Review of Festool Carvex Pendulum Jigsaw (561351)

[Michael_MA]

Just as a short Note:

Festool has solved the probs with the Carvex Adapter base. I've just added another Video to my Review to show how it works.

kind regards, Mike

When will the UK current owning Carvex people (ME)  be seein a replacment base?!?!?

cheers JMB

Good question actually..

What i can tell is the ADT PS 400 will be available in 2-3 Weeks from Volume production in Germany, but i have no clue how this will be handled outside Germany.
What i can do is ask the guys about how this is usually handled and let you all know.

But its maybe a good idea to ask your local dealer or Festool sales rep as well, as i would expect from a specific point in time they should receive some sort of Service Note to handle the complaints properly.

kind regards, Mike

 

[jmbfestool]

Just as a short Note:

Festool has solved the probs with the Carvex Adapter base. I've just added another Video to my Review to show how it works.

kind regards, Mike

When will the UK current owning Carvex people (ME)  be seein a replacment base?!?!?

cheers JMB

Good question actually..

What i can tell is the ADT PS 400 will be available in 2-3 Weeks from Volume production in Germany, but i have no clue how this will be handled outside Germany.
What i can do is ask the guys about how this is usually handled and let you all know.

But its maybe a good idea to ask your local dealer or Festool sales rep as well, as i would expect from a specific point in time they should receive some sort of Service Note to handle the complaints properly.

kind regards, Mike

I have asked lol and they have hurd nothing about it. Apparently even the festool Reps boss hasnt hurd anything of it. Time will tell gotta give them a chance to get the information across from German to England cus internet and phones are really slow takes a week to get through doesnt it lol Jokes.

 

[bill-e]

Michael, it took me a while before I found this thread but that's for the great review.

This is the one tool upgrade I've wanted most since the Domino came out.

 

[Michael_MA]

Michael, it took me a while before I found this thread but that's for the great review.

This is the one tool upgrade I've wanted most since the Domino came out.

After playing around with the Carvex, im sure you'll love this tool. It takes excitement and fun with a Jig Saw to a whole new level. The old  PS300 is a good tool, but it has some drawbacks like the visibilty of cutting line and the weight, also the cut quality in some regards was not perfect. But this is now completly changed with the amazing PS400. You can do lot of things, you would normally do with the plunge saw or Router.

kind regards, Mike

 

[woodguy7]

Mike

When i am doing free hand cuts with the Carvex, i find the blade comes out & to the side of the "v" shaped guide !  Have you experienced this ?

Thanks, Woodguy.

 

[jmbfestool]

Mike

When i am doing free hand cuts with the Carvex, i find the blade comes out & to the side of the "v" shaped guide !  Have you experienced this ?

Thanks, Woodguy.

Yeah I have noticed that I have experienced that! 

What is strange how come its on a flexible metal?!?!?  You know what I mean. Normally jigsaws have just like a wheel or something like that and it moves backwards and forwards  but the Carvex has a V groove which has a thin bent metal which allows the V to move back and forth by just pressing on slightly  but untill its right back and comes in contact with the arm  only then does the pendulum come in action.

Is it because
1. Its so that the V always stays in contact with the Blade even when the arm goes back  but normal it would still stay in contact because ofcorse your pushing the blade so its always forced back

2. Its just their for fun. lol

 

[Michael_MA]

Mike

When i am doing free hand cuts with the Carvex, i find the blade comes out & to the side of the "v" shaped guide !  Have you experienced this ?

Thanks, Woodguy.

Hi Woodguy,

Yes, this happens only, when your saw blade is not long enaugh. Try a longer one, and you will see this effekt go away.
Reason for this behavior is the missing protrusion of the shorter saw blade in the upper position. to find out try to compare the saw blade in the rest position (upper) to the material.. does it protrude the complete thickness or does it "stick" in the material.. if it sticks, then you need a longer saw blade.

kind regards, Mike

 

[teemacs]

Hi All,

since i'm not sure, if the Carvex  problem with the circle cutting Jig is transparent to everybody, i've added a video explanation to my short Carvex review and also added a link to the HowTo Section of the forum.
You will notice after watching the video, that you now have the opportunity to cut perfect straight lines with the guide rail and cut perfect Arc's or Circle with the circel cutting jig. This is something, where you would have had to use a plunge router before.

Additionally here is good news from festool:
Festool confirmed the problem with the base as known and is solved by reworking of the base, i will get a modified base in 2-3 weeks and post the results then. Users already having baught the Carvex Set will get replacement for the Adapter base for the guiderail/Circle cutting Jig.

kind regards, Mike

I had another go at circle cutting (20cm radius) before I saw this video of Mike's. My initial thoughts were that I'd need a pilot cut of the start of the curve before making a curve to which the straight side was tangential. Well, that does work, but I found that I could do it also without such a cut. I used a blade of conventional breadth (previously I'd used one of those very narrow ones), without pendulum action, and started the cut VERY slowly, letting the saw make its own pace. Initially, the saw works at the slow speed, but once it gets slightly in, the speed picks up and away you go. The cut was excellent, nice and clean and perpendicular to the face.

I confess that I didn't notice any of the play that Mike mentioned and necessitated his putting in all those screws. Mine felt nice and tight.

 

[Troll]

This week I spoke to a UK supplier of the new Carvex and they told me that at the moment they wouldn't recommend the Carvex because of two technical problems.

1) They had some new modified base plates direct from Germany but these were still loose, and the problem has not been resolved.

2) There are problems with the blade support mechanism - the v-groove- apparently it is causing overheating of the blade causing the blades to loose their temper / hardening.

In the interest of impartiality I must declare I don't have this tool, neither have I seen or used one.  I am merely passing on what I was told.  The supplier said that several customers had returned the Carvex because of these issues.  I'm sure Festool will sort it out but I'm disappointed problems like this aren't picked up in testing.  Maybe the Bosch is still the best option.

Troll

 

[jmbfestool]

I did notice the blade does try and and move and ride up the V groove causing slight burning but I have hardly used the jigsaw since I have had it. I need to give it a good run for its money to test it. 

My local festool employee says he doesnt know about any problems with the jigsaw even his boss doenst.  But I know the circle base is to loose but he thinks its okay. But now the burning the blade has been mentioned its worrying me.

JMB

 

[woodguy7]

Yup, mine the same  [sad]

 

[oldboy]

This week I spoke to a UK supplier of the new Carvex and they told me that at the moment they wouldn't recommend the Carvex because of two technical problems.

1) They had some new modified base plates direct from Germany but these were still loose, and the problem has not been resolved.

2) There are problems with the blade support mechanism - the v-groove- apparently it is causing overheating of the blade causing the blades to loose their temper / hardening.

Been in touch with festool UK....THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM AT ALL...neither with the base plate/ extraction pipe nor with the V-groove. 
Note that they also don't know about FOG....so much for customer awareness.

Bit worrying to me that they seem to know so little so i think i am going to hold off a a little before i get this new carvex....when in doubt...

 

[windmill man]

Morning Old Boy

The information you have been given by Festool Uk is RUBBISH.  They are aware of problems, many problems with this saw.

John

 

[woodguy7]

Welcome Old Boy

I would second that & i can assure you that they HAVE heard of the FOG

Woodguy

 

[jmbfestool]

I would 3rd that! I know One UK festool Rep is actually a member on here well so he said but I dont know his name on here nor have I seen any post but next time I talk to him ill ask he did tell me but I forgot.

BUT!  I do agree that festool have also told me they don't know about any problems with the Carvex they said they have not heard anything about it! The festool reps BOSS even said he ain't heard nothing about it.

JMB

 

[jonny round boy]

I'm afraid this is a case of Manufacturer's Rep 101:

When someone comes to you with a complaint about a product, always act as though you know nothing about it, even if you hear the same complaint 10 times a day.

 

[windmill man]

Ok lets set the record straight on this.

Festool Uk ARE aware that there are problems with the new Carvex. They ARE aware of 16 potential problems,of performance,  design and manufacturing nature.

Hopefully by now the design team in Germany should also know.

They are also aware of FOG.

Oh and by the by they are  also  aware of 2 design flaws in the OF2200.

 

[Jonathanerrrm]

Hi,

I'm curious to hear about the two known design flaws with the OF2200 as I'm considering buying one?

Jonathan

 

[jmbfestool]

Interesting I own the OF2200.  The one design flaw I noticed is the dust cap gets stuck all the time. The round plastic piece which should drop down wen you press the button for it seal the router for better dust execration doesnt always drop and I have to try and wiggle it to get it to drop down.

whats the other 2 design flaws or is that one of them?!?!?!

JMB

 

[windmill man]

The 2 problems are only an issue when using the 2200 inverted in a CMS .

1. The spindle lock ratchet mechanism fills up with saw dust and will not engage, despite the fact that there is a dust shroud. The simple fix is to blow it out with compressed air.

2 The plunge mechanism is subjects to crabbing when raising the router.

Other than that its a fantastic router and well worth buying.

Ask Festool Uk about the above and they know nothing! It took me several months to get the crabbing sorted out . It is a design flaw in the plunge system, that is only an issue when inverted and not in normal use,. In the end after much grief and many attempts trying to repair it , Festool provided me with  a new replacement. (The problem is returning unfortunately) It did take me threatening to rubbish Festool Uk and the 2200 on here to get it sorted! So they are aware of FOG. Festool Uk are a very poor company to deal with directly.