Is a Kapex worth the money?

[Joe Beaulieu]

I may be coming into a little mad money and was considering going to the green side. Only for a Kapex though, I can't see spending the money on anything else, except maybe one of their track saws. But my first thought was a Kapex. Of course now my mad money will fail to materialize and this will all be wishing...

Sorry if if this has been asked... Is the Kapex worth the money? I could also use a better bandsaw and the Laguna for similar money is awfully pretty. What do you all with either feel about your purchase? Any regrets? Buyers remorse?

Thanks in in advancr folks. Have a great New Year!

Joe

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

If you want to go green, consider the Domino, if it fits the type of work you do.
I've never been a green fan, but we recently got a Domino at work, and it's pretty sweet.

[Joe Adams]

I use my tools professionally and own a bunch of Festool including the Kapex. It is an impressive saw in a lot of ways but I find it far more difficult to justify the price over comparable sliding compound miter saws from other manufacturers. That being said I wouldn't give it up for anything else.

In my opinion, Festool sanders, routers, and track saws have a greater edge on the competition. The Domino 500 and XL are the stars in the collection and would be the first ones I bought again.

Don't get me wrong, the Kapex is extremely accurate and generally a joy to use but it has issues shooting small offcuts out the back and some people have encountered tool damaging kickback. I have even used it to cut 6" pre-finished Hard Maple crown molding around a wall cabinet run with lots of corners. The cuts were so precise that I'm not sure I could have done it with any other saw.

[Ben Rivel]

I dont own one, but for the price there is no way it could be THAT much better than the competition. Also, if you do some searching around the net, I have read about more motor failures in Kapex's than any of the other well regarded SCMSs on the market.

[Victor Robinson]

Diminishing returns on the Kapex. Yes, it's the best miter saw you can get (short of some specialized tools costing even more) but as a first Festool, the money is probably better spent elsewhere if you have other needs in your shop. I say this as a very happy Kapex owner.

[johnny means]

The Kapex, IMO, is the least distinguished of the Festool lineup. As nicely designed as they are, they don't do anything that a saw at half the price couldn't do. Festools sanders, track saw and the Domino really made a change in my work. Ask yourself what you hope to achieve with your new toys. It should make your choices clear.

[Kent Adams]

I own a lot of Festool equipment, but the Kapex is one I'd put off if I were buying my first. Here is my order of what I think is the best of the best of MY Festool collection:

1. Domino - My Favorite, game changer
2. Track Saw - 55 Req - Love it.
3. ETS 150 and 125 - Awesome, will never buy another type of hand held sander
4. OF1400 - So precise, well worth it in my opinion
5. CT 36 -my favorite shop vac.
6. Kapex - very nice, precise and dust collection is incredible
7. Boom arm and organizing thingy (can't remember the name) - well worth it if you have enough ceiling space
8. Carvex - Nice but definitely a luxury item
9. MFT/3 Haven't used it yet, so I reserve judgement
10. CT accessory set - wish I'd not bought this, complete waste of money in my opinion

You also mentioned I believe a Laguna Bandsaw. I have the 14/12 and absolutely love it. No drift on mine and very nice. If I didn't have a band saw, I would order the Laguna first and then go on to my list above if it fits your workflow.

[Mike Henderson]

I got a deal on a Kapex - local guy needs to get rid of an almost new one. Contacted me, gave me a good price, and I decided to buy. I haven't picked it up yet but expect to get it after the first of the year. I'll let you know how I like it - if the deal doesn't fall through:)

If I had to pay full price, I'd definitely buy some other brand. Bosch has always been a good saw for me.

As others have said, the Domino is the Festool that's really a work saver. I'd sure get that before a Kapex (I have a Domino). The track saw is also very nice (I have that one too). I had a Carvex but found I used my DeWalt more so I sold the Carvex.

Mike

[Mike Tekin]

Joe,

The Kapex is a great saw, however, I would never buy it. It is north more than double the price of other saws such as the Milwaukee, Bosch Glide, etc. No way. I would buy the Laguna bandsaw such as the 14Twelve or the newer 14Bx with the full length cabinet. Festool is good for the tracksaw, domino, and sanders.

[Justin Ludwig]

I do woodwork professionally and I wouldn't buy one. I can get perfectly accurate cuts with my Dewalt DB-SCMS at half the cost. When my Dewalt shoots craps, I'll buy another one. I've used Milwaukee and Bosch, both good saws, but am better suited for the Dewalt's setup - just my personal opinion.

[Alan Lightstone]

I really like my Kapex, but haven't used the Bosch which looks like a sweet unit for less money.

No question the Domino is a game changer. And I love the ETS/150 and CT33. Great sander and fantastic shop vac.

I rarely use the Rotex RO150. That one I wouldn't buy again.

The Track saw is also a game changer. Actually the entire rail system with the track saw, router, etc... is incredibly useful on the track.

Really growing to love the PDC 18/4 QuaDrive Cordless Drill as well.

The Conturo Edge Bander is tool porn. Not sure anyone has actually bought one, but drool............

[Patrick Walsh]

I am also a professional. And i will mirror exactly what was said above.

I use both the Kapex a Dewalt and a Hitachi for work purposes. I loath using anything but my Kapex but often leave it at home as my co workers have no idea how to even remotely take care of anything.

The reality is unless you do very precise exacting stain grade work you really do not need the Kapex. Even for high end paint grade interior trim work a well cared for and tuned saw of any manufacturer will do just fine.

Really the Kapex in my opinion is a luxury that will make you a better carpenter but only if you care to be a better carpenter and strive for perfection! If good enough is good enough or the type of work you are doing and only requires good enough the kapex is a waste imop...

I would never return mine as i LOVE it. But the truth is my Kapex spends most of its time in my shop and gets only weekend use making furniture, cabinets and doors. For such tasks i could never use another saw again without missing my Kapex. At work i could make due just fine with any saw really.

I don't do crap work for a living either. There is room for improvement with regard to quality but thats not up to me its up to my boss.

Bellow is some work i did with a 15 year old hitachi with a bent fence and a dog of a 12" dewalt chop saw.

I did not build the cabinets just instal them. I did side the exterior, trim the exterior and roof the exterior.





I use my tools professionally and own a bunch of Festool including the Kapex. It is an impressive saw in a lot of ways but I find it far more difficult to justify the price over comparable sliding compound miter saws from other manufacturers. That being said I wouldn't give it up for anything else.

In my opinion, Festool sanders, routers, and track saws have a greater edge on the competition. The Domino 500 and XL are the stars in the collection and would be the first ones I bought again.

Don't get me wrong, the Kapex is extremely accurate and generally a joy to use but it has issues shooting small offcuts out the back and some people have encountered tool damaging kickback. I have even used it to cut 6" pre-finished Hard Maple crown molding around a wall cabinet run with lots of corners. The cuts were so precise that I'm not sure I could have done it with any other saw.

[Mike Cutler]

Joe

Each person has to decide which tool is best for them, and unfortunately for most of us, finances have to be considered also.

I have a few Festool Tools, TS 75, OF1400, OF2200, and the Carvex PSB 420. I haven't regretted buying any of them.

[Martin Wasner]

I don't have a Kapex, I've played with one a bit. I think it's a very nice slider, but I don't think it's worth the premium they demand. As Patrick stated, getting employees to take care of stuff and realize that they are the ones actually getting hurt financially by not taking care of stuff is borderline impossible. I kicked around getting one a number of times, but I just can't justify it. I'll buy good stuff whenever I can, but when you can get something like a good Hitachi for ~$500, the extra $800 seems poorly spent.

My install saw is the little 7-1/4" Makita for miters, and a worn 10' Milwaukee for pretty much just straight cuts. Keep the Makita beveled over and you're not flipping the head around as much. It's a nice setup when doing crown. I don't think I've got the cost of a Kapex into both saws and the stand, and I don't feel I produce less of a product, or would be happier working using the Kapex. I'm also not big on 12" blades, about the only benefit to me is higher tooth count, so the blades don't dull as quickly. The little Makita is dull in no time, even with a Forrest blade in it.

Sweet saw though.

If it's going to live in a shop, buy a used Omga. Not as flexible in use, but in a shop you've got other resources, and they're completely worth the premium. They're bulletproof and rock solid.


I'm a complete tool snob too, and just my opinion.

[Mac Cambra]

I got my Kapex a little over a year ago when they were offering 10% of the saw, so for a little of $1200. I have to admit I swallowed hard. I already had the Domino and the CT48 dust extractor, as well as a the TS 55REQ, RO150 and some of the accessories. So I guess you can see that the Kapex wasn't the first Festool product I bought. Since thenk I have also gotten the Carvex and OF1400 router.

I think without the dust extractor a big piece of the value equation is lost, so don't buy it if you don't plan to drop another $700 for the vacuum. The saw is very accurate, the dual lasers are great and I think what I liked most was being able to bring the saw into my house for a big cabinet project and not having a mess to clean. The dust collection is incredible, not perfect but better than anything out there.

I also have a Bosch slider and in my opinion accuracy doesn't really compare, the Bosch is a nice saw. It's not their newest model, 4512L, I think and where I think it beats the Kapex is power. That really is the only thing I think concerns me about the Kapex is that it may be under powered. I haven't had any problems cutting through stock, it has done everything I have asked but then again I haven't cut 4x4 PT fence posts either like I have with my Bosch which didn't blink.

I think I will buck the trend here, my favorite tool is not the Domino, I think it is the TS 55 track saw followed by the Kapex. I really like the Carvex with the coping foot. Other than that I don't regret the buying the Kapex at all. I thinking their mobile cart/stand leaves a lot to be desired and wouldn't buy that again if I were to do it over.

Festool pricing is crazy, I really like the tools but never feel good about the prices. I guess if you want the system features you gotta pay the nice man, someone has to pay for the mandated 6 weeks of vacation the workers get in Germany, right.

[Keith Hankins]

I own a good bit of green I use my track saw the most but 2nd is my kapex. I've had it since they released it. It's dead on low footprint on the slide, and If you cut compound angles its real nice. I love the double lasers and if you have to move it the weight is appreciated. If you have the money its an extremely nice tool. I've had mine like I said since it was first released. I've never regretted it. The only tool puchases I've regretted are the cheap ones I did many years ago. Their hepa vac's are nice as drills, sanders, and routers. :) all good stuff and DC is part of the design from the ground up.

[Kelby Van Patten]

It depends on what you need in a miter saw and how much you value those things.

In terms of making great cuts, there are other saws that are comparably precise for less money.

I bought the Kapex because:
(a) the dust collection (while not perfect) is far superior to any miter saw on the market;
(b) the sliding mechanism is to the front of the saw, so my miter saw doesn't have to be spaced eight inches from the wall to accommodate the rear sliding mechanism on most SCMSs (only the Bosch is comparable to the Kapex in this respect);
(c) far lighter than other SCMSs with similar cutting capacity; and
(d) double lasers.

For me, these features were worth the extra money. But understand that these are the things you are paying for with a Kapex, because there are other saws that can deliver similar cutting capacity accuracy for a lot less money.

[Chris Hachet]

I get acceptable cuts out of my Dewalt but would echo what you said about the dust collection on the Kapex. I work in my garage and the only Festool I own is a sander but eh dust collection is amazing. I have used the Kapex and it is wonderful in regards to dust collection. However, I will acquire a domino before I acquire the Kapex.

Regards,

Chris

[Peter Quinn]

I used it professionally for a few years, I didn't have to pay for it, was provided by the shop I worked in. It had a few neat tricks that could prove useful to a field carpenter, it had a few things I didn't like...that blade guard that does such a good job of collecting dust and protecting you from yourself makes it really hard to re-trim long point miters with the point to the outside, such as chevron flooring. Its a task we had to do pretty regularly, and that blade guard hung up every time on the miter point. The best feature IMO was the bevel adjustment, it has a gear to adjust bevel and a handle that faces forward so you do it from the front, its pretty well done versus pretty much every other saw. Makes sneaking up on odd angles easier.

I didn't find it cut any more accurate than basic saw like a hitachi. It has a head that moves on thin rails with tiny bearings.....just like every other chop box, so it suffers from the same deflection, cut enough parts in very hard wood, cuts look pretty much like any other saw. So based on that I didn't feel it was worth the asking, when I bought my last one I went with makita. Makita clearly studied the kapex and stole a few tricks from it for their last rev, so I'm sure glad festool is in the SCMS market, their products push every one else to improve. But for basic cabinet shop work I don't find the kapex offers any real advantage considering the asking price. I'd rather stretch a bit more and get an OMGA if I were headed that far toward expensive. Of all the festool products I've used or owned the kapex is probably the last one I'd buy. If you are swimming in money, go for it. If you have a budget and other needs.....it might not be the best use of your resources.

[sebastian phillips]

It depends on what you need in a miter saw and how much you value those things.

In terms of making great cuts, there are other saws that are comparably precise for less money.

I bought the Kapex because:
(a) the dust collection (while not perfect) is far superior to any miter saw on the market;
(b) the sliding mechanism is to the front of the saw, so my miter saw doesn't have to be spaced eight inches from the wall to accommodate the rear sliding mechanism on most SCMSs (only the Bosch is comparable to the Kapex in this respect);
(c) far lighter than other SCMSs with similar cutting capacity; and
(d) double lasers.

For me, these features were worth the extra money. But understand that these are the things you are paying for with a Kapex, because there are other saws that can deliver similar cutting capacity accuracy for a lot less money.
The above is a very fair and accurate review. I would invest the money elsewhere, unless you just have to have a Festool.
The only thing the Kapex does significantly better than other saws is bevel. It has a large scale that is easy to read, and the counterbalanced head is excellent for dialing in precise bevels. This is nice if you are cutting large crowns on the flat, or switching back and forth a lot.
I use the little Makita at work for an install saw-dead accurate and very good dust collection. I've used the Kapex, and if funds were unlimited would own one but would much rather have a Domino.
If you are using this saw solely in a shop, the dust collection of the Kapex is overhyped and unnecessary. You can quickly build a simple surround for any saw to collect the dust, and hook it up to the collector.

[Rich Riddle]

I enjoy using my friend's Kapex and would have likely purchased one had I not owned a Bosch slider and more importantly due to smaller size the Makita 714 sliding trim saw. I use that for nearly everything now. You have to adjust to the trigger at first. That said, if I had no sliding compound miter saw, the Kapex would be my purchase. I love the angle tool included with it. Last February Festool offered a 10% discount on all Kapex systems and accessories.