Tool Snob Carvex Review
- Thread starter briandey
- Start date
festnoob
Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2010
- Messages
- 376
First let me state I do not own a Carvex. I preordered it and rejected it when I tested it on the day I went to pick it up. I didnt cut with the angle base but i put it to the wood to see the possibilities and i was dissappointed. I'm glad they had a Trion in stock because I repurchased it.
In my opinion Festool dropped the ball with the Carvex. It does not seem like a product Festool would put out. I like, better yet, I love Festool and I speak highly of it to people who have never heard about it, but I couldn't recommend this. If it cannot perform the functions that other jigsaws can perform then it is only a semi-jigsaw. Im sorry if this is harsh to some loyalist, but even a circular saw can be made to cut circles on a bevel with a jig. (Although not a tight diameter) My point is that all the shimming and modding to get a jigsaw to do basic functions shouldn't be an issue. Everyone is coming up with ways to make a $365 "jigsaw" (plus $200 accessory kit because you need the angle base and circle cutter, so $565 jigsaw) cut something as basic as a scribe or back bevel. Maybe they had different engineers working on this than the rest of the "integrated system." (That's just speculation) [unsure] Angle base is a big fail. As my wife said its cute. But being cute doesn't make it the best as they claim.
Again, sorry if this sounds harsh, but as an owner of several Festool products I have come to expect more. Blade ejection is unnecessary and it can't even be performed half the time as stated in other post(base may need to be removed, or it will jam if splinter guard is in place, etc.). I mean it isn't like having/not having airbags in a car. Maybe a nice feature to some, but when was it ever a necessity before? Going through all the trouble to fling a blade three feet? Come on; just pull the blade out quickly with your shirt.
Now, the LED is an improvement. And a brush motor is nice. And the Festool colors would match a Festool fans shop, but it is not the jigsaw equivalent to what the domino is to biscuit joiners or what the TS 55 was to the circular saw. But some loyalist would disagree! We'll buy anything Festool because its Festool. They set a high standard and I started buying their tools based on that standard, but I won't except less.
Once again, just my opinion and something for prospective customers to consider. Lets give them a full review and not just point out the bells and whistles.
I'll take one for free though!
In my opinion Festool dropped the ball with the Carvex. It does not seem like a product Festool would put out. I like, better yet, I love Festool and I speak highly of it to people who have never heard about it, but I couldn't recommend this. If it cannot perform the functions that other jigsaws can perform then it is only a semi-jigsaw. Im sorry if this is harsh to some loyalist, but even a circular saw can be made to cut circles on a bevel with a jig. (Although not a tight diameter) My point is that all the shimming and modding to get a jigsaw to do basic functions shouldn't be an issue. Everyone is coming up with ways to make a $365 "jigsaw" (plus $200 accessory kit because you need the angle base and circle cutter, so $565 jigsaw) cut something as basic as a scribe or back bevel. Maybe they had different engineers working on this than the rest of the "integrated system." (That's just speculation) [unsure] Angle base is a big fail. As my wife said its cute. But being cute doesn't make it the best as they claim.
Again, sorry if this sounds harsh, but as an owner of several Festool products I have come to expect more. Blade ejection is unnecessary and it can't even be performed half the time as stated in other post(base may need to be removed, or it will jam if splinter guard is in place, etc.). I mean it isn't like having/not having airbags in a car. Maybe a nice feature to some, but when was it ever a necessity before? Going through all the trouble to fling a blade three feet? Come on; just pull the blade out quickly with your shirt.
Now, the LED is an improvement. And a brush motor is nice. And the Festool colors would match a Festool fans shop, but it is not the jigsaw equivalent to what the domino is to biscuit joiners or what the TS 55 was to the circular saw. But some loyalist would disagree! We'll buy anything Festool because its Festool. They set a high standard and I started buying their tools based on that standard, but I won't except less.
Once again, just my opinion and something for prospective customers to consider. Lets give them a full review and not just point out the bells and whistles.
I'll take one for free though!
Kev
Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2011
- Messages
- 7,698
elimelech12 said:
Seems you want to insult people that appreciate the CARVEX by calling them "loyalists".
Why do you have to take to CARVEX bashing instead of just saying that it doesn't suit your needs and ending your rant. You've preached your negativity over the CARVEX and droned on about Mafell in so many threads now it's just getting disturbing.
I have two CARVEX jigsaws and they suit my needs.
Everybody knows your issues and I for one have read it enough times - please stop your attack. Now, insinuating that people that buy the CARVEX aren't thinking clearly has gone way beyond the point of acceptable manners.
[mad]
festnoob
Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2010
- Messages
- 376
Kev said:
I wasn't insinuating anything. What I meant was what I wrote. Nothing more. Just my opinion. Sorry if this makes you upset, but I'm not a fan of the new Carvex and trust me when I tell you that I was hoping to be. I simply feel that guest who read these reviews and post should get an unbiased opinion of the Carvex. You like it and you state why. i don't and I state why. So, why is that considered bashing? I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.
BTW, I droned about the Mafell in the Mafell p1cc thread, which you yourself are a part of.
elimelech12 said:
Right now I'm on fence about the Carvex, I purchased one earlier this week and put it to work today and while its a I nice saw, it didn't blow me away. I have a thirteen year old American made Bosch 1584AVS and I put the two head to head and that's where it fell apart for me. With new blade in both I didn't find much of a difference in cut quality, both were great, but the carvex was perhaps a tad better. I was expecting a more powerful machine, but I'm not feeling it. To top it off for me I found the dust collection kind of sad, even with the DC on full power (and the shroud fully down)I would say it only reduces the amount of dust and chips it produces by about 60 percent, there is still plenty to clean up after. I expected the dust collection to be better (this is one of the key reasons I bought the carvex) and one the reasons I don't like using my Bosch in clients homes. At this point I'm wary of using the accessory kit if I want to return the machine, as I understand it should unopened and unused if I want to return it. I love my ts55 and my of1400, they blew me away when I first started using them but the I'm confused about the carvex. I'm going to give it a bit more time, but all the work arounds for the angle base, mediocre dust collection and worrying about whether this saw is for me is driving me nuts.
John
festnoob
Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2010
- Messages
- 376
jkuisma said:
If you are referring to the Carvex blade I will say that they are awesome. I used a 105 in my Trion today and cut through 2inchs of plywood like nothing and it was dead square. If you really need a new jigsaw and the Carvex doesn't suit your needs I would consider the Trion Ps300. You will get dust collection on your bevel cuts as well.
But you are right, if you use your accessory kit your dealer might not take it back. I would call and ask first.
At this point I have not used the accessory kit, I'm going to wait until I feel that this is the saw for me. On the other hand I'm going to try a bunch of different blades and see if I can get the result I've come to expect with Festool. I hope I can find a way to get better dust collection, but if I can't get that to work well I might as well go back to old stand by Bosch and use my money to buy some accessories for my other Festool tools.
John
John
MrToolJunkie
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2009
- Messages
- 3,000
I had an old Bosch that was also made in the US -- a 1587, I believe (or could have been the 1584). They used to be made in America at one time. Now it seems the top models are made in Switzerland and the lower ones are made outside of Euorope/North America.
I would highly recommend folks try the Carvex blades -- they are amazing blades.
Scot
I would highly recommend folks try the Carvex blades -- they are amazing blades.
Scot
elimelech12 said:
I think that's totally fair and accurate.
I pre ordered the 55REQ and when that had problems and I had to return it it made me decide to not pre order the Carvex. Now I'm glad I wasn't one of the dozens of people flooding eBay with used Trions to pay for the Carvex as this does seem like a pretty basic oversight. Enough that I've changed my mind about buying one. All the "fixes" are sort of crazy for a saw so expensive and I have no desire to make shims for a brand new Carvex when my Trion does bevels just fine. If you have to cut with the saw upside down what's the point of the strobes? You can't cut a beveled circle? Wow.
I own a dozen different Festools but I'm glad I waited on this one.
Gregor
mastercabman
Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,854
ScotF said:
I still have an old Bosch jigsaw model 1942
That's the one that you have to use a flat head screwdriver to replace the blade! I think that one was made in Switzerland.
Michael Kellough
Member
mastercabman said:
My old Bosch 1582 DVS (dustless variable speed) was made at the Scintilla plant in Switzerland. The 1582 was the first Bosch tool-less blade change design. It sure was a pain keeping track of those narrow blade screwdrivers for the older Bosch jigsaws.
In addition tool-less blade change the 1582 DVS was notable for it's dust collection feature and ability to run along a guide track. Unfortunately neither of those two features really worked. The vacuum was choked down so much I could barely tell it was on (except for the drag from the hose) and running the saw along a track for more than a few inches always resulted in a hot bent blade and spoiled work.
The one application that is unique to the jig saw is making a beveled cut while following a wavy line. It's remarkable that the Carvex can't do this except in a very limited way.
It's also remarkable that the saw has been in use in Europe for 2 years and we haven't really talked about this till now. How have Carvex owners been solving the scribe problem?
morts10n's solution sounds very effective but is a bit advanced for most users;
"The only time I use a jigsaw to cut a scribe line is if the workpiece is going up against brick. I've never felt the need to angle the base of a jigsaw, and mostly cut from underneath, sometimes holding it at an angle, if possible (I do own a Collins coping foot). I back bevel scribe lines with a circular saw and finish up with the RAS 115. On long pcs. like baseboard, I think jigsaw is too slow, so I freehand the back bevel on a table saw and finish with RAS."
MrToolJunkie
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2009
- Messages
- 3,000
I have been thinking about the beveling discussion a lot. I think you could screw a piece of acrylic or wood or Uhmw or something to the wing, giving you the same support. I know it would be an extra step, tedious and maybe it would not work but the wings do have holes and it would be simple enough to cut a rectangular piece about the same dimension as the saw, screw it in, cut a kerf at the angle and make the cut. Not saying this is the way to go, but a thought.
Scot
Scot
fshanno said:
Or buy the angle base separately. The kit is a better deal though.
Seth
ScotF said:
I would be inclined to add a wedge to one of the flat bases and leave it in place. That way it could be just attached like any of the accessory bases.
Seth
SRSemenza said:
I think this is the best way to go as long as you don't loose too much depth of cut. The stick fix base would probably be great for this. In the two years the carvex has been out in Europe and I think in Australia, this issue must have encountered and dealt with.
