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Product Information
| Part Number | 561287 |
| Item Weight | 40 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 29 x 23 x 19.8 inches |
| California residents | Click here for Proposition 65 warning |
| Item model number | KS 120 EB |
| Power Source | corded-electric |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Warranty Description | 3-Year Limited Warranty |
| ASIN | B002MYMVWM |
| Best Sellers Rank |
#26,720 in Home Improvement (See top 100)
|
| Shipping Weight | 63.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) |
| Shipping | This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S. |
| Shipping Advisory: | This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply. |
| Date First Available | June 22, 2008 |
Product Description
Amazon.com
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 Dust Extraction Port sends debris away from your work area. | ||||
 Stainless steel miter scale features a fine adjustment knob. |
 Convenient deck height eases work flow.View larger. |
 MiterFast angle-transfer device gives you quick, accurate results. View larger. |
 The lightweight magnesium-alloy base makes for easy transport. View larger. |
 Integrates with MiterFast. View larger. |
 Dual lasers ensure accuracy. |
 The Bevel Lock Knob holds your desired angle. |
 Keyed, non-slip material clamp keeps your material in place. |
The dual lasers clearly define the material which will be removed during the cut, and their design allows you to align cuts from the left right side of the Kapex KS 120. Three-axis adjustment controls make fine-tuning the lasers easy, and the lasers are electrically powered and require no batteries. Also, a convenient button allows them to be operated without turning on the saw.
Once you've determined your cut line, a center-positioned handle allows you to make cuts with either hand, while a two-stage trigger helps prevent accidental triggering.
Precise Miter Scale, Miter Lock, and Angle Transfer
The Kapex KS 120's etched, stainless-steel miter scale offers large, easy-to-read angles--up to 50-degrees on the left and 60-degrees on the right. Positioned far from the axis of rotation, this scale allows for setups that are accurate within fractions of a degree. And once you've identified the desired setting, the miter lock on the Kapex provides an extremely aggressive hold to prevent inadvertent movement--even when near a positive detent.
Transfer of inside and outside angles from your work piece to the Kapex KS 120 is quick and easy, thanks to the included MiterFast angle-transfer device, which provides a reflective surface for use with the saw's lasers, as well as a sturdy lock that prevents slippage and keeps measurements accurate.
Fine Bevel Adjustment and Secure Bevel Lock
The Kapex KS 120 allows for both left and right bevels, and a fine-adjustment knob controls the bevel of each cut within fractions of a degree. This bevel knob features three settings: positive detents at 0 and -45 degrees, free movement between -45 and +45 degrees, and free movement up to +/-47 degrees.
The knob rotates and engages a rack and pinion to move the head, which is counter spring balanced. This means that once you set a bevel angle there's no need to worry about it shifting before you engage the dependable bevel lock.
For added convenience, there are bevel gauges on both sides of the saw, and the large bevel-adjustment scale is easy to read.
Keyed Clamp and Compact Rail-Forward Design
For added peace of mind, your work piece is held in place by a sturdy, nonslip clamp, which is keyed to make insertion and removal of materials quick and easy. A single, lever-actuated cam-lock secures the clamp in place and a rubber pad protects your work piece, while the clamp's oblong foot provides a flat surface to place against the saw's fence.
Also contributing to the Kapex KS 120's accuracy is its rail-forward design. The saw's robust, 30-millimeter rails are set wide apart to prevent head play and ensure smooth, accurate cuts. This design also allows the saw to be placed against a wall during use, which saves valuable workspace.
Versatile Blade and Unique Cutting Positions
The Kapex KS 120 uses specially designed thin-kerf blades that reduce stress on the saw's motor, reduce noise levels, and dampen vibration for cleaner cuts in a variety of applications.
It offers expanded cutting capacity by offering access to a "special cutting position" that utilizes the back portion of the blade more effectively. This means that by simply flipping a lever to put the saw in this position, you can cut 6-5/8-inch crown molding or cut vertical materials that measure up to 4-3/4-inches by 3/4-inch.
Similarly, simply flipping a knob allows the Kapex KS 120 to cut trenches, so you can create lap joints or pieces that fit around pipes and other obstacles.
Robust Construction Includes MMC Electronics and Direct Drive Motor
Different applications place different demands on your tools, and the Kapex KS 120 offers variable speed control from 1,400 to 3,400 rpm for equally good results when working with a variety of materials. With its constant speed monitoring, the saw is able to maintain consistent blade speeds under heavy loads, which produces clean, consistent results. Soft-start technology prevents jolts at start-up and improves your control over cuts, while overload protection extends the life of the saw.
Also contributing to the Kapex KS 120's performance is a 1,600-watt direct-drive motor, which offers efficient transfer of energy to the blade and features a magnetic brake that reduces the amount of time that the blade takes to spin down.
Quick, Safe FastFix Blade Changes
With Festool's patented FastFix system, blade changes are fast, easy, and intuitive. Turning the FastFix knob locks the arbor and mechanically locks the trigger, so you don't have to worry about accidental start-ups. This allows the blade to be changed with a single hand, while a cupped steel arbor nut prevents accidental over-torquing and damage to the saw and blade.
Compact and Lightweight for Portability
Featuring magnesium-alloy base, the Kapex KS 120 is rigid and durable yet it weighs just 47 pounds--extremely light for a 10-inch miter saw. This makes it easy to move from workshop to job site and back again. Two handle locations allow you to keep the saw's center of gravity near your body while carrying it, reducing the strain on your back. Plus, the Kapex's head locks down for transport, keeping the saw compact and preventing unexpected movement from throwing you off balance.
The saw's travel-friendly design also offers onboard storage for the arbor tool and the power cord.
Integrated Dust Hood and Dust Extraction
This dependable compound miter saw also offers a swiveling dust port that directs dust away from you and your work surface, improving job-site safety and minimizing cleanup time. A pliable, rubber dust hood directs saw dust from the blade into the dust collection port as you work, arresting chips and improving the rate of capture.
This integrated port accepts both 27-millimeter and 36-millimeter hoses, and it can be used with a Festool CT dust extractor to achieve impressive 91-percent sawdust collection.
The Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw is backed by a three-year limited warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee
What's in the Box
Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw, angle transfer device, 60-tooth carbide blade, hold down clamp, and wrench.
 The KS 120's "Special Cutting Position" uses more of the blade, so you can tackle more types of jobs. |
Product Description
Customer Reviews
the good: first off is the dust extraction, works very well. I normally use it with a festool extractor but have many times had it setup with a shop vac and other than the hassle of turning the powerstrip on and off it works just as well. Forward rail design is terrific, very smooth a rigid sliding action. accuracy for me is dead on, no deflection in the propietary festool blades and cheeks smooth as silk. the dado feature is convenient and quick, a small toggle allows the head to be raised and lowered for slotting or what have you, much quicker than setting up yor router for fast small slots. Detents don't slip even when super close. on-board angle guage is nice to have at a moments notice just don't let your coworkers borrow it. Lasers are so bright it took me some getting used to, the lasers on my saw were not factory set accurate but adjustment is simple and precise. comparatively the saw is very manueverable, lightweight and portable.
the bad: the safety trigger is a real annoyance to me, you have to press a button above the handle with your thumb while you half way pull the trigger to release the saw head and power, after a year of using it I still fuss with it. needless to say the price is a big pill to swallow, you can have yourself two very nice competing saws for what this will set you back and I must say in the right hands the work isn't going to be any better or faster with this saw. i wish the miter gauge pointer was red instead of green, the green seems to wash away easier to the gray metal background and for precise non-dentent cuts i have to stoop over to read it closely.
I had to have it and it is a joy to use, sure you can make the cut with other saws but like Ferris Bueller says "if you have the means i highly recommend you pick one up"
Now that that's behind us...don't get me wrong, I love Festool and own 6 other Festool tools, and I really like this one, but there are MULTIPLE design and convenience issues that the tool designers seem to have missed. Here's a list, hopefully someone at Festool will see this and fix these issues on the next incarnation
1. The on board storage for the miter finder tool is in the way of the saw table rotation. You have to keep sliding it out of the way when you turn the saw beyond 40 degrees in both directions. Because of this I now keep the miter finder in the truck. (I rarely use it anyway unless we're doing big crown or built-ups)
2. The trigger and head locking mechanism is annoying at first, but I have mostly gotten used to it. It does still bother me when I'm trying to bring the blade down with the power off though. I accept this annoyance as a safety feature I guess, but I managed to keep all my fingers with my old saw for the past 20 years...maybe it will save a greenhorn somewhere.
3. The rail forward design is neat-o and all, until you try to bevel beyond 30 degrees! Then the rails hit the fence. No big deal- slide the fence out of the way, right? Nope! It's held in place by a seemingly pointless retainer screw with a hex drive. No big deal- remove the retainer screw with the on-board allen wrench, right? Nope Again! The onboard allen wrench doesn't fit the retainer screw. Sheesh...off to the bottom of the toolbox to search for the right size. The fence extensions then need to be TOTALLY REMOVED in order to reach maximum bevel. You would think the geniuses who came up with the ts55 would have figured out a way around this like a different fence design or rail placement.
4. Speaking of hex keys, that's how you adjust the laser, with a little tiny hex key. Now, the hex key you use to change the blade has a neat little hidey hole on the back of the saw, but the key for adjusting the laser does not. In fact, when you open the box the little tiny hex key is just jammed into the packaging foam like a dart, as if it were an afterthought. I taped mine to the saw body, but of course it fell off and is now MIA. Why couldn't they have made a holder for that hex key too? Or maybe some other more convenient way of adjusting the laser? I know you're supposed to adjust the laser to perfect then never adjust it again, and I did adjust it to perfect, but one side doesn't seem as bright as the other. I don't know for sure if there is an adjustment for that, but until I find the right size allen wrench, I guess I'll never know. (In truth, I thought lasers on saws were for gimmicks kiddies that didn't know better til I used this saw...The lasers, once adjusted, are amazingly accurate and a great help with bevel cuts in larger pieces and built-ups.)
5. The rubber feet that come attached to the saw are fine if you are putting the saw directly on the floor, and perfect for setting the saw on a Festool MFT (multi-function table) I don't lug around my heavy MFT though, I use a universal miter saw stand. The little rubber feet were in the way of the mounting mechanism for my stand and had to be removed. I thought this would be no big deal, since they were put on with hex head bolts too. Unfortunately, they were in so tight that I ended up shredding the rubber feet! This was not due to carelessness on my part...believe me, I tried to remove the rubber feet for 2 hours. That's 30 minutes per little rubber foot. I want that time back....and I sure hope I never actually need the feet, `cause they are in pieces.
6. The sacrificial plastic insert in the table warps and buckles with temperature changes. It hasn't actually interfered with the accuracy of any cuts-yet- but that wasn't something I expected from Festool. Also, the gap in the insert is large and the area under the insert doesn't have an opening on the bottom. The result is lots of little tiny pieces of wood getting stuck in the space under the plate and occasionally shooting out like a miniature wooden missile!
7. I really miss the little engraved inch markings on my bosch from 1992. No, they were not dead on accurate, and would vary from blade to blade, but they were fast and handy for quick little repeated cuts where accuracy was not an issue.
8. When using the dado feature, you need to install a sacrificial fence for the dado to carry all the way through the piece at the same depth. Not a big deal I guess, but worth mentioning.
9. I have not been as thrilled with the dust extraction as others. I've been told that it's because I need a 36mm hose instead of a 27 mm hose. I have not gotten arround to dropping $100 on a damn vacuum hose yet to see if they're right.
There were a few other design issues I've noticed along the way, but that's the list of glaring problems that have bothered me. I've read on some websites how some people have gotten around these shortcomings by building custom inserts and sacrificial fence attachments, but in my opinion when you spend $1300 for a saw, you shouldn't have to take a day modifying it to make it right. My hope is that Festool will make these problems go away by the next time I buy a slider. If it were not for these issues, this would be the best saw ever by a mile. As it stands, it is still a great saw with some shortcomings that take some getting used to or custom modifying.
Craftsman cabinet saw to Powermatic...worth it.
Router table without a lift, to a Woodpecker Precision Router Lif...worth it.
Entry level Delta bandsaw to Laguna...worth it.
Hand coping to a scroll saw...NOT worth it.
Benchtop Delta drill press to a Powermatic...NOT worth it.
Rigid oscillating spindle sander to floor model Jet...NOT worth it.
So, finally to the point. Rigid 12" slider to Festool Kapex...WORTH EVERY CENT!
Anyway, I really had one primary criteria for the Festool, and that was accuracy. And I mean dead-on, no slop accuracy. I have been using the Rigid for things like deck, fence, or outside trim work, or cutting rough stock down to size. For those applications, it was fine (or should I say "accurate enough".) But, if it was going to be on a finished piece, all cuts went to the table saw. Not a big deal, but I just got tired of the constant change of blades and splitters and cross-cut sleds. I dreamed of the day that a miter saw could cut a board at a true 90 or 45 degree angle.
I have a Festool router, which has been outstanding, so I decided to give the Kapex a try.
It is amazing. First of all, I have a miter station set up in the shop. I had to do a little work to align the Kapex, as it sits 1/4 inch lower than the Rigid. And the lasers were not perfect when I set it up. Also, it took a little while to read through the instructions for setting bevel and dado and so forth. But, on the first cut, I got a dead perfct angle and bevel. I crosscut a 8" board, flipped it and set it on a reference plate...there was zero light coming through. I went through a series of cut tests, and all were perfect.
Some side notes:
- I am not satisfied with the stock blade, and will replace it with a Forrest.
- The reviewer who complained about the difficulty of removing the screw holding in the fence should read the instruction booklet: don't remove the screw, just screw it IN a few turns and you can slide off the fence. It is set up that way to keep you from losing the set screw (typical of Festool to execute even small details well).
- Dust collection is as good as claimed.
- The soft-start is great, but takes a little getting used to.
- It is very quiet.
- The 2 lasers are great; I considered lasers to be interesting, but no better than setting the blade on the workpiece...until I used these. They can, with adjustment, show EXACTLY, where you will split the cut line on both sides. I am now a big fan of these
lasers.
- It is very light weight, even though I will rarely, if ever, move it.
But, as I said at the beginning, all I wanted was accuracy, and the Kapex has delivered it in spades. I have to admit I am lucky to have the means to buy what I want, but I still hate wasting money. As for the question "is it worth the cost?" Ferris Bueller said it best: If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Like all Festool power tools, it comes with excellent engineering, accuracy and dust... Read more
