Thread: Triton Dust Respirator and other equipment

I had good service from the Mk111 and the router table top. The 2000 was a step up but the router table was so bad I kept using the Mk111 one. I used the respirator for a week but find it pretty poor - especially on hearing protection. All gone now except the Mk111 extension table, the router and, unfortunately, the respirator.

Personally, I can't be bothered going into this with much enthusiasm, so best of luck with the new brand you choose, and their list of running faults.

Perhaps the enthusiasm most owners have is based on their collective experiences.

Seemingly a number of the faults you've raised were addressed years ago (including changing the switches to fully sealed units, the new hose etc for the respirator), and others are consumable items (such as the shroud, the prefilter, the main filters). At the time of the changeover from the old to the new hose, and owners of the respirator who contacted Triton got the more flexible hose and associated fittings free. Not every owner decided to do this - some liked (and still have) the old version.

I can't honestly see how loosing the prefilter is a 'fault' - don't you clean it before and after each use? How in the world were you breathing dust, when after the prefilter, there are 2 P1 (or P2) filters? The prefilter isn't there for your protection. It's there primarily to increase the life of the main filters.

As to faulty design with the biscuit joiner, finger joiner, wheels....

This thread to me represents the key to understanding Triton.

Selling Triton in Japan, where the population is trained from childhood to aim for perfection, so that a resource poor population can compete in a world market leads to a customer base with very high expectations.

I tell my customers, that if they are looking for perfection, don't buy a Triton. There are tools out there that are designed and engineered to much higher tolerances than Triton is. Generally I send them over to Festool, which is designed and built for professional use. Note however that if you want or need that degree of quality, you will have to pay for it.

Triton has always been engineered for the hobby DIY customer.

Sometimes there are bits missing, bent or miss welded. To avoid this with 100% surety would mean checking everything mutiple times before it leaves the factory, possibly even assembling the unit. This can be done, however it would send the cost of the products through the roof. In the DIY market, it is the price that seems to be one of the biggest factors in purchasing decisions.

When demonstrating, I aim to recognise what it is the customer is aiming to do, identify any quality or accuracy issues that may affect the customer's enjoyment of the product and then show some simple techniques or jigs that will alleviate these concerns.

As soon as a customer starts talking about fractions of a milimeter off the saw I start to re-assert the limitations.

I sell Triton for my livelyhood. To do this, I don't want to sell to as many people as possible. I want to have as many satisfied customers as possible. This can only be achieved when reality and expectations meet.

If there is a manufacturing or material fault, the part in question is replaced for free, under warranty. If the product is within its design tolerances, and the problem is that achieving the level of accuracy you desire is difficult, it gets down to a very few things.

- Not set up accurately
- Level of skill of the user
- Level of expectation of result from the equipment selected to do the task/right tool for the job
- appropriateness of the materials being worked
- Maintenance of the equipment

This forum is a great place to learn how to achieve high levels of accuracy for techniques. The best example that comes to mind is the cross cut sled. This can be made with a few cheap materials and in an hour or so. The sled will give a degree of accuracy way beyond what the miter gauge will, without spending some very substantial $$$ on a more expensive machine.

I guess another point is recognisng when you need perfection. Building a deck, fence, garage, house, bookshelf or outdoor furniture, there are few occasions that will require a dial gauge or digital calipers. If you are building a Grand Piano, Triton may not be the best tool for the job.

My strongest suggestion is to visit a demonstration with specific questions about what techniques it is, or results you are trying to achieve and hopefully the demonstrator will either be able to show you how to get satisfying results, or let you know that what you are expecting is beyond the scope of Triton. Either way, you will save time.

Steve

P.S. Last observation, I strongly suggest that the result on the piece being cut is what is looked at as often what appears to be a problem has little noticible effect on the workpiece. This being the case, taking a sample offcut to the demonstration can help with diagnosis.

Great post, Steve.

Originally Posted by Akrij

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It amazes me to read all the enthusiastic Triton owners using the cheap but badly designed equipment. I have accumulated faulty design over 9 years of use on their following equipment:Router table, Finger jointer, Table saw, Height winder, Accessory wheels for 2000 Centre and Biscuit joiner.

It took you 9 years and 7 appliances/tools to reach this decision. Humm . . . . . . . . Well I guess you can at least say that you have given them a good go.
I have the big yella router, the plunge drill and the respirator, all purchased with weekend warrior intentions - if I wanted pro I wouldn't have given them a second look .
Router is excellent
Plunge drill LED flattening the battery gives me the willies otherwise it's real good.
Respirator is still in good shape after about 1.5 years, probably because I use it mostly without the air filter unit and shroud, as an occasional use muffs, face shield helmet combo while using a chainsaw. I would never see it a pro unit, especially the ear muffs - always add earplugs.