PlugIt cord help!?

guddeco

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Joined
Jul 2, 2014
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37
I am the proud new owner of a TS 75 and the RO 150. Love them both, but I noticed that the they have different plug it cords. I thought that the beauty of plugit was the interchangeability. Any help would be awesome!
 
Hi,

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

  You can use the heavier gauge (16) cord in all the tools but the lighter gauge (18) will only fit the lower amp tools.  The key ways are designed that way.

Seth
 
There's 18 gauge cords that come with the lower amp tools, and the 16 gauge that come with the higher draw tools. Imho, festool needs to ditch the 18 gauge and ship everything with 16 gauge. Keep it simple.
 
Thank you for clearing that up for me, and the excellent response time!
 
Having just attended festool training course, it was explained that yes, you can use the TS plug it with a sander, but the sander cord is designed to be lighter weight for use in over head situations.  Its like using a 15v battery in an 18v tool.  There's no problem in doing it and it can lighten the tool if you need that.  I love simple, but options are sometimes invaluable.
 
roblg3 said:
Having just attended festool training course, it was explained that yes, you can use the TS plug it with a sander, but the sander cord is designed to be lighter weight for use in over head situations.  Its like using a 15v battery in an 18v tool.  There's no problem in doing it and it can lighten the tool if you need that.  I love simple, but options are sometimes invaluable.
There's very little difference weight-wise between the 18 and 16 gauge cords. Very very little.
 
After hours and hours of over head experience [mad]

I have several new 18 ga. cords for sale.
 
I would have liked Festool to ship a universal cord with every tool and offer the lightweight one as an optional accessory. With the weight of a dust collection hose, I don't believe that the weight difference between the cords is significant. If you are working with a tool over your head, you're probably going to need the dust collection even more.
 
I agree that all tools should come with the same cord, the idea that a lighter weight cord makes any difference is ridiculous. It really just makes switching tools annoying. I have most of my light weight cords in a box and only use the heavier ones. I'm guessing that the sending the lighter weight cords with smaller tools saves festool a very small amount of money but I hope that's not part of their reasoning.
 
Apparently there are FOG members who defame the professional reputation of the Festool engineering and R&D departments.

Just because individuals are happy using only the 16 ga Plug-It cords in the USA hardly means nobody wants to use the more supple cord with sanders and jigsaws were freedom of motion can be crucial.

After years of making good money using virtually every Festool sold in the USA, I personally have more faith in the Festool engineers than unknown people who have demonstrated no foundation for their negative posts against Festool.

In my shop all of the anti-static hoses and power cords for the Festool sanders, small routers and jigsaws are fed from over head. I do use only the 16 ga cords for that. However, before I had my shop I preferred using the 18 ga cords when possible because I only had the one boom arm. The arrangement of the area where we do most of our Domino work does not lend itself to feeding the hose and power from above. Personally I do prefer the more supple 18 ga cord.

Clearly the stated mileage of some varies.
 
ccarrolladams said:
Apparently there are FOG members who defame the professional reputation of the Festool engineering and R&D departments.

Just because individuals are happy using only the 16 ga Plug-It cords in the USA hardly means nobody wants to use the more supple cord with sanders and jigsaws were freedom of motion can be crucial.

After years of making good money using virtually every Festool sold in the USA, I personally have more faith in the Festool engineers than unknown people who have demonstrated no foundation for their negative posts against Festool.

In my shop all of the anti-static hoses and power cords for the Festool sanders, small routers and jigsaws are fed from over head. I do use only the 16 ga cords for that. However, before I had my shop I preferred using the 18 ga cords when possible because I only had the one boom arm. The arrangement of the area where we do most of our Domino work does not lend itself to feeding the hose and power from above. Personally I do prefer the more supple 18 ga cord.

Clearly the stated mileage of some varies.

Ha, you apparently are offended my any negative comment about your beloved festool. The only part of your post that was really necessary was the last paragraph that gave your opinion on the cord itself and your reasoning for why you prefer one over the other.
Even Festools famed engineering and RnD department gets it wrong sometimes, note the recall on the TS55REQ and the much delayed release of the Carvex, just to name two of the more recent problems.
I have most of their US released tools as well and use them everyday. In my opinion the diffence in the flexibility and actual weight of the cords is negligible, especially when you account for the heavy and hardly flexible hose that Festool recommends you use with all of their tools.
 
The FOG TOS encourage differences of opinion.

However, the TOS also prohibit insulting other FOG members and also defaming the professional reputation of anyone.
 
I think Festool should offer a program where you turn in two (or even three!) unused 18 gauge cords and they will send you a new 16 gauge.
 
I like your suggestion!

I suspect that for the other ~95% of Festool users - those who are not on the FOG-  that this isn't much of an issue. They have either adapted or are blissfully unaware.

So the number of cords that Festool would have to swap would be small. And they (Festool) could use them as free replacements for people who have issues with their plug-it cords. Or perhaps one of our illustrious dealers could come up with a program if Festool doesn't? I've got to believe there would ba market for used 18 ga cords at the right price?

Win-Win!

I only have 4 green power tools (so far) but even I could come up with 2 to trade in...
 
From a moderator:

It is indeed permitted to have opinions and to post them here.  Debate and discussion (not arguments) are indeed encouraged.  Negative comments about Festool if presented in a civil manner are indeed allowed.  Otherwise this forum loses some of it's credibility.

But once we switch over to members then further consideration in posting must happen.  Calling out another member and making things personal and posting on the forum is not acceptable. If you read something and it bothers you, please think before you post.  Walk away from your device and come back later. Then decide if it should be posted.

There has been more issues of member vs member "heated" comments in the last couple of days.  Maybe it is the heat or a full moon on the horizon.  We (forum members) are here to help others, share ideas, show our work, and hang around with members who have common interests.

Any further personally directed comments in this thread will be deleted.

Sorry to have to write this,

Peter Halle - Moderator

 
WPeters said:
I think Festool should offer a program where you turn in two (or even three!) unused 18 gauge cords and they will send you a new 16 gauge.

[popcorn]
 
Maybe you should just be given the option of which cord you'd prefer when you buy a new tool. Since none of the tools come sealed it would be easy for the dealer to put the preferred cord in the systainer.
 
Is there a chart (or at least a list) somewhere that shows which cord comes with which tool?
 
You can check the power consumption in the specifications, only tools below a certain wattage can use the 18 ga cord. (I don't know the exact number but my guess would be around a 1000 Watts). As far as I know the 18 ga cords don't come with tools in Europe (at least in Belgium and the Netherlands). I have several tools that can be used with the thinner cord, but they came with the larger one in the systainer. (ro150, ro90, domino, trion, ...)
 
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