TS55 Teardown on YouTube

[keithu]

Probably of interest to fellow TS55 owners; a TS55-REQ is getting the teardown treatment by YouTuber 'AvE'

Expect a maverick approach and strong language from the start.

httpa://youtu.be/oezp-_ DcUgg

 

[#Tee]

hes awesome at what he does

 

[tjbnwi]

He lost me at----it's a $1000.00 saw.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

He lost me at----it's a $1000.00 saw.

Tom

Considering he's in BC, it might be an exaggeration, but perhaps not that much of one.

$188.00 exaggeration.

http://www.ultimatetools.ca/products/ts-55-req-saw

Tom

 

[Mikeyfondu]

With tax in ontario its 912$. I was just about to post the link, but I was a little late.
I love his vids and think his hilarious.  I always enjoy his opinion in his tear down vids. He brings up some interesting points on how it's made, and loves how they build the motor. Worth the watch.

 

[Tinker]

I have never seen any other of his vids.  I am sure he can be quite entertaining.  I am also quite sure that other saws have their weak points.  I have never seen them torn down as he did the TS 55 REQ.  I do have that saw and, so far, I am quite well satisfied with its performance.

He mentions that it would not hold up to contractors use.  I have read many discussions here on the FOG that would seem to indicate otherwise.  I am sure the 55, or the 75 for that matter, would not hold up to the downright abuse that my old (around 1966 version) 8-1/4" Milwaukee stood up to.  I no longer require a saw that will go thru brick, block, stone, concrete, nails and any other obstacles I threw it at.  That saw was a whole lot less expensive, altho, for its time, it was the most expensive on the shelf where i bought it.  My TS 55 is not built like a tank and I certainly do not expect it to be run over by a tank.  In deference to suspected weaknesses, i now spend time to pull all nails, brads and staples out of any used lumber i am working with. 

I will not loose any sleep worrying about any weaknesses in my saw. It is reliable for what I use it for and I think Festool gives the best warrantee on their tools.  i guess they don't worry either.
Tinker

 

[bkharman]

A tear down will always point out singular "weak" items... It is part of the goal of such effort. I think his reference to not being good for contractors would be accurate compared to a worm saw or other circulars for framing and alike.

He also said he doesn't enjoy woodworking, and as soon as he said that my attitude in watching the video changed. If he was a woodworker doing the tear down, we would have had much different opinions.

I enjoy knowing the guts of things so I really enjoyed it.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Lbob131]

At 7.45 he states the axial force  is pushing "out".

As the blade is spinning  anti-clockwise  it will  in fact  be pulled in. I think he under estimates  festool engineers. 
So the  inner housing  should be  resisting  this force  through  the bronze bush. It's a simple yet clever design imho.
Incidentally an engine crankshaft  has  no ball bearings. As long as its kept oiled  then it will  out perform  any ball bearing.

Also he  is doing "contact"  temperature  sampling  failure testing.
Surely  an ambient  temperature  in an overload situation  will never reach  those temperatures?
He seems  over keen to  find faults  and makes them up where  he can't find them.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

A tear down will always point out singular "weak" items...

He didn't point out any "weak" items. He's an idiot that doesn't have the first clue about engineering, and tossed in a few fancy words in an attempt to "Baffle with Bullhockey".

For example, if he had the slightest clue about ANY variable speed motors, he wouldn't have even hesitated upon noticing the magnetic pickup on the shaft for a Hall Effect sensor. It's standard on every variable speed motor for the past several decades!!! It's not new. It's not even a question. Yet he sat there and pondered it as though it may have been present to pick up stray metallic debris (like the magnetic drain plug on a car engine). Idiot!

Then he goes off on the thermal melting point of the plastic housing. Huh? If your motor, any motor, hits 360 degrees, it's already GONE!. But this brainiac didn't even notice the 2 little red wires leading to the embedded thermistor in the motor housing....let alone what a thermistor actually is. The motor controller will shut down the motor long before it ever reaches 360 degrees, because the insulation on the windings can't withstand that high of a temperature.

[attachimg=1]

He was in awe about seeing balancing grinds on both ends of the rotor? Geez, where did he get his experience, watching someone balance wheels at the local gas station? Even a teenager at the gas station knows you balance both side of a wheel.

What bloody idiot is going to try to remove a rotor without pulling the brushes? I was dumbfounded watching him yank on the motor housing with a screw driver. It wasn't until a minute later that he admitted to not pulling the brushes. Dust boot not withstanding, did he not suspect the brushes would also have to slip past the shaft bearing?

Of course he was surprised to see spiral pinion gears...because he's an idiot. Does he not realize that is a major upgrade from a straight pinion gear? Those aren't cheap to broach! But they mesh a heck of a lot better and are a heck of a lot quieter, and there's a darned good reason why spiral pinon gears have been standard in automotive differentials for the past century.

Think I've been hard on him? Not even close. I'd have that boy in tears if I had the chance to say what I think to him personally. He's that much of an idiot.

 

[mastercabman]

Looks  to me that he just discovered crack

 

[Cheese]

Well, I'm not impressed...this is a great example of the old adage that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Maybe he knows something about the electrical side of things and his magnesium casting knowledge seems somewhat competent. But by the time he takes a soldering iron to the plastic cases and rants on about the bushing that supports the pinion gear he's just proven to me that he needs to keep his day job because his videos will not pay for his retirement years. He may be funny to watch, but he's not competent.

He's pretty up-beat on most of the other parts. He finds few things to fault other than 1. the price tag, 2. the melting temperature of a motor housing cover and 3. the bushing for the pinion gear.

1. The price tag...ya it's expensive.
2. The melting test...a bogus, stupid test without any merit, he should be ashamed because he knows better.
3. The bushing rant...every automobile made in the last 70+ years with a manual transmission has used a pilot bushing mounted in the end of the crankshaft to pilot/support the input shaft of a manual transmission. It's a simple, fail-safe, proven approach that's still used today. People blow up engines, they trash transmissions and differentials, they replace clutches but very, very, very few replace the pilot bushing unless the tranny is already out. The bushing approach used for the transmission input shaft and the Festool drill pinion gear support is bomb proof!

The guy's just a bufoon with an axe to grind...grind on fool.

 

[Locks14]

I've been watching this guys YouTube channel for a while. His reviews are a little comical, a bit NSFW, but he seems to have a well informed engineering background and his reviews appear to be honest and objective...

So here's some observations he's made after dismantling a TS55.

Enjoy:

 

[tjbnwi]

It was kinda funny when his own equipment would not work. His statements did not correlate to the temperature of the soldering unit as shown on screen.

Tom

 

[Cheese]

While working on the bathroom today, this goofy TS 55 review kept playing back in my head and then a more worrisome thought presented itself.

What happens when this dolt actually reassembles the saw? Will he keep it for his private use...doubtful. Instead he'll sell it on eBay or Craig's list and some poor unassuming person will pay 90% of list price for a saw that's been butchered. He's managed to damage the brush holder, he pried the saw apart without removing the brushes first, stuck his dirty fingers in the oil for the pinion gear bushing, dragged a file across the teeth of the pinion gear, tried to melt various plastic pieces and who knows what other "evaluation operations" he performed on it. All in all...someone down the road will get burned. [mad] [mad] [mad]

 

[Amalix]

Well, I actually liked the fact someone was stupid enough to pry the thing open and decided to record it. Whatever else he did, I did get a glimpse inside my saw which was fun.

Poor saw though  [sad]

 

[Scott B.]

Its social media. Controversy and drama create clicks. Can you think of a hotter button tool brand to play doctor on? It is really best to ignore sometimes.

On the other hand, there are lots of folks who create genuine, honest content that is intended to help others. They just don't get clicked as much.  [big grin]

 

[Holmz]

While working on the bathroom today, this goofy TS 55...

I am pretty sure that he was only speaking euphemistically at the beginning of the video.  [eek]

I kind of like his style. I think I have seen another of his reviews, and he was not gentle on the other manufacturer either.

 

[Wooden Skye]

While working on the bathroom today, this goofy TS 55 review kept playing back in my head and then a more worrisome thought presented itself.

What happens when this dolt actually reassembles the saw? Will he keep it for his private use...doubtful. Instead he'll sell it on eBay or Craig's list and some poor unassuming person will pay 90% of list price for a saw that's been butchered. He's managed to damage the brush holder, he pried the saw apart without removing the brushes first, stuck his dirty fingers in the oil for the pinion gear bushing, dragged a file across the teeth of the pinion gear, tried to melt various plastic pieces and who knows what other "evaluation operations" he performed on it. All in all...someone down the road will get burned. [mad] [mad] [mad]

Cheese, you bring up a great point, someone is going to probably buy this saw and will get burned, hopefully this guy at least sells when there is warranty left.

As for the video, felt it was a waste of time.  How many times do you need to state the price?  It gave me the impression that he was taking a shot at the people who own a TS55.

 

[squarecut]

Another point I noticed was his negative comment regarding the plug-it cord. Could it really be possible that he does not know about the "whole system" approach to the Festool line & that the plug-it cord is common to many of the Festool inventory.

Seems he was intent on taking a lot of uneducated "cheap shots" at Festool.

[eek] what have I done - cheap & Festool in the same sentence - now there is an oxymoron  [bite tongue]  [big grin]

 

[DB10]

  Well he's approaching nearly 30,000 hits so far, and I guess for an attention seeker that's what You tube is all about, as someone once said,  you don't let the truth get in the way of A good story.