Hated my Carvex, virtually all my kitchen fitting tools are Festool, Routers, Rail Saw, Cordless`s, Angled Cordless`s etc, so i invested in a Carvex, what an absolute bag of shite it was, i had the same issue with the blade wobbling all over the place, i also hated that it didn`t have a slow start trigger, it was on full chatt from the start, worst tool Festool ever made so i went back to my Makita LXT Cordless Jigsaw which i must have had 15 years give or take, so i sold my Carvex on 2 years ago and to be honest with you if ide have seen this video back then and saw your fix ide have still p*ssed it off and used my Makita, great video tho.
My story exactly. I even sold the barrel grip version Carvex and tried the D handle model, but couldn't get on with it at all. Sold that, and went back to my Makita LXT. Quite an expensive exercise...
The best cutting jigsaw yes. However not the best. Heavy and corded. It could be the best. I believe the d handle cordless carvex with this mod is pretty darn good. Again not perfect but better features than the mafell (except the cutting)
I've never had that problem. I have recently had a chance to compare the cordless version of Carvex to a latest one from DeWalt cutting curves and stright after that I put my DeWalt for sale
I’ve just bought the Festool jigsaw and can honestly say it is the worst jigsaw I have ever used. Came across the Bradshaw Joinery “Fix”. It takes 5 mins. I now have the best jigsaw ever. Many thanks Bradshaw Joinery. Jeff Cooper
Thankyou Ollie. I thought it was me, I have a Bosch jigsaw that’s over 50 years old (yes, really) that’s better than the Festool one. I will give this fix a try, Thankyou!
You’ve made my day! Had an early carvex with the non adjustable guides -sold that then got a trion -but now have a new carvex and sorted the wobble out ! Used it today and it’s like a completely new jigsaw thanks so much!
Thanks mate!! just done this fix to my cordless D handle jigsaw and its improved so much, only trouble i had was the trigger module. Not sure if i did it by accident or that was how it came but the jigsaw would fire up once i connected the battery. the trigger module was stuck in the on position due to it having a dent but i just used a knife to pry it loose and its working fine now haha had to pull it apart 5 times to figure out the problem
Yes thank you that’s a real good solution , I’ve had 8 of this machines and all with the same problem. The first 3 months its a very nice machine but then its not possible to saw in a straight line , its vibration is not normal So all the machines have been inspected by Festool and they said they are okay but they where NOT!!!! Its just a construction failure in the machine but they don’t admit it. Out of coulance they’ve send me 2 brand knew machines but after a while they have the same problem . Sad
I think they work fine until the first time the blade gets caught as you retract the saw from the material, at which point the pin gets pulled.... hence lasting a few motnhs in some cases and some not being a problem
Haha, its certainly a bloomin lot better! The mafell seems popular but the weight of the carvex is enough in my opinion. I think if there was a blade to rival the mafell one then the carvex could be as good!
I do wonder what goes on in design departments. I’m sure your warranty.”they have no idea what the tool is supposed to do. I once bought a tool and had to make five modifications to it to get it to work correctly. I sent the mods to the manufacturer and guess what their reply was? “You’ve voided your warranty. I have a Bosch pendulum jigsaw and the pendulum adjuster sticks out slightly from the edge of the sole plate which means you can’t make a square cut when using that side of the sole plate against a wall. When you look at old tools, they were invariably designed perfectly and still work well today.
Pretty much! Its amazing really, product testing some things the problems would be picked up straight away but seem to exist in a finished marketed product!?
WOOOOW***** AMAZING. THANKS SOOOOO MUCH JUST SHOT YOU OVER SOME MONEY. man NO one had an answer and Festtool just gave me a wierd empty look.... THANKS>>>>>>. Andreas Edrich MD Denver, Colorado.
Going well! I bought a d handle version also because i prefer that shape. Dont overtighten the screw, leave the tinyiest but of play before it hits the sprung ball.
I have a Hikoki 18v jig saw and it has the same thing happen when it is in orbital mode but it goes away when the orbital mode is turned off, I'm not sure if this is the same for the Festool but that's the way the Hikoki works.
Zero, so the blade runs straight up and down, it's also the most forward point of the pendulum action so the clearance for the action is made by allowing the blade to move back away from the 0 setting
For that kind of money the tool should be top notch... not wobble worst than cheap 'no name' one. they should be ashamed for saying that there is nothing wrong with it.
Festool should at the very latest send you some battery’s for your jig saw after fixing their jig saw problems, you can bet they use your fix in their for coming repairs. I would have sent them a link to this vlog !!
@@BradshawJoinery As an engineer I do like the look of Festool kit . I have a drill and an old rail saw passed on to me from an old work friend , did remember hearing some mutterings from him on the problematics of their jig saws that’s what made watch your vlog and also Which is why I have a Dewalt and workz jig saws . But if I was to ever get my hands on a carves I will try your fix.
Interesting. I’ve always just used the included hex key to tighten the blade guide all the way so it’s tight, then loosen it a quarter turn or maybe a little more so the blades barely touch the blade guide. Made sure the blade is in contact with the roller before making those adjustments. Never had an issue with mine. Always had great control in my cuts.
aslong as the pin infront of the blade mech stays in place then itll work great. i guess a stuck blade and pulling backwards causes it to pop out but some may be weaker than others. one of mine was like it out the box.
Same here. It takes some effort and learning to get the adjustment right. But once you know how to do it it's a good Jigsaw. It works best with the golden Festool blades. Another factor to consider is if you set the speed dial to automatic or to a certain speed. On automatic the saw is slow at first then ramps up the speed when it senses resistance. I recommend to not use the automatic setting and rather set it to the highest speed, because it takes a moment for the saw to ramp up the speed.
Pretty much but its amazing how one issue can suddenly make you thing negatively about a machine and then you find lots of problems. Im enjoying mine again
Well done, while I don't 'currently' have this issue I can appreciate what is happening now. Hopefully the factory will see this and consider it as a factory fix.
I love my Festool tools but this is why I bought a Maffell jigsaw and not a Festool , the Maffell is massively superior in my opinion and it’s a far more capable, accurate and reliable tool ! Fair play to you for working out a fix 👏👍😀 shame on Festool I’m afraid!
The mafell seems a common purchase for the best jigsaw! I was put off at the point of buying a little by the weight and the corded element. I ended up going for the brushless dewalt which is ok for what i use for. I like the mafell blades though!
Thanks Ollie ... even though I don't own any Festool tools I found it amazing that such a simple replacement part would fix a problem that Festool themselves couldn't even come up with. Good one, mate!
@@alanmackenzie8312 Of course we would, it's not a perfect world though. My cousin and I bought new cars, same model. Mine was as you would expect (out of the box) my cousins spent more time in the shop than on the roads. It's not exclusive to Festool, is it?.
I ended up splitting my gearbox, now it’s working ok but vibrating like a dildo! Do I need to re time the gearbox back up or maybe ease the grub screw off?
Very well done Sir. This isn’t a problem I need to address, but I definitely appreciated the guidance regarding not disturbing the planetary gears - that’s a whole next level of repair for nearly everybody I expect.
I have to question why would they have a pin there causing that movement in the first place. while what you're doing seems to be an obvious fix you may also be causing another issue by screwing with the mechanics. I'd like to know what festool has to say about this. I have seen other videos where the positioning resets itself automatically. either way you're starting a fan club of newly unwarrantied tools. and when your new fans screw up their repair they won't be sending it back to festool to fix it'll just go into the trash.
I solved a similar issue with 1st fix gas framing nailers that refuse to fire despite a full service. In the trigger is a small piece of spring steel that operates a micro switch to prevent accidental firing. This is usually misshapen or bent over time and stops the microswitch from being activated! If you don't mind living dangerously remove it or replace it. Struggled for years trying to figure the issue. Hope this helps someone?
Nice one, I hear all sorts of issues with framing nailers, battery and gas. I think its probably the environments they live in (and the prople using) for a tool with many moving parts problems are inevitable.
Thank you so much, I had no idea what you guys were talking about. I loved my jigsaw. I mean seriously compared to others I've used. I was so thankful for the lack of mess, I got used to the wobbly start. So if I can find that screw I'll definitely better mine for sure. I just wish someone said something sooner. Thank you so much.
You do get used to ‘dancing around’ the wobble, but accuracy does suffer, you get there in the end but. This is turning it into a trust worthy accurate tool, which for the money ANYTHING with festool written on it should be considering the outrageous prices👍🏻 I might dig out my old one and see if this was why I hated it
Thank you so much for this straight forward repair. I honestly thought it was my incompetence that was causing the problem, though that may yet prove to be so. I ordered my screws through Amazon au. Waiting on delivery which may be a while.
Thanks for posting this. I’m considering the Carvex to replace my Makita LXT but have been put off by the reports so it’s good to know there’s a fix. You seem to have done a proper job of rectifying the problem. Does this reduce the functionality of the pendulum? Can you see a problem with just jamming something in front of the pin to keep it in place as a non destructive preventative measure for newly bought units?
Hi, great video 👌 In the video you mention that the new screw you fitted is 12mm long, but the Amazon link is for a 10mm. Both are available to buy, which one should I get? I feel if the 12mm touches the casing when reassembled that would be better so it doesn’t unwind?
Thank you for this fix. It’s disgusting that Festool, a premium brand, sell jigsaws with this problem. I wasn’t going to buy one, but with your fix, I will reconsider. Thank you once again. This video is extremely valuable.
Cheers Peter, I woul;d see how the new one goes before doing the fix, some people have reported that theirs hav been ok. The majority do not however haha
Just done this on my Carvex and WOW what an amazing difference for such an easy fix. I was like you and gave up on it but now it's definitely going to be my go to again. Thanks for sharing this fix I really appreciate it.
No, the blade oscillation is created by allowing the support to be moved backwards. This is working on the front of the blade, pick the jigsaw up and adjust from 0 to 3 and watch the movement 👍
This is amazing, thanks man! Time to dig the carvex out and give this a try, I will miss the impressive light show of sparks! 2-3 week wait on the grub screw though!
I too had horrible issues with the old carvex; It was basically unusable with hardwood use. I rolled the dice on the new cordless one, and was able to make some pretty difficult cuts easy right away. Was able to get the setup dialed in nicely and the startup was so much nicer.
Have you noticed the auto setting not working after the fix? I'm wondering if there's a sensor on the back of the pendulum and the pressure pushing against it makes it think it's being cut into material
@@BradshawJoinery Well, it's Festool Germany's problem, and they should be aware of Festool UK not responding to customers, which is despicable for that company.
Thank you for this. It definitely earned you my subscription 😊 I’ll be sorting this fix on all my jigsaws. I’ll also pass this on to Festool for their response 👍🏻 Thanks again. You’re a legend
Because with the pin pushed forward the blade isn't seated in the carbide feet and is the primary reason these jigsaws are poor. This mod ensured the blade seats in the carbide guides, which can then be adjusted to suit
Perfect!! I just shared your Video to all of my capentry friends. Always asked myself why Mafell can do it and all other brands cant. Now YOU did it. Just perfect. Thanks a lot!
Hi Oliver, haven’t got a tenner but thought I’d share my experience to help your channel, I’ve just received a 2014 carvex off ebay and has this problem, I’ve ordered the screws they are coming tomorrow, thank you so much for sharing this info, you must have a very inquisitive mind as I wouldn’t know where to start looking for this fix , all the best, i intrigued to know if festool has approached you with any feedback whatsoever
Thank you buddy I was going to replace mine it was so annoying the blade wobbling never thought it could be as simple a fix as this. I’ve just ordered the grub screws from Amazon hopefully I’ll be using it again when they arrive.
We'll now call you Saint Ollie. Great work analyzing what the issue was and coming up with such a neat fix. My jigsaw is a Makita and it is inaccurate as muck. Watching you make the cuts at the end of the video made me envious! Thanks for the video. Cheers, David
Go for 10mm.ones is the general consensus. Also make sure not too tight (leave the teeniest bit of play before lade hits the sprung part of grub screw and will be fine.
Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated. I just purchased one and I will be checking for that play. Nonetheless, I will be placing and order ASAP for those Ball Point Set Screws.
Great video thanks for taking the time to not only find a fix but share it. I had put off buying one after using friends with the issue. Finally bought a carvex and straight out the box before using it opened it up to find the pin pushed forward. 5 minutes later with a new grub screw and all set up working lovely!
I've got to say thank you!! Turned my basically unsafe and unusable Festool Carvex into a dream saw. This is how it should have come out of the factory. Mine has been collecting dust for a few years due to the poor cutting. Festool knows about the problem for sure due to the number of complaints and should be ashamed they have swept this under the rug and not taken accountability. Kudos to you for a cheap and easy fix. Thanks again!!
Bloody ingenious fix mate, you are my personal hero! The difference is like day and night and for the first time ever I've been able to actually start a cut right on the line instead of three attempts of guess-work until the blade finally entered at the correct position without deflecting left, right and center.
Nice one Chris! :) Yeah ist bloody insane isnt it! Its actually a really good jigsaw with the guides adjusted to the blade, much more accurate than the regular universal guide wheel of other brands. Enjoy
Update after some time it’s still running sweet and I did end up making a small hole in the case so accessibility for the screw is easy incase I need to change it. Still in place. I had the opportunity to buy a d handle from a frustrated buyer for £75 fixed in ten minutes and I prefer it.
You total legend!! I do furniture installation and have had a bloody nightmare with my carvex chipping and blade wondering off. Been in my workshop for months. Had to buy Hikoki cordless and does much better job. Have ordered the part, and if this works will definitely send you a tenna!
I do love my carvex for accurate straight cuts, but starting cuts has always been a pain, such an easy fix with the link to the parts and 10mins later an accurate solid blade position. Thank you!
I've owned all festool jigsaws. Ps300 was by far the best. Still doesn't come close compared to my current maffel p1 cc jigsaw. Without a doubt the best jigsaw in the world
If I Google best Jigsaw the only 2 brands that show up are Mafell and Festool. Not looking at the DIY reviews suggesting Black and Decker that is. Bosch is a great one if not the best for cordless though. :)
sold my soul to festool 0ver 15 years ago and always hated the jigsaw. Nearly as bad as the first attempt at that totally shite impact driver if anyone was unfortunate enough to part with their hard earned cash to try one. Anyway, hopefully with this fantastic effort of a fix my jigsaw will come out of hiding again. Well done
Have just done the modification and am astounded at the difference to blade control it has made. In 10minutes I’ve gone from carvex hater to actually enjoying using it. Many thanks pal
@@BradshawJoinery I went for the M4x10 as they were the only ones in stock on prime and couldn’t wait for the slowboat from China to give it a go. Still have about 1mm sticking proud of the housing so all’s good. 6 quid to transform a sow’s ear into a silk purse is the bargain of the century for me. Plus, I have 9 more screws to find a use for 🤣 Thanks again for sharing bud
I’ve had the same problem with two carvex jigsaws, idiot!! But I seen this last week after years of been too stubborn to get a different brand, I just put a piece of hardboard in front of the pin cause I had no m3 screw and it’s working perfect. Probably a temporary solution but it works
After doing this fix, my Carvex is only laterally sloppy =) A lot better than before though. I bought 10mm long pins, and I had to make cut-outs in the plastic so that I could get the parts back together. 7 mm long pins would have been better. Also, it's a very delicate balance between getting the blade right, and be able to change blades easily. Festool should take this product off the market until the design is resolved.
No worries and hopefully it works out for you. Dont overtighten the screw, literally just enough so there is no pressure on it but it doesnt move away from the guide
Reading the title, I wondered which Festool tool you were going to talk about as there are more than one which, for me, are dreadful. For me, they fall into 2 camps - either very good (router, track saw, domino, sander - but only on horizontal pieces due to its weight) or just dreadful (jigsaw, cordless drill driver). For their price, they all ought to be great. The prices can’t be justified in terms of cost plus. They can’t be justified in terms of R&D recovery as items such as the domino will have repaid their R&D costs years ago. Their prices only exist because of one of the rules of marketing - charge as much as people will pay. I don’t touch my Festool driver at all. I use the DeWalts or (lower power but smaller) Makita.
Cheers Theo, I don't disagree, but also do think their tools are a step above the likes of the more budget brands. A freind is stunned by the cost/quality of festool versus his Hilti kit that is double the price. Also I've not use another drill with finer controll than the c18 and c12 drills I have. I'll confidently install flat screws in finish hardware with them, but also have a t12 that's very unresponsive. I have (I think) 7 festool drills and that's the only one. The jigsaw is actually great with this fault fixed. It's a real nice tool. Shame really!
Many thanks for sharing this fix, my first jigsaw vibrated so much i didnt like to use it for anyhthing accurate and eventualy self destructed, the cost to repair from festool was £100,00 more than a replacement bare unit! I am not really sure why but i have just ordered a replacement, perdhaps with the hope it will be better but having found your video i will definately give it a try Thanks again
Hated my Carvex, virtually all my kitchen fitting tools are Festool, Routers, Rail Saw, Cordless`s, Angled Cordless`s etc, so i invested in a Carvex, what an absolute bag of shite it was, i had the same issue with the blade wobbling all over the place, i also hated that it didn`t have a slow start trigger, it was on full chatt from the start, worst tool Festool ever made so i went back to my Makita LXT Cordless Jigsaw which i must have had 15 years give or take, so i sold my Carvex on 2 years ago and to be honest with you if ide have seen this video back then and saw your fix ide have still p*ssed it off and used my Makita, great video tho.
Hi Glen, if you use the auto mode it'll start steady then ramp up when in the cut, the d handle version also has a normal trigger if you prefer that?
My story exactly. I even sold the barrel grip version Carvex and tried the D handle model, but couldn't get on with it at all. Sold that, and went back to my Makita LXT. Quite an expensive exercise...
Buy a maffel jigsaw. The best there is.
The best cutting jigsaw yes. However not the best. Heavy and corded. It could be the best. I believe the d handle cordless carvex with this mod is pretty darn good. Again not perfect but better features than the mafell (except the cutting)
@@BradshawJoinery is perfect cutting not the only thing a jigsaw should do?
I've never had that problem. I have recently had a chance to compare the cordless version of Carvex to a latest one from DeWalt cutting curves and stright after that I put my DeWalt for sale
I’ve just bought the Festool jigsaw and can honestly say it is the worst jigsaw I have ever used. Came across the Bradshaw Joinery “Fix”. It takes 5 mins. I now have the best jigsaw ever. Many thanks Bradshaw Joinery.
Jeff Cooper
You could have also set it up properly and never had this issue
ruclips.net/user/liveVa_l6euB07c?si=PFF8o-YtO6AQUC8N
Thankyou Ollie. I thought it was me, I have a Bosch jigsaw that’s over 50 years old (yes, really) that’s better than the Festool one. I will give this fix a try, Thankyou!
Cheers Morgan, Nope definitley not just you, very unpopular tool on Festool Talk Group
What is the Bosch Jigsaw you have that’s better than the Festool, just curious?
You’ve made my day! Had an early carvex with the non adjustable guides -sold that then got a trion -but now have a new carvex and sorted the wobble out ! Used it today and it’s like a completely new jigsaw thanks so much!
Nice one Ali! Pleased to hear the feedback! Its certainly improved it a lot!!!
Thanks mate!! just done this fix to my cordless D handle jigsaw and its improved so much, only trouble i had was the trigger module. Not sure if i did it by accident or that was how it came but the jigsaw would fire up once i connected the battery. the trigger module was stuck in the on position due to it having a dent but i just used a knife to pry it loose and its working fine now haha had to pull it apart 5 times to figure out the problem
I don’t have the Carvex, but well done for fixing the issue and putting out this video.
Cheers Steve!
Yes thank you that’s a real good solution , I’ve had 8 of this machines and all with the same problem.
The first 3 months its a very nice machine but then its not possible to saw in a straight line , its vibration is not normal
So all the machines have been inspected by Festool and they said they are okay but they where NOT!!!!
Its just a construction failure in the machine but they don’t admit it.
Out of coulance they’ve send me 2 brand knew machines but after a while they have the same problem .
Sad
I think they work fine until the first time the blade gets caught as you retract the saw from the material, at which point the pin gets pulled.... hence lasting a few motnhs in some cases and some not being a problem
Noce fix, you've made a lot of friends with this one!
Haha seems that way! cheers mate
Brilliant. Just ordered the parts as have three of them 👍
Brilliant video… it’s unbelievable that Festool didn’t fix the problem !
Cheers John, yes, seems strange there is no fix from the factory.
Great idea, just ordered the grub screws and I hope it works on both my carvex jigsaws. You do get used to the wobble if you use them enough👍
Where from
@@TheMbrist you can use the link in the description or just get them on ebay
Nice one Simon! Hopefully it helps you out
Awesome. You have fixed Festools worst tool. The old PS300 is a far superior jigsaw. And of course the Mafell is the best in the world. (I have all 3)
Haha, its certainly a bloomin lot better! The mafell seems popular but the weight of the carvex is enough in my opinion. I think if there was a blade to rival the mafell one then the carvex could be as good!
Hi brad, i don't know if I saw it correct but did you remove your guide metal piece on your psc 420, thanks again for the genius idea 🙏
I did yeah 👍, thanks mate
Sent you a beer on buy me a coffee to show my appreciation. Great videos and you’ve upped my joinery game.
Cheers David, your a Legend. I really appreciate that! :)
Thank you so much for sharing this man!!!! Im so stoked to try this out!!!
No worries Jeff, works a treat
Bloody awesome fix. I routinely curse at how crappy the Carvex is so maybe, just maybe this’ll make it useable!
Cheers Phil. Ive had some pretty astounding feedback from folk who Have done the mod so far!
Thanks for another great video
Thanks for that tip. Great Channel by the way
No worries, cheers Nick
I have the Milwaukee M18 fuel barrel grip jigsaw, it's just as good as the Festool Carvex if not better.
Nice one, I have a few milwaukke tools now, the carvex is great with the mod, but not perfect i agree. Ive not tried the milwaukee
Not all heroes wear capes!
haha brilliant
Festool should do the decent thing of fixing their design and paying your for the consultancy with some free tools or an equivalent payment
Haha that would be nice, but doubtful!
Thank you
Cheers Jesse
Many thanks cheers
No worries
I do wonder what goes on in design departments. I’m sure your warranty.”they have no idea what the tool is supposed to do. I once bought a tool and had to make five modifications to it to get it to work correctly. I sent the mods to the manufacturer and guess what their reply was? “You’ve voided your warranty. I have a Bosch pendulum jigsaw and the pendulum adjuster sticks out slightly from the edge of the sole plate which means you can’t make a square cut when using that side of the sole plate against a wall. When you look at old tools, they were invariably designed perfectly and still work well today.
Pretty much! Its amazing really, product testing some things the problems would be picked up straight away but seem to exist in a finished marketed product!?
WOOOOW***** AMAZING. THANKS SOOOOO MUCH JUST SHOT YOU OVER SOME MONEY. man NO one had an answer and Festtool just gave me a wierd empty look.... THANKS>>>>>>. Andreas Edrich MD Denver, Colorado.
Wow. Thanks.
Cheers JIm! :)
Great video how’s your jigsaw holding up through time ?
Going well! I bought a d handle version also because i prefer that shape. Dont overtighten the screw, leave the tinyiest but of play before it hits the sprung ball.
I have a Hikoki 18v jig saw and it has the same thing happen when it is in orbital mode but it goes away when the orbital mode is turned off, I'm not sure if this is the same for the Festool but that's the way the Hikoki works.
The festool has the same pendulum mode, but this happens when the mode is set to run stright and true.
@@BradshawJoinery I see.
Brilliant
Cheers Craig
Hi buddy do u set this up on 3 or 0 on the pendulum setting 🤔
Zero, so the blade runs straight up and down, it's also the most forward point of the pendulum action so the clearance for the action is made by allowing the blade to move back away from the 0 setting
should have bought the mafell Ollie...
Haha! i dont use a jigsaw much, but maybe thats because its always been hard work. lol
Where do I order the screws. Thanks
Search Sping ball plunger m4 x 12 I linked an amazon product that was in stock but unfortunately they have sold out!
For that kind of money the tool should be top notch... not wobble worst than cheap 'no name' one.
they should be ashamed for saying that there is nothing wrong with it.
Pretty much!
Festool should at the very latest send you some battery’s for your jig saw after fixing their jig saw problems, you can bet they use your fix in their for coming repairs. I would have sent them a link to this vlog !!
Cheers Peter,In reality ill get nowt, probably grief haha
@@BradshawJoinery As an engineer I do like the look of Festool kit . I have a drill and an old rail saw passed on to me from an old work friend , did remember hearing some mutterings from him on the problematics of their jig saws that’s what made watch your vlog and also Which is why I have a Dewalt and workz jig saws . But if I was to ever get my hands on a carves I will try your fix.
Festool ows you a salary.
Thats would be lovely
Expect two large men from festool to pay a visit to break your thumbs………..! 😡☠️
Lol. i look forward to it, i have 2 working jisgaws for defence now
Interesting. I’ve always just used the included hex key to tighten the blade guide all the way so it’s tight, then loosen it a quarter turn or maybe a little more so the blades barely touch the blade guide. Made sure the blade is in contact with the roller before making those adjustments. Never had an issue with mine. Always had great control in my cuts.
aslong as the pin infront of the blade mech stays in place then itll work great. i guess a stuck blade and pulling backwards causes it to pop out but some may be weaker than others. one of mine was like it out the box.
Same here. It takes some effort and learning to get the adjustment right. But once you know how to do it it's a good Jigsaw.
It works best with the golden Festool blades. Another factor to consider is if you set the speed dial to automatic or to a certain speed. On automatic the saw is slow at first then ramps up the speed when it senses resistance. I recommend to not use the automatic setting and rather set it to the highest speed, because it takes a moment for the saw to ramp up the speed.
They are the worst jigsaws I have ever used. Not fit for purpose.
I will try your fix, thanks for posting.
Pretty much but its amazing how one issue can suddenly make you thing negatively about a machine and then you find lots of problems. Im enjoying mine again
Well done, while I don't 'currently' have this issue I can appreciate what is happening now. Hopefully the factory will see this and consider it as a factory fix.
Maybe, tbh it should be revised straight away. Not a good show
I love my Festool tools but this is why I bought a Maffell jigsaw and not a Festool , the Maffell is massively superior in my opinion and it’s a far more capable, accurate and reliable tool ! Fair play to you for working out a fix 👏👍😀 shame on Festool I’m afraid!
The mafell seems a common purchase for the best jigsaw! I was put off at the point of buying a little by the weight and the corded element. I ended up going for the brushless dewalt which is ok for what i use for. I like the mafell blades though!
That alarm was the Festool warranty police getting alerted 😀
Haha, the should be happy saving them work
Thanks Ollie ... even though I don't own any Festool tools I found it amazing that such a simple replacement part would fix a problem that Festool themselves couldn't even come up with. Good one, mate!
Cheers Dave. Hopefully im not missing something with the fix, but it seems a solid solution
For the money that Festool charge for their products, you would expect them not to have problems like that!
Absolutely and it's a very well known problem with such a simple fix 🤷
People abuse tools, they break. Do you expect anything to last indefinitely?
@@rickc2078 Nobody expects the tools to last forever but to spend so much on a "premium" tool you would expect it to work out the box.
@@alanmackenzie8312 Of course we would, it's not a perfect world though. My cousin and I bought new cars, same model. Mine was as you would expect (out of the box) my cousins spent more time in the shop than on the roads. It's not exclusive to Festool, is it?.
@@rickc2078 that’s not abuse that’s bad design. I have one that’s nearly new and is the same.
I ended up splitting my gearbox, now it’s working ok but vibrating like a dildo! Do I need to re time the gearbox back up or maybe ease the grub screw off?
Hi, yes the gears need re-timing. There is an alignment hole, but its tricky and i cant remeber exactly why
I don't know if forward back ward wobble is a problem, but I have problem with left and right wobble, causing non straight cut.
Very interesting that Festool managed to make the Carver worse than Trion that came before it. I've only heard good things about the Trion.
Thank! I've ordered the part.
I'm also having trouble with square cuts. The blade isn't square to the base.
Very well done Sir. This isn’t a problem I need to address, but I definitely appreciated the guidance regarding not disturbing the planetary gears - that’s a whole next level of repair for nearly everybody I expect.
No worries, I started it up when they were out of balance it nearly took off 🤣🤣🤣
I have to question why would they have a pin there causing that movement in the first place. while what you're doing seems to be an obvious fix you may also be causing another issue by screwing with the mechanics. I'd like to know what festool has to say about this. I have seen other videos where the positioning resets itself automatically. either way you're starting a fan club of newly unwarrantied tools. and when your new fans screw up their repair they won't be sending it back to festool to fix it'll just go into the trash.
I solved a similar issue with 1st fix gas framing nailers that refuse to fire despite a full service.
In the trigger is a small piece of spring steel that operates a micro switch to prevent accidental firing.
This is usually misshapen or bent over time and stops the microswitch from being activated!
If you don't mind living dangerously remove it or replace it.
Struggled for years trying to figure the issue.
Hope this helps someone?
Nice one, I hear all sorts of issues with framing nailers, battery and gas. I think its probably the environments they live in (and the prople using) for a tool with many moving parts problems are inevitable.
Thank you so much, I had no idea what you guys were talking about. I loved my jigsaw. I mean seriously compared to others I've used. I was so thankful for the lack of mess, I got used to the wobbly start. So if I can find that screw I'll definitely better mine for sure. I just wish someone said something sooner. Thank you so much.
You do get used to ‘dancing around’ the wobble, but accuracy does suffer, you get there in the end but. This is turning it into a trust worthy accurate tool, which for the money ANYTHING with festool written on it should be considering the outrageous prices👍🏻
I might dig out my old one and see if this was why I hated it
No problem, its so good to see so many thanks to be honest!
You should sell the idea to festool…and buy a mafell with the cash
Haha! 🤣🤣
Thank you so much for this straight forward repair. I honestly thought it was my incompetence that was causing the problem, though that may yet prove to be so. I ordered my screws through Amazon au. Waiting on delivery which may be a while.
Cheers Matey, Hopefully they turn up pronto!
Thanks for posting this. I’m considering the Carvex to replace my Makita LXT but have been put off by the reports so it’s good to know there’s a fix. You seem to have done a proper job of rectifying the problem. Does this reduce the functionality of the pendulum? Can you see a problem with just jamming something in front of the pin to keep it in place as a non destructive preventative measure for newly bought units?
yeah it would be possible! i thought about getting a part 3d printed
Hi, great video 👌
In the video you mention that the new screw you fitted is 12mm long, but the Amazon link is for a 10mm. Both are available to buy, which one should I get? I feel if the 12mm touches the casing when reassembled that would be better so it doesn’t unwind?
The 10 mm as 12 doesn’t fit as well
Thanks for this video, awesome super simple fix, hopefully the carvex will redeem itself with your fix 👍
Cheers Peter. Mine is going to have to earn its keep now!
Interesting for sure....Wonder if they fixed this. You would think this is a common problem and they would revise it.
Just deny all accusation of there being a problem!
I was about to buy a Carvex but now I'm reluctant. Hate to invalidate the warranty so maybe I should wait for a "430" model.
i dont reccomend or advise it, but if i had a wattanty claim i might keep the original pin and push it back in place before returning.. or maybe not.
Thank you for this fix. It’s disgusting that Festool, a premium brand, sell jigsaws with this problem. I wasn’t going to buy one, but with your fix, I will reconsider. Thank you once again. This video is extremely valuable.
Cheers Peter, I woul;d see how the new one goes before doing the fix, some people have reported that theirs hav been ok. The majority do not however haha
Just done this on my Carvex and WOW what an amazing difference for such an easy fix. I was like you and gave up on it but now it's definitely going to be my go to again. Thanks for sharing this fix I really appreciate it.
Cheers matey. yes i am really enjoying using my carvex again. Such a good jigsaw now
But doesn't this fix make the rocker guide not work?
Because the blade cant nudge forward?
No, the blade oscillation is created by allowing the support to be moved backwards. This is working on the front of the blade, pick the jigsaw up and adjust from 0 to 3 and watch the movement 👍
This is amazing, thanks man! Time to dig the carvex out and give this a try, I will miss the impressive light show of sparks! 2-3 week wait on the grub screw though!
I can send you one of my spare grub screws matey, pm me on Instagram
I refuse to use our Festool jigsaw as it’s rubbish, thanks for the fix!
Cheers Paul, Hopefully you can re-unite with it!
I too had horrible issues with the old carvex; It was basically unusable with hardwood use. I rolled the dice on the new cordless one, and was able to make some pretty difficult cuts easy right away. Was able to get the setup dialed in nicely and the startup was so much nicer.
Thank you! I only bouth my festool carvex after you show us how to fix it ...festool sould pay you for this video..that is for sure
Haha that would be nice!
Thank You very much!! This is the perfect fix. Thank You
Thankyou
Thanks on the behalf of Festool, they should send you a new one
i have butchered my original one a bit to find a fix! lol
Have you noticed the auto setting not working after the fix? I'm wondering if there's a sensor on the back of the pendulum and the pressure pushing against it makes it think it's being cut into material
No it shouldn't be a problem, maybe the screw is in too far causing resistance? Is the blade slightly Freeplay
@@BradshawJoinery I thought so, didn't go to far. It's got just a little wiggle before it hits the screw it feels like
Highly appreciated mate
How very un-Festool by Festool UK. You should send this info directly to Festool in Germany.
haha i think they are aware, just dont want to admit it
@@BradshawJoinery Well, it's Festool Germany's problem, and they should be aware of Festool UK not responding to customers, which is despicable for that company.
Thank you for this. It definitely earned you my subscription 😊 I’ll be sorting this fix on all my jigsaws. I’ll also pass this on to Festool for their response 👍🏻
Thanks again. You’re a legend
Nice one Leon! Its certainly been very well received!
why don't you adjust the carbide feet to set the blade. No wobble
Because with the pin pushed forward the blade isn't seated in the carbide feet and is the primary reason these jigsaws are poor.
This mod ensured the blade seats in the carbide guides, which can then be adjusted to suit
Perfect!! I just shared your Video to all of my capentry friends. Always asked myself why Mafell can do it and all other brands cant. Now YOU did it. Just perfect. Thanks a lot!
Cheers matey! Hopefully it helps you out
Hi Oliver, haven’t got a tenner but thought I’d share my experience to help your channel, I’ve just received a 2014 carvex off ebay and has this problem, I’ve ordered the screws they are coming tomorrow, thank you so much for sharing this info, you must have a very inquisitive mind as I wouldn’t know where to start looking for this fix , all the best, i intrigued to know if festool has approached you with any feedback whatsoever
Thank you buddy I was going to replace mine it was so annoying the blade wobbling never thought it could be as simple a fix as this. I’ve just ordered the grub screws from Amazon hopefully I’ll be using it again when they arrive.
We'll now call you Saint Ollie. Great work analyzing what the issue was and coming up with such a neat fix. My jigsaw is a Makita and it is inaccurate as muck. Watching you make the cuts at the end of the video made me envious! Thanks for the video. Cheers, David
Thanks Buddy, Ive had some great feedback from people that managed to get on the orders early!
Thank you for this information and I'm ordering the set screws.
Go for 10mm.ones is the general consensus. Also make sure not too tight (leave the teeniest bit of play before lade hits the sprung part of grub screw and will be fine.
Nice Vid! I’m going to try this after my warranty runs out. I have the D handle. it’s variable speed trigger really helps getting a straight cut
Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated. I just purchased one and I will be checking for that play. Nonetheless, I will be placing and order ASAP for those Ball Point Set Screws.
Great video thanks for taking the time to not only find a fix but share it. I had put off buying one after using friends with the issue. Finally bought a carvex and straight out the box before using it opened it up to find the pin pushed forward. 5 minutes later with a new grub screw and all set up working lovely!
I've got to say thank you!! Turned my basically unsafe and unusable Festool Carvex into a dream saw. This is how it should have come out of the factory. Mine has been collecting dust for a few years due to the poor cutting. Festool knows about the problem for sure due to the number of complaints and should be ashamed they have swept this under the rug and not taken accountability. Kudos to you for a cheap and easy fix. Thanks again!!
Bloody ingenious fix mate, you are my personal hero! The difference is like day and night and for the first time ever I've been able to actually start a cut right on the line instead of three attempts of guess-work until the blade finally entered at the correct position without deflecting left, right and center.
Nice one Chris! :) Yeah ist bloody insane isnt it! Its actually a really good jigsaw with the guides adjusted to the blade, much more accurate than the regular universal guide wheel of other brands. Enjoy
Update after some time it’s still running sweet and I did end up making a small hole in the case so accessibility for the screw is easy incase I need to change it. Still in place. I had the opportunity to buy a d handle from a frustrated buyer for £75 fixed in ten minutes and I prefer it.
You total legend!! I do furniture installation and have had a bloody nightmare with my carvex chipping and blade wondering off. Been in my workshop for months. Had to buy Hikoki cordless and does much better job. Have ordered the part, and if this works will definitely send you a tenna!
Cheers Mark, It should make all the difference, i certainly am enjoying using mine more now!
@@BradshawJoinery I just couldn’t believe that Festool, which I have lots of kit, is so good in general, but the carvex is so poor
Thanks!
I do love my carvex for accurate straight cuts, but starting cuts has always been a pain, such an easy fix with the link to the parts and 10mins later an accurate solid blade position. Thank you!
I've owned all festool jigsaws. Ps300 was by far the best. Still doesn't come close compared to my current maffel p1 cc jigsaw. Without a doubt the best jigsaw in the world
Definitely seems to be a popular choice but I do think the p1cc needs a few tweaks. Cordless and a diet then it would be unbeatable!
I researched jigsaws recently, I never came across Maffel, it was always Dewalt and Bosch that came out on top.
If I Google best Jigsaw the only 2 brands that show up are Mafell and Festool. Not looking at the DIY reviews suggesting Black and Decker that is. Bosch is a great one if not the best for cordless though. :)
sold my soul to festool 0ver 15 years ago and always hated the jigsaw. Nearly as bad as the first attempt at that totally shite impact driver if anyone was unfortunate enough to part with their hard earned cash to try one. Anyway, hopefully with this fantastic effort of a fix my jigsaw will come out of hiding again. Well done
You are a very clever man 🌞
Haha not sure about that, im not a good businessman thats for sure haha
Fairplay for honesty and skills to carry out works festool should employ you
Cheers buddy
Amazing they sent it back to you. Great fix 😀
Cheers Graham, seems comon that many people have returned and recieved an unaltered saw!!!!
Does this fix effect use of the oscillation function?
No, the osiclation function goes backwards from the point at which the blade is held in the straight position, creating the oscillating action
Have just done the modification and am astounded at the difference to blade control it has made. In 10minutes I’ve gone from carvex hater to actually enjoying using it.
Many thanks pal
Revelation isn't it 👌🙌
Enjoy your new Jigsaw 🤣
Thanks for saying aswell mate!
You must have been quick off tb mark as they prime stock disappeared straight away!
@@BradshawJoinery I went for the M4x10 as they were the only ones in stock on prime and couldn’t wait for the slowboat from China to give it a go. Still have about 1mm sticking proud of the housing so all’s good.
6 quid to transform a sow’s ear into a silk purse is the bargain of the century for me. Plus, I have 9 more screws to find a use for 🤣
Thanks again for sharing bud
Thank you. Very nice. I may finally buy a Carvex now.
I’ve had the same problem with two carvex jigsaws, idiot!! But I seen this last week after years of been too stubborn to get a different brand, I just put a piece of hardboard in front of the pin cause I had no m3 screw and it’s working perfect. Probably a temporary solution but it works
Nice one Conor, Yeah aslong as the pin is held in place then alls well
After doing this fix, my Carvex is only laterally sloppy =) A lot better than before though.
I bought 10mm long pins, and I had to make cut-outs in the plastic so that I could get the parts back together. 7 mm long pins would have been better.
Also, it's a very delicate balance between getting the blade right, and be able to change blades easily.
Festool should take this product off the market until the design is resolved.
Thanks MAtey. I hope it helps you out
I just ordered some screws and will try this next week. Thanks for showing the fix!
No worries and hopefully it works out for you. Dont overtighten the screw, literally just enough so there is no pressure on it but it doesnt move away from the guide
Reading the title, I wondered which Festool tool you were going to talk about as there are more than one which, for me, are dreadful. For me, they fall into 2 camps - either very good (router, track saw, domino, sander - but only on horizontal pieces due to its weight) or just dreadful (jigsaw, cordless drill driver). For their price, they all ought to be great.
The prices can’t be justified in terms of cost plus. They can’t be justified in terms of R&D recovery as items such as the domino will have repaid their R&D costs years ago. Their prices only exist because of one of the rules of marketing - charge as much as people will pay.
I don’t touch my Festool driver at all. I use the DeWalts or (lower power but smaller) Makita.
Cheers Theo, I don't disagree, but also do think their tools are a step above the likes of the more budget brands. A freind is stunned by the cost/quality of festool versus his Hilti kit that is double the price. Also I've not use another drill with finer controll than the c18 and c12 drills I have. I'll confidently install flat screws in finish hardware with them, but also have a t12 that's very unresponsive. I have (I think) 7 festool drills and that's the only one.
The jigsaw is actually great with this fault fixed. It's a real nice tool. Shame really!
Many thanks for sharing this fix, my first jigsaw vibrated so much i didnt like to use it for anyhthing accurate and eventualy self destructed, the cost to repair from festool was £100,00 more than a replacement bare unit!
I am not really sure why but i have just ordered a replacement, perdhaps with the hope it will be better but having found your video i will definately give it a try
Thanks again
Hi, im so sorry i missed your super thanks. You are very kind and i am glad the fix will help. Hope you can enjoy the jigsaw.