Another CT26, 36, 48 Question

[dinkjs]

So it is time to start saving up money for the next Festool purchase (also means selling some of my personal things off to help out and to not take out of my families personal funds to make the purchase)

Will buy a CT vacuum once that money is saved up.  So I was looking at the pricing ranging from 575.00 to 675.00 at $50 intervals and at the price heigth of these vacs $50 differences doesn't seem that bad.  So has anyone else taken this into consideration at either stepped up to the next size or all the way up to the CT48?

 

[mike metz]

i bought the 48 mainly because of this reason, that and i hate to change the bags so the longer they last the better!

 

[ccarrolladams]

Mike, back in 2006 I selected a CT22 instead of the CT33 because I did not want to lift the larger bag when it was full.

If I were to replace a 33 L bag when it was only 22 L full the cost of operation is extravagant. Therefore as I needed more CTs I always bought CT22s. This way I only needed to stock one size bag.

After the CT36 was actually in stock, I bought one to only be used by installers working for me on sites. Those folks are younger and more robust so lifting the larger bags is no trouble for them.

Generally speaking, so long as you can lift the bags, if you use your CT enough, the savings on bags will eventually cover the higher price of the larger CTs.

 

[Alan m]

iv got a ct22 . i couldnt put up with the weight of a 48 . a 48 would be twice the weight of a 22 and then some.
. i have a reusable bag for big stuff and disposable bags for dust,. i never get to fully fill the disposable s with dust as you lose suction first.

id get the ct26 and a cyclone to save the bags from shavings.

 

[score0matic]

The answer is comes down to where you are using your vac and what you are using it for.  If you are using it in your workshop as a hobby vac the 48 might be a cool showcase tool.  If you are transporting the vac much I recommend  a Mini or Midi with a Dust Deputy set up in the Shop,  and a second smaller (5 gal) one if you are doing onsite fabrication.    Anyone who is using these Vacs as primary tool extraction with out a cyclone is wasting  $$$$.  if you using the Vac for General work I would stay with the CT 26.

 

[BJM9818]

I purchased a Midi in 2007 and just bought a CT36 two months ago to keep at my garage hooked up to a dust deputy(restoring a old boat so tons of fiberglass grinding with a RAS115).  On paper it only looks a little bigger..few inches here few there.  In person there is a huge difference in size. If I were to lug a CT36 around to different jobs during the week it would get old real quick. 

My personal opinion is if you can afford paying Festool price levels, but you are concerned about spending to much on bags with the CT26/36 vs midi you have bigger issues with your business model.  The ease of moving it around far outweighs the extra money.  If you are at the same job and can leave it there for a week or two at a time then get the CT26/36.

 

[DKurzweil]

I purchased a Midi in 2007 and just bought a CT36 two months ago to keep at my garage hooked up to a dust deputy(restoring a old boat so tons of fiberglass grinding with a RAS115).  On paper it only looks a little bigger..few inches here few there.  In person there is a huge difference in size. If I were to lug a CT36 around to different jobs during the week it would get old real quick.   

My personal opinion is if you can afford paying Festool price levels, but you are concerned about spending to much on bags with the CT26/36 vs midi you have bigger issues with your business model.  The ease of moving it around far outweighs the extra money.  If you are at the same job and can leave it there for a week or two at a time then get the CT26/36.

I agree with this completely.  I picked up the ct48 for use in the shop, almost immediately after that I had a job that the ts75 was perfect for so I packed the two up in the car and went off to the job.  After that first job I called my dealer and bought a midi for on site work. 

Moral of the story...

In the shop go for the extra size, on the go by a smaller one. 

Best,
Daniel

 

[mike metz]

I should have mentioned that i also have a ct22 that i use for any onsite work, the ct48 is mainly used in the shop, or on the site if its a really large job and i can keep it there.

 

[RONWEN]

So it is time to start saving up money for the next Festool purchase (also means selling some of my personal things off to help out and to not take out of my families personal funds to make the purchase)

Will buy a CT vacuum once that money is saved up.  So I was looking at the pricing ranging from 575.00 to 675.00 at $50 intervals and at the price heigth of these vacs $50 differences doesn't seem that bad.  So has anyone else taken this into consideration at either stepped up to the next size or all the way up to the CT48?

Now that you realize the benefit and enjoyment of going "green" you may as well simply add a Festool line category into the regular family budget -- there is no starting & stopping to save.  [wink]

I have the CT33 with a Dust Deputy (the DD paid for itself many times over) as my primary shop dust collection system (I'm an amateur WW).  There are times when it would be nice to have a second CT and since my vac never leaves the shop, the CT48 seemed like good choice however since the CT's all pull 137CFM across the entire line and are all HEPA certified I think if I were to buy the second one today I would probably go with the MIDI for the time if & when I do need to transport it.  Decisions, decisions, decisions...  [unsure]

 

[dinkjs]

So it is time to start saving up money for the next Festool purchase (also means selling some of my personal things off to help out and to not take out of my families personal funds to make the purchase)

Will buy a CT vacuum once that money is saved up.  So I was looking at the pricing ranging from 575.00 to 675.00 at $50 intervals and at the price heigth of these vacs $50 differences doesn't seem that bad.  So has anyone else taken this into consideration at either stepped up to the next size or all the way up to the CT48?

Now that you realize the benefit and enjoyment of going "green" you may as well simply add a Festool line category into the regular family budget -- there is no starting & stopping to save.   [wink]

I have the CT33 with a Dust Deputy (the DD paid for itself many times over) as my primary shop dust collection system (I'm an amateur WW).  There are times when it would be nice to have a second CT and since my vac never leaves the shop, the CT48 seemed like good choice however since the CT's all pull 137CFM across the entire line and are all HEPA certified I think if I were to buy the second one today I would probably go with the MIDI for the time if & when I do need to transport it.   Decisions, decisions, decisions...  [unsure]

I wouldn't do that unless we are totally financially secure to have a Festool budget.  My method requires me to "give up to receive" method.  1. Does not overload with crap I never use.  2.  Other priorites with our money then sometimes toys.  3. Keeps a clean minimal inventory in my house of stuff and junk.  I know alot of people in my life and around me that like alot of chotckies and overload there own house with junk because they feel secure with being on the brink of hoarding.  If my wife would allow me we would live an almost minimalist life.  But that will never happen so I try my best to do it just for me.  So if I want a "toy" or maybe a Festool product I hunt around my house or garage of my own personal stuff, this does not include "family items" or my wives items or my daughters items.  Just mine.  So this forces me to keep a conservative decisions in my life about what I keep and what I get rid of

 

[Stone Message]

I have had a CT26 for almost a year and I would not want to be without it. The motor unit is the same across the CT family and so the only difference is the bag size. The CT26 has a bag capacity of (I think) 24 litres which is quite a lot unless you are using a Festool planer. If you are desperate you can always use a Dust Deputy to reduce the frequency of bag changes.

The bottom line is that the CT extractors compliment all of the Festool tools so well (Festool's brilliant dust collection designs) that we all love our Dominoes, OF routers, Kapexes, saws and sanders so much more.

Peter

 

[hockey_magnet]

I think it's a simple answer - if you're going to be using it on site or moving it around a lot, go with a smaler unit like the CT26. If you have a full blown shop and won't be moving it, get anything you want. As others, I really don't think the $ saved on bags is  big deal and if you realy want to save $ on bags, I'd get  a Dust Deputy, once again assuming you use it mostly in the shop. 

 

[sancho57]

I got the 26 and when I bought it I had the same question. My dealer and I discussed what Id be using it for and he recommended the CT 26. I use it for shop use only and have a work center setting on it. I recently bought a used CT22 to use exclusively with my Kapex and also for on site use.

This is one of those type of questions that no matter what you decide it will work. Its all personal preferance.