What should you expect when you contact Festool before posting?

[jjoy]

I'm new here for one, and I'm a new tool owner.  I could write about the tool, but I'll save that for another thread. I used it for 5 minutes and had a question, so the tool is pretty much out of the box. I tried searching a bit, but didn't find this topic although I'm sure I'm not the first to be confused. I bought my tool in February, so it's under warranty (even though it came from recon).  I wrote Festool with my "is this supposed to happen question" with a video for good measure and really, the only sort of help or reply I get back is to mail it in for repair even though all I did was turn it on so far. This is normal? Is this why this message board area exists? This is what I received:

Thank you for contacting the Festool Service Center concerning your Festool power tool.  One of our trained Festool Technicians would be happy to diagnose your tool once they have the tool in front of them to thoroughly troubleshoot. Please understand it is impossible to determine what parts and labor your tool may require without having the tool in our hands for diagnostics and first-hand troubleshooting.

If you would like to send your tool in for professional factory repairs we are happy to provide that service.  To do so please visit our website at www.festoolusa.com.  Once you arrive on the homepage you will see a selection at the top for “Service”.  Clicking on that selection will bring you to the Service home page where you can then click on Request a Repair.  It will take 2-3 minutes to complete and provides you complete instructions for sending your tool to our service center.  We are the Festool Service Center and have the only Festool trained and certified Technicians performing warranty and post-warranty troubleshooting and repairs on Festool power tools.

We always offer three options when quoting chargeable repairs:

Repair the tool as per the quotation we send to your email
Return the tool unrepaired for the cost of return shipping (as noted in the quotation)
Have Festool scrap the tool at no charge (we responsibly and safely recycle metals and plastics)
If you select either option 1 or 2 we will need to speak to you live in order to obtain your credit card payment information before repairing the tool.

Remember to include a clear copy of your original dealer purchase receipt if your tool is still within the warranty period.

Sincerely,

Festool Service Center

 

[squall_line]

[welcome] to the FOG!

That's a canned response.  You may want to just call them instead, as I've heard people get better responses that way.

What did you buy and what is happening?

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  Try calling weekdays 8 - 5. I am not sure if they currently have different hours.  888-337-8600

  Also what tool is it and what is the question?  Maybe we can help right here?

Seth

 

[jjoy]

It is RO 125 FEQ Plus Rotex Sander (571782).  I know they're supposed to be somewhat loud and maybe sort of smell bad, but it's hard to know where the line is for that? I've only used the little tame sanders (like the ETS 125 REQ-plus) in a class. I also bought one of those and it's fine.

At higher speeds it has an electrical smell, and it is screechy, grindy and beyond loud (which is also supposed to be somewhat normal from what I read?). But I don't know if mine is actually normal or not. I'd hate to have spent this money on a non-normal one. Even with ear protection it is unpleasant to use.  I think it might be louder than my planer.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Sorry, but sounds normal. Just take the time to get used to the sander and don't jump to conclusions.

 

[jjoy]

What part of this is jumping to conclusions?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Ear protection and it's still unbearable? Something is wrong or you have the hearing of a bat.
I run mine at full speed at all times and almost exclusively in Rotex mode. Even with the CT26 running along side it, neither is what I would call loud, certainly not unbearable.
Do you have a local dealer? They could at very least give it a look/listen and tell you if the sound is normal.

 

[squall_line]

Just for grins and giggles, I looked up Halfinchshy's RO125 video.  He doesn't turn on the sander until about halfway through, but it isn't what I would call "quiet" once it's running.  If yours sounds like his, it's probably normal.
=525

I only have a RO90, which is pretty tame by comparison.

That said, if you have a local dealer, Crazyraceguy's suggestion is spot on to have them listen/look at it.

 

[Rob Z]

Hello

I had a Rotex 150 for  many years and did need hearing protection while using it. I understand what you describe as the 'grindy sound', especially in the Rotex mode.

One thing to ask is what is your hearing protection that you are using?  The hardshell hearing protection I use is rated at (I think) 30db reduction.  These are a good bit more expensive than the cheapy ~20 db reduction product sold at HD. So what I mean is, if you have low db reduction hearing protection on, the loud sound of the new Rotex might be explained as normal because your hearing protection isn't doing much for you.

 

[jeh]

It is RO 125 FEQ Plus Rotex Sander (571782).  I know they're supposed to be somewhat loud and maybe sort of smell bad, but it's hard to know where the line is for that? I've only used the little tame sanders (like the ETS 125 REQ-plus) in a class. I also bought one of those and it's fine.

At higher speeds it has an electrical smell, and it is screechy, grindy and beyond loud (which is also supposed to be somewhat normal from what I read?). But I don't know if mine is actually normal or not. I'd hate to have spent this money on a non-normal one. Even with ear protection it is unpleasant to use.  I think it might be louder than my planer.

I have one and it never had any of the issues you describe. I also have many other Festool products and they too do not have any of your issues.

 

[semenza]

Not sure how much diagnosing can really be done "loudness" wise based on variable and relative factors. Such as ..........  how loud was the sound recorded, peoples personal hearing impairment, attenuation level of protectors, etc.

EX- One person might say 'it doesn't sound loud to me'.    The guy next to him says 'how can you stand that noise'.

    In any case volume wise, hard to say. But it shouldn't be making screeching sounds. To me that description sounds like mechanism or gears not engaging properly. Just as an experiment try changing / working it in out of the sanding mode a few times. See if anything changes.

Seth

 

[jjoy]

Thanks ... plus I need to keep running it to see if the burning/electrical smell goes away. I wasn't going to stop using it, since it's under warranty. I will experiment more this weekend and update here. I'll do a dB test on my watch, that should prove interesting, it looks to have been over 100 -- I can't find what it is supposed to be. I hit 104dB on Sunday, which seems kinda loud for something you might run for 20+ minutes or longer. But I can do a specific capture while running it.

I use 3M™ PELTOR™ Optime™ 105 Earmuffs which are a quality product with 30dB protection.

That video and sander seems a lot more calm than mine. I can also post a video.

 

[Alanbach]

This is just my personal opinion but if you can live without it for a couple of weeks I would just send it in for service. Better to know. It has been a weird year in every way and that holds true for the recon site as well. I think it is safe to say that they have not been on the top of their game compared to pre-Covid.

 

[Sci]

I have two RO125 sanders pretty much exclusively used in RO more.  One is old enough to be in a sys 1.  Neither smells when being used and neither ever has.

Something is not right.  I did have a ts55 that started smelling and shooting sparks out the housing.  Festool fixed immediately and sent back to me. 

Send it in for a rebuild.

Mark

 

[AlexThePalex]

I have two RO125 sanders pretty much exclusively used in RO more.  One is old enough to be in a sys 1.

You mean it's so old the 125 mm pad shrunk so much it now fits a 110 mm high systainer?  [tongue]

There's nothing wrong with OP's sander. He should just get used to it.