TS55 REQ Armature Failure

[mculik5]

For background, check out this thread:

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/'fried'-ts55-and-electrical-requirements/

I got my saw back yesterday. According to the docs provided in the package, the armature and a ball bearing/housing were replaced.

Anyone have any ideas about what would cause an armature failure? I left a message with the Festool service department to see what they say, and will post when I hear back. If I'm doing something stupid, I want to know so I can stop.

Thanks.

 

[mculik5]

I spoke with Festool about this. They said the two main causes of armature failure are overloading or a bent base plate.

Regarding overloading, this can be caused by operator error, lack of sufficient electrical power, or both. Regarding lack of sufficient electrical power, this can be caused by using the saw on a circuit with too many other loads on it, or by extension cords that are too long/small.

Regarding the bent base plate, this can be caused by dropping the saw. Apparently, when the saw sits on the guide rail, it is designed so that the blade is toed-in to the rail. If the base plate gets bent, this can cause the blade to become toed-out, which can lead to binding and overloading.

I've never dropped my saw, and the Festool techs checked the base plate and said it's fine, so that cause is out. I think the issue was lack of sufficient electrical power. In my case, I had the saw plugged into the CT and the CT directly into the wall. So no extension cords, but the wiring in my house is from 1939, and it's a 25'+ run from the breaker box to the outlet I was using. In a perfect 120V setting, the CT and saw together use 20 amps. Factor in the voltage drop through the old wiring and it's probably more like 23 amps in reality. More amps means more heat, and more heat means reduced reliability/increased failure rate.

Going forward, I will plug the CT into a 20 amp outlet in my garage that is about 6" from the breaker box.