Syslight switching off quickly

[fifo28]

I have had the syslight for a few months and have been using it a number of times.  During hurricane Sandy I used it a lot and it was incredible.  I have noticed over the last 2 weeks or so that it does not seem to be able to stay on.  I turn it on, and it stays on the brightest setting for about 10 minutes, then drops to the low setting and then shuts off.  After the first time it shuts off it the time to shut off decreases to the point that its barely on.

It is fully charged, but the charge led rarely changes and almost always reads that it is charged.

Is this how its supposed to perform?  During the hurricane it would be on for a half hour or more and it worked great.

 

[Timtool]

It seems like it is reacting as if the battery was empty, does it do the same with a battery clipped to the rear or with the charger cable on?
I noticed on mine that you sometimes need to play around with the plug into the syslite for it to actually charge.

 

[lpand]

I too have been somewhat disappointed with the battery.  It doesn't seem to hold a charge for more than an hour or so before it cycles off.

 

[fifo28]

I am going to give it a try with an external battery and also plugged in and report back.

 

[semenza]

I too have been somewhat disappointed with the battery.  It doesn't seem to hold a charge for more than an hour or so before it cycles off.

Internal battery on high is supposed to go for about  1 1/2 hours.

Seth

 

[tbellemare]

The level of charge appears to be a bit deceptive...

When the green light goes solid, it is only about 80% charged or less. I found that by leaving it on the charger for another couple of hours, I get close to 1.5 hours out of mine. When I was taking it off at a solid green, I couldn't get a lot more than an hour, maybe 1 hr 10 min?

Tom

 

[fifo28]

So I left mine on the charger for a for a while, about an hour AFTER it said it was charged.  I let it cool for (not that it was hot) for a while.  I turned it on and after about a half hour it was still going strong.  This was way better than I had been getting.  I think the charger indicator may be a bit off and its not charged when it says it is.  I will keep messing with it but that looks like it was the issue.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

You guys are lucky. When I turn mine on, it stays on the bright mode for about 5 seconds, then goes to a dimmer mode, and then after less than a minute shuts off. I'm quite sure I have charged it as much as overnight.

I had been planning to bring it in and return it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[mouppe]

My syslite also has a short battery life, but having read through this thread it's now not something I am worried about. I thought there may have been something wrong but I can see it is normal. It doesn't affect usage because I rarely need it for more than an hour when I am away from a power source, and if that's the case I can bring my C12 batteries.

Believe it or not I sometimes find the power cable too short, for example if I am working in a room where the breaker has been cut and I have to run a cable from another room. Yes I know there are extension cords but in a perfect world...

 

[Alan m]

i wonder could we get an oficial responce to this.
is this normal or  is there something wrong with these units.
i was thinking of getting a sylite

 

[semenza]

My syslite also has a short battery life, but having read through this thread it's now not something I am worried about. I thought there may have been something wrong but I can see it is normal. It doesn't affect usage because I rarely need it for more than an hour when I am away from a power source, and if that's the case I can bring my C12 batteries.

Believe it or not I sometimes find the power cable too short, for example if I am working in a room where the breaker has been cut and I have to run a cable from another room. Yes I know there are extension cords but in a perfect world...

How long does it run for on high?  Is it going for the amount of time that it is supposed to operate on high?

Seth

 

[semenza]

So I left mine on the charger for a for a while, about an hour AFTER it said it was charged.  I let it cool for (not that it was hot) for a while.  I turned it on and after about a half hour it was still going strong.  This was way better than I had been getting.  I think the charger indicator may be a bit off and its not charged when it says it is.  I will keep messing with it but that looks like it was the issue.

What was/is the actual run time on high?

Seth

 

[RONWEN]

I'll have to watch my Syslites -- When the storm Sandy was impending I charged both of my lights just in case.  It turns out we never lost power during the storm so I didn't need them.  A week later I was using them and one of them would automatically turn down to the lower setting after just a couple of minutes use.  Even if they were both only charged to ~80% of capacity I wouldn't expect them to power down on their own.  I may have to contact Festool.

 

[peter halle]

My Syslite gets 10-12 hours use daily on the adaptor.  I just tried mine - turned off, disconnected the power cord and waited for the red light to go out.  Then turned it on.  One hour thirty minutes to dim, two more minutes to off.

Peter

 

[Alan m]

maybe there is and issue.
i think this thread should be moved to the ask festool section.

 

[peter halle]

Festool monitors this thread.  If a member believes that that they have an issue with a tool, although it is easy to post here and find out if others are having similar issues or it is a simple fix, the real avenue for service is to contact the local Festool office.

Peter

 

[mouppe]

90 minutes is what the Festool product page claims for the internal battery life on high, so if you are significantly under that I would think there is a problem.

I don't think mine lasts that long but I may time it next time.

 

[nehardwoodfloors]

Mine is dyeing after 5 minutes or so. I also find the wall charger port, plug thingy to be faulty. If you wiggle the connection with the charger, there is play and most times I can't get it to charge.
I run mine exclusively with a c15 battery. I just hate it when I need it and it's not ready, rather plan for the worst at this point.

 

[peter halle]

Mine is dyeing after 5 minutes or so. I also find the wall charger port, plug thingy to be faulty. If you wiggle the connection with the charger, there is play and most times I can't get it to charge.
I run mine exclusively with a c15 battery. I just hate it when I need it and it's not ready, rather plan for the worst at this point.

Call Festool Dude it is under warranty!

Peter

 

[tbellemare]

I would examine the detachable plug part of the charger, the part with the male contacts that plug into the receptacle. It has to be mounted properly to make it work and the two I have done were a bit finicky to get properly mounted.

Tom