CT36 Plug Tap Rating

[ultgar]

Received my CT36 today and was surprised to see a sticker on the plug tap cover suggesting not to exceed 3.1a (approx 375w) with any power tool plugged into this receptacle.  This obviously has to be a mistake with the sticker as the CT33 had a 1200w sticker.  Did anyone else notice this problem?

see http://www.ultimategarage.com/festool/ct36powerrating.jpg

 

[tbellemare]

That's what mine says.

Tom

 

[ultgar]

I mention it because I get calls all the time with the Alto vacs I sell....customers want to know if they can safely plug their Saw or Router into the vac for tool triggered auto-start.  I switched several customers last year from Alto to Festool because of this requirement....Alto vacs have a 600w recommended max on the receptacle cover.

According to the CT36 sticker (not sure about the CT26 but I assume its the same) which was presumably on the machine for UL approval, customers should not plug anything drawing greater than 3.1 amps (370w max ) or there might be a risk of fire.  I am still waiting for someone from Festool to get back to me on this.  Steve D

 

[wnagle]

Not sure what it means but It doesn't say 3.1  It says 3,1.  I'm not sure why the comma instead of a decimal point, but it may be a clue to the mystery.

 

[tbellemare]

Europeans use a comma instead of a period.

Tom

 

[wnagle]

ahhh, I don't get out much!

 

[chrisrosenb]

Well, I used my CT36 for 3 days last week with a Kapex connected to it & nothing caught on fire.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Well, I used my CT36 for 3 days last week with a Kapex connected to it & nothing caught on fire.

I've used my 26 with the OF2200 and I've made miles of cut with the TS55.

 

[tDot]

I'm going out on a limb here, as I don't know all the CT 36 specs, but doesn't the CT36 only come with the plug for a 15A outlet?  Does it even include the 20amp outlet adapter like the CT33?

Either way, the sticker probably has something to do with the Max amperage draw that would be allowed on a 15Amp outlet, if the vac was at full power. I'd assume max amperage draw would be approx 12Amps for the vac. So you would only have a small balance of available power remaining.

 

[ajones]

Well, I used my CT36 for 3 days last week with a Kapex connected to it & nothing caught on fire.

I've used my 26 with the OF2200 and I've made miles of cut with the TS55.

I  was told by Festool UK that using the of2200 with the ct26 36 was fine and would not cause any problems or warrantee issues

 

[Jeff Zanin]

Well, I used my CT36 for 3 days last week with a Kapex connected to it & nothing caught on fire.

I've used my 26 with the OF2200 and I've made miles of cut with the TS55.

I  was told by Festool UK that using the of2200 with the ct26 36 was fine and would not cause any problems or warrantee issues

Interesting - what is the mains voltage in the UK? 

In the U.S. and Canada it is 120VAC, I am wondering if the power available here is reduced compared to someplace where the voltage is higher.

I don't see an electrical specification for the CT36 on the Festool USA website, but if the vac is intended for use on a typical 15A branch circuit there might not be much amperage left to power a tool when the vac is running at full power.  What type of plug does the CT36 have – 15A or 20A?

I have used my CT22 on a 15A circuit with the TS-75 (and with a Bosch 4100  [scared]) with no issues, but the run time of the tool + vac is typically quite short and likely not enough to pop the breaker, and there was nothing else in use on the circuit.  But whenever possible I remove the pigtail and use a 20A receptacle and circuit.

Jeff

 

[ajones]

Well, I used my CT36 for 3 days last week with a Kapex connected to it & nothing caught on fire.

I've used my 26 with the OF2200 and I've made miles of cut with the TS55.

I  was told by Festool UK that using the of2200 with the ct26 36 was fine and would not cause any problems or warrantee issues

Interesting - what is the mains voltage in the UK? 

Hi The voltage I was talking to festool about was 110v 50 cycles which is used on uk construction sites

In the U.S. and Canada it is 120VAC, I am wondering if the power available here is reduced compared to someplace where the voltage is higher.

I don't see an electrical specification for the CT36 on the Festool USA website, but if the vac is intended for use on a typical 15A branch circuit there might not be much amperage left to power a tool when the vac is running at full power.  What type of plug does the CT36 have – 15A or 20A?

I have used my CT22 on a 15A circuit with the TS-75 (and with a Bosch 4100  [scared]) with no issues, but the run time of the tool + vac is typically quite short and likely not enough to pop the breaker, and there was nothing else in use on the circuit.  But whenever possible I remove the pigtail and use a 20A receptacle and circuit.

Jeff

 

[fdengel]

The PDF of the user's manual from the festoolusa site indicates that the connected power tool should not exceed 3.7 amps, or 9.1 amps at minimum suction, for the CT 36.

This seems strange to me, I thought my CT 22 allowed more than this?

 

[Brice Burrell]

The PDF of the user's manual from the festoolusa site indicates that the connected power tool should not exceed 3.7 amps, or 9.1 amps at minimum suction, for the CT 36.

This seems strange to me, I thought my CT 22 allowed more than this?

Forget what the literature says.  The vacs are meant to be used with any of the tools we have here in N America.  Festool wouldn't sell the tools and vacs packaged together if they didn't intend for you to use them.....

 

[ultgar]

I'm going out on a limb here, as I don't know all the CT 36 specs, but doesn't the CT36 only come with the plug for a 15A outlet?  Does it even include the 20amp outlet adapter like the CT33?

Either way, the sticker probably has something to do with the Max amperage draw that would be allowed on a 15Amp outlet, if the vac was at full power. I'd assume max amperage draw would be approx 12Amps for the vac. So you would only have a small balance of available power remaining.

I agree.  I sell a lot of Alto vacs and their engineers have indicated to me that the sticker on the Alto machines (600w max, 500w max with XC models) was there to satisfy UL requirements.  The CT36 now comes with a 5-15P plug eliminating the hassle (and cost) of the plugtail adapter.  Despite the hefty 12 gauge cord, the CT can now be plugged into any 15 amp convenience outlet .  Tool triggered autostart is a great feature/convenience but the use of higher amperage tools (saws, routers, etc) through the AS circuitry will compromise the performance and longevity of both the vacuum and tool.  Throw in a 50' or 100' 14 gauge extension cord that most contractors use and you really have a problem.

I received an official response from Festool this morning and it appears they are upset with me for discussing it on this forum.  I was trying to tap into the strong presence of Festool dealers who frequent here.  SD

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Steve,

So I guess now there's a gag order placed on you?  Maybe you should have done it on the Wikileaks site?

I just checked my CT36.  At 3.1 amps it's fine.  At 3.2 amps it starts melting the top of the vac.  At 3.3 amps a fire started and the whole thing went up in flames.  Now I need a new vac.  Maybe I'll try the Alto.

 

[junk731]

The bottom line is Festool has outlined their specifications to satisfy UL and they or their dealers have the responsibility to follow. What you do with the equipment after purchase is your responsibility and will only come under scrutiny when there is a problem with warranty or problem with the equipment damaging personal property. Whether you can hook up and run an OF2200/CT36 at full load isn't really Festool's concern because they have covered themselves by load statements in the owners manual.

John

 

[Jeff Zanin]

I received an official response from Festool this morning and it appears they are upset with me for discussing it on this forum.  I was trying to tap into the strong presence of Festool dealers who frequent here.  SD

I can see why they would be concerned but at the same time there is a broad range of Festool experience and expertise among FOG members, and the opinions range from:

Forget what the literature says.  The vacs are meant to be used with any of the tools we have here in N America.  Festool wouldn't sell the tools and vacs packaged together if they didn't intend for you to use them.....

to:

The bottom line is Festool has outlined their specifications to satisfy UL and they or their dealers have the responsibility to follow. What you do with the equipment after purchase is your responsibility and will only come under scrutiny when there is a problem with warranty or problem with the equipment damaging personal property. Whether you can hook up and run an OF2200/CT36 at full load isn't really Festool's concern because they have covered themselves by load statements in the owners manual.

John

both of which sound reasonable to me, but which are a bit contradictory.

So for those that have or are considering one of the new vacs an official response or clarification would be a good thing.

Jeff

 

[ultgar]

Festool is issuing an official position to its dealers which is understandably vague and protects them from liability.  It is up to the dealers to interpret/explain this position to their customers. My interpretation as a dealer (Ultimate Garage)  would be as follows...........

CT Dust Extractors are engineered to work with ALL Festool power tools assuming the CT is plugged directly into a dedicated 20amp (115-125v, 60hz) circuit without the use of cord extensions. However, there may be compatability issues with non-Festool products (without MMC electronic thermal & overload protection) used in conjunction with the Festool CT vacuums. To ensure maximum performance of ANY power tool used with the CT Extractor, separate circuits should be used for each device. The CT should never be used with a compromised power supply (ie, line voltage less than 110v or greater than 130v).

Steve D'Gerolamo

 

[Jeff Zanin]

Festool is issuing an official position to its dealers which is understandably vague and protects them from liability.  It is up to the dealers to interpret/explain this position to their customers. My interpretation as a dealer (Ultimate Garage)  would be as follows...........

CT Dust Extractors are engineered to work with ALL Festool power tools assuming the CT is plugged directly into a dedicated 20amp (115-125v, 60hz) circuit without the use of cord extensions. However, there may be compatability issues with non-Festool products (without MMC electronic thermal & overload protection) used in conjunction with the Festool CT vacuums. To ensure maximum performance of ANY power tool used with the CT Extractor, separate circuits should be used for each device. The CT should never be used with a compromised power supply (ie, line voltage less than 110v or greater than 130v).

Steve D'Gerolamo

That seems quite reasonable and incorporates the common sense aspects of Brice's comments with an appropriate scope limitation.

I'll have to break the news to Mr. Bosch 4100 that he can no longer use the magic receptacle on the CT...  ;D

Jeff