TS 55 REQ Plus 110v weak power

[Morris Hammer]

Hello all, I'm new here, so apologies if I'm not up to speed with forum etiquette.
I've recently changed all my 240v to 110v to allow me on commercial sites, including my TS55 EQ.
I never had any problems with the 240v version, I could cut through pretty much any sheet material (with exceptions and blade age, obviously, but humour me) with one clean pass.  However, since changing to 110v, I can barely make 1 pass at 5mm depth.
At first I thought the issue was with the fact I'm using it with the 110v CTL Midi extractor, which comes out of the box with a lovely 500W MAX!! warning sticker above the outlet socket, but upon trying the saw hook straight to the 110v transformer there is no change.

Has anyone else experienced a similar power problem with their 110v Festy kit?

Many thanks,  Morris.

 

[antss]

What size X former are you using, how far is it from the feed, and is any thing else connected to it ?

The U.S. Version has enough power to easily cut 5mm - 19mm.

It's possible you've got a bum unit too. 

I'd pmail [member=41214]Phil Beckley[/member] to see if he can offer any help.

 

[Morris Hammer]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
The transformer is 3kva with 16a outputs and I plug straight into it, no extension leads.

 

[antss]

That x former is bit underpowered for the saw and the vac running together, but should be plenty for the saw alone.

 

[semenza]

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

Yeah, have you tried it with just the saw no vac. ? Based on other transformer topics on FOG I am betting that is the problem. The saw should easily cut sheet goods.

Seth

 

[joiner1970]

It should easily cut sheet material. Mine struggles with oak worktop s and stuff like that but easily cuts sheet material.

Email festool and get it checked.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Morris Hammer]

That x former is bit underpowered for the saw and the vac running together, but should be plenty for the saw alone.

Yeah, I thought so too, but the saw is still weak just by itself on the tranny.

 

[Morris Hammer]

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

Yeah, have you tried it with just the saw no vac. ? Based on other transformer topics on FOG I am betting that is the problem. The saw should easily cut sheet goods.

Seth

Hi Seth, Thanks, glad to find you  [smile]

As I mentioned above, both on and off the extractor have been used, with various materials.  Still a very weak cut.

 

[semenza]

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

Yeah, have you tried it with just the saw no vac. ? Based on other transformer topics on FOG I am betting that is the problem. The saw should easily cut sheet goods.

Seth

Hi Seth, Thanks, glad to find you  [smile]

As I mentioned above, both on and off the extractor have been used, with various materials.  Still a very weak cut.

How about just plugged in to the mains? If still weak then I think there must be a problem with the saw.  And just to check ..... speed turned up all the way on the saw?

Seth

 

[demographic]

How about just plugged in to the mains? If still weak then I think there must be a problem with the saw.  And just to check ..... speed turned up all the way on the saw?

Seth

Won't be able to do that as Mains voltage will be 240 (well actually nominal 230 or so but in the UK we call it 240) and site voltage is off a step down transformer down to what we call 110 (although likely nominal of 115 or so).

Anyway household sockets are 240 and site voltage off transformers is 110.

 

[Morris Hammer]

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

Yeah, have you tried it with just the saw no vac. ? Based on other transformer topics on FOG I am betting that is the problem. The saw should easily cut sheet goods.

Seth

Hi Seth, Thanks, glad to find you  [smile]

As I mentioned above, both on and off the extractor have been used, with various materials.  Still a very weak cut.

How about just plugged in to the mains? If still weak then I think there must be a problem with the saw.  And just to check ..... speed turned up all the way on the saw?

Seth

Yeah, as demographic mentions below, it has to be powered by the step down box.
The speed is all at full power, as you say, that was the first thing I checked.
I live about 20 mins drive away from the UK service center and will be taking the tool to them this week.
I'll let you all know the outcome.
Thanks for all the suggestions.  [big grin]

 

[semenza]

Aah, I see.    I knew there were two different voltages one for household and one for commercial.  I didn't realize that 110 was only through transformers though.

So it isn't really separated by residential and commercial. It is all mains are 240v and all generators / transformer are 110v? So you could do site / commercial work with 240v tools if you can plug them in?  I am guessing there is more to it than that though.

Seth

 

[paulc75]

Nope, unfortunately not. All sites require 110V or cordless due to H&S. Any of the UK site guys on here will tell you the same. Hence why you see a lot of photos with the yellow plugs.

However not all tools are available in 119V option, DF700, ETS-EC150, etc...

110V allows commercial and residential use though but with the caveat of carting around a transformer.

Precisely the reason why I have 240V and 110V midis at home. It would be financially ruinous to have doubles of everything.

 

[Womble]

How about just plugged in to the mains? If still weak then I think there must be a problem with the saw.  And just to check ..... speed turned up all the way on the saw?

Seth

Won't be able to do that as Mains voltage will be 240 (well actually nominal 230 or so but in the UK we call it 240) and site voltage is off a step down transformer down to what we call 110 (although likely nominal of 115 or so).

Anyway household sockets are 240 and site voltage off transformers is 110.

I am surprised to see a Festool Forum Moderator not understand the difference between UK 240v & 110v to the extent of suggesting bypassing the 110v Transformer & plugging directly into the Mains Voltage which fortunately wouldn't be possible anyway due to the plug type format differences.

But regarding your issue with the your 110v TS 55 REQ bogging down, every time i have experienced this on sites either with or without a extractor (CTL Midi in my case) it has been due to either a really long cable run on a 16amp outlet which i have now resolved on site by using a 32A to 16A fly lead normally running a couple of 32A leads from the 32A outlet on the site transformer box before inserting the fly lead and running normal 16A leads to the saw/extractor.

The other time i have experienced this is with them crappy 1.5KVA transformers or with normal 3KVA transformers with loads of other tools pulling power off them at the same as trying to run the TS55.

I have never had any issues running mine straight off my 3.3KVA tranny though & it happily munches through solid timber up to 45mm ish with sheets goods never being a problem.

Not all 3KVA transformers are created equally though as you can tell just by picking some up, some will weigh a tonne while others with the same rating are light weight in comparison. I would suggest borrowing or hooking up to a different transformer & seeing if you still experience the same problem. I got a feeling you wont, but if you do then i would get in touch with servicing.

I do think the TS55REQ are exceptionally fussy about their power supply though, but i think this is a bit of a common issue with all 110v electronic speed control tools and not exclusive to Festool.

 

[Womble]

Ignore that stupid 500W sticker on the 110V Extractor it is complete twaddle & has been officially debunked on the FOG Forum by Festool themselves.

If you search the forum you should easily find the thread with the official reply to a user regarding this.

Oddly Festool have never properly or officially explained why this sticker is still being put on the extractors apart from some vague hint that its something to do with Head Office, i am sure there is more to it than this though as i have seen the same 500W thing stated on the small Nilfisk Extractors also, but electricians have been quick to explain why this 500W limitation is not valid with UK 110V site power & i would be interested to hear a detailed explanation regarding this.

Hope you get to the bottom of the TS55 bogging down though

 

[antss]

"I am surprised to see a Festool Forum Moderator not understand the difference between UK 240v & 110v to the extent of suggesting bypassing the 110v Transformer & plugging directly into the Mains Voltage which fortunately wouldn't be possible anyway due to the plug type format differences. "

Let's cut Seth and Peter some slack.

This forum was started by an American and is now run by Festool's USA subsidiary. I'll go out on a limb and say that most of the members are American too .  Which means the discussions revolve primarially around U.S. sourced tools that use 110-120v.  So, most of the traffic they moderate is about that voltage.

It's great that we have members from Germany, Holland , The U.K., Austrailia, New Zeland , Russia, ect..... but the fact remains Yanks make up most of the community.  To think that the moderators would be familiar with worldwide power delivery systems is kinda silly.  They have day jobs you know ?  I'll also venture that few of Festool USA's employees are intimately familiar with worldwide power req. either.

 

[Holmz]

The 110v saws are not more powerful than 230v units, and Festool saws are not the most powerful.
But they are powerful enough.

If you cannot find another saw to compare it with, then you probably need to send your's in.
I would suggest bringing your saw and transformer to wherever they peddle saws at... Maybe the local sawmonger, sawminster or the axeminster?

I am not sure whether not understanding another country's power system is silly. The UK departing EU, and their use of 110v tools for on-site use seem to be somewhat knee-jerk way of addressing the problems that can also be justified.

 

[semenza]

    Just a note .... I wasn't suggesting bypassing anything or doing anything unsafe.  I thought that I had a fairly good idea of how power works in the UK.  However I don't generally read the UK discussions on transformers / 110v / 220v in depth since they don't really apply to me. What I didn't realize is that all the UK mains are 220v as opposed to just residential mains. Most of the UK transformer conversations revolve around doing site work or commercial work. 

  Thinking that 110v was available through some mains, I was merely suggesting a way of determining if the transformer was to blame for the problem or if the saw actually had a problem.

    In the USA the only reason ( for the most part) to be using transformers and generators and such is because there is either no power or inadequate power on the site.

Seth

 

[Job and Knock]

I've lived with this issue of 110 volt "breathlessness" for 5 years or so, now (at least with a TS55). There are a couple of issues I can highlight. Firstly the standard 1.5mm 16A cables are just too puny in some cazes - a 2.5mm cable is far better. Secondly try not to daisy chain multiple exensions. Thirdly, check what else is on the circuit. If some Herbert has plugged site festoon lighting (or 9in grinder or arc welder) into his transformer then plugged that into the same ring main circuit that you are attempting to use then you'll find that the currently drops quite a bit - so the saw struggles. Lastly, as said elsewhere, not all transformers are equal, but not only that they seem to deteriorate with age (could an electrical guy kindly explain why?) - a new transformer from a decent manufacturer such as Defender always seems to give more power than even a new Chiwanese no-name special can manage (or I get less issues with a TS55 that way). Although that is rather subjective. Ah, the joys of on-site working in the UK!

 

[Bohdan]

For a given rating you can cheapen the cost of manufacturing a transformer in two ways, firstly reduce the size of the wire in the windings. This will cause the output voltage to drop and the transformer to heat up so reducing its duty cycle, secondly reduce the quantity and quality of the steel in the core. This will cause the waveform to distort quite badly but on a resistive load (such as a light or normal brush motor) would make no difference to the apparent rating of the transformer however on "smart" electronics it can cause all sorts of problems.

It could be that the OP has a "low quality" transformer and the TS55 can't cope. The only way to find out is to plug it into a known good supply and if the saw plays up its not the transformer but the saw.