CT15 vs CT36E vs Makita 4210L

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arctic_rogue

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I am looking to get my first dust extractor. It will be used on my DeWalt Jobsite Table Saw (7491RS) as well as a Kreg tool and sander (maybe a festool, don't have a random orbital yet).

I'm in Canada and the these are the prices:

CT15E: $549 + tax = $631
CT36E: $899 + tax = $1034
Makita VC4210L = $799 + tax = $919

The CT15 is low enough in price that I can also get a dust deputy 2.5 kit with it bringing the total up to roughly $830.

I really don't know which way to go and can use some help.

Thanks!
 
My suggestion - get the CT MIDI I for CD$939. It is basically the CT15 with a better hose, bluetooth and hose garage - and is worth the additional expense. Chances are you won't need the capacity of the 36 so you should be golden.

And then get the Festool sander. It will be worth it. If you're coming from the 5" world and are Hell Bent on staying with 5" sanders, the ETS, ETS EC and ETSC2 in 125mm are all fine sanders, but it's worth making the switch to the 150mm sanders. More pad surface means more coverage and less sanding overall.
 
onocoffee said:
My suggestion - get the CT MIDI I for CD$939. It is basically the CT15 with a better hose, bluetooth and hose garage - and is worth the additional expense. Chances are you won't need the capacity of the 36 so you should be golden.

And then get the Festool sander. It will be worth it. If you're coming from the 5" world and are Hell Bent on staying with 5" sanders, the ETS, ETS EC and ETSC2 in 125mm are all fine sanders, but it's worth making the switch to the 150mm sanders. More pad surface means more coverage and less sanding overall.
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Thanks! I've looked at the MIDI I. Do you think that'll have any issue with the table saw? Either in suction or filling up quickly?
 
arctic_rogue said:
Thanks! I've looked at the MIDI I. Do you think that'll have any issue with the table saw? Either in suction or filling up quickly?
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I don't think so. Though I'm reasonably sure the DeWalt has a 2.5" DC port. You'll have to get a different hose when using it with that. Any 2.5" shop vac hose will work.

As far as suction, the MIDI has 130cfm suction which is perfectly fine for sanding, domino, track saw, etc, so I don't see why it wouldn't work for a table saw. The 36 has 137cfm but it's a marginal difference that no one really notices or talks much about. I have a similar setup where I'm using the SawStop CTS and I think the MIDI would handle that fine. That said, I also have a Ridgid 14ga shop vac that I use for the table saw and other benchtoop tools. It just has more suction at 169cfm.

The bags for MIDI are just over seven dollars per bag and the 36 bags are around $18 each. You'll have to gauge if that's "too expensive" or not. When I got my MIDI, I was using it not just for sanding, domino and track saw but also for general shop cleaning - and it took me, on average, about two months to fill the bag. I then got the CT-VA-20 separator back in February 2025 and I have not changed a bag since. However, while I did get the separator used and at a very good price, had I bought it at full price, it would have taken me until 2035 to recoup the cost over buying new bags every two months.
 
If the long life bags aren't too expensive where you are I'd highly recommend one of them. For us the standard bags are very expensive, so it's not a huge leap to the longlife over the life of the unit.

As noted above though by onocoffee, a Dust Deputy or similar will dramatically reduce the amount that goes into the bag. It's a solid investment that will save you heaps of money and time in the long run!
 
The DeWalt does have 2.5" port.

Unfortunately, there is shipping on the Makita and the CT36.

That makes the CT15E more viable... As well as the CT MIDI I.

Unsure on the cost of bags - something I need to look into.
 
arctic_rogue said:
The DeWalt does have 2.5" port.

Unfortunately, there is shipping on the Makita and the CT36.

That makes the CT15E more viable... As well as the CT MIDI I.

Unsure on the cost of bags - something I need to look into.
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The cost of the bags I quoted above should be accurate for Canada - they came from Festool Canada's website!

I tend to push the MIDI because when I was getting my first extractor, the CT15 seemed so much cheaper. My dealer was pushing me towards the MIDI and I was hesitant. (At the time) nearly US$700 for a vac seemed utterly insane. He told me about the bluetooth and I thought that was just Dumb. I've been working with vacs all my life, it's no big deal to turn on the switch.

Oh, but it is. I ended up sucking in my breath and bought the MIDI (with the Dumb Bluetooth) and I was forever changed. I came to really love the convenience of the bluetooth remote that I modified my Ridgid with a remote controller.

Just some thoughts (get the MIDI).
 
My suggestion — get the MINI I (not the MIDI I nor the CT 15)

THE DETAILS:

I first bought the CT 15. Loved the clean-air exhaust and dust pickup of the Festool vac. I was 😍, and so were my lungs.

A year later I bought the MINI I, and gave the CT 15 to our son who is also a hobby woodworker. He said “Oh wow, this is way quieter than the Ridgid!”

Then I bought the Bluetooth remote button and slapped it onto the end of the vac hose. Wow! What a huge convenience! Whoa! 😀

For height reasons, I’m glad to have bought the MINI I instead of the MIDI I. I roll it out of the tool shed to the back patio. Then it gets tucked under the Kreg ACS table. The height of the MINI I gives enough headroom clearance to open the lid and grab an attachment accessory.

I bought a kit of Bosch vac attachments for cheaper than the Festool equivalent.

Wife loves using it for cleaning out the cars.

Our Away brand luggage had a sticky handle. They sent a replacement that glides smoothly again. I attached the old sliding handle on the MINI I.
 
Absolutely the CT15 because you mentioned the need for a dust deputy. For the mini or midi, it'd add even more cost. With a cheap shop hack, you can add blue-tooth like function to the CT15. The CT15 now comes with an anti-static hose if that's a concern.

In your case (table saw, sander, any power tools like router, mitre saw, etc.), the CT15 is more than good enough. Used with a DD, you won't need to replace any bag for many years to come.

Btw, I used to have a Mini and CT26.
 
I will add my vote for the MIDI. I was in the same place you are now when I bought the MIDI. I would do it again in a heart beat. The blue tooth remote is great. Yes it can be added to other vacs, but it usually involves some goofing around. I use the cheap DD's that sit on top of a 5 gallon pail. I attached it to a board and this sits on top of the MIDI.
 
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