Bought our Domino machine in mid 2008. Used it extensively in the school workshop since then and have been very pleased with its performance. Unfortunately the brass pin in the power socket on the end of the machine where the power lead plugs in has broken. Has any one else come across this problem? Being able to disconnect the power lead is a great safety feature but no one warned me about this happening. I am waiting to hear back from the supplier and no doubt it can be repaired but this seems like a weakness brought about by fatigue. Does this happen with other machines in the range and how can I guard against it happening again.
power socket pin failure
- Thread starter woodee
- Start date
jonny round boy
Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2007
- Messages
- 3,227
I've never heard of a plug-it pin breaking off. I can't see how it could under normal use.
How has it 'broken' - has it sheared off, or been bent, or melted through?
How has it 'broken' - has it sheared off, or been bent, or melted through?
Brice Burrell
Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2007
- Messages
- 7,385
jonny round boy said:
First, [welcome] to the FOG woodee.
I think Jonny has asked the right question here. I believe you may have melted the brass pin. This can happen when the Plug-It cord isn't fully attached to the tool. What can happen when the cord isn't properly attached is the contacts can arc from not being fully seated. The heat from arcing causes the plastic around the pins to melt and the pins get pushed even farther away from the contacts on the cord end. Once this happens even with the cord fully attached arcing is likely to happen until to the tool stops work all together.
Make sure the issue is diagnosed correctly. This had happened another member in the past. He mistakenly assumed a new Plug-It cord would solve his problem. He didn't understand the tool end of the connection was bad even after ruining several new Plug-It cords.
Thankyou for the prompt reply.
All I know is that one of the pins from the socket in the end of the machine is now in the plug of the cord. I can take a photo when I get to school tomorrow. I will have to monitor this aspect of the tool setup more closely in future when we get it back. Hope it is not a big (expensive ) part to replace. Should I just leave the cord in the machine once it is set up? I have been taking it out frequently as a safety measure when making adjustments to the settings and changing cutters. I better go back and have another look at the manuals too.
Woodee from Downunder
All I know is that one of the pins from the socket in the end of the machine is now in the plug of the cord. I can take a photo when I get to school tomorrow. I will have to monitor this aspect of the tool setup more closely in future when we get it back. Hope it is not a big (expensive ) part to replace. Should I just leave the cord in the machine once it is set up? I have been taking it out frequently as a safety measure when making adjustments to the settings and changing cutters. I better go back and have another look at the manuals too.
Woodee from Downunder
Corwin
Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 2,624
woodee said:
The problem may be that you simply did not twist the plugit cord on completely a time or two, and the receptacle became damaged. You should not have to leave the cord in place in the future to prevent this from happening again. Rather, you just need to make sure that you install the plugit by twisting it a full 1/4 turn. So, once you get your tool repaired and your cord replaced you should be fine -- just make sure you install the cord completely.
imaginarynumber
Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 82
It does sound like arcing.
It might not be your fault. Loads of my tools were contaminated by a faulty batch(/batches) of lead(/s).
The connections would get very hot even when the tools were not turned on.
Over time the problem would get worse as the rubber internals of the plug started to soften. I used to take them apart and put little wedges in.
At first festool tried buck passing by saying that users were too dumb to turn the connection properly. in time they admitted that some leads were bad.
In the meantime do not use the lead on any other tools as it will mess them up as well, nor use any other leads on the tool.
See if festool will replace the part and lead foc (if the lead was faulty).
I love the idea of the plug it connections but they have been far from perfect since their inception. The very early ones on the hoses used to come apart (unscrew), leaving the wires exposed.. Festool also denied that this was possible until i got trading standards to walk into Minden (UK) and they managed to unscrew a connection by hand.
Festool make great products but have a Steve Jobs complex. If you point out a fault they deny that it is possible for them to have screwed up. When I reported the plug problem the only employee that would speak to me was Christian Oltzer (all round good fellow) in the USA (at the time the USA didn't even carry the leads). I do recall some Austrian rep getting very irate with me because i dared to raise the subject!!!
It might not be your fault. Loads of my tools were contaminated by a faulty batch(/batches) of lead(/s).
The connections would get very hot even when the tools were not turned on.
Over time the problem would get worse as the rubber internals of the plug started to soften. I used to take them apart and put little wedges in.
At first festool tried buck passing by saying that users were too dumb to turn the connection properly. in time they admitted that some leads were bad.
In the meantime do not use the lead on any other tools as it will mess them up as well, nor use any other leads on the tool.
See if festool will replace the part and lead foc (if the lead was faulty).
I love the idea of the plug it connections but they have been far from perfect since their inception. The very early ones on the hoses used to come apart (unscrew), leaving the wires exposed.. Festool also denied that this was possible until i got trading standards to walk into Minden (UK) and they managed to unscrew a connection by hand.
Festool make great products but have a Steve Jobs complex. If you point out a fault they deny that it is possible for them to have screwed up. When I reported the plug problem the only employee that would speak to me was Christian Oltzer (all round good fellow) in the USA (at the time the USA didn't even carry the leads). I do recall some Austrian rep getting very irate with me because i dared to raise the subject!!!
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2007
- Messages
- 5,133
Though it's entirely possible that you got a bad cord, I've seen this failure multiple times and each time it could be traced to not completely twisting the Plug-It home. It's particularly difficult on some tools, especially the TS 55. That can be overcome by angling it and on other tools the difficulty can be eliminated by connecting the Plug-It before the hose.
Once arcing occurs and creates some oxide, the resistance increases and the development of the problem accelerates. This is the same phenomenon that has caused a lot of houses with aluminum wiring to burn except there it's worse.
Additionally, a lot of people use one cord with multiple tools. If that cord has been compromised, the problem can metastasize to other tools and then to other cords.
Often, the owner of the tool isn't the source of the loose connection but someone else who has used it, like a helper, or a work mate.
'Just my 2 or 3 cents.
Tom
Once arcing occurs and creates some oxide, the resistance increases and the development of the problem accelerates. This is the same phenomenon that has caused a lot of houses with aluminum wiring to burn except there it's worse.
Additionally, a lot of people use one cord with multiple tools. If that cord has been compromised, the problem can metastasize to other tools and then to other cords.
Often, the owner of the tool isn't the source of the loose connection but someone else who has used it, like a helper, or a work mate.
'Just my 2 or 3 cents.
Tom
jonny round boy
Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2007
- Messages
- 3,227
imaginarynumber said:
I don't see how that's possible. If the tools are off, then they are not drawing any current, and the circuit isn't complete. If the circuit isn't complete, then it can't possibly arc.
The only way this could happen is if it was a tool that draws a 'standby' current when plugged in but not turned on, but Festool AFAIK don't make any tool that does this (other than the Kapex with the lasers, but that doesn't have a plug-it).
imaginarynumber
Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 82
jonny round boy said:
Hi johnny
It was a few years ago and as each years passes my memory gets worse. I do definitely recall the connections getting v hot when in use, some were retro fit kits to both festo and other tools. I agree that without drawing a current I might be wrong about the lead getting hot when not turned on- that said I am fairly sure that I could hear the arcing noise when I plugged them in, never-the-less, there were a lot of bad leads. I initially assumed that it was down to someone that worked for me being the problem but even after he went elsewhere it happened with new tools and leads.
I do agree that some tools require a bit more twist than others but the fact remains that there have been a significant number of bad leads in the past and that the design of them does not mitigate the risk of the same happening again. I know that i have done dumb things in the past and that there are dumb people out there but that is no defence for firms blaming the customer first.
