Plug on CT-33 stopped working

[NuggyBuggy]

Today I had an angle grinder plugged into my CT-33.  It was working fine for an hour or so, then it cut out. I reached for the plug, and noticed it was very, very loose.  This surprised me since I had never before noticed a problem with looseness in that jack.    Jiggling it a bit restored contact, but it kept cutting out after each cable movement.  After a few minutes, no amount of jiggling would establish a contact.  I tried spreading the plug ever so slightly, but that didn't work.

There is nothing wrong with the plug on the grinder. 

Has anybody ever experienced this problem before ? The suddenness with which this happened made me wonder whether it might be something easily remedied - any chance of that ? I bought my vac used so I'm assuming it is not warrantied.

 

[Brice Burrell]

This is a fairly common occurrence, try a search and you'll find a number of thread discussing this issue.  In the US the balance of the warranty is transferable, I assume this is true for your guys up north too. 

 

[Rick Christopherson]

A loose connection is going to cause heat, which will warm the components enough to allow them to get looser. This is why it degraded so rapidly once the problem set in. The receptacle can easily be replaced, but I don't know whether Festool will send out the parts to a customer or not. My receptacle got smashed by a falling board, so I have a replacement, but I am not a normal customer. I suggest you contact the service department to find out if you can get a replacement or whether the warranty is still in effect.

 

[RONWEN]

A loose connection is going to cause heat, which will warm the components enough to allow them to get looser. This is why it degraded so rapidly once the problem set in. The receptacle can easily be replaced, but I don't know whether Festool will send out the parts to a customer or not. My receptacle got smashed by a falling board, so I have a replacement, but I am not a "normal" customer. I suggest you contact the service department to find out if you can get a replacement or whether the warranty is still in effect.

 [doh]

 

[Corwin]

A loose connection is going to cause heat, which will warm the components enough to allow them to get looser. This is why it degraded so rapidly once the problem set in. The receptacle can easily be replaced, but I don't know whether Festool will send out the parts to a customer or not. My receptacle got smashed by a falling board, so I have a replacement, but I am not a normal customer. I suggest you contact the service department to find out if you can get a replacement or whether the warranty is still in effect.

  [doh]

Yeah Ron, I was thinking the same thing.  [unsure]

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Well, I fixed the problem.  In a fit of daring (for me), I pulled the receptacle out to look around.  I could see that reconnecting would be simple, so I disconnected the leads and disassembled the receptacle.  I bent the interior contacts, and reassembled, and everything works swimmingly now.

A loose connection is going to cause heat, which will warm the components enough to allow them to get looser. This is why it degraded so rapidly once the problem set in.... I suggest you contact the service department to find out if you can get a replacement or whether the warranty is still in effect.

Rick, that makes sense.  If I look at the exterior of the prong housing, over the two non-vertical prongs, it looks like either melted or maybe a better word would be broken or eroded.  I'm not sure if you're supposed to see these prongs, when they're housed, but I could, and the opening is neither symmetrical nor the same for the two prongs.  The odd thing is that this is on the outside of the housing, not on the inside where I'd (perhaps naively ?) expect to see it if the loose connection inside was generating heat.  Also, the erosion looks, in a hard-to-describe way, old.

I snapped a picture but I didn't think to use my macro lens before I put it back in, so it doesn't really show as much detail as it ought to.

I'll write Festool just because I don't think this probably should have happened, but things are working now.  Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Corwin]

Well, I fixed the problem.  In a fit of daring (for me), I pulled the receptacle out to look around.  I could see that reconnecting would be simple, so I disconnected the leads and disassembled the receptacle.  I bent the interior contacts, and reassembled, and everything works swimmingly now.

...
I'll write Festool just because I don't think this probably should have happened, but things are working now.  Thanks to all who replied.

Your fix may work for awhile, but I expect it will reoccur all too soon.  So, you may as well call the phone number on your machine and have them send a replacement part.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Your receptacle is broken and should be replaced. Those openings are not supposed to be there. You can still see a hint of what the original opening looked like on the right hand side, and I have outlined it in the photo below to make it easier to see. With the housing damaged, the contacts inside the receptacle are not being held in place firmly, and that is why they are not making a good connection to the tool's plug.

[attachimg=#]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

As I mentioned earlier, I am not sure about the service policy for parts, but the part number for a replacement 120 volt receptacle for a CT vac is 454796, and includes the receptacle, mounting flange, 4 mounting screws, and a new flip-up cover.

[attachimg=#]

 

[bjackson3]

Had the same prolem. Contacted festool and the next day I had a new outlet in the mail. Have to say though that after about a year of use it is starting to loosen again. I would think in a 500 dollar vac they could use better receptacles. I've put lots of cheap outlets in my shop and peoples homes and haven't once had that problem.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

As I mentioned earlier, I am not sure about the service policy for parts, but the part number for a replacement 120 volt receptacle for a CT vac is 454796, and includes the receptacle, mounting flange, 4 mounting screws, and a new flip-up cover.

[attachimg=#]

Rick - thanks for the part information.  I'm going to send Festool an email tomorrow and see what they say. 

Thanks everyone for the information !

 

[NuggyBuggy]

I contacted Festool, added a link to this thread, and was told me they'd send me a replacement at no charge.  Thanks Festool  [thumbs up] [thumbs up] and thanks to everyone in this thread.

 

[harry_]

I have had to do the same repair to mine,... keep forgetting to call Festool. Probably should do it soon as I know I am rapidly approaching the end of my warranty.

Simple fact is, those outlets are garbage, slain & simple. Consumer grade trash for a commercial grade application.  [2cents]