MFT3 adjustable leg help

[terrystouf]

      Im new to the MFT3 , and not a complete idiot (at least i dont think so),but i dont know if my(its) adjustable foot is broken or what .I was messing about with my new crossbar/stabilizers trying to stiffen this thing up(wish they could be used on both axes,IE, one front to back, one side to side) and I came to this crazy foot, It just slid it off,apparently held by grease and stuction, and it looks like a ramp , with some sort of rotational limiting cam on the bottom ? I can post a pic , but does anyone know if that this is how it is , and whether it should not be able to just slide off ?Height adjustment seems a little precarious too. Im no engineering genius, but wouldnt a tight ,fine thread be a little more stable,or at least simpler ??Or maybe mine is just buggered?
      Sorry if this has been addressed before,yes I know how to use the search function , but i didnt come up with anything.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Normal.  Low tech, I guess.

 

[peter halle]

Yep!  It can come off.  I had nicknamed mine Mr. Pegleg because the rubber foot came off about three months ago and disappeared.  I looked and couldn't find it.  Held off ordering a replacement, and found it just last week.

Happy days are here again!

Peter

 

[jmbfestool]

Nope same here dude!  

Mine poped of once and like you said just seems to be grease and suction which holds the rubber sleeve on.

Also with a lot of weight on the MFT you can see the foot turn slowly which is crap as it then unstabalises. It is a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very .......very poor design.   Mine has stopped working no mater how much I turn it or which way I turn it it doesn't adjust any more.   I just end up banging the table around and kicking it about till it stops wobbling.    Grass is good as banging it makes it stable and gravel but block paving, concrete, tarmac I just keep moving it about till I find the sweet spot.

JMB

 

[Ken Nagrod]

JMB,

That's a very very very very very very very  [doh] poor way to treat your tools.

 

[terrystouf]

  OK, Im not alone, it seems when I turn it to the highest point it locks up and freezes there,then just spins the plastic insert in the leg tube, I got it free now and it seems if i get it locked up by turning it past the highest point , I then have to slide  the foot off some, while lifting the table some to make it turn and therefore become adjustable again.   This is either real genius, or just wacky crazy. Does anyone else's work like this?

 

[Ken Nagrod]

  OK, Im not alone, it seems when I turn it to the highest point it locks up and freezes there,then just spins the plastic insert in the leg tube, I got it free now and it seems if i get it locked up by turning it past the highest point , I then have to slide  the foot off some, while lifting the table some to make it turn and therefore become adjustable again.  This is either real genius, or just wacky crazy. Does anyone else's work like this?

[thumbs up]  again, it's normal.

 

[terrystouf]

So,I'll go with wacky genius, on paper. I think i would rather have it fixed like the other 3, there seems like plenty of flex in the table to level itself if the ground is reasonably level(I cant get it to lift a leg at either end of the adjustment),if not, there probably isnt enough adjustment anyway.WTH ?

 

[tiralie]

So,I'll go with wacky genius, on paper. I think i would rather have it fixed like the other 3, there seems like plenty of flex in the table to level itself if the ground is reasonably level(I cant get it to lift a leg at either end of the adjustment),if not, there probably isnt enough adjustment anyway.WTH ?

I love these tables but this really bothered me when I got mine. After using it for everything (and more) that is was designed to do, it doesn't bug me as much.
It's ok if you are on a flat floor and you need to take the rocking out, but otherwise there really isn't enough adjustment to make this worthwhile.
If you can't get any adjustment, it usually means the grease has gotten up inside the leg and the nylon cam used for adjusting the leg up and down is turning inside the leg column. You need to remove the rubber foot and reseat the nylon cam in the steel leg by cleaning off the grease. Then slide the rubber leg back on.
If this doesn't work, you need to get another nylon cam that will seat firmly (friction fit) into the bottom of the leg.
If you over turn (crank) the leg to get more height it will dislodge the nylon insert.
I think the design needs to be rethought.
If this is a new table see if they can get you a new part on warranty.
Like you I would rather have it fixed like the other legs.

Tim

 

[Alan m]

what is the porpose of it coming out like that.
if it was me i would glue or bolt it in there

 

[Corwin]

what is the porpose of it coming out like that.

My guess is that it is like that so the user can remove and discard and replace with a turned piece with a standard adjustable screw-type leveler.  Just my guess.

I am certainly surprised that the new(er) MFT/3 tables retained these levelers -- they weren't any good on the older MFT's either.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

I don't have much to add except that sometimes I find it to work very [very, very, very, etc (in JMB speak)  [laughing]] well. I just set it up turn the leveler a bit and it is perfect.

Other times it is just darn finicky and a pain.

I like the general idea but I do wish it had more range and worked well every time.

Seth