My brand new domino joiner died after 50 cuts

Picked up a Festool DF 500 last Tuesday, and by Thursday the motor started smoking on a maple panel glue-up. Had to borrow my buddy's old Lamello just to finish the job. Anyone else have a new tool crap out that fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.iris1mo ago

Actually, Diablo blades have a 5/8" arbor bore standard, that's the same as almost every circular saw on the market (and most miter saws too). The issue you're describing on a joiner is more about the motor brushes getting jammed or the armature burning out, not a blade wobble problem. On a Festool DF 500 specifically, the motor is a brushless unit so there's no tension ring or arbor to check - it's a totally different kind of failure. The smoking smell on a brand new one is usually from a factory defect in the winding insulation or a bearing that was packed too tight out of the box.

alicecraig1mo ago

Honestly, that reminds me of the time my brand new chop saw blade shattered on the third cut, just sent chunks of carbide flying across the shop. Nothing like a fancy new toy turning into a fire hazard to ruin your week.

gavin4691mo ago

Man I had the SAME thing happen with a Diablo blade four years back. Scared the hell out of me and left a chip in my drywall ceiling. First thing I did was check the arbor size match because some cheap saws have a slightly different bore. Also look close at the blade's tension ring - if it was shipped loose in the box it can get warped. Next time you buy, spin the blade by hand in the store and look for any wobble off the shelf. And ALWAYS stand to the side when you pull the trigger, not directly behind the cut. That saved my left shin once when a grinder wheel came apart.