About dust extractor CLEANTEC CT 26: L, M or H?

[Kenzo]

What is the difference between L (Low), M (Medium) and H (High)?
Bigger engine, the filters, the electronics or what?

Becurse, I already have L and M machines, and hope to upgrade them to H machines. But is it possible?

Thanks in advance: Kenzo

 

[woodbutcherbower]

The letters L, M and H don't stand for Low, Medium and High with respect to the machine's power or performance - the suction power/airflow etc. is exactly the same for all three versions. Instead - the letters relate to how hazardous the dust is which they're collecting = 'L'ow hazard, 'M'edium hazard and 'H'igh hazard.

L-Class (CTL26) = the standard Festool extractor with a filter bag (traps almost all of the dust) plus an additional Hepa filter located in front of the turbine (traps the ultra-fine dust which makes it through the pores of the filter bag). This is the version used by the great majority of woodworkers.

M-Class (CTM26) = identical to L-Class in every respect, but with the addition of an audible alarm which alerts the operator to either a clogged filter, or some other factor which has reduced the airflow rate (= blocked tool extractor port, blocked hose, fat guy standing on your hose etc.). Mandatory on UK construction sites, and also potentially very useful for those woodworkers who habitually forget to check if their bag's full to bursting point.

H-Class (CTH26) = identical to M-Class, but with a significantly upgraded filtration system designed for removal of hazardous dusts including silica, asbestos and anything else which is dangerously harmful to health. H-Class vacuums are also typically used by workers such as chimney sweeps whose job involves removing tiny carbon and soot particles which absolutely must NOT be exhausted into a customer’s beautiful clean home !!

Additionally - the 'L' and 'M' versions are also available with an 'AC' option (CTL/CTM 26AC, or the larger and more popular CTL/CTM 36AC). This version is designed for applications such as drywall (plasterboard) sanding which generates large volumes of fine mineral/gypsum dust which will clog filter bags very quickly. These 'AC' machines are used without a filter bag, and the extracted dust is loaded directly onto the filter in front of the turbine. The 'AC' (= 'Autoclean') system periodically cleans this filter using aggressive mechanical vibration which causes the accumulated dust to be regularly 'banged' out of the filter. In use - it sounds like there's a little guy inside the machine repeatedly hitting a wooden block with a hammer.

All of the above versions of the CT26 use an identical motor/turbine - the only differences between versions relate to the level of filtration, plus the addition of an alarm in the 'M/H' versions and the automatic filter cleaning in the 'AC' versions.

I hope that clarifies things for you. Welcome to the FOG !!

 

[Michael Kellough]

Wood butcher’s explanation is by far the best I’ve read. I finally understand.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Wood butcher’s explanation is by far the best I’ve read. I finally understand.

You're most welcome [member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] - glad it hit the spot for you  [smile]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

It sure would be great to be able to get the M class here in the states. I have abused mine several times by overfilling it to the point of being a brick.
I should probably just get a CT-VA and be done with it  [blink]

 

[mino]

I would add that the description is valid ONLY for Festool Cleantec vacs in the current CT26/36/48 series, as per the OP.

The thing is, Festool does not make any vacuums which match (only) the pretty basic filtration requirements of the "L class". All Festool vacs match at-least up to the M-class filtration requirements.

But such is NOT the case for most other makers (!).

One should not look of the CTM series as "CTL with alarm". Instead, one should look at the CTL series as "CTM without alarm" as that is how the vacs are actually built.

As for other makers ... it is kinda easy to see if they make "true" (as in bad filtration) L-class or do it as Festool, "downgrading" their otherwise-compliant M class units.
If a maker does not offer an almost-identical model (as in same chassis, same motor, same filter) both as M class and as L class, you are likely getting the "basic" L-class with (often way, way) worse filtration. Such vacs are not safe for woodworking, especially for sanding. In those cases one needs at least "M class" from such a maker to come close to the Festool Cleantec fitration levels.

 

[mino]

It sure would be great to be able to get the M class here in the states. I have abused mine several times by overfilling it to the point of being a brick.
I should probably just get a CT-VA and be done with it  [blink]

Given you are moving to home use ... I would go with the CT48 bin as a spare par instead. It has about twice the pratical capacity with no negatives. Way better investment IMO for a hobby/low volume user. Comes from a proud CTM 36 AC and CT-VA owner ...

[smile]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

It sure would be great to be able to get the M class here in the states. I have abused mine several times by overfilling it to the point of being a brick.
I should probably just get a CT-VA and be done with it  [blink]

Given you are moving to home use ... I would go with the CT48 bin as a spare par instead. It has about twice the pratical capacity with no negatives. Way better investment IMO for a hobby/low volume user. Comes from a proud CTM 36 AC and CT-VA owner ...

[smile]

That is a good idea. I never thought of it that way. I don't need it to be light/portable in a stationary environment.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

It sure would be great to be able to get the M class here in the states.

The 110v UK site version?  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

Great and entirely sensible suggestion from [member=61254]mino[/member] above - buying a CT48 bin as a spare part. But when you fill it to 'brick' status (go on CRG - it's only a matter of time before you do) - you're gonna need a small crane to get it out ......... and FWIW I absolutely LOVE my CT-VA-20. The current window project (which you know about) has seen me machining literally kilometres of sash beads and other mouldings, plus all of the regular cutting/sanding. I must have emptied that CT-VA bin 30 times inside a month.

Top tip for CT-VA users who have a woodburning stove - don't throw your sawdust away, especially when you're generating sackfuls of the stuff like me. Buy some A4-sized paper bags from Amazon, bag the sawdust up and twist the top of the bag shut. Once your stove's really hot, toss on a bag once in awhile. They burn beautifully and don't smother the fire.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

As an aside - what is it with newbies who join the forum, ask a question, then return to read the helpful replies which various guys have taken time out of their day to write, and then disappear without the basic humility/manners of some form of acknowledgement??

Is it just me who gets hacked off with this?

 

[squall_line]

As an aside - what is it with newbies who join the forum, ask a question, then return to read the helpful replies which various guys have taken time out of their day to write, and then disappear without the basic humility/manners of some form of acknowledgement??

Is it just me who gets hacked off with this?

To be fair, in this case, it hasn't been all that long yet (< 4 days, posted on a weekend).  I know that I get busy from time to time and don't always have space in my day to follow up on the FOG, especially before it was a part of my regular routine.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

As an aside - what is it with newbies who join the forum, ask a question, then return to read the helpful replies which various guys have taken time out of their day to write, and then disappear without the basic humility/manners of some form of acknowledgement??

Is it just me who gets hacked off with this?

To be fair, in this case, it hasn't been all that long yet (< 4 days, posted on a weekend).  I know that I get busy from time to time and don't always have space in my day to follow up on the FOG, especially before it was a part of my regular routine.

True - and it's the same for all of us. We all have lives outside of this - but he's logged in (29th) and read all of the replies the day after most of them were posted (28th). It's seeing that which grinds my gears. I guess I shouldn't give a d**n - but I do. The FOG is the single most polite and civilised forum I post on. I just wish that newcomers would adopt the same standards which a huge majority of us have set. Maybe I'm just setting my expectations too high.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Stay calm and carry on [member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]  [big grin]
It’s like this on many forums, but still FOG is one of the best I’ve experienced..

Rest assured, and I think I’m not alone in this: IE like you and [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] among other professionals here, I very much appreciate your contributions and your more “straight to the point” task solving. It’s very much how I’ve learned previously, watching and listening to the professionals and amateurs that brings enthusiasm to work.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Stay calm and carry on [member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]  [big grin]
It’s like this on many forums, but still FOG is one of the best I’ve experienced..

Rest assured, and I think I’m not alone in this: IE like you and [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] among other professionals here, I very much appreciate your contributions and your more “straight to the point” task solving. It’s very much how I’ve learned previously, watching and listening to the professionals and amateurs that brings enthusiasm to work.

Thankyou. Spoken like a true FOG'er.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Great and entirely sensible suggestion from [member=61254]mino[/member] above - buying a CT48 bin as a spare part. But when you fill it to 'brick' status (go on CRG - it's only a matter of time before you do) - you're gonna need a small crane to get it out ......... and FWIW I absolutely LOVE my CT-VA-20. The current window project (which you know about) has seen me machining literally kilometres of sash beads and other mouldings, plus all of the regular cutting/sanding. I must have emptied that CT-VA bin 30 times inside a month.

I have bricked my CT26 more than once  [unsure]  it can be a bit of a chore to get the bag out and it's a lot smaller than a CT48. It normally happens when I do a lot with the router table. The last time was when I was cutting the big grooves in those laminate panels. It created a lot of volume some of which was the laminate itself, which is comparatively heavy. Sanders, Dominos, and saws don't make anywhere near the amount of chips of a 2" spoilboard surfacing bit. The router table fills the bag quickly. I bricked the CT twice in the same day once  [eek]
Economically, it probably makes more sense to go with the 48 tub? but the visual aspect of the CT-VA can't be overlooked either.

As an aside - what is it with newbies who join the forum, ask a question, then return to read the helpful replies which various guys have taken time out of their day to write, and then disappear without the basic humility/manners of some form of acknowledgement??

Is it just me who gets hacked off with this?

Not necessarily hacked off, but sometimes curious. I'm somewhat used to it though. I have been a contributor/moderator for many years at another unrelated forum and the same happens there too.

Rest assured, and I think I’m not alone in this: IE like you and [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] among other professionals here, I very much appreciate your contributions and your more “straight to the point” task solving. It’s very much how I’ve learned previously, watching and listening to the professionals and amateurs that brings enthusiasm to work.

Thank you, I do try to be helpful, even though the things I build are way out of the scope of 99% of people. Hopefully a technique or method might spark something for someone.

As far as commenters, it does seem to be a fairly small group of regulars, which is fine. I appreciate the camaraderie that does seem to be built here. I see comments about things I have said or done and it really impresses me that some people are that aware.

 

[mino]

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]
I always keep in mind that FOG is a public forum where for every OP asking a question there will be 10+ others who will search up the question on the web and never register to post theirs - they already got their answer after all.

I try phrasing any comments sufficiently generic for the same reason - so they are useful not only to the OP.

Besides, 2/3 the reason of me reading new posts is that the answers to them may be of interest to me in the first place.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Besides, 2/3 the reason of me reading new posts is that the answers to them may be of interest to me in the first place.

I do the same thing. I have learned a lot from European members, yourself included. I have been working in a cabinet shop for 19 years+, but really only go into Festool in 2015. I signed up on the website to register my tools, but didn't explore the forum much at the time. I'm about 90% self-taught and always looking for more, some of which comes from here. I learned a lot from woodworking magazines initially, then later from Youtube too. That was the main point of buying the Shaper Origin, something else to learn, and it has come in handy several times for projects at work too. I bought it for personal use, but it is sitting right there, ready to go, in the miter saw station.