Coomparing Festool Vac's

[mu]

Hi,
I was trying to do some googling to find reviews and comparisons on Festool's Vac's, but couldn't find much.
I'm thinking of buying a used 240v Festool CTL22E.
If it's well looked after and working properly, what would you think a good price would be?
Also, in terms of features and performance, etc., how does it compare to other vac's out there, Festool or otherwise.
Are the more recent models really a lot better than this?
I should just add that I'm a DIY enthusiast and would be using it with my TS55 as well as with other non-Festool tools and for cleaning up when DIYing at home and at friends', etc.
Thanks all

 

[ccarrolladams]

Hi,
I was trying to do some googling to find reviews and comparisons on Festool's Vac's, but couldn't find much.
I'm thinking of buying a used 240v Festool CTL22E.
If it's well looked after and working properly, what would you think a good price would be?
Also, in terms of features and performance, etc., how does it compare to other vac's out there, Festool or otherwise.
Are the more recent models really a lot better than this?
I should just add that I'm a DIY enthusiast and would be using it with my TS55 as well as with other non-Festool tools and for cleaning up when DIYing at home and at friends', etc.
Thanks all

First of all,  [welcome] to The FOG,

Now let me try to help answer your questions. Please remember I live and work in the USA, so all of my Festools are the 115 volt versions. I have extensive experience using 230 volt Festools during my frequent visits to the UK, Europe and Australia. My experience has been that the Festool CT dust extractors function the same despite the different voltages.

I own 10 of the CT22 which is very similar to the CTL22E. I also own and use 3 of the newer CT36. All of the CT22s have far more suction capacity to handle the dust and chips produced by every Festool. The primary difference between the CT22 and CT33 is the capacity of the dust collection bag. The difference between the CT22 and CT26 is that the newer CT26 has a very slight increase in suction capacity, which I do not find to be necessary. Also, the CT22s have an exhaust port which can accept a 50mm hose when you want to vent the exhaust outside your work space. This is helpful when you are sawing, routing or sanding material which smells bad.

No other brands of vacs have the Festool quality of filtration. Those sold in the USA and Canada have HEPA filters, which is unique to North America. The CTL22E sold in Europe and the UK have a filter just as good, but with a different designation.

The most important advantage of the Festool CT extractors is the suction adjustment. When sanding, you need to set the amount of suction as you sand, to suit the wood, the grit and the sander. It is a feel sort of thing, so I find it important to have the CT I am using while sanding close to me so I can reach the suction control.

Some of my CT22s and all of my CT36s I bought new from a dealer. The other CT22s I bought when the new versions were about to be introduced in the USA in 2010. All were in excellent condition, so I willingly paid up to 80% of the former new price. Perhaps I could have gotten a lower price, but the sellers all were friends I do business with. I was willing to over-pay in the interest of good will. Since the CTL22E has not been sold new in the UK by Festool in several years, I would suggest not paying more than 50% of the price of a new CTL26.

 

[mouppe]

Hi, Carroll gave you a really thorough answer to which I would just add that from what you wrote, it seems as if a 36mm hose would suit you better than the 27mm hose which is supplied with the vac. Festool vacs can be used with either diameter hose, but for the tracksaws, routers and for general clean-up, the 36mm hose works better.

So if you can find a CT22 with a 36mm hose, that would be ideal for you.

 

[mu]

Thanks both of you for your reply.
Now you're really going to get annoyed with me for my amateurish questions. To be honest, I never really contemplated buying a vac until I saw a workman using one the other day and saw convenient it was wit his tools.
I was just wondering, for weekend use, how much difference would the Festool make from a Henry (http://www.henryvacs.co.uk/)or Dyson hoover (We have both) in terms of performance (not convenience)?
Also, I was looking into other shopvacs and was wondering if the Festool has some of the functions I came across:
Does it have a "blow out" function?
Can it pick up liquids?
Can it be used without a bag?
Again, I apologise for questions that may be daft.

 

[Kev]

Thanks both of you for your reply.
Now you're really going to get annoyed with me for my amateurish questions. To be honest, I never really contemplated buying a vac until I saw a workman using one the other day and saw convenient it was wit his tools.
I was just wondering, for weekend use, how much difference would the Festool make from a Henry (http://www.henryvacs.co.uk/)or Dyson hoover (We have both) in terms of performance (not convenience)?
Also, I was looking into other shopvacs and was wondering if the Festool has some of the functions I came across:
Does it have a "blow out" function?
Can it pick up liquids?
Can it be used without a bag?
Again, I apologise for questions that may be daft.

Your questions are daft, but you need to consider the dedicated purpose of the Festool DCs. they're not designed to compete with other vacs as an independent product - they are designed specifically to work with power tools and perform typical cleanup after said work.

1. You can pick up liquids with them (without a bag), I have with my CT mini ... but if I was going to do that more than once I'd by a cheap vac for that purpose.
2. The don't blow.
3. The bag is integral to the DC function, otherwise you will clog the filter ...

I haven't been exposed to a CT22 directly, I have a CT-Mini and a CT36 - but you will find a lot of CT22's still going strong and commanding respectable prices.

 

[mu]

Your questions are daft
[/quote]
Lol - I love the Aussies for being straight forward!

 

[AlexThePalex]

Thanks both of you for your reply.
how much difference would the Festool make from a Henry (http://www.henryvacs.co.uk/)or Dyson hoover (We have both) in terms of performance (not convenience)?

I find the Henry vac to have better suction than the Festools. Most home vacs in the upper range have better suction. The better home vacs generally have 1800 - 2200 watts at their disposal, while the Festools only have 1200.

Does it have a "blow out" function?

The older CT11/CT22/CT33/CT44/CT55 vacs DO have a blower function. But it's not spectacular. I think I used it once or twice on my CT22 and then forgot about it. Also, the air that came out of my CT22's blowhole was pretty dirty and no fun to breathe in.

The newer models CT26/CT36/CT48 and the small CT Mini/CT Midi don't have a blower function. Good riddance.

Can it pick up liquids?

Yes. Emptying the CT22 is not that comfortable though when it's full of water. Don't worry about the advice of getting a seperate vac for water, Festools are workhorses, and people here treat them too much as if they're racehorses.

Can it be used without a bag?

Yes. Using a bag is better though. As a fellow hobbyist, I can attest that it will take ages to fill one up.

 

[mccavr]

No other brands of vacs have the Festool quality of filtration. Those sold in the USA and Canada have HEPA filters, which is unique to North America. The CTL22E sold in Europe and the UK have a filter just as good, but with a different designation.

Just throwing this out there, but Hilti makes a few self cleaning vacs that are just as efficient as the Festool's.  Don't get me wrong, I own and love the Festool, but they're not the only ones. 

 

[tbellemare]

The CT 22 & CT 33 not only can pick up liquids but there is an accessory for them called a "Dirt Trap". It fits where the bag would normally go and the liquid goes in it. It is easy to pull out and dump the water plus it has a screen on top to "filter" the detritus from the water so it won't clog a sink.

Tom

 

[sheeschen]

When I had to use my tracksaw up in the attic, I used a Nilfisk hooked up to my TS55 and it seemed to work fine for the few cuts I needed to do.  Festool has gotten me so used to dust collection that I couldn't even consider doing it without some sort of vacuum, but I didn't feel like lugging my CT22 up into that space.  Long-term, it probably would be annoying, since the hose doesn't really fit that well, and it doesn't have the auto-on feature.  But it worked.

It did get me thinking about buying a small, lightweight Dyson DC26 for those times when I have a small task to do in an inconvenient, cramped, or far-away location.  A CT-mini still seems kind of bulky compared to it (though the price is almost the same!).  I guess I should put that in the "I wish Festool made a ___" thread.

 

[Kev]

When I had to use my tracksaw up in the attic, I used a Nilfisk hooked up to my TS55 and it seemed to work fine for the few cuts I needed to do.  Festool has gotten me so used to dust collection that I couldn't even consider doing it without some sort of vacuum, but I didn't feel like lugging my CT22 up into that space.  Long-term, it probably would be annoying, since the hose doesn't really fit that well, and it doesn't have the auto-on feature.  But it worked.

It did get me thinking about buying a small, lightweight Dyson DC26 for those times when I have a small task to do in an inconvenient, cramped, or far-away location.  A CT-mini still seems kind of bulky compared to it (though the price is almost the same!).  I guess I should put that in the "I wish Festool made a ___" thread.

I got a cordless Dyson for that very purpose - but my wife keeps pinching it  [eek]

 

[Kev]

Your questions are daft

Lol - I love the Aussies for being straight forward!
[/quote]

Seems I'm daft on the CT22 - is blows apparently! Didn't know that.

 

[tbellemare]

Does it have a "blow out" function?

The blower on the older CT's wasn't meant as a blower per se... It was meant to have a hose connected so that stinky or otherwise objectionable exhaust could be sent out a window or something similar.

That port only opened when a hose was attached, which opened a baffle of sorts.

Tom