CTL SYS, CTL Mini or CTL Midi?

[Coliban]

Hello,

nice forum )

After Bosch and Makita (which both i use stil a lot, because our Boschs are very durable and i have not too much reasons to replace them all with Festool), i purchased for a task the OF1010 and after that, the Domino df500 because there is much more wood-work ahead in and around our house. Until now i only used the OF1010, which i have now for 2 weeks and last weekend the domino df500 arrived, but i had no time to use it. (and i have spare time only on weekends so the ramp-up time should be very short).

Before i buy more festools (i think, i need one or two more of them, but our old gear is still alive and good) i think, the next device should be a dust extractor. Since i have not too much space in the shop and i want to be mobile (i like to work in the garden), i thought about the CTL SYS, which is small, light and compact. On the other hand, it has not much capacity, so i came to the conclusion that maybe it would be wiser to buy the next size, e.g. the ctl mini or midi. I am weighting the mobility against the versatility an capacity since mini and midi are as well not too big and i can place another systainer or something on them.

Which one, also in terms of versatility, would the community recommend?

Thanks in advance

( i visited the US-site and the dust extractors there have the addition "HEPA" (CT HEPA) while the german devices all called "L" (CTL), don´t know, what the difference may be)

 

[AlexThePalex]

If you're working with routers the CTL Sys is definitely too small because you'll be changing bags all day. It is mostly usefull for sanding and small sawing/routing tasks. But then they decided not to incorporate variable suction, which makes the CTL SYS even less useful for the task it was meant to do. Hmm.

I've got the CTL Mini and would absolutely recommend that to anyone who wants to be mobile with his vac. I take it everywhere and even taking it up the scaffold is not out of the question.

The Midi is just a slightly bigger Mini, they're exactly the same exact for the tub that determins it's bag capacity. Which one of the two fits best is something everybody needs to decide for himself. More capacity means less changing of bags, but more weight to haul around. The size difference is minimal, with the Midi being just 5 cm higher. 

 

[Coliban]

Thank you Alex for this information!

The Midi is just 5cm bigger than the mini but has 50% more bag capacity. This means, it would be better to go for the midi? From your answer i think, i can abandon the ctl sys, although it has a very comfortable size and fits just in the whole sortainer sortiment. But i think, this advantage is perhaps for me negligible, i must think about this advantage because i do not work the whole time and when i am not working with wood, i have to stow it somewhere.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The Midi is just 5cm bigger than the mini but has 50% more bag capacity. This means, it would be better to go for the midi?

If bag capacity is what you want, the Midi is the best choice for you.

The CTL SYS does fit nicely with all Festool systainers. The 3,5 liter bag capacity is pretty small though, no problem if you work with sanders, but you mentioned routers, the OF1010 and DF500, and with routers that bag fills up quickly. If you don't mind changing bags the CTL SYS could still be a good option. There is also a long-life bag available for it.

 

[semenza]

Hello,

nice forum )

After Bosch and Makita (which both i use stil a lot, because our Boschs are very durable and i have not too much reasons to replace them all with Festool), i purchased for a task the OF1010 and after that, the Domino df500 because there is much more wood-work ahead in and around our house. Until now i only used the OF1010, which i have now for 2 weeks and last weekend the domino df500 arrived, but i had no time to use it. (and i have spare time only on weekends so the ramp-up time should be very short).

Before i buy more festools (i think, i need one or two more of them, but our old gear is still alive and good) i think, the next device should be a dust extractor. Since i have not too much space in the shop and i want to be mobile (i like to work in the garden), i thought about the CTL SYS, which is small, light and compact. On the other hand, it has not much capacity, so i came to the conclusion that maybe it would be wiser to buy the next size, e.g. the ctl mini or midi. I am weighting the mobility against the versatility an capacity since mini and midi are as well not too big and i can place another systainer or something on them.

Which one, also in terms of versatility, would the community recommend?

Thanks in advance

( i visited the US-site and the dust extractors there have the addition "HEPA" (CT HEPA) while the german devices all called "L" (CTL), don´t know, what the difference may be)

Hi

Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

    A router will fill the bags very quickly. If you can make the size of the Midi work for you, then I suggest going with the Midi.

Seth

 

[Coliban]

You both are right, i will take the Midi and have to think how to handle the bigger size, which is not too big, but i think, the advantage of the bigger capacity weights up the nice size of the ctl sys.

Ok, Alex, thank you for the advise, thank you Seth, for the welcome (i posted my first project in the project category).

 

[Cheese]

[member=54664]Coliban[/member]
I'm putting up the third vote for a Midi.

I have a larger older CT 22 in the basement shop, but I noticed that sometimes I just didn't move it outside when I needed it because of the hassle. So then when I use the TS 55 outside, I have sawdust everywhere. I purchased a Midi and it's small and light and I don't mind moving it from place to place. Sometimes I'll move it between indoors and outdoors, 2-3 times a day because it is so convenient.

 

[Coliban]

Chesse, thanks for this information, so even with the bigger Midi (in respect to the ctl sys), according to your experience, it would be mobile enough for me to move it around when i am working with it. Ok, i have made up my mind, the next purchase will be the midi.

 

[Cheese]

Chesse, thanks for this information, so even with the bigger Midi (in respect to the ctl sys), according to your experience, it would be mobile enough for me to move it around when i am working with it. Ok, i have made up my mind, the next purchase will be the midi.

[member=54664]Coliban[/member]
Like everybody else I assumed bigger was better, so I purchased the CT 22 and was happy until I had to move between the outside and the inside. It's a killer vac but it is large, heavy and cumbersome. At sometime this moving of the vac became more of a nuisance than a time saver so I let it sit downstairs. Once I purchased the Midi, it became my go-to vac for on-site vacuuming chores.

As for your question about the mobility, the Midi is not that much larger than the Mini yet it holds twice the amount of contents. Festool got this one right.

 

[gippy]

I bought my Midi mainly based on cost, in Thailand there is a huge jump in price to a CT model that wasn't worth it for me. I am very happy with it and how it works on my TS55, ETS 150 and Domino. When I win the lottery I will pick up the long life bag and use it for workshop cleaning as well.

 

[Kev]

Loosely on topic ... I really liked the modular form of the previous generation of Festool DCs ... something we've lost with the 26/36/48 series.

... and back on topic ...

A CT26 pulled backwards across the grass with the accessory handle will be far less annoying than the small wheels of the mini and midi. You carry the mini and midi round the garden!!

 

[Cheese]

A CT26 pulled backwards across the grass with the accessory handle will be far less annoying than the small wheels of the mini and midi. You carry the mini and midi round the garden!!

That's very true

Also loosely on topic...I purchased a SYS 2, removed the cover and installed the cover from a SYS-MFT. I attached it to the MIDI, and that's where it stays. Inside is a vacuum nozzle & brush, several pencils & Sharpies, a small pad of paper, sanding sheets, 2 sanding sponges, a 16' tape measure, several Quick Clamps and 2 small nested Tupperware containers that I use to store screws, hinge pins or anything else that may get lost when I'm working on projects.  Inspite of the additional girth and weight it adds to the MIDI, it is still very easy to carry and a pleasure to move around. [2cents]

 

[jbasen]

I bought a Mini with an Ultimate Dust Deputy (UDD) as I figured the UDD would give me the extra capacity of a much larger vac.  The mini works very well but if I had it to do over again I would have purchased a CT26 instead of the Mini simply because of the ability to add a boom arm for sanding.  It wasn't something I originally considered but the boom arm would would really help manage the hose. 

PS.  I'd still buy the UDD.  Now that Oneida has fixed the static issues it works great and I pretty much never have to change vacuum bags.

 

[Coliban]

Thanks you for the comments and the advices, i got a CTL Midi now. Of curse, your comments about the versatility (boom arm, bigger wheels) are right, but i decided that the weight is also important for me. Yesterday i´ve got the Midi, but i didn't had time to use it (i only used it as a carrier for some tools, i needed for the electric, as seen on the photo). I pulled the Midi around the garden, and while it may be easier to pull the CT26, it is ok. I can pull the Midi with me and lift it, it has much less weight than the CT26. Maybe the CT26 is better fort heavier use, but i am a hobbyist with not too much time, so i use the Midi not as often as many other colleagues here in this forum.

Until now, i am quiet happy with it, although before, and when i´ve got the Midi, i had doubts, if the CTL Sys wouldn't be better for me, because of its smaller size and it is able to blow as well.

But it is ok, if i have more time, perhaps i consider to buy the CT26 (mainly because of the boom arm).

Thank you