Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 53

Thread: Disappointing Festool interaction. No More ??

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    San Jose, CA
    Posts
    137

    Disappointing Festool interaction. No More ??

    I had a CT 22 dust extractor. I do not know how long I had it, but I was told by the service center that it was 13 yrs old. I was also told that the electronic board was bad and they no longer support it or stock parts. I had to ship from CA to IN!

    So, 10 yrs or so is the lifetime of a festool tool? No Thanks.

    I wasn't given the opportunity to get a small discount on new one, or even offered a refurbished one. Thats was it. Sorry . . next!

    I am a supporter of quality tools and was getting ready to buy a few more things. Domino and track saw. Even though I want them, I can't let myself do it.

    Any similar experiences? Should I be disappointed or is that kind of time frame too long to expect support?

    Thanks . . .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    13 years old is a pretty good run for a tech-ish product. I have a couple drills that are about that old. If they crapped out tomorrow I'd be okay with it. I do understand Festool is more of an investment though.

    Maybe go over to the FOG and ask for help?

  3. #3
    13 years seems pretty awesome to me for a portable dust collector. The only "better" option would be Mafell on your track saw.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Calvin Crutchfield View Post
    I had a CT 22 dust extractor. I do not know how long I had it, but I was told by the service center that it was 13 yrs old. I was also told that the electronic board was bad and they no longer support it or stock parts. I had to ship from CA to IN!

    So, 10 yrs or so is the lifetime of a festool tool? No Thanks.

    I wasn't given the opportunity to get a small discount on new one, or even offered a refurbished one. Thats was it. Sorry . . next!

    I am a supporter of quality tools and was getting ready to buy a few more things. Domino and track saw. Even though I want them, I can't let myself do it.

    Any similar experiences? Should I be disappointed or is that kind of time frame too long to expect support?

    Thanks . . .
    Did you try to have it repaired independently? I’m sure that in the Bay Area there are shops that do board-level repairs, etc. It’s not that difficult.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kapolei Hawaii
    Posts
    3,236
    Just curious, how old is your car?
    I'm also thinking that 13 years is pretty good for electronicy things. My $1000+ washing machine crapped out after 5 or 6 years. Not happy about it but that's how it goes with electronics these days. My first Maytag washing machine lasted 20+ years, but it had a dial and push button. 3 belt changes. No techtronics.
    I'd agree, try calling around repair shops to see if they can check it out. But not buying a domino because the VC died?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    San Jose, CA
    Posts
    137
    OK Well that's why I asked. Personally , I do not think hat is long too long to stock the main electronic board. I'm sure that same board was used in many extractors.

    May car is new. I believe dealers stock parts for 20 yrs. My dryer was bought the day I moved in to my first house. Oct '93. Still works.

    Thanks for all the input.

    Also, it was probably only powered on for less than 4 hrs the entire time I had it. Unfortunately, I cannot have it repaired. I was not going to pay $60 to have it shipped back to me and still be broken.
    Last edited by Calvin Crutchfield; 06-02-2020 at 5:50 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Central MA
    Posts
    1,584
    Quote Originally Posted by Calvin Crutchfield View Post

    May car is new. I believe dealers stock parts for 20 yrs.
    Actually, by law auto manufacturers are only required to stock parts for the duration of the warranty. The myth of 7 or 10 or 20 years is unfortunately just urban legend.

  8. #8
    Festool stocks parts for 10 years after a tool is replaced with a new model. That is a European standard.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    San Jose, CA
    Posts
    137
    Quote Originally Posted by John Lanciani View Post
    Actually, by law auto manufacturers are only required to stock parts for the duration of the warranty. The myth of 7 or 10 or 20 years is unfortunately just urban legend.
    OK Perhaps. I just called my local Toyota dealer to ask for a starter on a '99 Pickup. Not in stock, but can get in three days. It has nothing to do with legalities. If you were looking at a $700 tool and on the box it said "No longer repairable after 10 yrs". Would you buy it? I would not.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Calvin Crutchfield View Post
    OK Perhaps. I just called my local Toyota dealer to ask for a starter on a '99 Pickup. Not in stock, but can get in three days. It has nothing to do with legalities. If you were looking at a $700 tool and on the box it said "No longer repairable after 10 yrs". Would you buy it? I would not.
    Everything tool/machine is like that. Not many exceptions really. I can think of a few, but the replacement parts would cost more than the 550 that ct22 cost 13 years ago.

    Honestly, no use is abuse as well.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Darcy Warner View Post
    Honestly, no use is abuse as well.
    Well, it’s not like the tires are going to blow out and kill you and your family, is it? :^)

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    Well, it’s not like the tires are going to blow out and kill you and your family, is it? :^)
    I think my original ct22 is about 13 years old as well. Its beat to crap, but never missed a beat. I am sure if the control board went out, I or someone I know could fix it, but at what cost?

    From experience, the longer things sit unused the more issues one will have.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    I had the control board go on a Fein about 7 or 8 years ago ( my fault). The cost of a replacement control board was too high. I had the technician wire it off the control board, meaning that it now worked with a single (full) speed.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1,592
    Calvin , part of this is Festool's fault and part is yours. Sorry.

    Festool is partly on the hook for allowing this air of mystery to surround their stuff like it's made of myrrh and fairy dust and that it will last forever. And for customers trying to justify their outlay on the purchase. Fact is, Festool doesn't have some magical manufacturing prowess that translates into overwhelmingly better tools.

    Sure, being made in Germany by a well trained work force, using better raw materials, and being engineered to a higher standard than say a Harbor Freight widget - makes them better than tools from a lesser manufacturers. BUT - this makes them incrementally better. Not exponentially better. Fact is their bearings aren't ten times better than Makita's. And their batteries and associated tech aren't better at all then Panasonic. Nor is their plastic or castings or .......

    I think your expectations are too high. That's not a lifetime vac.

    What could you have got circa 2007 instead? Fein Turbo Mk1. Design and factory have changed - good luck getting parts for it. WAP- got bought out, doubtful a circuit board is available form them. Could have got a Porter Cable 78xx - for which you can still get a circuit board in theory. Coulda got a Bosch Airsweep which was made until fairly recently and still has circuit boards available. Most or all are not as capable as the CT22 and not much cheaper at the time.

    Call back your dealer and ask for an OEM radio for that 99' and report back if it's available; and if so the price. Some parts are still available for the CT22, just not what you needed. When it comes to electronics it's easy to understand why. Try and get a 2007 board for a Pioneer or Sony stereo.

    Did you think about calling Festool before you shipped out a big and expensive to ship vacuum to at least get a read on the problem ? Would have saved you a lot of aggravation.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    I had the control board go on a Fein about 7 or 8 years ago ( my fault). The cost of a replacement control board was too high. I had the technician wire it off the control board, meaning that it now worked with a single (full) speed.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Do what Derek suggests - just wire it to run at full speed when you turn it on. Then if you want to have the vacuum turn on when you turn on the tool, use an iVac and if you want to control the speed, use one of those router speed control devices. Total cost, less than $70.

    Mike

    [And just to follow up on a previous discussion of the use of a router speed control device on a shop vac. Look up "Fan Affinity Laws". As you slow down a fan, the cubic feet per minute flow goes down linearly with the reduction in the RPM. So if you slow down the fan RPMs by 50% you reduce the CFM by 50%. But the power required goes down by the third power. So the power required (and the heat generated) is 1/8 of the power full speed.]
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 06-02-2020 at 11:03 PM.
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •