Ct26 too many options.

[Trout121180]

Hello,
First off I want to introduce myself. My name is Luke Troughton and I am brand new to FOG. I am also fairly new to Woodworking. Over the past year I hit the ground running and amassed quite the arsenal of tools. I have gotten to the point where there is no turning back. Woodworking is not only a hobby but part of my life. So since I can’t turn back the only thing I can do is move forward. And what better way to improve my Woodworking game but by adding some Festool tools to my collection. Tomorrow I will be the proud owner of a Festool ETS EC 150/5. And of course what good is a Festool sander without a dust extractor. So along with the sander I will also be receiving a CT26. As far as accessories I bought the compact cleaning set along with a mix of both Rubin and Granat sand paper.
Now although there is no such thing as too many options if anyone has come close to making that claim it is Festool. Being a newbie I was a little overwhelmed in trying to make a decision on not only what sander to buy but what sand paper and what dust extractor. I was able to dona ton of research and I am pretty certain that I made a pretty good choice to fit my needs. My question is there are a ton of accessories for the CT 26. And unlike the sanders and sandpaper I am finding it just a little bit difficult to find some useful information on what would best suite my needs. As for right now my dust extractor will be used as a collector for my 12” miter saw. A collector for my new Festool sander and for general shop clean up. Besides the compact cleaning kit that I purchased already is there any accessories that you would recommend. I know there are different size hoses and extensions ect ect. Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for taking some time out of your busy day to help me it.

Respectfully,
Luke Troughton

 

[ScotF]

The new vac will come with the new hose, which is good. I would get the pigtail to hold the hose up off the floor and it is the height of the MFT should you get one of those at some point. Bigger hose for the miter saw, but wait until the new version of that is available in April.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The CT26 as you get it is fit to use with any tool. But you'll want to make some upgrades to get the best functionality out of it.

- You'll want a bigger 36mm hose to get better dust collection with the bigger tools, and also to improve suction for general clean up.
- You'll want to use the CT26 as a normal vac also for clean up, so you'll need a wand and some nozzles.

As it is, both things above are all packed together nicely in their tradesman set.

The last thing to add to get full functionality of your CT26 is the wet filter so you can also use the vac to suck up water.

Beyond that, all accessories are extras that can make your life more comfortable but not necessarily needed for basic functionality.

 

[Trout121180]

Alex,
Thank you for responding to my message. Should I just return the compact cleaning set and get the tradesman? 

 

[Trout121180]

Also although I purchased it after March 1 I didn’t have to pay the increased price so I don’t believe I am getting the 2018 version.  So besides the tradesmen kit which has the larger diameter hose is there a better smaller diameter hose that I should be purchasing? 

Luke

 

[HarveyWildes]

Alex,
Thank you for responding to my message. Should I just return the compact cleaning set and get the tradesman?

Exactly what I ended up doing.  I found the compact kit to be pretty useless.

 

[TXFIVEO]

I’ve been using the compact kit for over 2 years now and it has served me well. 

 

[Brice Burrell]

Also although I purchased it after March 1 I didn’t have to pay the increased price so I don’t believe I am getting the 2018 version.  So besides the tradesmen kit which has the larger diameter hose is there a better smaller diameter hose that I should be purchasing? 

Luke

First, welcome to the FOG!

Festool has some new features/options that will be available this year for the CT vacs (available April 2nd in N. America, available now in other parts of the world). One of the new features is the new braided sleeve hose.  The new hose is smooth inside and out, it doesn't have the ribbed construction that all other shop vac hoses have.  The idea is to increase airflow on the inside, and being smooth on the outside it won't snag on things while you work. Also, the new hose is a lot more flexible.

The new hose certainly has some welcome additions.  That said you need to decide if its worth spending the money.  Another option is to return your CT26 and wait until April to buy the updated CT26 with the new style hose.  If you decide to go that route be sure you will be getting the updated model and not the current version with the "old" style hose.

As for cleaning kits, I like the tradesmen.  The installer kits feels flimsy to me, and it uses the smaller diameter hose so the suction isn't the best for cleanups.  If you decide on the tradesmen, I'd wait until April to get the version with the new style hose.  Again, be sure to confirm with your dealer that you will be getting the new hose version.

Good luck, and let us know how it all works out.       

 

[AlexThePalex]

Alex,
Thank you for responding to my message. Should I just return the compact cleaning set and get the tradesman?

Your question has already been answered above, and I agree with them the compact set is flimsy, though it kinda works for me, but it could be better. The plastic tubes have a lot of flex in them so when you put some force in your scrubbing to loosen dirt they get pretty bendy. In this regard the metal tubes are way better.

The biggest advantage of the set is the thicker hose so you get much better suction when you're cleaning and your nozzle doesn't clog up all the time.

 

[Trout121180]

Great info. Thanks everyone. My dust extractor, sander, and accessories arrived a couple of minutes ago. I have to go to work soon so I don’t want to start playing with them or I might be out of a job!!! After looking at the cleaning kit I am pretty sure I am going to return it. Also I think I am going to take some advice and wait until April 1 to buy the tradesman kit.  But I don’t think I am going to return my CT 26.  Although I agree that the hose does sound better don’t think I can bring myself to send it back now that I have it. Plenty of people are making do with the old style hose and the bigger I get will be the new style. Other than that I look forward to putting these tools to the test and reporting back. Thanks again for all the advice. 

Luke

 

[Sanderxpander]

I actually liked the compact cleaning kit because it's, well, compact. I did get a separate small round brush head with it but it also fits in the SYS 1 (barely). I mostly use the smaller heads to clean up the table though and only occasionally need to do the whole floor.

 

[GoingMyWay]

The CT26 as you get it is fit to use with any tool. But you'll want to make some upgrades to get the best functionality out of it.

- You'll want a bigger 36mm hose to get better dust collection with the bigger tools, and also to improve suction for general clean up.
- You'll want to use the CT26 as a normal vac also for clean up, so you'll need a wand and some nozzles.

As it is, both things above are all packed together nicely in their tradesman set.

The last thing to add to get full functionality of your CT26 is the wet filter so you can also use the vac to suck up water.

Beyond that, all accessories are extras that can make your life more comfortable but not necessarily needed for basic functionality.

Thanks for the link to the Tradesmen Set.  I wasn't aware of that set before.  This seems like the best deal in terms of upgrading if you have an older CT26 and you also want some cleaning accesories.

 

[mwildt]

I have the workshop cleaning set, 497701. It's the same as the tradesman set but a more robust floor nozzle that can be converted to also sweep water up. Works great in the garage. The set is however missing the other 3 small nozzles. You can get those separately if you want, see 492392.
Another useful piece is the bevel ended nozzle, 411810. Got one for each vac I have so it's always near by.
The universal brush nozzle, 498527 is better than the the other brush nozzle imho.

In both cases you're getting the 36mm hose, which is super nice for larger tools. Think router table, mitersaw etc etc

Forgot to say that I found the tool holder rod that Alex mentioned way too expensive for what it is. But maybe it's one of those if you have it you use it.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Forgot to say that I found the tool holder rod that Alex mentioned way too expensive for what it is.

I think somebody else mentioned that, I don't see much use for that thing in my workflow.

 

[mwildt]

Ups sorry Alex