Kapex maintenance

[Neilthecarpenter]

Day 1 with the kapex. NICE!!!  What is the recommended maintenance. Anything on glides etc. need to keep this sucker pristine

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Day 1 with the kapex. NICE!!!  What is the recommended maintenance. Anything on glides etc. need to keep this sucker pristine

Glad you're enjoying your Kapex thus far!! I have one of the first units to hit North America, and have been very pleased with its performance! Regarding maintenance, assuming you generally treat the saw well, keep it reasonably clean, don't drop it, etc... it's a pretty maintenance-free tool.

The only major wear item I'm aware of is the silver colored arm that sits behind the motor and retracts the blade guard when you drop the motor aseembly for cuts. This silver colored arm will eventually deform where it rides on a bearing. As the arm deforms, it impedes the operation of the blade guard, ultimately resulting in the saw being difficult to operate. I've seen this on Kapex units.

This is not necessarily a design flaw, rather ultimately something will eventually wear, and this is the only part that I've been able to identify thus far that will eventually wear enough to require attention. This occurred for me after several years of professional use. In the meantime, my Kapex was subjected to daily vibrations being hauled around in my van, spent more than a few days out in mist, snow and occasional rain showers, and cutting everything from millwork to framing lumber.

So, eventually when I identified the part that needed repair, I tool a swing at it myself. I replaced the part, but the saw still wasn't working properly. I called Festool, they sent me a brand new set of packaging and instructions for properly packing the saw. From the day I shipped the saw, I believe that the saw was returned to me within 8 days, including weekends. Festool completely stripped the saw down, replaced several fence parts, armature, other assorted parts, calibrated the blade to the fence, calibrated the lasers, and generally tuned up the saw so it worked better than when I initially bought it! This saw was long out of warranty, but I think the entire bill was only around $250, a bargain considering the revenue that the saw has helped to generate.

So, based on my experience, I'd suggest you put your saw through it's paces, don't treat it like some sort of delicate piece of art. These tools are designed to help you generate revenue in a construction environment, and are designed to be precise, but also tough. That being said, these tools DO eventually wear and require maintenance. I plan on sending my saw in for maintenance every two years or so. I hope you enjoy your new saw!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Mine is 5 years old, I was suppose to maintain it?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Mine is 5 years old, I was suppose to maintain it?

LOL! My last post was pretty long, ultimately my point was, so long as you keep the saw reasonably clean, don't drop it, etc., it's been my experience that it is essentially a maintenance-free saw. Parts WILL eventually wear out, when they do send the saw in for service, otherwise buy some extra blades, keep 'em sharp, and put that saw to work!  [big grin]

 

[Worm Drive]

Shane recommended a light coating of lightweight machine oil on the slides.