• Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!

Festool Domino scare

Steve Maskery

Steve Maskery

Old Oak
Joined
Jul 27, 2014
Messages
2,298
Reaction score
1,226
Location
87290 Laplagne, France
Although it doesn't get a lot of use, I last used my Domino only two or three weeks ago. All was fine.
Today I came to use it, nothing. Rien.
I checked it was plugged in to my DX properly and that was plugged in to the wall. Manually it sucked. So I got my mains tester and it went wild when I put it close to the Plug-it on the Domino. So there was power to the machine.
So I found a power tool repair shop in Limoges, but they don't fix Festool kit as they cannot buy the parts. I was just about to box it up when I thought "I wonder if a different power cable would make any difference?" New cable, problem solved. Phew!
I think it must mean that there is a problem with the return wire inside the cable. The cable has got a few turns of electrical insulation tape at one point. I seem to remember I put my heat gun down next to it and melted it, but that was many years ago and it's never been a problem. Until now.
Just a woody example of Occam's Razor, methinks.
 
That’s the trouble with those testers. They can show the presence of mains but not the return
 
I keep my eye out for washing machines that have been put out for the scrap man. The rescued mains cable (cord set so plug already fitted ) are decent quality and have had an easy life.
Saved me a few hours in the past when a portable tool is diagnosed with a dodgy mains lead.
 
Last edited:
Your mention of Occam’s razor made me smile.
Yesterday my mobile phone stopped working (couldn’t access the server, but worked fine on house Wi-Fi) spent a while fiddling but assumed it was the fault of Lyca (no frills provider) . Decided to investigate causes via mr google this afternoon.
First suggestion was …… switch the phone off and on again 🙄
Completely overlooked the obvious, what an idiot!
On thinking about it, it’s possible that this exact scenario has happened before.!!!
 
Festool generally are very good quality, there leads are really bad quality, I must have had at least half a dozen fail on me.
 
Pete Maddex said:
Usually a break at the end of the strain relief.

Pete
Click to expand...
Yes. We used to get a fair number of vacuum cleaners brought to us as not working - we used to chop a few inches of off each end of the flex and rewire them without even bothering to test them, the fault was so common. To an inexperienced eye everything looks fine, because the connections are still intact, the wiring usually broke an inch or two back.
 
I've not got it in front of me but I'm pretty sure that the plug and the Plugit end are both moulded. Replacing the plug would be no problem, but the Plugit would.
S
 
Steve the Plugit comes apart.
If you do a YouTube search you should find out how.
I had to solder up a broken wire last week
 
Phil Pascoe said:
Yes. We used to get a fair number of vacuum cleaners brought to us as not working - we used to chop a few inches of off each end of the flex and rewire them without even bothering to test them, the fault was so common. To an inexperienced eye everything looks fine, because the connections are still intact, the wiring usually broke an inch or two back.
Click to expand...
I used to remove the main lead from the device and pull the wires, one usually felt more springy than the other.

Pete
 
In a commercial environment where the people using the kit couldn't care a jot how it's treated I used to wire flat connectors into the leads, cutting off the little lugs that made them more difficult to dislodge. Women used to yank the vacuum plugs out of the sockets by the leads, but quickly got tired of reconnecting the flat connectors. Saved the wear and tear on the sockets as well as the leads.
 
Festool plug-it leads used to have a reputation for failing on sanders, it was just the constant movement and dragging over things that would make the connection wear loose over time and start to cause problems, they obviously knew this was an issue as they sold kits so you could hardwire them if preferred. Festool changed the design of the plug-it lead a few years ago which is supposed to have sorted the problem.

The big issue was once the lead started shorting it would also affect the socket on the tool so if you just replaced the lead the now dodgy socket would quickly damage the new lead, it was advised if you had a problem to replace the lead and the socket on the tool at the same time.
 
Jonathan said:
Steve the Plugit comes apart.
If you do a YouTube search you should find out how.
I had to solder up a broken wire last week
Click to expand...
OK, I've watched two videos, an American guy who could dismantle his and resolder it, and an Irish guy who said you can't get inside.
The two films used different versions of the Plugit. Mine is the latter and, try as I might, I can't separate the grey and green parts. I'm sure they are bonded.
I'm not heartbroken. I have several others and if I really need to buy another I can get a 3-pack for €51, delivered, which, by Festool standards, I think is fairly reasonable.
S
 
Is there no way you can sidestep or remove the plugit and hardwire a simple cord in its place?
 
That’s a reasonable price in today’s world.
I just prized one of and here’s a photo to see if yours is similar, they are quite stubborn to get apart
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9453.jpeg
    IMG_9453.jpeg
    143.5 KB · Views: 16
These are the two Plugits. The one in my hand is the newer, bonded version, the one in the vice is the offender

plugit (Medium).jpg

As you can see from the chewed up plastic, I can't get into that either.
S
 
Try starting with a thin paint scraper to ease it apart, work all the way around, eventually it will separate.
 
That chewedupness was done with a chisel. Any more work will have to wait until next week as I'm being kidnapped to go on holiday to Limoges for a few days. Limoges. Our nearest city. Who in their right mind goes to Limoges on holiday?
We do, apparently.
S
PS To put it in context, it's like living in Nottingham and going on holiday to Derby.
 
City break Steve. You get to eat out a lot and drink wine. Have fun.
 
Sheila doesn't eat meat, so we have to find decent veggie or fish options.
I would really like to dine at a Michelin
-Starred restaurant, just once before I die. Sadly there are none in Limoges, but there are some which are in the Michelin guide. I hope we can get a table.
The railway station is an art deco masterpiece, so I'm looking forward to that.
Sheila wants to go to the Porcelain museum. Yawn, I'm from Stoke , so that's like coals to Newcastle.
There is also an aquarium. I'm not into fish, but I did visit the one in Barcelona and it was Fantastic. Unfortunately an hour later I was robbed - money, passport, specs, cards, the lot. I ended up locked up in a room with a man on the run for murder. He was quite charming.
It's another story.
S
 
On PlugIts (he said hastily), you might try boiling the plug before attempting disassembly. It won't really hurt the cable, as long as it's thoroughly dried before assembly/reuse, but it will make the plastic more so, and weaken any adhesive.

I thought a while back that Festool might have subbed out PlugIts to Neutrik, but now I own one I realise that Neutrik would have either refused or disowned any design input. PlugIts are simply not up to standard for either company.

In case anyone wonders, here's the sort of Neutrik product they might have used:
www.parts-express.com

Neutrik NAC3FXXA-W-S powerCON XX Series Power-in Female Cable Connector for 6 to 12mm Cable

Neutrik NAC3FXXA-W-S powerCON XX Series Power-in Female Cable Connector for 6 to 12mm CableThe Neutrik powerCON XX SeriesThe powerCON is a locking 3 conductor equipment AC connector with contacts for line, neutral and pre-mating ground contact. It replaces appliance couplers wherever a very...
www.parts-express.com
 
Last edited:
AJB Temple said:
City break Steve. You get to eat out a lot and drink wine. Have fun.
Click to expand...
In theory Yes but with a lovely wife who is unfortunately both coeliac and with a histamine problem, the French don’t do ‘food allergies’ very well.
 
Eric the Viking said:
. PlugIts are simply not up to standard for either company.

In case anyone wonders, here's the sort of Neutrik product they might have used:
www.parts-express.com

Neutrik NAC3FXXA-W-S powerCON XX Series Power-in Female Cable Connector for 6 to 12mm Cable

Neutrik NAC3FXXA-W-S powerCON XX Series Power-in Female Cable Connector for 6 to 12mm CableThe Neutrik powerCON XX SeriesThe powerCON is a locking 3 conductor equipment AC connector with contacts for line, neutral and pre-mating ground contact. It replaces appliance couplers wherever a very...
www.parts-express.com
Click to expand...
black and decker gave up on the idea 20yrs ago
wlC334iMrqAZCitoDvWXKoJmu55sieERiyOUQUTE.jpg
 
Jonathan said:
Festool generally are very good quality, there leads are really bad quality, I must have had at least half a dozen fail on me.
Click to expand...
Interesting you say that because I've always been impressed with the quality of their power cables. I have three devices over 10 years old and never had a cable issue. Where are you Jonathan? Could this be a geographic QA issue...?
 
Steve Maskery said:
Sheila doesn't eat meat, so we have to find decent veggie or fish options.
I would really like to dine at a Michelin
-Starred restaurant, just once before I die. Sadly there are none in Limoges, but there are some which are in the Michelin guide. I hope we can get a table.
The railway station is an art deco masterpiece, so I'm looking forward to that.
Sheila wants to go to the Porcelain museum. Yawn, I'm from Stoke , so that's like coals to Newcastle.
There is also an aquarium. I'm not into fish, but I did visit the one in Barcelona and it was Fantastic. Unfortunately an hour later I was robbed - money, passport, specs, cards, the lot. I ended up locked up in a room with a man on the run for murder. He was quite charming.
It's another story.
S
Click to expand...
Haha, I vaguely remember your bag getting nicked from the back of your chair outside a cafe/restaurant, but I don't remember the murderer bit!!
 
Trim could be geographical, I’m in Andalusia Spain so hot summers and mild winters
They do get heavy use but…..old Elu MOF96 done 18 years in uk and 22 years Spain on the same lead.
 
The plugs (line sockets) do seem to be a bit sloppy to me they do work well.
They feel like a kids toy, kind of cheap.

Pete
 
The only Festool tool I ever owned was a 110v jigsaw, which I sold after very little use (ebay, £27). I have never loathed a powertool so much. I agree about the plug, I didn't find it very good at all for an expensive bit of kit.
 
I do think to get the most out of the Festool plug-it system you need to own a few Festool tools. I have a plug-it lead hanging down from above my workbench so it's a breeze to swap between domino, router, sander etc and safer as no leads trailing around on the floor. The lead hanging above my bench has been there about 10 years, that's the same lead used everyday for every power tool and it hasn't failed yet.

I have got through a few plug-it leads on site which have been connected to my extractor but again that is the same lead used constantly with every tool. I think only one has actually failed at the plug-it end, the others have been the usual lead getting trapped or somehow cut and in those situations I have appreciated being able to quickly remove the damaged lead, replacing it with another and getting straight back to work rather than having to start opening up the tool to fit a new flex.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top