TSC 55 K motor won't engage

[giantturtle]

I am now the proud owner of a TSC 55 K (my first Festool after a decade of looking forward to it). Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to work. Can anyone help me troubleshoot?

I have charged up the batteries, installed them in the saw, set the blade cut depth, checked the mitre lock is on and attempted to initiate a cut. Nothing happens, then after about 2 seconds the motor starts to emit an intermittent nehh......nehh......nehh..... sound which (correction) repeats 8 times

I have tried this on and off the rail, with one and two batteries, rotated the batteries, recharged the batteries, changed cut depths, removed and reinstalled the blade, every change I can think of. It just doesn't go.

I'm staving off a sense of mortal disappointment in the hope that I have made a simple oversight and there is something I can do to get this thing cutting. Thanks. 

 

[squall_line]

That's the new model with the anti-kickback sensor, yes?

Is it engaged on a piece of material?  I don't know completely how the anti-kickback works, but I thought it had a pressure sensor of some sort that stopped the saw when it came up off of the material.

If you purchased it at a Brick & Mortar, they should be able to help determine if it's the saw or the sawyer.  If you purchased online from an authorized retailer, most of them are pretty good at taking calls and helping out on a brand new purchase.

 

[giantturtle]

Thanks for the response. I have tried with both the kickback sensor in contact with wood and without contact. The blade doesn't spin up at all, in any circumstance.

Naturally I will contact the manufacturer and dealer when they open tomorrow. Interested to see if anyone else has experienced this, since they shipped worldwide yesterday or if anyone has any theories?

 

[GoingMyWay]

Have you tried turning off the kick back stop to see if the saw will start?

 

[giantturtle]

Yes. Good idea. I have tried it both with and without the kickback stop turned on.

The manual says the saw may emit an audible alarm if (a) the batteries are flat or (b) the saw is overloaded. That could be it (although the manual describes it as a peep and it sounds more like a small klaxon or stuck motor).

The batteries read full charge and there is no load on the saw. Maybe it was overloaded before shipping? Is there a way to reset an overloaded saw?

 

[Cheese]

Are you sure the batteries are charged?  I just picked mine up today, installed a single 18 volt battery, pulled the trigger and Voila...the saw fires up. It's like the earlier TSC 55 in that if you only install a single battery, it needs to be in the lowest battery port.

Saw blade plunged or not plunged, riving knife feature engaged or NOT engaged...the blade spins with every move and every button I push. I don't even need to place it on a surface, just holding it in mid-air, pull the trigger and she spins.

If you have a digital volt meter, check the charge of the battery. It needs to be around 15 volts.

Update: Heck, I just tried it with a 14.4V, 3Ah battery and it still fires up like the earlier TSC 55.

 

[giantturtle]

I'm happy for you Cheese, but my saw is totally non-functioning, right out of the box.

Useful suggestions though. Both batteries read 100% charged on their displays. They have charged for several hours each. One of them has been plugged in for 5 hours. Both read 20.5 volts on the multimeter. I've tried it with both batteries in the correct location and with 2 batteries simultaneously. No blade motion. The lights on the saw come on when initially engaged, so the saw is getting power. Also, the odds against getting two dysfunctional batteries are steep, so all that makes me think it's not the batteries.

I currently suspect the saw is either misreading the battery charge or it is erroneously stuck in an overload state. I hope it's not like what has been happening with the sanders... I am just astonished that I waited 15 years to buy my first Festool, then when I finally saved up and went for it, then waited months for it to arrive, I got a lemon. I am kind of in shock. I am just glad I didn't buy a dust extractor and sander all at the same time, like I was planning. I am still hoping there is a way to reset the saw somehow or some solution I haven't foreseen.

I'll try and post some videos on YouTube in the next couple of days to demonstrate the problem. Any ideas for solutions are very welcome!

 

[Cheese]

Bummer...big bummer, from my limited exposure, I just put in a battery and pulled the trigger.

So for your issues, I’d just return the saw to the vendor and ask for a replacement. There are just too many signs that your saw is defective.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  It is unfortunate that you may have a lemon for your first Festool purchase.

Seems like there is something wrong with the saw. I think you should return it for a replacement. No reason to keep a DOA power tool.

Seth

 

[giantturtle]

Thanks for that. Yes, it's not exactly the unboxing experience I was expecting. However, I think I might have a diagnosis.

I noticed that the battery lights on the saw illuminate, or are designed to illuminate, when the on/off trigger is pulled. However on my saw only the top (secondary) battery illuminates when engaged (see pic 1). So I checked all the terminals on the batteries again: all fine. Then I checked the female crimp-style connectors on the battery dock. Sure enough one of them appears to be out of position.

In the 2nd and 3rd images you can see that the connector is down inside the channel of the battery dock, where it can't make contact with the battery. It looks like it was not installed with a positive "click" during manufacturing, so that when the battery was connected it was just pushed out of position, instead of grasping the male battery connector. 

While it's incredibly disappointing to me that I have to troubleshoot this problem on my prestige, premier priced tool, I am glad to report that it looks like a QC oversight, not a product-wide problem. For the  price I paid, I think this should have been detected before the product reached me - but I hope this diagnosis is correct and that the knowledge is a relief to anyone else who bought one recently and read this post.

 

[squall_line]

I'm glad to hear that you think you have it figured out.

That said, maybe it's because I have a number of other Festool products, but I would never have taken the time and effort to diagnose that was taken in this case.  I would have just called up my dealer, explained the situation, and started the exchange process.  Even if they didn't have any spare saws in stock, I would have sent it in for repair.  Even if I thought I had it licked, it would still be worth the peace of mind.

The tools have a 30-day No-Questions-Asked return period, a 2-day warranty repair turnaround, and a 3-year warranty.  Even if I needed the saw for a project immediately, any sort of "fix" that I undertook on my own may come back to bite me in the future during the 3 year warranty timeframe.

Again, kudos on possibly finding the fix.

 

[giantturtle]

Thanks! I was looking forward to it so much, I couldn't go to sleep without an explanation. I design/make/build things for a living and pleasure, so it's second nature to me to investigate a problem like this.

I have contacted my local dealer. I love them, but they said their "Festool expert" won't be in until Saturday. I also called Festool Canada and got an answer machine. Left a message explaining the issue yesterday. They haven't called me back yet.

It's good to hear about the rapid warranty repair turnaround. I didn't know about that. I am somewhat concerned that, with this saw being such a hot item, there will be no replacements available. Now if I can just get someone from Festool on the phone...

 

[giantturtle]

Festool Canada hasn't returned my call, but a manager from my local dealer contacted me and arranged for the saw to be exchanged next week. I'm glad they kept enough stock on hand to deal with situations like this. It's great that there is such a comprehensive return/warranty system.

 

[giantturtle]

Just a follow up: I thought it was only fair that I update that the saw was replaced without any question and the new saw has been excellent (in case anyone stumbles upon this post in future). After a year and a half of use I have no complaints about it. Actually, it is the only tool I have ever bought that I have no regrets or quibbles about. It's powerful enough to joint hard maple and is so accurate that, in the rare instance that I need to cut anything thicker than the maximum depth, I can just flip it over and cut through from the other side flawlessly. That's impressive. Very portable and great ergonomics. The best.

 

[luvmytoolz]

That's great to hear they looked after you, they are a premium brand at a higher cost, but the tools are fantastic and a worthwhile investment. Glad all turned out well for you!