CLT22 and the Ultimate Dust Deputy

[windmill man]

Hi,

(I know this has been covered somewhere but I can find the thread and there were no pictures)

I saw the ultimate Dust Deputy on FOG and thought what a fantastic thing. Bags for the CLT22 are 32GBP for 5 here or 123.02GBP for the long life bag. (It?s a long life bag, not a forever bag) I run a long life bag normally but it is showing signs of going off, so I reckoned this was a sound investment for use in the workshop. So I ordered it and then some negative posts started to come in. That got me worried. I know nothing about cyclone dust extraction, so I have nothing to compare it to. This mini review is just based on my impressions and how good it works in my unknowledgeable opinion.

When I unpack it I was impressed with the weight and quality of the container, it is very heavy duty. It was quickly assembled and the instructions were clear and precise. All you have to do is bolt the cyclone and gasket to the lid , then put a gasket around the lip on the underside of the lid, screw a couple of rubber toggle fasteners to the side of the container. Then clip it into the top of the CLT (I did not have to alter the lugs on the container with a knife) and pipe it up. I did not have the issue with the 36mm hose not fitting as I use a splitter that is slightly tapered

Got to say it looks a bit of a lash up when it?s all together but, I never had thought dust extraction systems had to have an aesthetic value. First and foremost I want it to work and do a good job. Ok you can?t put it under your MFT and you have lost the space in the top of the CLT to put your tools, but that does not bother me as I don?t work that way.
Once assembled about 10 minutes I put it to work. I did not notice any increase in noise level or any cyclone noise. (I do wear ear defenders when working) I found no vacuum leaks and everything was well connected and solid.
So now the big question does it work?

Oh boy does it!

I think its fantastic, been working with it for the last 2 days and had to empty it 9 times. (Been very busy sawing and routing MDF) there is virtually no dust in the main bag. So that`s saved me the best part of 60 quid (if I used the paper bags and prolonged the life of my long life bag) Its mesmerising watching the cyclone do its thing as well. Ok you can see when it?s getting full but nothing in life is perfect. I don?t think I would take it on site unless I knew I would be producing vast quantities of dust, will stick with the long life bag, but for the workshop it is a god send.

I am that impressed with how it works I am thinking about an Onedia dust extraction system for the big machines in the workshop but the cost may be prohibitive.

 

[tbellemare]

If you only use one machine at a time, you might consider the Mini-Gorilla from Oneida.

If you get the mobile stand, you can easily roll it around to the machine you're using. It is considerably less costly than a permanent dust collection system.

Tom

 

[windmill man]

Thanks for that Tom.

Mini not available in the UK. I would have to look at the 2hp Gorilla At 1380.00 GBP. I can get a Felder double bag for less than half of that. Its for a 12x9 planner , thicknesser, big spindle moulder and panel saw, so a Felder chip extractor may be more economic.

But I love that Dust Deputy, with my Festool tools, thanks for posting that link in the other post.

John

 

[GPowers]

In the last photos you have two large stacks of Festool systainers. Are they all empty? or do you stack and unstack when you want something?

 

[mikeneron]

Did yours not come with the small accessory hose so that you can put a plastic bag in the systainer?  Looks like it would make it much easier to empty as you could just toss the plastic bags and not get dust everywhere, but one fellow wrote that it didn't work all that well.

 

[Aegwyn11]

Has anyone used a CT with a Dust Deputy to do drywall dust collection? Feedback?

I'm working on a project in my basement involving drywall (I hate drywall..  [mad]). I've been using the RotoZip with its vac attachment to go to my Rigid shop vac which actually works very good, but the stupid chitty Rigid shop vac bags keep ripping (this one that tore last night didn't last very long at all...). These bags are like $8/each, so I'm not excited to keep spending money on them. Was planning on getting a DD for my CT22 eventually...if the DD works well for keeping drywall dust from getting to the CT, I'll just get one of these and drag the shop vac back up to the garage.

 

[windmill man]

Hi

GP. They are all full and some more in the shop as well. Yes i have to un stack them to get at stuff, it`s a pia. Plans are to make a rolling bench when i have time. Like a low level sysport.

Mike. They are suppose to be sending one of the bag things, it will make life easier, will report on that if it arrives.

Aegwyn. Don`t know about dry wall but it works very well with MDF dust and that stuff is very fine, Ive been using MDFlite this stuff creates more and finer dust than normal MDF

John

 

[Aegwyn11]

Aegwyn. Don`t know about dry wall but it works very well with MDF dust and that stuff is very fine, Ive been using MDFlite this stuff creates more and finer dust than normal MDF

John

I went ahead and picked one up today at lunch. Figured I could always return it if it sucks (pun intended  [tongue]). Once I use it a bit, I'll post some feedback about its performance with drywall dust.

 

[darbo]

I am also happy with the performance of my "ultimate" dust deputy, but I do have some issues:

I have a CT33, and the Ultimate Dust Deputy gets tall and cumbersome on a CT33. If I could start over, I think I would prefer the CT22/Dust Deputy combo like yours.

One little nit I have with the Dust Deputy is that my CT 33's excellent static dissipative hose is slightly defeated by the DD, even though I installed the copper strips per Oneida's instructions. It's still way better than the near-fatal lightning strikes that emanated from the hose of my previous non-Festool/non-static-dissipative track saw/vac set up.

Another thing I dislike about the DD is that the systainer-like dust collection box isn't made as crisply or elegantly as systainers are, so it doesn't fit the fastening clips quite as securely as I prefer. From an aeshetics and ergonomics perspective I despise the DD. It performs as advertised, but when you're pairing it with Festool equipment that is designed extremely well, the DD is a let-down in aesthetics and ergonomics. For examply, I think Oneida could/should have better incorporated the cyclone attachment with the dust collection box. It looks, and literally is, tacked on rather than built-in; and when things are just "tacked-on" it is always a sign of an inadequate comprehensive design process.

Also, I didn't like that the instructions that shipped with my unit didn't match all the parts in the box. They had changed the design to improve bagging - which is great - but they hadn't bothered to reprint the instructions to reflect the changes. They instead provided a separate instruction sheet that explained the changes. I'm glad they improved the product, but how hard is it to reprint instructions that accurately reflect all the product's parts and assembly?

I am very pleased with the performance of my Ultimate Dust Deputy as a helpful accessory to my Festool CT Vac, but I feel that Oneida did a lame job of designing their product from a product design standpoint. Since the Ultimate Dust Deputy represents their most refined DD, I must conclude that Oneida has no idea what good design looks like, which is utterly astounding considering that they designed this hideous contraption to fit with Festool tools (Festool's products, like the CT vacs, are superb product designs). Yes, the DD performs very well as advertised as a dust interceptor, but I'll give the engineers at Oneida an "F" for not working hard enough to design an accessory appropriately elegant and ergonomic for Festool equipment AND appropriate to the DD's high sale price. If the Ultimate DD were a $50 accessory, I would have no complaints about the product's design, but it isn't $50; not even close!

I need to add a Festool-designed dust-interceptor to the Festool wish list...now that would be a dust-interceptor that would make me happy regarding performance and aesthetics and ergonomics.

 

[-woodsman-]

I have had the CT DD as I call it (out of the box its not very ultimate)for a couple of months now.  I love it.  Oneida recently sent out the retro fit kit for the bags and it works perfectly.  This would not have been the case if I didn't have a tap to tap out the threads into the handle unit.  I almost made a horrible mistake here.  I drilled the hole so close to the side of the box that the valve was in the way when attempting to thread it in.  Lickaly the valve handle pops off and I could put it back after it was installed.  It wont work unless both valves are open. this equalizes the pressure on both sides of the bag to some extent.

If anyone else is using the bags in there's, can you recommend a store bought bag that fits?

On day one I tried to address most of the things that where annoying or not as advertised.  This literally took most of a saturday.  
First of is the tabs.  It is laughable (I know Im being harsh but it's true) that they sold these like this.  Last year I had some broken lids that I replaced and cut the tabs off before I recycled them.  I morticed and screwed them in to replace the factory molded/hand tooled ones.  I can actually pick up the CT 33 with the handles of the CT DD.

[attachthumb=1]

I didn't like the fact you are only able to aim the tool hose straight ahead (usually where people are walking) or back away from where Im working.  I drilled another set of holes in the base of the DD and if the hose is in the way I just rotate the lid.  I haven't regretted it yet and I use it almost every day.

[attachthumb=2]

It was advertised as being able to invert the lid for safe transport.  It didn't work, the outlet on top of the DD botoms out before the lid sits flush.  I cut some of of it as well as the inlet to accommodate the 36 mm hose.  Now I can flip the lid and strap it down with the short hose inside.

[attachthumb=3]

[attachthumb=4]

I am happy I did all of this but it was a lot of work.  Mostly in the morticing of the tabs.  It now sits atop my mini and the 33 stays at work connected to my multi tool 29 gallon farnkin-cyclone.  It looks hideous but works like a charm.

If I didn't already have 4 tabs and was going to buy something to get them it would be the Systainer extension. https://www.mysystainer.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=556%2D002
4 tabs out of one for 30$, or just hope that your chubby co worker sitting on that stack of tainers, at lunch, brakes one.  ;D

 

[-woodsman-]

the Ultimate Dust Deputy gets tall and cumbersome on a CT33.

I had to rout 30 plus ac and  air return grills into flooring. The CT DD was on my 33 with the boom going to a MFK 700 wich i put on the tool hook when moving from grill to grill.  The site manager called it the dentist chair (haha). 

 

[tbellemare]

That's pretty funny... I can picture it.

I can almost smell burning teeth.

Tom

 

[-woodsman-]

Gross.[bite tongue]

 

[Aegwyn11]

Whelp I gave the "ultimate" DD a try this weekend with drywall dust and can say I'm moderately pleased. I'll echo all of the quality issues/concerns addressed above, but don't think I need to repeat them. As for drywall dust separation, it seemed to work good, but not great. If I were a professional doing lots of drywall work, I'd still be hesitant to use the CT day in day out, but as I'm a homeowner, I don't think there will be enough dust getting to the CT to do any significant damage with the little bit of drywall work I'm doing.

I will say that the increased suction the CT has over my Rigid shop-vac made a HUGE difference with the Rotozip's dust capture. With the Rigid, i could get near complete extraction if I kept the Rotozip oriented correctly so that the hose followed behind the path of the cut. With the CT, that doesn't matter....pretty much complete (visible) dust collection no mater how the tool was oriented or how fast I made the cut.

I think one thing I'm going to try to come up with is some kind of solid plumbing from the top of the DD to the 90 degree fitting plugging into the CT. I'm not a big fan of the unnecessarily long flexible hose they give you.