Carvex 420 Dust Collection

paulkane1

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Joined
Jun 24, 2014
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I just got my new Carvex 420 Jigsaw,there was a small connection to put onto the end of the hose on CTL26 Extractor,at first I just,used the connection on the Extractor hose,and,put it onto the dust collection port,of the Carvex,dust collection was very poor,Then I put,the connection,that came with the jigsaw ,improved a bit,but,I'm still disappointed,maybe I'm expecting too much,from Festool products,has anyone on this Forum,encountered the same problem?Is there a way to resolve it?Is it possible to use a Dust Commander (Vortex) system,with my CTL 26 E extractor,if anyone has used such a system,could they let me know there opinion of it.
 

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Even "the best jigsaw" has somewhat poor dust performance, but the good news in that the chips are large.
 
  In general DC on Festool is very, very good. But as Holmz said jigsaws are tough to get good extraction on. Though it is far from complete the DC on the Carvex is better than on the Trion. Can't say about others.

  Do you have any other Festool tools with DC?

Seth
 
I use mine upside down most of the time. Used like that with the front shield down and a splinter guard in place ,it does collect a lot more dust.

In normal use though its just ok as you would expect as its probably pretty hard to collect dust from a jigsaw.
 
Your experience is the norm -- but as others have commented, the Carvex ranks last in the Festool lineup of DC capable tools for its dust collection.

If I were buying a Carvex now, I would definitely go for the cordless version, given that I hardly ever hook up the vac to my corded Carvex -- I find the hose gets in the way even on straight cuts.
 
Paul - you can use a vortex / cyclone with your 26 but you need to be very careful about the grounding path being interrupted lest you fry your electronic module.

Oneida's early Dust Deputy caused this on vacs and the Mk2 version was made of different plastic and had grounding straps and tape to minimize problems.

I don't know if the Commander has the testing behind it or not. YMMV.

I like my Oneida Ultimate Dust Dep, with my CT22 and CT26 and have had zero issues, but you need to be aware of the risk.
 
Having used the Carvex as my previous Jigsaw work horse and now using the Bosch JS572EBL, DC can definitely improve with the Carvex. The front shield of the Carvex doesn't fully encompass the front part of the saw, the Bosch counterpart does. It's just a slight design difference but the JS572EBL definitely ups the DC game compared to the Carvex.
 
The dust extraction on the Bosch JS572EBL is simply better. I had this jigsaw for a while, but changed to the Carvex for other reasons.

As Staniam points out, the front shield of the Carvex is not covering the sides, and thus the dust escapes. Using duct-tape on the sides improves the dust extraction significantly. Even though it impairs the view from the side, the cut line is still visible. I think it works well as a quick fix for some situations.

A 3D printed dust shield would make a nice accessory for the Carvex!
 
I had a Carvex and the only time I even bothered with DC was when I was cutting foam insulation. Worked good there. I now have a Bosch JS470EB and I prefer the blower it has. If the dust isn't going to be collected, at least it's being blown off the cut line.
 
Mort said:
I had a Carvex and the only time I even bothered with DC was when I was cutting foam insulation. Worked good there. I now have a Bosch JS470EB and I prefer the blower it has. If the dust isn't going to be collected, at least it's being blown off the cut line.
I have the Bosch JS470EB too and just picked up a Trion. Havent had a chance to try it out yet but Im very interested to see how they compare overall.
 
I like the Bosch so far. If it had LED lights like it's big brother, it'd be better. The strobe light is the only thing I really miss about the Carvex.
 
I was disappointed with the dust collection on my new 420. It is essentially worthless and when you use the special base for use with the track it is even worse--the dust chute does not lock into the base.

To improve the dust collection I used an inexpensive and color-appropriate fix. See attached photo.

My solution is hardly elegant. Too bad Festool could not offer a clear plastic molded shrouds for each side.
 

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Bought a carvex but the dust collection attachment is missing.  Anyone know where/how I can get one?
 
Norris said:
Bought a carvex but the dust collection attachment is missing.  Anyone know where/how I can get one?

The dealer you bought it from? Or if you bought it used, there are a couple of ways to go. The Ekat program is Festool's replacement parts catalog system. You could look up the specific part there and order it direct form Festool USA (or your local dealer) or skip the legwork and contact one of the big online sellers like ToolNut, Hartville tool, or any of the others.

BTW, per the original question. This is kind of one of those "it depends" types of answers.
The "total dust collection" is far superior to anything else out there. Is it great? no. It does work better in some conditions than others though. The less aggressive the cut you make, the better it can handle the dust. Meaning that using a lower oscillation rate can help, as can a less aggressive blade, also stopping for a second in the cut will allow it to catch up on clearing the chips. This is not always possible or advisable though.  Also, you have to keep that clear deflector down where it can be effective.
Other saws, like Bosch, have blower systems that blow the chips away from the cut-line. This is probably better for seeing exactly where you are cutting, but it is not collecting the dust at all.
So the real question is, "which is more important to you?" not "which is better?"
 
I bought it on Amazon.  Full cordless systainer but no dust collection attachment.
 
Norris said:
I bought it on Amazon.  Full cordless systainer but no dust collection attachment.

I believe that should be included. Was this a new tool or used?  I suggest calling Festool USA for a replacement DC attachment.

Seth
 
Crazyraceguy said:
Other saws, like Bosch, have blower systems that blow the chips away from the cut-line. This is probably better for seeing exactly where you are cutting, but it is not collecting the dust at all.

The Mafell P1cc has a blower and an evacuation channel. The blower channel pushes the chips/dust over to the evacuation channel which is hooked up to your vac.

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[attachimg=2]
 

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Well that's pretty slick. I didn't know that existed, but I have never seen a Mafell jigsaw in person either.
 
I have had my Carvex for a little over a year. It is the biggest piece of S**t tool I have ever owned. This is one Festool I should have sent back. I hate even getting it out and use it. Looking to buy a Bosch or Mafell. I am a Carpenter and have quite a bit of Festools line up. This tool is the only Festool so far that has disappointed.
 
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