New Kapex..Took the plunge

[skids]

30 days is now ticking..Took this new beauty home today, what an experience opening the box. I got goose bumps!! Felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity!

This thing better be able to do more than just look pretty and be able to take on remodel and deck work I have planned for it.

Any thoughts on that will be super appreciated. Most of the time this Kapex will be in a shop, and be used for lighter work. Never hauled around from job to job. I am an advanced DIYr homeowner type. But I get into framing, basements and have a deck to tear off my house. Will it be able to handle it!!

Awesome tool though, once you use it, your SOLD!

 

[erock]

First let me say congratulations on picking up a sweet saw!

Second, hook that bad boy up to a Ct vac with a 36mm hose.

Third, DO NOT cut laminate flooring with the stock blade.  I found out the hard way and need to have  the  blade sharpened.

And lastly, put that saw to work.  It will handle any job.  It is a $1350 saw, so it will handle a framing job and deck job with no problem.

Have fun and show it to all your friends and neighbors.  I did  [big grin]!

Eric

 

[peter halle]

Congratulations.  Now look thru the packing and find the tiny hex key that is usually stuck into the styrofoam but often times come loose.  That is the one to adjust the lasers if necessary I believe.

Have fun and don't be afraid to work it.  All play and no work makes Kapex a ......

Peter

 

[tiralie]

This thing better be able to do more than just look pretty and be able to take on remodel and deck work I have planned for it.

Any thoughts on that will be super appreciated.  Will it be able to handle it!!

This testimonial should answer all of your questions.
Tim

 

[skids]

Thanks fellas..I have only made about 20 cuts or but here are a couple of early observations:

Some may be nitpicky, but I just spent alot on this thing, so I am getting on my soap box. And take all of this for what it's worth..I am not a contractor, not in the field..Just an advanced DIYr who bought a saw beyond his abilities!..Sigh, now the guilt for this purchase sets in...

Negative-

lack of a true carrying handle
when you nest the saw to 60 degrees is bumps the Bevel Guage through the front of the saw
Trigger is a little kludgy. I don't hate it, imagine I will get used to it. Just fumbling a bit with the logic of i
Lack of crown detents on the bevel for cutting it on the flat. Although it's so easy to dial in I won't miss this feature for too long.
Fact you can order this saw with a choice of blade teeth, I would have preferred the 80-there goes another $135!!
Lack of crown stop attachments, which act to extend the table as well-there goes another $190

Positive-
Its still early, but is the fact I can't stop giggling a good sign?

Honestly though the dust control makes me laugh out loud, pure joy.
the cuts are just unreal
I make a mark on the workpiece, no sighting the blade.
Lasers are incredible and work incredibly well.
Bevel Guage would have saved me hours of pondering an angle for the wainscot I recently did up my stairs.
Soft Start, is such and overlooked feature on a miter saw.
Bevel adjustment=genius!! I can dial in so easily, no dealing with the weight of the head of the saw.
Overall very easy to use I feel so SAFE and in CONTROL with it. My experience with kickback is one can sense when kickback is looming with a miter saw before it happens often times. With this saw I don't get that feeling AT ALL with any cuts. I feel totally in control.

So far I am truly astounded with how this saw operates. I can't wait to put this to work, I will start ripping out my casings tomorrow!!

 

[erock]

One of the things that sold me on the Kapex was the speed control.  I don't know of another miter saw that has that feature.

Also, the fact the everything with Festool works together.  So if I need to lay the saw on the floor, and needed to support the work piece left

or right of the bed, all I need to do is grab a sys.1 and put one on both sides of the saw.  The sys.1 is the same height as the bed of the Kapex.

And the fact the dust control with a 36mm hose is fantastic.  Being able to cut trim inside a house saves so much time, not having to go

in and out of the house.

I find holding the saw from the back very easy to handle.  Move the saw all the way to the right at 60 degrees.  Get behind it and grab where the

cord wraps with one hand and under the bed with the other. 

I agree about the crown stops, I wish that could have came with the saw.  But whatcha gonna do?

Eric

 

[skids]

One of the things that sold me on the Kapex was the speed control.  I don't know of another miter saw that has that feature.

Also, the fact the everything with Festool works together.  So if I need to lay the saw on the floor, and needed to support the work piece left

or right of the bed, all I need to do is grab a sys.1 and put one on both sides of the saw.  The sys.1 is the same height as the bed of the Kapex.

And the fact the dust control with a 36mm hose is fantastic.  Being able to cut trim inside a house saves so much time, not having to go

in and out of the house.

I find holding the saw from the back very easy to handle.  Move the saw all the way to the right at 60 degrees.  Get behind it and grab where the

cord wraps with one hand and under the bed with the other. 

I agree about the crown stops, I wish that could have came with the saw.  But whatcha gonna do?

Eric

All excellent points..I do need the wider hose, but that is another $140!! I wish I could just buy a 6 foot piece. Unless I just use a shop vac hose, but thats like putting lipstick on a pig! Bad enough this Kapex is sitting on a Ryobi stand right now.

What do you have your Kapex on for a stand? I am thinking Best fence eventually.

 

[erock]

I have my Kapex on a MFT 800 with a Ct midi under the MFT.  It's a little shorter then the MFT/3-Kapex.

That set up sits between two work benches the same height as the bed of the Kapex.  So I can use the bench top for support of the work piece.

And under the bench top I have my systainers stored.  I have added drawer slides for the systainers since this pic was taken.

[attachthumb=#]

Eric

 

[skids]

I have my Kapex on a MFT 800 with a Ct midi under the MFT.  It's a little shorter then the MFT/3-Kapex.

That set up sits between two work benches the same height as the bed of the Kapex.  So I can use the bench top for support of the work piece.

And under the bench top I have my systainers stored.  I have added drawer slides for the systainers since this pic was taken.

[attachthumb=#]

Eric

Whoa!...THAT is awesome!

Well now I feel like an idiot for buying this saw after seeing that! 

 

[tbellemare]

lack of a true carrying handle

Like Eric, I think it's pretty easy to carry once you get the hang of it... There are 3 handles and depending on how you are configured, between the 3 (one at the cord wrap and one on each side of the bed) you should be able to find a comfortable position.

I think you should also be carrying it in the "travel" position and again, like Eric said, that means mitered and locked all the way one way. I also lock the head down and lock the slide.

Tom

 

[erock]

I have my Kapex on a MFT 800 with a Ct midi under the MFT.  It's a little shorter then the MFT/3-Kapex.

That set up sits between two work benches the same height as the bed of the Kapex.  So I can use the bench top for support of the work piece.

And under the bench top I have my systainers stored.  I have added drawer slides for the systainers since this pic was taken.

[attachthumb=#]

Eric

Whoa!...THAT is awesome!

Well now I feel like an idiot for buying this saw after seeing that! 

Skids,
  LOL ....  if you think my set up looks good, then you need to do a search on the FOG for other members shops.  You will find some sweet shops with a

Kapex.  I just put this set up together on a Saturday morning.  I have big plans for my shop.  Some day they will come true!  I had a Ryobi miter

stand, probably the same one you have.  But it took to much space in my shop. 

Eric

 

[GPowers]

You do not need a high dollar Anti-static hose (mainly Anti Static is for sanding).  I plan on buying this one and cutting it up for the Kapex.

Less expensive 35mm hose

 

[andyman]

I have ummed and r'd for 3 months trying to justify a Kapex but have just seen Kapex120 110v with u/g & wings for under £1200 inc vat, I am going to sleep on it & make decision in the morning ???

 

[skids]

You do not need a high dollar Anti-static hose (mainly Anti Static is for sanding).  I plan on buying this one and cutting it up for the Kapex.

Less expensive 35mm hose

Agreed...Thanks for the validation. Does this hose fit inside or on the outside of the Kapex port? Looks like inside, which I would imagin would be a disadvantage no?

One thing I am noticing with the dust is that there is alot kicked to the front of the saw. Not sure if this is just how this saw behaves or if the 35mm hose will resolve this. Either way the dust collection is better than any other saw I have used even with the 27mm. Can't wait to hang some casing tomorrow. I may wake up super early before the kids and get started early I am so excited.

I love this saw, and the more I use it the more I am amazed by it..I hope my wife doesn't guilt me into to exercising the 30 day.  As far as I am concerned there is no other saw worth buying now that I have used a Kapex.

 

[skids]

I have ummed and r'd for 3 months trying to justify a Kapex but have just seen Kapex120 110v with u/g & wings for under £1200 inc vat, I am going to sleep on it & make decision in the morning ???

I don't know you from Adam, so take this for what it's worth...But you won't umm and rrr much after you've spent time with this saw. I am still in the honeymoon phase of course, but if you ask me it's a borderline miracle of a tool.

 

[peter halle]

You do not need a high dollar Anti-static hose (mainly Anti Static is for sanding).  I plan on buying this one and cutting it up for the Kapex.

Less expensive 35mm hose

Agreed...Thanks for the validation. Does this hose fit inside or on the outside of the Kapex port? Looks like inside, which I would imagin would be a disadvantage no?

One thing I am noticing with the dust is that there is alot kicked to the front of the saw. Not sure if this is just how this saw behaves or if the 35mm hose will resolve this. Either way the dust collection is better than any other saw I have used even with the 27mm. Can't wait to hang some casing tomorrow. I may wake up super early before the kids and get started early I am so excited.

I love this saw, and the more I use it the more I am amazed by it..I hope my wife doesn't guilt me into to exercising the 30 day.  As far as I am concerned there is no other saw worth buying now that I have used a Kapex.

A 36 mm hose will help some.  When I use my Kapex I drop a drop cloth on the floor in front of the saw.  I can handle the larger stuff that ends up out front.  For me the Kapex prevents all that airborne stuff which is what I am worried about both for me and also the people writing the check.

Peter

 

[galwaydude18@gmail.com]

I have ummed and r'd for 3 months trying to justify a Kapex but have just seen Kapex120 110v with u/g & wings for under £1200 inc vat, I am going to sleep on it & make decision in the morning ???

To my major disappointment I found out the other day from a festool rep that the 110v Kapex needs a 5kva transformer to use it with the festool extractor at the same time. The reason I found out was that I was using a 3.5kva transformer and the saw was struggling really badly to cut pine skirting. I mean so bad that the blade was stopping and my rep told me that I need to use a 5kva transformer.