CTL midi bag clogging well before full?

[Sanderxpander]

Hey all,

I just wanted to ask what your experience is with the CTL midi and clogging bags. I don't know what's normal. I use my MIDI mainly with my TS55, a very little with my OF1010 and recently a lot with sanding ( mostly plywood and stripping old paint/lacquer). So far, I've had two change bags twice well before they were full. The first time it was about two thirds full which seems reasonable if a little disappointing. The second time I think I did more sanding and the VAC actually shut off and I had to change the bag when it wasn't even a third full. I did tap it in between but it didn't seem to do much, maybe I should've done more. Is this normal or could I improve it somehow?

 

[Tinker]

I have not used a Midi or Mini, but have thought to get one. I do have both a CT 33 and a CT22 that I have used for years.  think i bought the 33 in the last century.  I have not had the bags clog on either one. What generally slows them down is when the filters get packed or the bags get full and very packed. I use a Rockler Dust Right top (like a cyclone) over a ten gallon drum and that takes care of dust for a long time. Maybe a cyclone of some kind would help in your problem.
Tinker

 

[leakyroof]

Does not match my experience with my MIDI vac, so I don't know what to say.  Would be easier to understand if you had more listed sanding of Fine Dust like drywall or lots of MDF, but that doesn't seem to be your case at all with Plywood sanding or Removal of old finishes.  Let us know what you figure out... [eek]

 

[Cheese]

I have a MIDI and it works until the bag is full.

The reason your MIDI shut off is probably because it became too hot. Is there something caught in the hose?  Pull off the right angle connector and try to snake something solid through the hose. I usually use a 1" to 1 1/4" diameter chunk of aluminum about 10" long. That has enough mass to break up anything snagged inside the hose.

My CT 22 will work until it packs the bag completely full, then if I don't catch it in time, the vac will shut down because of excessive heat.

 

[bertv]

In two instances my Midi has overfilled — eg it stopped sucking dust with an inch of the hose filled with dust. The cavity was almost bursting. And the bag bursting at the seams.

You may have another issue. Perhaps a filter that needs replacing.

 

[Sanderxpander]

Ok thanks guys, that tells me enough to order a replacement filter!
Yeah no drywall sanding at all. I mafe a closet out of plywood that I sanded to 180 and I've been stripping old doors but obviously the stripping is done at low grits. It was running for a long time at full speed when sanding with my Mirka with abranet when it shut down, so perhaps it did overheat. And it cooled down just enough to come back on after I'd changed the bag.

I'll check the hose too but it seems unlikely anything would be stuck considering what I've been doing and that suction power is still high.

 

[greg mann]

Running it at full speed while sanding is probably unnecessary. It may seem counterintuitive but throttling back on suction should improve the sander’s performance and save wear and tear on the Midi.

 

[nclemmons]

I changed out my Midi bag the other day and it was like a brick!  Took some effort to get it out.  Mostly sawdust with some cleaning after tearing out a bathroom and a little drywall sanding.  But I've not had any problem with the bag filling completely.

 

[Sanderxpander]

Running it at full speed while sanding is probably unnecessary. It may seem counterintuitive but throttling back on suction should improve the sander’s performance and save wear and tear on the Midi.

Ah I thought with the Abranet mesh stuff I was supposed to keep full suction. I always scale it down with my Rotex 90/Granat. I'll experiment some, thanks!

 

[Brice Burrell]

I've had bags packed so full they were like bricks, and I've also had bags that I've thrown away only a third full because of greatly diminished suction.  My experience is that the mini/midi are far more susceptible to clogged bags than the larger vacs. 

My guess is those that haven't experienced the loss of suction issue don't use many bags and/or aren't paying attention.  Its pretty noticeable when using the vac for clean up, especially when using floor attachments.  Maybe if you're just cleaning up your shop you don't notice the loss of suction.  I can certainly notice when cleaning a client's home after a messy job.       

I have two mini, a midi, a 22 and two 26 vacs.  I've sucked up all sorts of stuff from nails/screws to rat feces (and everything in between).  I use the vacs hard and sometimes that means I have to throw away a bag long before its full.  Its not a big deal to me.       

 

[mobetta]

Generally my midi will suck until the bags stuffed full and the hose is clogged.

Mostly I use it for jobsite cleanup.

I have an 36AC, 36, 2 ct sys and 2 midi and I havent had this issue except for the ct-SYs, which
I have the reuseable bags in. those seem to clog sometimes. small bag tho.