KAPEX PRECISION OF CUT AND ACCURACY VS???

[RJNeal]

I'm a full time carpenter. I own a default CMS and was on a job wear I needed to carry it ( the boat anchor) as I call it, 350' both ways up and down steps, daily. One reason I decided to purchase my Kapex for the lightest at 47 lbs. I figured if I threw my back out and stayed home for a few days, those days I could have paid for the saw.
Another reason was that I could store/ lock it in the back seat of my extended cab pick up.
Now let's tall about the accuracy, ease of adjusting the bevel, and dust collection..........
On resale my RO90 went down while I was working on a time sensitive project. It was a project my other Festool sanders wouldn't have worked. I really couldn't wait a week for service. So I purchased a new 90 from K119. Was received 23 hours after order. I called a painter friend of mine sold him my first RO 90. Yes I did tell him I was sending it in for service.
I had it sold before receiving the new one and having Festool service the old one.

Rick

 

[Michael1960]

quote Mitchy5104
If this saw was the exact same saw and was manufactured by makita, I'm guessing none of you would own it.  I think for most of you having the festool logo on the tool means everything.   I guess what i'm saying i think that buying all this festool stuff appears to be more about vanity than actual usage. 

I have many Makita tools and if the exact same saw was made by this company I'd buy it. 
More about vanity....  Perhaps some buy for this reason but I doubt many do. 

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

quote Mitchy5104
If this saw was the exact same saw and was manufactured by makita, I'm guessing none of you would own it.  I think for most of you having the festool logo on the tool means everything.   I guess what i'm saying i think that buying all this festool stuff appears to be more about vanity than actual usage.  

I have many Makita tools and if the exact same saw was made by this company I'd buy it.  
More about vanity....  Perhaps some buy for this reason but I doubt many do.  

  I've owned Makita tools, previously. They were good and lasted a while. You're right. If it was a Makita, I wouldn't buy it.  If it was the same exact saw for half the price and it was a Makita, I wouldn't buy it! A big reason that I buy Festool products is because I am also buying Festool USA's superlative customer service. The three times that I contacted Makita's CS, I was bitterly disappointed.
That said, I don't think that Festool is the only company out there that makes great tools and has excellent customer service. I research each tool individually. I also own Mafell and Hilti hand power tools.  With many Festool products, you're buying into an integrated system.
Back to the Kapex. This saw can be calibrated in a variety of ways to get levels close to perfect. Here is a thread I posted last month:

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/why-should-you-get-a-kapex/

    The Kapex has the best dust collection of any other miter saw and almost no blade deflection. It's easier to carry than most 10" saws. It's super easy to set up.
Yes, I could use any brand saw to make furniture or do finish work...if I finished off the cut with my disc sander...but, the Kapex saves me time and I enjoy using it. I like its safety features and if something goes wrong with the tool, I can call the phone number on the tool and get someone to help me.

 

[Wonderwino]

Just gotta say,  drank the Makita "koolaid" many years ago and all those tools died painful, smoking, shrapnel-filled deaths, except the portable planer, but I only use it occasionally.  3 drills, recip, circular saw and portable table saw.  Never had a Festool tool that failed me yet.  BTW, I only buy Snap-On mechanics tools for the same reason.  Of the $50,000 worth of Snap-On, only a couple of screwdriver bits, a tap and a reamer have broken.  All gladly replaced under lifetime warrantee by my dealer, even though the failures were *probably* my fault.

 

[City Properties Inc]

How accurate is the Kapex?

When I decided that this was no longer acceptable. That's after installing a new blade on the 12" Ridgid and fiddling with the table and fence. No, that's not blood on the trim.

After I got the Kapex, this is what the cut looked like. Same material, same unskilled guy making the cut.

Is that blood from the 12"er or puke because the cut is so bad...

 

[City Properties Inc]

Accurate perfect even after several tumbles. It's been about a year an 1/2 since purchase and have literally cut everything from 3" x 12 100 year old beams, 3" oak, Cedar, Mahogany, Pt Doug Fir Hemp fir and Aluminum and miles and miles of IPE. I just change the blade and hope it can fit.  Which reminds make sure your keep sharp blades on the K. It will power itself down if it detect and drag from a dull blade. Never experienced with any other miter saw. Probably my #1 gripe. #2 little more depth for higher stock. #3 if possible can you make the dust port a little bigger? Your almost at a completely dust free.
Lighter then any other except for the Makita LS?? 10" slider. I can't remember the number because it's my other truck. Both are Nuts on accurate and very compact. Inch for Inch between the two.
Small footprint. Very compact. I can fit this is very comfortably on to / from any job site. Side alley's, up / down small historic homes stairs, ladders. Set's up right against the wall.
Dust collection: 1500 sf IPE deck up on the 46floor in about a day and 1/2 my Midi collected just form the Kapex 28gallons of IPE dust. We couldn't find any on the terrace. That almost 6 - 5/gallon buckets. Do not think it 100% dust free miracle. It gets all of the micro and 90% of the saw dust. The only other saw that even comes close and maybe even better with DC is that beast Milwaukee 12"er. But it's just god awful big and heavy.
When I'm set up on the Midi I can walk away with out even worrying about what little dust is left behind. We work out side 90% so what's left behind isn't even worth a conversation.

In the last 2-months I slammed 3x12 100 old joist in to the Kapex and cracked the housing. Later in the week I slipped on ice while I was loading it in my truck and cracked the other side of the housing, and just last week the dust boot started clip broke off and sags on one side. 
Lester was kind enough to send me return box to get cleaned up and a lil TLC. The saw has cut so much IPE it's stained in the metal. By the way I test cut a picture frame and one corner is out about hair and still with in tolerance. I have no fear in really using it or any of Festie products. I can go on and on and on.
I started a post on this a while back look it there feed from well over 100 others. Your a big boy do the math.
You only have  1 of 3 moves.
1) buy and keep it.
2) buy and return it.
3) never bother at all.

Yanni
citydecksinc.com
citypropertiesinc.net

 

[MichaelW2014]

Better late than never. This post is for the next guy who seeks the most precise miter saw.

I just want to add that I have a Nobex (manually operated) miter saw that gives me more accurate cuts than my festool cs70 trim saw. I've had a lot of practice on this saw. I get repeatably accurate cuts. I would agree that the ability of the user is very important.

Unfortunately, my CS70 is inaccurate and therefore unreliable--I can't seem to achieve repeatably precise cuts no matter how hard i try. So the precision of the tool matters most ultimately, at least it does for someone who strives for perfection.

Nobex miter saws cost about 200-250 euros. Yes, you have to spend a lot of effort hand sawing, but at least you will enjoy the final product. I might get a kapex because i dont want to spend so much time and effort on hand sawing, and this interest is what brought me to this thread in the first place. The kapex seems to be one of the best (and most expensive) miter saws money can buy.

I have other festool machines that I like very much.