TS 55 REQ smoked

[Scott B.]

You bet we can. Thanks for sharing those memories from college. I better understand your reaction now.

 

[Mike B]

Wow Scott, given your profession I would have though you would know better... but you seem to be painting yourself into a corner.

Let it go mate, its not a good look for you.

On topic: Sounds to me that cord issues aside, the OP's saw has been fully restored. Seems like a good result to me.

 

[mouppe]

Over a week ago my 2 month old TS 55 started smoking about 8 feet into a 10 foot cut. I was very upset and disappointed in the tool. So i called Festool and they told me to go online and fill out the repair form. very in-personal service for a saw, table and accessory. SO i sent them the saw with the power cord as they requested and today i just got the saw back with out the cord.
i seen a paper in the box stating the parts they replaced and i was disapointed they did all that work and replacment of parts and notjust give me a new saw. i need the saw for work that is backing up at the site and now i have to wait more time. [mad]
The funny thing about this is I was using my Hitachi saw on the tracks to make my cuts. And the 90.00 4 year old saw is still working like a champ. [embarassed]

Looks like you have three complaints.

1) filling out a repair form.
2) repairing the saw and not giving you a new one
3) forgetting to send back the cord.

Assuming #3 is a simple oversight and will be resolved shortly, and accepting that #1 is the most efficient way to send a product in for repair, I tend to agree with Alex regarding #2 in that you now have a saw that has been thoroughly checked out and passed fit.

So I'd be pretty satisfied if I were you.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Working on a production line is one of the most mind dulling jobs you can have, and nobody is going to convince me Festool's production lines are more exiting than the next.

I have to disagree with you here on this Alex. You've acknowledged that you've never seen the Festool production system, but both Scott and myself have. It's not typical nor mind numbing. It's running the Kanban system, if you're familiar with that production methodology. Each production area is a small nook with just a couple of close workers taking each tool from inception to completion. It is very impressive to watch. It is not what most people would consider the mindless production line.

Back in December of 2006, I watched the Kanban system in action as my very own Domino DF500 joiner passed through the complete production process from inception to completion, and into the Systainer right before our very eyes. Unbeknownst to me and my fellow tour participants, the single Domino machine we had watched go from a few odd parts to a fully functional and tested machine had MY NAME written right on the Kanban ticket from the beginning. When the completed Systainer came off the line, the production engineer didn't know who I was, but asked, "Who's Rick Christopherson?"...as he handed me my systainer with a brand new DF500 in it with my name even printed on the Systainer.

It is such a close knit system that you could fit 4 Domino production lines into my cabinet shop. I can't remember, but there was probably only 4 workers (6 at most) who touched each and every Domino machine for release anywhere in the world.

 

[TelcoRandy]

Scott and Alex seem like a married couple.  ;D

 

[AlexThePalex]

Rick, so you came to visit. I'm sure you were excited. You say 4 or 6 workers make every Domino in the world, so they're doing the same thing over and over again, every day, every week, every month, every year. I'm sure working at Festool is a bit more elaborate than counting Coke bottles at the plant, but do the same thing over and over again, and anbody is gonna make a slip-up here and there. 

 

[BrianJA]

Over a week ago my 2 month old TS 55 started smoking about 8 feet into a 10 foot cut. I was very upset and disappointed in the tool. So i called Festool and they told me to go online and fill out the repair form. very in-personal service for a saw, table and accessory. SO i sent them the saw with the power cord as they requested and today i just got the saw back with out the cord.
i seen a paper in the box stating the parts they replaced and i was disapointed they did all that work and replacment of parts and notjust give me a new saw. i need the saw for work that is backing up at the site and now i have to wait more time. [mad]
The funny thing about this is I was using my Hitachi saw on the tracks to make my cuts. And the 90.00 4 year old saw is still working like a champ. [embarassed]

Looks like you have three complaints.

1) filling out a repair form.
2) repairing the saw and not giving you a new one
3) forgetting to send back the cord.

Assuming #3 is a simple oversight and will be resolved shortly, and accepting that #1 is the most efficient way to send a product in for repair, I tend to agree with Alex regarding #2 in that you now have a saw that has been thoroughly checked out and passed fit.

So I'd be pretty satisfied if I were you.

You for got the fact that I have been with out the saw for 9 working day. I was in the middle of a cut on the last day for this room an them the saw went bad. I have relied on this saw as I do all my other tools for earn a living. With out the saw I can still work, but not as fast or efficient.
Now my work is taking me into NYC and i have very little space for a table saw. This makes the track saw more valuable to me.
Ridged table saw is 9 years old and still works great. Bosch 5412 miter saw 10 years old with no problems. Bosch 1617 router 15 years old and only replaced the main bearing this year. 3 sets of Bosch drill/ impact drivers with 9 battery's 8 years and still going strong. Over priced skill saw 2 months old and needed a major over haul. 
I am selling my 11 year old scmi edgebander (perfect working order) to raise money to get a domino 500 and of 1400 kit. I love festools when they work i am always impress in the efficiency of the tools and the quality of the cut. Only time will tell.

 

[Michael1960]

Festool tools are expensive high quality tools that should give many years of trouble free service.  When a new tool breaks down the owner has every right to be upset if the turn around time is nine days.  I doubt Festool would see this as acceptable. 

 

[Brice Burrell]

Festool tools are expensive high quality tools that should give many years of trouble free service.  When a new tool breaks down the owner has every right to be upset if the turn around time is nine days.  I doubt Festool would see this as acceptable.

Just this week I sent in my PDC drill for repair.  I shipped it out Monday, got it back Friday afternoon.  That's a pretty normal turnaround time for Festool USA. 

 

[Holmz]

Festool tools are expensive high quality tools that should give many years of trouble free service.
...

I had a protools 160-mm 'skilsaw'.
My offsider today had the same model.
I mentioned that mine had destroyed the bearings and it cost me more to fix it than it was worth.
He said that his had the same problem, and that he was on his seconds one too.
I would normally have considered Protools as a quality tool, but as my first one was a dud, I will not be getting another.

This probably has no bearing on the TS55 in question, other than expectation of quality and 'years' of useful service.
But I can appreciate the OP uncertainty in whether the repair is better than a new unit or not.

 

[mouppe]

Over a week ago my 2 month old TS 55 started smoking about 8 feet into a 10 foot cut. I was very upset and disappointed in the tool. So i called Festool and they told me to go online and fill out the repair form. very in-personal service for a saw, table and accessory. SO i sent them the saw with the power cord as they requested and today i just got the saw back with out the cord.
i seen a paper in the box stating the parts they replaced and i was disapointed they did all that work and replacment of parts and notjust give me a new saw. i need the saw for work that is backing up at the site and now i have to wait more time. [mad]
The funny thing about this is I was using my Hitachi saw on the tracks to make my cuts. And the 90.00 4 year old saw is still working like a champ. [embarassed]

Looks like you have three complaints.

1) filling out a repair form.
2) repairing the saw and not giving you a new one
3) forgetting to send back the cord.

Assuming #3 is a simple oversight and will be resolved shortly, and accepting that #1 is the most efficient way to send a product in for repair, I tend to agree with Alex regarding #2 in that you now have a saw that has been thoroughly checked out and passed fit.

So I'd be pretty satisfied if I were you.

You for got the fact that I have been with out the saw for 9 working day. I was in the middle of a cut on the last day for this room an them the saw went bad. I have relied on this saw as I do all my other tools for earn a living. With out the saw I can still work, but not as fast or efficient.
Now my work is taking me into NYC and i have very little space for a table saw. This makes the track saw more valuable to me.
Ridged table saw is 9 years old and still works great. Bosch 5412 miter saw 10 years old with no problems. Bosch 1617 router 15 years old and only replaced the main bearing this year. 3 sets of Bosch drill/ impact drivers with 9 battery's 8 years and still going strong. Over priced skill saw 2 months old and needed a major over haul. 
I am selling my 11 year old scmi edgebander (perfect working order) to raise money to get a domino 500 and of 1400 kit. I love festools when they work i am always impress in the efficiency of the tools and the quality of the cut. Only time will tell.

I merely quoted you. You never mentioned the lengthy turnaround time which I agree is unacceptable. 9 days is not what I think is typical of Festool service.

But I'm not sure other than venting your frustration what you expect from the FOG?

 

[mastercabman]

Festool tools are expensive high quality tools that should give many years of trouble free service.  When a new tool breaks down the owner has every right to be upset if the turn around time is nine days.  I doubt Festool would see this as acceptable.

Well let's not jump into conclusion that it actually took 9 days for Festool to repair the saw
Maybe the OP waited a few days before shipping the tool
We don't know that
I know that when a tool breaks down puts you in a bind but thing happens and you just need to improvise
On the other hand if the tool keeps breaking down then I would be upset
But it does happens

 

[Michael1960]

To quote myself ...'if the turn around time is nine days'.  The key word here is IF.  No jumping to conclusions here... 

 

[Rick Christopherson]

You say 4 or 6 workers make every Domino in the world, so they're doing the same thing over and over again, every day, every week, every month, every year.

No Alex, that's one of the principles of the Kanban system; the person is not doing the same thing all day, every day. It's been almost 10 years, so with my failing memory, I want to be careful with being too specific. Kanban is an on-demand system, where production is constantly varying depending on what is needed at that moment. It's not much different from a woodworking shop. You have people that specialize in a certain area, but they are not doing the exact same thing all day long. It is a lot more complicated than that, but it is one of the most effective systems for keeping defect rates very low.

 

[Kev]

Festool tools are expensive high quality tools that should give many years of trouble free service.
...

I had a protools 160-mm 'skilsaw'.
My offsider today had the same model.
I mentioned that mine had destroyed the bearings and it cost me more to fix it than it was worth.
He said that his had the same problem, and that he was on his seconds one too.
I would normally have considered Protools as a quality tool, but as my first one was a dud, I will not be getting another.

This probably has no bearing on the TS55 in question, other than expectation of quality and 'years' of useful service.
But I can appreciate the OP uncertainty in whether the repair is better than a new unit or not.

I suspect some of the Protools were effectively re-badges. Some of good brands ... some not so good. I do remember thinking that the 160mm Protool circular saw looked pretty average - thinking my Hitachi saws looked superior, save for their lack of any DC.

Unfortunately the same guys in Oz repair the Protool saws as the Festool saws and that's going to make the $350 Protool a shock to the system when you get a $300+ repair quote [sad]

With the exception of two tools, all of my Protools had become Festools during the merge (and they were Festool prices when I originally got them too).

 

[Kev]

To quote myself ...'if the turn around time is nine days'.  The key word here is IF.  No jumping to conclusions here...

LoL [big grin]

Think I'll get a lawyer to proof my future posts [wink]

 

[peter halle]

When we are talking about working days and turn around times please remember that in the construction trades working days may include weekends but those who repair and ship may not be working those days.  So if you take out the transit days - at least 4 but possibly more and possibly figure in 2 days for a weekend then the time in the repair shop was short.

Peter

 

[BrianJA]

The Saw broke on Wednesday. I did a repair form that day on side and shipped out the say the next morning. now ups was a little slow in shipping. I got the saw back yesterday with out a power cord. So i am still with out a saw. i know it is a holiday weekend and i can not buy one if i wanted to. But i consider the saw unusable scene i have no power cord. i might get a cord shipped to me by Wednesday and that will be 2 full weeks. This is what i am the most upset about.

 

[barnumb]

If your workload is very demanding you should have a backup plan (it seems you did). People aren't perfect and mistakes WILL happen. I have had 4 Milwaukee drills, 1 battery and a charger fail in two years, one Hole Hog and three 18v. The battery and charger didn't work right out of the box and three of the drills failed within the first hour of operation. Had to throw a fit with the HD store manager to return the junk within a day of purchase (they wanted me to send them to Milwaukee). Glad I had more than one drill..........

I am glad Festool operates the way they do, not focused on the next quarter but the next decade. Milwaukee has sold its soul in the name of profits, pimping fancy looking Chinese junk at the big box stores. Festool is an example of what American manufacturing used to be. I try to look at the big picture in situations like this. 

 

[semenza]

    I am not so sure that sending a new saw would have reduced the down time by much? Had a new saw been sent instead of repairing the broken saw I think the time still would have been 7 days (or maybe still 9) depending on timing of shipping and weekends , etc. I think without receiving the saw and checking to see what needed to be repaired Festool would not know if a new saw was in order. I don't think Festool USA can be expected to send a new tool preemptively for every repair to shorten the transit time. Even if the tool is not very old yet. The warranty is what it is, and from my own experience and what is commonly posted, I think Festool is a company that truly backs up the warranty in a streamlined , trouble free way. Pretty sure the turn around time target for Festool USA is 48 hours. That is time received to time shipped. It does not include the shipping time. Roughly one week total time is the normal for customers to be without the tool. Which is really pretty darn good.

    There are bound to be some defective tools regardless of quality control. In this particular case it is unfortunate that Brian received one of them and that it is such a vital part of his work that the down time is really problem. The missing cord seems like a simple mistake. And again, highly unfortunate since it is compounding the down time due to the necessity of the saw for the work being done.

Seth