Kapex or not to Kapex ?

[chippy1970]

Has anyone here got a Kapex mitre saw I have been thinking of buying one how are you getting on with yours ?

Are you glad you bought it ?

Steve Maskery have you got a free one yet ? :lol: :lol: :lol: just kidding sorry.

Any bits you dont like about it ?

Also mine will be for mobile work private houses etc I have seen one and its light and easy to carry around. It wont be staying in the workshop.

 

[wizer]

If I had my time again I'd buy a kapex. Purely for the space saving aspect of it.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Steve Maskery have you got a free one yet ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I wish! I did get a free pen, water bottle and flash drive though, all with Festool written on them. Plus a gigantic (but, sadly, empty) Systainer. No idea what I'm going to do with it! Put my other Systainers inside, probably

Waka is the only person I know with a Kapex, so you need to ask him.

One thing I did like about it was the capability to lock the blade further forward. allowing skirting to be cut vertically on the back side of the blade. You can cut beyond the centre of the blade that way.

Plus they have a rubber dust cowl around the DX port, which is not a million miles away from my roofing membrane idea in the current BW. Mine's better though, bigger and more flexible

The best bit of the Kapex is its shallow profile, by which I mean the rails don't stick out the back as much as most. It's more like a RAS in that respect.That's the one thing I don't like about my Bosch (but the only one). I need to re-site it, but I've nowhere else to put it

OK:

TODAY'S COMPETITION

How long does it take a team of 6 to assemble and test a Kapex?
How many are produced every day?

No prizes, just a bit of fun. Answers this evening.
Steve

 

[petermurray]

I am only a 'hobby user' but justified the Kappex because I had a kitchen to fit and a large extension to trim out and also about 50 sqm of wooden floor to lay. I figured the cost of the Kappex would be less than the cost of getting someone in to do it. The Kappex is great, I've got to confess that I'm a Festool convert. They really are superior tools. The Kappex does everything you cold want from a SCMS with great accuracy. Once I overcame my overcame my initial sceptism, I even got to trust the dual lasers. My only other experience of a mitre saw is the small Makita one, which is not in the same league, the big jerk on start up does nothing to inspire confidence. IMHO go for the Kappex, you won't regret it.
Peter.

 

[wizer]

After my above comment, snow and boredom led me to have a proper look at the Kapex. I'm not sure if I'm totaly convinced it's worth £900. There are a few other saws which offer the front mounted slide bars (hence are space saving). I'd need an extensive play with a Kapex to be convinced it's worth it.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer, what other saws have the frontal bars, please? Not that seriously considering slinging my Bosch, you understand, but just out of interest?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Waka]

I've hadthe Kapex for nearly a year now and have to say that I'm very impressed, it does everything it says on the tin and more.

Now to the price, I'm not entirely convinced that it is worth the 900 thats being quoted, when I ordered mine at the Ally Pally last year IK got a dealof 756 including vat, for that money I thought it was worth it, but I guess its up to the individual.

 

[chippy1970]

Thanks for the replies guys looks like the snow we had today is making me slide down that slippery slope again :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[woodshavings]

I have the Kapex
I paid £750 after negotiation.
I can only compare it to my RAS DW720 and B&Q PowerPro 900W Sliding Mitre Saw which were both replaced by it. It's brilliant!
The vertical and horizontal stops are solid and repeatable and cuts cleanly. The dust extraction is good but not perfect (80%), nevertheless miles better than the RAS.
My only complaint (which I have passed to Festool) is that the plastic table insert distorts with changes in temperature. My workshop is not heated and the insert had distorted and prevented the work piece sitting flat on the table. I had to remove it and remove some material with a file to allow it to sit flat. As I said to Festool, not what I expect from the most expensive mitre saw in the world!
Nevertheless, an excellent machine.

 

[chippy1970]

1) 5 minutes

2) 298 per day.

Thats my guess.

 

[BradNaylor]

TODAY'S COMPETITION

How long does it take a team of 6 to assemble and test a Kapex?
How many are produced every day?

45 minutes

10 per team. Don't know how many teams they have.

 

[wizer]

Wizer, what other saws have the frontal bars, please? Not that seriously considering slinging my Bosch, you understand, but just out of interest?
Cheers
Steve

I'm a bit of a Hitachi Fan atm, so this appeals to me


I'm sure DeWalt do one, but can't find it.

 

[Karl]

Hey Wizer - got a model no for that thing - looks quite interesting. Any idea on price?

Cheers

Karl

 

[wizer]

click the pic Karl

 

[chippy1970]

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/hitc12rshrvu.html

 

[Karl]

click the pic Karl

Think I need one of your Dunce caps :lol:

Didn't realise you could do that. It does look a great bit of kit - shame that offer on the legstand has gone off.

Cheers

Karl

 

[wizer]

Thanks for posting the Review Chippy. I watched the video. Looks really good, tho I wonder why they bothered to make it extend at the back OR the front. Seems like you may have room for 'slop' there. The incremental dial system is clever. I would very much like to compare it side by side to the kapex. Kapex sure has extra bells and whistles, but are they worth £300?

 

[RinkyDinky]

I have got one and i love it. Wildly expensive but then should last a lifetime.
Buy one, you will not regret it..... :lol:

 

[chippy1970]

I think the way the arms on the Hitachi lock you can probably set it up in a similar way that the Kapex does to cut upto 120mm high. Looks like it can be locked in any position. I wonder if you asked nicely perhaps PSTools would still do that deal.

It does look a good saw but its not Festool at the end of the day. I would need to see one to compare the quality only Hitachi stuff I have had is two C7U circular saws and they are well made.

 

[Steve Maskery]

FWIW I have a Hitachi shop vac (same style as the Trend) and I can't fault it.
S