Thread: Kapex vs. Anything

I think you'd be a VERY brave man to buy a Kapex. There are quite a few complaints about this saw, ranging from binding tables to poorly ground components and mis-aligned cuts.

Take a poke around www.festoolownersgroup.com before you make up your mind.

Ron,
To be fair, all complaints about the Kapex on the FOG site and are related to the US release. I and several others here have the Kapex and I have not suffered from any of the problems listed. Remember that the requirements that tools in the US must meet are different to those here.

plindsay,
have a look through "A kapex thread". There are opinions from several different types of woodworkers. Builders, cabinet makers, furniture and so on. It is lengthy, but worth it for information related to Australia.

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by plindsay

Hi,

I am in a bit of a dilema. I currently have a bosch sliding mitre saw and despite my best efforts I can't get it to have acceptable repeatable mitre or bevel cuts. I am generally cutting 150-200mm hardwood for cabinets, shelves, window surrounds etc. So I am looking at a Kapex - the youtube demos look fantastic. However, while I probably afford the saw I am not sure if it is really worth the money. I have a Triton table saw but I am wondering if I would be better putting money into a 10" cabinet saw. What would a joiner usually use for accurate cutting of bevels and mitres? Any help or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi Lindsay
I have the triton workbench, and get some great stuff made from it but I wouldn't recommend doing any mitred type work with it as it may take considerable time to set up for quality mitres. You may find it worth your while to visit the festool dealer and get them to demonstrate the MFT table with the angle guide rail setup. This may work better for frames etc that need mitreing, also the plunge saw can cut at angles along the guide rails so could do the job rather than buying the kapex. Depends on what work you are doing I guess. I must say I have been very dissapointed with the few CMS saws I've tried when it comes to the play in the angle setting, making it very hard to get accurate joins, repeatably. I see the Kapex has very good locking settings that don't appear to slip, but she is an expensive machine.

Kapex - for portability and accuracy. If your working onsite its a no brainer.

but upgrading the dear old Triton for a decent cabinet saw would be a wise choice. I should know, I did it earlier this year and am truely greatfull. I dont have a CMS/SMCS, I do all my mitres/compunds with the table saw and a Osborne mitre gauge. Hell I mostly used the saw to cut the timber for the deck I'm currently making.

For once I read a post and didn't reply immediately. Now I'll chuck in my 2c.

Don't know anything about festool. As is said above depends on your exact circumstances and preferences.

For what it's worth I've gone from a Mk3 new series to the Trade Tools Direct contractors saw at $779 and an incra fence system. There is simple NO comparison. I don't do miters, I do a lot of grooves and jointing cuts. The triton would take gaes to set up for each cut and even then stuff could go wrong and I'd get inaccuracy. It IS possible to do accurate work on a triton but it's a lot of hard work. The table saw is a joke by comparison. Just lay your square against the blade, missing the teeth of course, and wind the handle. I am getting flatness within 5 thou and depth of cut about the same without trying. I see no reason why blade angle couldn't be reliably within minutes. Get a fancy miter slide and you should be able to make cuts in the horizontal plane with similar accuracy.

If you want a cabinet saw go for it. I could afford one but don't see the point. Even the TTD cabinet saw is 50% more than mine. I've got 2 hp, and 3 really needs 15 amp, more needs 3 phase. 2 seems to be enough. I'm just never going to wear mine out, it's remarkably quiet, and of course I've put a mobile base on it and it's easier to drag around than a cabinet saw.

I'm not suggesting it's the right solution for your, just pointing out I'm happy with mine and it may be a viable solution for you. Oh, mine has a iron router table on the extension wing. The rip fence is unspectacular, the router fence is very good.

Bosch SCMS have a good reputation - if you look on the forum plenty of people have these along with Makita, Dewalt, Hitachi. A table saw has the advantage of ripping, but I would like to understand exactly what is preventing accurate cuts with the Bosch. From any good quality SCMS you should be able to get accurate cuts - easily enough for furniture etc.

If you already have a SCMS and are unable to rectify the accuracy issues then I would invest in a table saw, and use the SCMS for general type work. I can't see a Kapex being a major benefit given that it costs equal or more than an adequate table saw.

Regards,

Tom

I have a dewalt SCMS and its second hand (thanks Chris)

I love it

Originally Posted by Ron Dunn

I think you'd be a VERY brave man to buy a Kapex.

For someone who hates all things Festool, you seem to be obsesed with following Festool threads and forums

I have a Kapex and still love it, I got it as soon as it was off the boat. I have had it serviced once for the lasers, but the turnaround was acceptable and they are quite good now. Everything else is and has been fine with it. Trying to use any other saw now is like walking with one shoe on. I would never argue it isn't a luxury item, but I get my value out of it professionally as well.

On the other hand, a Tablesaw is such a versatile instrument, and it sounds like you might make yourself a mitre sled or something and be covered. Certainly more material processing capacity.

Lignum, I think you misunderstand.

In this thread, for example, I had nothing negative to say:

http://woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=78396

Talking Festool in general, I'm not planning to buy a Domino but my next tool purchase is likely to be their saw and rail.

My compound mitre saw is hand powered, so I don't want anything like a Kapex. But if I did, having read the experience of others, there is no way I'd be buying this brand.

I dont have one but have sold a few of the KAPEX since its release in australia.
Everyone that has bought one has come back raving about it and wit the smart bevel it makes setting precise angles so easy. A great tool with a cutting capacity of a 12" machine from a 10" blade.

I have a Makita 12 inch and 10 inch saw for all the grunt work and framing and use my Kapex for all the fine finishing work. Its not that it out preforms the makita's its that they have done some very hard yards over the last few years as dedicated framing saws and I would not expect them to be as accurate as they were out of the box on day one.
But the makitas with a new blade on them are very hard to beat and are still reasonably good.
But as far as I am concerned the Kapex blow for blow is a far superior saw based on my experience
We have the new Hitachi on site with the digital read outs no one wants to lift it out of the car because they might put the back out. I have run the first compound saw which i think was the Elu followed by an Electra Beckum and multiple variations of the Makita and Hitachi
and simply nothing comes close.
If I could afford to, I would have one as a framer and one as a finisher.
Kapex great saw no problems here so far

Mate, Great comments, great deal from R @ S Hamilton, your blade of choice and a free blade sharp !



Plino