New Kapex with issues

[Ross 71]

So far my experience of Festool has been very happy. started with a plunge saw and dust extractor, kind of went on from there.

After a lot of thought I bought a kapex and ug stand from Axminster. I had it on site for 2 days last week, and I have some deal breaking issues.
1. The saw blade is offset to the left. The scale on the left outrigger gives a cut 3mm short, using the scale on the right is 3mm long.
2. One of the adjustable feet on the trolley spins easily up and down, the other is so stiff you can barely turn it.
And minor
3. with the mitre knob set 0-45 deg the saw swivels in both directions, rather than only to one side.

Ok, everything else is great. love the lasers, glass smooth cuts absolutely spot on angles etc, BUT one reason for ponying up £1300 when there are, lets face it, many other compound mitre saws available for a lot less money, is lightweight portability and quick set up but that is lost when I can't set it level and stop the saw wobbling because of the jammed adjuster.

Another reason is the I should be able to measure for a cripple stud at 887mm, chuck a bit of 6x2 on the saw, line it up at 887mm on the outrigger scale and cut it to length. But no. measure 887mm, subtract 3mm no add 3mm, oh hang on, where's the tape rule and pencil.....

So the time savings that justify the price are lost. I will be able to sort out the adjuster, with a m8 tap, but I can't find out how to adjust the off centre-ness of the saw (has no-one else had this issue?). The mitre lock issue is just a worry- where's the quality control?

I phoned Axminster yesterday but their tech guy could not advise. I guess I contact Festool on Tuesday and see what they suggest. Trouble is I need the blasted saw working, on site on Tuesday. Or I lose a days pay, waste £30 quid on fuel, drive down to Axminster and see if they can replace it.

Not exactly a win for me, is it.

 

[peter halle]

So to read your post you have the following issues:

UG stand:

1.  The scales on the extension are inaccurate
2.  There is an issue with the adjusting foot

Kapex:

1.  When the saw is in the 0-45 setting the head will go both ways versus only one direction?

I would suggest you make arrangements for the tools to be exchanged.

Peter

 

[Phil Beckley]

Hi
Arrange with Axminster to have this swapped out under the 15 day exchange. Unfortunately as Monday is a Bank holiday in the U.K this will take a day longer. My guess is that Axminster will have available stock.
rg
Phil
 

 

[mwildt]

I'm quite certain the setup instructions for the extension rails specifies how to adjust them. Something like this: One attach them to the saw, then loosing the rail from the bracket. Then use a known precut board as story stick and adjust the rail to make the ruler correct. Then tighten down the rail to the bracket.

Sorry about the other issues.

 

[joiner1970]

Hi Ross and welcome to the forum just a shame you've come here with complaints but I'm sure you'll get it all put right with help from us. Then you can get on and enjoy your tools and post some nice interesting stuff.

Anyway hope this helps

1) the ug wings aren't usually set up to the saw when you get them. Mine was out and most are I'm sure. This is all in the manual and if not it's definitely in Rick christophersons supplemental manual.

2) the feet are new so should loosen up and make sure you've unlocked the top black knob

3) the bevel 0-45 stop sometimes does that on mine if you look you will see the green knob bump up as you bump past the top. All you need to do is hold it down and it will stop at the top as it should. You can just go slow as you raise the saw them it won't bump past.

All very straight forward things that you can do easily to solve you're problems. Then you can get on and use what is a great saw

Or just return it like Phil says, up to you but there's no guarantee you next one won't be the same.

Hope this helps
https://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Kapex-KS120-Supplemental-Manual.pdf

 

[roblg3]

The UG wings need to be calibrated. It's easy. The feet spin and the black knob on top is the lock knob. I wish I understood the bevel issue. Sometimes there's defects in manufacturing. I'm sure you could get an exchange. It doesn't sound like you've read the manual. It can be quite helpful,especially the supplemental manuals available that aren't written by lawyers...

 

[Doug S]

I used to always bump my Kapex past the 90° stop until I read on here somewhere that you should not do it. It's not a fault with your saw, you just need to move it a bit slower approaching the 90° mark and it will click in.

Doug

 

[Alan Mack]

The UG rails are adjusted by the allen key bolts on the underside of the rails, which hold the triangular locating piece onto the edges of the Kapex. I adjusted mine and only took a few minutes. It should be obvious how to do it once you look underneath the rail.

The feet need to be unlocked with the black knob before you adjust them up or down.If its still stiff put some oil on it.

I always leave the bevel knob set to 0-45 to make it easy to register back to zero and only set 45-45 if I'm cutting the other way, but never bring it back so hard that it crashes through. The stop is there for a reason.

 

[Ross 71]

The issue with my saw, which was drawn to my attention by the disparity between the left and right cut measures, is that the blade is offset by approximately the thickness of the blade. The blade does not cut along the centreline of the trench in the base. The blade is offset to one side. There is nothing in the manual to explain how you adjust the positioning of the blade, and I have never encountered a mitre saw where the blade can be offset, nor have I encountered a situation where I would need to offset the blade.

Now I do feel a bit of a c*ck for not realising that I can adjust the outriggers before coming on your site whingeing, but am I wrong in thinking that the blade ought to be centred? I did a google search to try and find information on how to resolve the issues I have found, and it led me to this owners group. I did a search on here for kapex and found a load of posts about burned out motors, shattered baseplates and the like. I found nothing about adjusting blade position.

Anyway, my apologies for the tone of my previous post, but by the time I had waded through everyone else's woes it was looking like very few of these machines are problem free- and for the money I paid, I expect to be able to achieve problem free. Sadly I left the saw locked up in my customers house for the weekend, so I can't even look it over to try and resolve the problems-I guess I was hoping someone would reply with a "Oh that, there's a screw on the side to adjust the blade centring"

I've used a lot of chopsaws and mitre saw over the years from a cheap Lidl saw my mate bought that was surprisingly good to a Makita that was astonishingly awful. A few gave quite a decent, clean, square cut. Most left the wood looking like it had been attacked with a machete. They were difficult to get a cut to closer than 1/16" of the length I wanted.

The Kapex promises to be the answer to all the shortcomings of other saws-if it turns out to be as good as my TS55 I will be delighted

 

[joiner1970]

The issue with my saw, which was drawn to my attention by the disparity between the left and right cut measures, is that the blade is offset by approximately the thickness of the blade. The blade does not cut along the centreline of the trench in the base. The blade is offset to one side. There is nothing in the manual to explain how you adjust the positioning of the blade, and I have never encountered a mitre saw where the blade can be offset, nor have I encountered a situation where I would need to offset the blade.

Now I do feel a bit of a c*ck for not realising that I can adjust the outriggers before coming on your site whingeing, but am I wrong in thinking that the blade ought to be centred? I did a google search to try and find information on how to resolve the issues I have found, and it led me to this owners group. I did a search on here for kapex and found a load of posts about burned out motors, shattered baseplates and the like. I found nothing about adjusting blade position.

Anyway, my apologies for the tone of my previous post, but by the time I had waded through everyone else's woes it was looking like very few of these machines are problem free- and for the money I paid, I expect to be able to achieve problem free. Sadly I left the saw locked up in my customers house for the weekend, so I can't even look it over to try and resolve the problems-I guess I was hoping someone would reply with a "Oh that, there's a screw on the side to adjust the blade centring"

I've used a lot of chopsaws and mitre saw over the years from a cheap Lidl saw my mate bought that was surprisingly good to a Makita that was astonishingly awful. A few gave quite a decent, clean, square cut. Most left the wood looking like it had been attacked with a machete. They were difficult to get a cut to closer than 1/16" of the length I wanted.

The Kapex promises to be the answer to all the shortcomings of other saws-if it turns out to be as good as my TS55 I will be delighted

Oh so the blade isn't centred, on reading your post I thought it was just the wings that were out which is pretty normal.

I'll check mine later but I'm sure it must be centred. Also when you say it's off centre where are you taking measurements from. The plastic plates in the base where the blade plunges are adjustable too. If they were set wrong that would make the blade look off.

I'd check the blade is seated properly if you haven't already. Doubt it wouldn't be as it would wobble like mad.

As Phil says get it replaced if all else fails.

 

[mastercabman]

The issue with my saw, which was drawn to my attention by the disparity between the left and right cut measures, is that the blade is offset by approximately the thickness of the blade. The blade does not cut along the centreline of the trench in the base. The blade is offset to one side. There is nothing in the manual to explain how you adjust the positioning of the blade, and I have never encountered a mitre saw where the blade can be offset, nor have I encountered a situation where I would need to offset the blade.

OK,So what's the problem????

 

[Ross 71]

Hello again,

Contacted Festool UK on Tuesday morning. Nice lady said someone would call me, which they haven't yet....

Anyway, I decided to take the blade off, to see if I could find out why it is off centre. Found nothing which to my untrained eyes seemed amiss. Put blade back on, and LO!, blade now as close to centre as anyone could wish. Then I set the outriggers as stated in the instructions, which I admit I hadn't read. All now good. I just need to free up that adjusting foot.

Thanks all. Ross

 

[joiner1970]

Hello again,

Contacted Festool UK on Tuesday morning. Nice lady said someone would call me, which they haven't yet....

Anyway, I decided to take the blade off, to see if I could find out why it is off centre. Found nothing which to my untrained eyes seemed amiss. Put blade back on, and LO!, blade now as close to centre as anyone could wish. Then I set the outriggers as stated in the instructions, which I admit I hadn't read. All now good. I just need to free up that adjusting foot.

Thanks all. Ross

Nice one