www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

After years working on sites and building my business i finally decided to treat myself to the ultimate tool, i bought my festool router. You can imagine my utter disappointment when i discover that it can not be used on site as it is not compatible with generators, not just my generator but several of my work colleagues including some very big ones.

I've had all sorts of routers ranging from makita's to trend and i have never had a problem with these on site.

I contacted Festool as trading standards state that if it is not fit for purpose then i should get a full refund. Well i have spoken to several people at Festool including a rep who i bumped into at a store and even he said yes we have had problems with the routers on site. However i have had no real response from anybody.
I started trying to contact Festool in January and i am still waiting for somebody to respond to my complaint, i've been passed between 3 different people.

So not only are Festool's products a complete let down but their customer service is atrocious too.

After years working on sites and building my business i finally decided to treat myself to the ultimate tool, i bought my festool router. You can imagine my utter disappointment when i discover that it can not be used on site as it is not compatible with generators, not just my generator but several of my work colleagues including some very big ones.

I've had all sorts of routers ranging from makita's to trend and i have never had a problem with these on site.

I contacted Festool as trading standards state that if it is not fit for purpose then i should get a full refund. Well i have spoken to several people at Festool including a rep who i bumped into at a store and even he said yes we have had problems with the routers on site. However i have had no real response from anybody.
I started trying to contact Festool in January and i am still waiting for somebody to respond to my complaint, i've been passed between 3 different people.

So not only are Festool's products a complete let down but their customer service is atrocious too.

What do you mean doesn't work? Does it simply not run of a generator on 110v?

Just one thread per topic please. (Merged)

And yes, please explain why the tool is not suitable for site work.

Just had a quick read through the festool manual and can't find anything saying you can't use it on site

I guy I know who uses one has to use a 5kw tranny,dunno about running off a jenny tho.

You didn't buy the 240 volt version by mistake ??

Forgot to mention I have the 110v one, works fine on my 3kw tranny, but not on my 3.0kw genny. I have heard it is to do with the sign-wave not being clean enough as it has a variable speed on it, so why should I fork out for a different genny just because of the Festool, it's meant to be the best so why cant it work, my other routers that cost half as much worked fine. It doesn't state in the manual that you have to use a specific generator, as for Festool's customer care, I haven't heard a thing! Such a joke from a company that sells ludicrously priced tools.

Festool design an make power tools that are sold and used all around the world, but they are in business to make money like everyone else they are not willing to spend the time or money to test their products with every make of generator that is sold around the world

Not just not cost effective

Speed control of AC motors often requires the detection of the 'zero-crossing-point' (ZCP) in order to start the chopping of the AC waveform (and the regulation of the motor speed). The AC waveform from a genny can have harmonics and distortions - the smaller the genny the worse it is PLUS the more devices 'hanging off' a genny the worse it is. Problems detecting the ZCP occur.

It may be that your router will work on a genny that has sufficient power output (say 3-4x the basic requirement of your router) and no-one else running anything - only then can the electronics get a 'clean' zero-crossing-point detection to allow the speed control to work.

It's down to poor design - lack of attention to the circuitry detecting the ZCP.

The Festool stuff is well made but the electronics let it down.