Kapex questions

[Evergreen]

Hey All,

Happy fourth!  I'm curious to know what you guys plan on using for a dust bag when working outside without dust collection?  As far as I know it doesn't come with a bag, is this true?  Also, has anyone tried the laser in exterior lighting?  I'd be curious to know how it works outside.  My last question, have your saws been tight to the rails when fully extended?  Is there any slop or movement?  My bosch 4410 has significant movement throughout the entire rail and am hoping the kapex is tight.  I have yet to try one, but just might make the purchase today.  Thanks for any info!

 

[Brice Burrell]

EG, no the Kapex doesn't come with a dust bag. The lasers are a bit hard to see in bright sunlight. The Kapex has the least amount of deflection that I have ever seen on a miter saw.

 

[Evergreen]

Thanks for the reply Brice!  I do a lot of exterior landscape construction during the summer months in Portland Oregon.  You can't ask for a better time to be outside.  I do mostly remodels and finish work in the winter.  Any thoughts on the kapex in the outside elements?  It be tough to see a $1300 saw get wet occasionally, but that's probably what will happen from time to time.  Anyone else planning on using the saw in the elements?

 

[Brice Burrell]

I prefer to keep all of my tools dry and go to great lengths to try and accomplish that. I work outside in the summer a great deal and on days I'm expecting rain I keep a nylon tarp near the saw. When the rain comes I can flip the trap off to make a cut and then cover the saw again quickly in it's not raining to hard. I can't say in the Kapex is any different from any other is regards to how it stands up to getting wet. I plan on keeping it as dry as possible, but hay, work needs to get done.

 

[Eli]

If you really want the lasers to be seen outside, wear glasses with red lenses. I've used a vac outside! Keeps the lawn clean.

 

[Brice Burrell]

If you really want the lasers to be seen outside, wear glasses with red lenses. I've used a vac outside! Keeps the lawn clean.

I always use the vac and I comment about keeping the lawn clean in my review.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Pop up tent.

 

[Evergreen]

I always use pop-ups, but the tools still get wet.  Especially winter in the Pacific Northwest.  I'd be interested to see what the dust collection is like when cutting wet wood outdoors.  Now that would be a test!  Come on festool!!!

 

[Warrior]

IMO it would be a darned shame to see a Kapex get beat trying to cut up landscape materials. Its not like you need the accuracy when cutting those materials or the dust collection outside.

 

[Frank-Jan]

... I'm curious to know what you guys plan on using for a dust bag when working outside without dust collection?  ...

The second day I used mine was an outside job, cutting meranti fascia boards. The lasers were perfectly visible, but it wasn't a sunny day. I didn't bring the vac, and the dust kept blowing in my face, so the next day I went to the store and got me a dustbag that was meant for an ehl 65 planer, but I measured the dustcoupling to hastely in the store and it wouldn't fit, so now I use a vac even when I'm working outdoors. I might just heat up the plastic thing on the dustbag and make it fit the next time (since I postponed returning it to the store to long and I don't plan on ever getting a ehl 65 planer. Festool doesn't recommend using a dustbag with the kapex,so they didn't answer when I asked if the bag for the larger planer would fit, but maybe someone that has a kapex and an ehl 850 with bag could try it?

 

[honeydoman]

I would not use the kapex on landscape material  that is for dewalt saws  or your skilsaw.  outdoors use a 10x10 pop up canopy like you see at the swapmeets, they run about 130 bucks or so, and help keep you in the shade and the rain and sunlight off the laser.

you can also us an old sports sock just put it over the port to catch the dust.  but I would use a mini vac at the least.

good luck

 

[Thomas R]

... I'm curious to know what you guys plan on using for a dust bag when working outside without dust collection?  ...

The second day I used mine was an outside job, cutting meranti fascia boards. The lasers were perfectly visible, but it wasn't a sunny day. I didn't bring the vac, and the dust kept blowing in my face, so the next day I went to the store and got me a dustbag that was meant for an ehl 65 planer, but I measured the dustcoupling to hastely in the store and it wouldn't fit, so now I use a vac even when I'm working outdoors. I might just heat up the plastic thing on the dustbag and make it fit the next time (since I postponed returning it to the store to long and I don't plan on ever getting a ehl 65 planer. Festool doesn't recommend using a dustbag with the kapex,so they didn't answer when I asked if the bag for the larger planer would fit, but maybe someone that has a kapex and an ehl 850 with bag could try it?

Sorry, no fit, Frank-Jan

 

[Frank-Jan]

Thomas, thank you very much for checking.

 

[Warrior]

you can also us an old sports sock just put it over the port to catch the dust. 

Your Client:
"Hey Craig, Why do you only have one sock on?... What in the blazes is that smell?"

 

[richard.selwyn]

Had the Kapex for about a year.  Always use a vac - I've got a CTMini, but DON'T use it with the Kapex unless I can't avoid it as it doesn't have enough suction (IMHO) for good dust collection.  Works best with a big Festool LHS 225, but there's obviously always some dust that still escapes.

The slides are sturdy, but if you don't pay attention and are, for instance, off to one side when you use the saw you do get some minor deflection.  Just spent a fortune on a triple chip blade for it for cutting difficult materials - fantastic.

 

[Tinker]

For your sake, I hope when you say "cutting Landscape Materials", you are not talking about mason type materials as well as lumber. There is nothing that can eat up close tollerances like concrete, stone, brick, etc when it is making dust.  Concrete dust can make that $1300 saw into something far less value in no time. (Altho I did have a Milwaukee circular saw that held together for 30 years.  Prior to that saw, I was going thru circular saws almost on a per job basis) They do make saws that are especially designed to cut masonry products.
Tinker

 

[Evergreen]

For your sake, I hope when you say "cutting Landscape Materials", you are not talking about mason type materials as well as lumber. There is nothing that can eat up close tollerances like concrete, stone, brick, etc when it is making dust.  Concrete dust can make that $1300 saw into something far less value in no time. (Altho I did have a Milwaukee circular saw that held together for 30 years.  Prior to that saw, I was going thru circular saws almost on a per job basis) They do make saws that are especially designed to cut masonry products.
Tinker

Good god no man!  When I say landscape construction, I'm talking decks, fences, light timber frames, arbors, etc...  It keeps me happy in the summer time.  I can't stand working inside when it's sunny and warm out.  In Portland, we have a few months of perfect weather, so I schedule accordingly.  I appreciate all the replies, and have decided to keep the 4410 for exterior and get the kapex for interior.  It makes sense.  Any others doing the same?

 

[Per Swenson]

Ever,

I don't own the kapex. Yet.

But when I do, it will be miter saw #4

We will just have to find room.

You may think that is overkill or I am nutz.

Let me assure you that is not the case.

I don't have to be in two places at once for them to make us money.

Per

 

[quijas23]

I got  a question; where do you guys grab this thing when you guys go to lift it and move it...
Doesnt seem to have any obvious handholds and I really want to take care of this saw as I am only going to use it for fine trim and such. thanks
Joseph

 

[Frank-Jan]

One hand in the recess in the cord storage at the back, the other at the recess under the base at the V-groove. (You have to remove the crown stops/table extensions for transport.