum, I thought I would chime in. I have a lot of Festools in the workshop and I have only had an issue with one of them.....you guessed it, a KAPEX, 6 months after purchase. Service was great, promptly fixed and returned.
It did cause me some concern and led me to purchase a Mafell Erica which I use whenever possible instead of Kapex.
While Peter and Seth do a great job moderating the forum, I believe they are volunteers and have no official "festool voice" and that is I what I see lacking in this and other similar threads.
Recently a large German auto maker was found to have been making a defective vehicle and covered it up for years.
I just find it disconcerting that someone from festool, someone senior, does not come on here and address this.
It did cause me some concern and led me to purchase a Mafell Erica which I use whenever possible instead of Kapex.
While Peter and Seth do a great job moderating the forum, I believe they are volunteers and have no official "festool voice" and that is I what I see lacking in this and other similar threads.
Recently a large German auto maker was found to have been making a defective vehicle and covered it up for years.
I just find it disconcerting that someone from festool, someone senior, does not come on here and address this.
Holmz
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Len C said:
There are usually rules for them not to. All media is released through a single spokesman after a legal team determines what to say.
They have a warranty, and then later a price to fx them... and we are free to choose what to do in a free market at every step along the way.
all I can say is that the silence is deafening.
festool is really damaging their reputation here.
as a group here on the fog we represent a good chunk of the festool fan base and are the ones in the field defending festools prices and showing the tools to our fellow carpenters .
I was thinking about buying 2 festool s this year but I don't think I will now.
what's more is that I wont recommend or show them off to others when they ask .
how can you stand behind your products when they are failing like this.
festool is really damaging their reputation here.
as a group here on the fog we represent a good chunk of the festool fan base and are the ones in the field defending festools prices and showing the tools to our fellow carpenters .
I was thinking about buying 2 festool s this year but I don't think I will now.
what's more is that I wont recommend or show them off to others when they ask .
how can you stand behind your products when they are failing like this.
Festool (in both Germany and other countries) are absolutely aware of this thread. Please don't mistake our silence to mean that we aren't listening. We absolutely are. I have a meeting about the Kapex tomorrow morning and will provide more information as I'm able.
