Driving around today between jobs it occurred to me from a recent toolaholics post on insta. The TS55 is less powerful in NA compared to running of 240 in EU. I happen to have a cordless so that has no mater to me. The mater to me is really with the Kapex. Tmk the kapex was designed with a motor not compatible with NA grid system. As such they die on an average higher odds than i would ever bet on.
So heres my thought, could i get a 240v Kapex for my shop and run it 240 in my shop in Oregon US NA and get past the possible motor issues? This expanded to the idea of running a TS55 on 240v dedicated in my shop?
I would love to just go cordless but i see no reason for Festool NA to follow suit with the recent yellow 50 something volt 12" product. nor do i care to go full cordless for my needs . i would rather have my electrician wire up euro 240v receptacles in my shop (if thats even possible).
I don't post often because i'm making things but i knew this would be the place to come with my query. So am I an idiot? Or am I on to something?
Secondary question, is the plug it cord the same on the tool side? is this as easy as getting differnet recepiticals in my shop and different cords. I would love to see my TS75 at full power.
Thanks for telling me i'm dumb, sorry to mods if you have to delete this, and heck yea if someone else thinks this is a possible option.
I sympathise with your dilemma, but don't really understand why you really need to radically change your current reasonably satisfactory setup.
Should you wish to change your tooling to 240v you'll be faced with an unenviable dilemma: from whence do you source the tooling? It's not going to be (easily or readily) available domestically, necessitating private import. You will therefore be kissing any possible warranty or even after-sales service & repair goodbye, despite having "purchased" said warranty, by buying at retail from an alien marketplace. Repair would require return postage expenses offshore to its country of source or an alternative with indigenous higher voltages and access to the requisite higher voltage parts. All without warranty protection! A change of plug, or even voltage frequency (50-60hz.) could result even in the country of sources' warranty being dishonoured.
There's much "better" alternatives available locally anyway. Most manufacturers are eminently capable of providing robust, reliable tooling that perform flawlessly with your native voltage characteristics, with the power, reliability and capability that you currently lack. Makita has a brand new SCMS, that whilst relatively untested as yet appears from the owners' reports filtering in to be superficially the equal of a Kapex for a mere fraction of the price (some US $500 odd inclusive of freight). Mafell offer robust, reliable 110v track saws in a range of (albeit expensive) configurations that are in many ways superior to their Festo/ol counterparts. Mafell market an even more specialised range of track & plunge saws, both corded & cordless, that are purpose-designed to withstand the rigours of commercial & industrial workplaces that are (relatively) easily obtained domestically. That they also employ an infinitely superior track system and feature immensely powerful & reliable Cuprex motors is an additional incentive to upgrade.
Another disincentive to change voltages will be the additional complication of voltage incompatibility. You cannot have auto on/off switching for a 240v tool from your 110v extractor. That will require a change also. It could get prohibitively expensive, whereas an incrementally upgraded, carefully "cherry picked" suite of tools from the world's best would be in the medium term much more practical & affordable. Your new tools won't "travel" well either. Should you wish to leave the workshop even temporarily you will always have the problem of finding an adequate 240v power source.
If you find your TS75 a trifle gutless, then an upgrade to a 2300w K85 or one of its sisters will be revelatory. If you require a plunge saw then Mafell's (albeit smaller than a TS75) 1400w MT55cc is also worth a look, and I'm fairly confident that a company as large, experienced & professional as Makita will be eminently capable of providing a robust SCMS in their new LS1019L. It so far appears to share most of the benefits of the Kapex equivalent with (hopefully) its inherent flaws well-engineered out.
In other words, why trade sideways when it may be a better strategy to incrementally trade up instead?