CT mini vs midi

[jmdeacon]

I am trying to decide between the CT mini vs midi.  I am a hobbyist, so I will not be generating dust daily, mostly just weekends.  Most of the time I will be in my garage building bookcases, cabinets, tables, etc.  but will frequently use it in the house for completing my hardwood flooring and room remodeling.  Originally, I was planning to get the mini since I figure that will be large enough for my purposes, but the midi can hold significantly more and has the same footprint, only 2 inches taller.  Seems to me that the midi is more practical and worth the price difference.  Perhaps that difference pays for itself over time since you end up changing bags less frequently.

I will be using it with a TS 55, 1050, and rotex 90.  I have drank the cool aid and plan to switch over most of my equipment.

Any thoughts on the pros and cons of the two?

 

[chrisrosenb]

Get the one that you think will work best for you. I have both. I carry one of them in my work truck full time for quick cleanup on small jobs. My wife also uses them.
So sometime the mini is in the truck & other times it is the midi. If they are not setting side by side, I cannot tell which one I have without looking at the label. I have started carrying both sizes of bags in the truck, just in case.

 

[Samo]

The Midi is my favorite Vacuum.  I think it is a practical size for a hobbyist or service pro.

Sam

 

[JimB1]

I originally bought the mini and ended up returning it for the midi in the 30 day window. I actually asked the same question here.

My feeling then (and now) was that the bigger bag was worth the extra few bucks, there isn't even much of a weight difference between them (unless the bag is full I guess). So far I haven't had to change my bag and I've been using it for months for sanding and routing (and using my biscuit joiner a few times) so I think it was the right way to go.

Really unless you really need the smaller size of the mini because you are putting it in a truck with limited space or something, I'd say the Midi is the right choice.
-Jim

 

[Samo]

These vacs now come with the Hepa filter, same motor as the larger Festool vacs and the plug that is the three prong US standard 15 amp.

Sam

 

[Scott B.]

For your purposes, I would consider the ct26. As much as I love the midi (it is my favorite), one of the huge appeals of it is ease of transport, which for you is not an issue. Your needs are more stationary, so I would opt for changing the bag less frequently.

 

[Kev]

Collect the entire set ...

Well, no - maybe not the entire set of dust collectors  [smile]

I've got a MINI and a CT36. In all honestly - your projects sound far more aggressive than mine! Anyway - the MINI to me is for mobile applications round the house where the smallest practical vac is best.

If you only ever intend (next 2 years plus) to have one vac ... get the bigger MIDI. I like my MINI because its so small, but fine sanding and sawing produce massively different volumes of material - the MINI alone wasn't enough, perhaps I would have held back on the CT36 if I had the MIDI.

If your tool swap out include a KAPEX, I'd predict a future that also includes an MFT/3, CT26/36 and a boom arm  [wink]

 

[karbyen]

I have a older Midi With the 99 CFM motor and a newer CT26 with a 137 CFM motor,  Hepa filter.  I use the Midi for household chors and traveling and the 26 for my TS 55, Kapex, 4 different Festool sanders and a Domino.  I have a Dust Deputy on the 26,  works really great. With 137 CFM motors on "all" Festool Vacs now, you can buy a new Mini and a Dust Deputy for it and have the same preformance from all, rather than buying a larger vac and enjoy the initial savings, compactness and never have to buy another bag.  I too have drank the "cool aid".

 

[AlexThePalex]

I have a CT Mini and a CT 26. The big one is for stationary work and the Mini is for when I need to haul it around. Knowing these two vacs, the difference between the Mini and the Midi pales in comparison to the CT26. In my opinion the Mini and Midi are so close together in size/weigth/capacity that it really makes very little noticable difference so you're good which ever one you choose. If you are a hobbyist like me, it will take you a long time to even fill up the Mini.

Btw guys, I noticed the European Festool websites now spec the CT Mini at 3700 l/min (130 CFM) and the CT 26 at 3900 l/min (137 CFM). Guess they don't have the exact same capacity after all. But still close enough. 

 

[Kristian]

I can only recommend the Midi. I actually ordered the Mini through a local supplier but when I went to pick it up he had ordered the Midi by mistake. I haven't regretted this one moment. It's the same footprint, it's very easy to carry around and I enjoy the extra capacity. When you store the two you can't do much with the 2 inches the mini frees up anyways but when you use them you'll notice the difference. If the dealer hadn't ordered the midi I probably would have exchanged the mini right away, knowing what I know now.

Definitely worth the extra money.

-Kristian

 

[Petemoss]

I purchased the mini about four years ago. It has been great, but I wish I had splurged and bought the biggest one that they made. I really though that the mobility would be a bonus for me, but the fact is that as a hobbiest I really don't carry it anywhere very often, and when I did it was always in the bed of a truck, so size didn't matter that much anyway. I think that I would have enjoyed the extra capacity and improved air flow of the large vac over any size savings that I got with the mini.

 

[Sean7a]

Jmdeacon, I almost exclusively recommend the mini over the midi for price purposes.  It's a powerful pricepoint, under $400 for a HEPA certified, sealed, dust extractor.  When folks question the differences between all the dust extractors, it's really pleasing to them to know the only variable to consider is capacity.  Motors, filtration, bags, etc are all really the same. 

That being said, I do see, as shown in this thread, that a lot of guys prefer the extra capacity because the footprint really isn't demonstrably different.  Take it from the boys here using the tools day in and day out.  I think they make a great point.  The mini and midi on the sales floor do not stand out from each other in size, it's really only in price.... but the results in the field are what matter.

 

[strangeranger]

I had a mini for several years and love it, the only issue is the midi and mini don't except any of the cool accessories the bigger vacs take. I also got tired of buying bags and changing them. I finally got a ct36 for Christmas and love it. I now use the mini for travel and around the house like other guys. I would recommend a CT26 or CT36 because you may find yourself outgrowing the smaller vac sooner than you think.

 

[dmc123]

I have the mini and 26.  I used the mini with the TS55 for several years, and had absolutely no complaints with it for weekend hobby work.  The performance is the same (not sure about the older models though), and I went months and months without filling the bag.  Of course that all depends on what you cut and how often you use it.

That said - I got tired of stepping on, crushing, tripping over and untangling the hose and upgraded to a stationary CT26 and boom arm (and multiple sanders, etc...).  I dont think I could live without *BOTH* since I'm not always working on the MFT and stationary CT26.  You can haul the mini for quick odd-jobs and find I always do.

 

[ultgar]

If I did a lot of work in attics and crawlspaces, I'd probably go with the CT MINI. Otherwise, the CT MIDI appears to be the better value, offering 50% greater capacity (in both bag and canister volume) with the same small footprint and only a 2" height increase. Weights are essentially the same (MINI is 21.0 lbs, MIDI is 21.4 lbs).

The MINI and MIDI can also be used with the D36 hose if needed but the hose must exit out the top instead of through the hose garage.  Here's a view of the MINI without the hose garage (waiting on a new one from Festool due to UPS shipping damage).

 

[semenza]

If I did a lot of work in attics and crawlspaces, I'd probably go with the CT MINI. Otherwise, the CT MIDI appears to be the better value, offering 50% greater capacity (in both bag and canister volume) with the same small footprint and only a 2" height increase. Weights are essentially the same (MINI is 21.0 lbs, MIDI is 21.4 lbs).

The MINI and MIDI can also be used with the D36 hose if needed but the hose must exit out the top instead of through the hose garage.  Here's a view of the MINI without the hose garage (waiting on a new one from Festool due to UPS shipping damage).

Some how that pic makes me think ' ooooh, the stripped down racing version, being refueled !'

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I went with the Mini for the most compactness for use as a site vac. I have noticed that the extra 2" of height does make a difference sometimes. Such as; with a Systainer on top carrying up/down stairs, or fitting under the toneu cover on my truck.  I am sure the Midi is the best value between the two, but that wasn't my goal. I wanted the most compact size.

Mini or Midi is going to depend on your use. For a vac that will spend most of its time in the shop, the CT26,36,48 is the way to go.

Seth

 

[semenza]

Jmdeacon,

Welcome to the FOG!  [smile]

Seth

 

[jmdeacon]

I decided to go with the mini.  It should meet my needs for now.  I think that some day I'll get a bigger one for when I have my dedicated shop, but that will be a couple years.  Having the smaller one then would be an advantage as it would be used them only when I need a portable.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[nclemmons]

I just ordered a Midi to go with my CT-22 that has a boom arm and the organizing unit.

Looking forward to something a bit more portable!

neil

 

[ultgar]

CT Mini and Midi are great compact performers.......I just measured 95.7" of lift through the standard D27 hose.  SD