CTL SYS vs CTLC SYS

[cliftonukhandyman]

Hi all

Recently picked myself up a CTL Midi mainly for my decorator to use.
I wanted to consider using it myself for small jobs which are usually short call domestic handyman work that I do.
It's good but a bit big really.

This is mainly for jobs like picture hanging, shelf hanging or light carpentry usually work taking less than a day per job.

Up to now I usually bring in a small bucket bin and dustpan and brush to catch dust but getting tired of this.

I was thinking of getting the small cordless compact sys extractor and am now thinking the corded one is possibly more convenient as accessing power is never an issue for me. The cordless appeals though.

Has anyone considered both in a similar position as me and reached a conclusion?

All thoughts welcome.

Thanks

 

[ghhsolutions]

Your use case sounds similar to mine. I have a CTL Midi, 25 E and SYS. The 25 E is dedicated to workshop use, mainly on my Kapex. I bought the SYS for customer premises work (like you, mainly one (or two) day jobs) and it worked fine but I found the lack of Bluetooth, variable suction and the small bag a bit of a pain. I added a CT-VA pre-separator that resolved the bag issue (I didn't use the 20L container, just the lower pan) but once I had out all this on a SYS-RB I realised it was at least as big as a CTL Midi. In the end I bought a Midi and now the SYS and full CT-VA are dedicated to my MFT/3 Plunge saw.

For smaller domestic jobs (pictures, shelf brackets etc) I use a DeWALT DCV517 and can heartily recommend it for small clean ups. Mine was just under £100 but I note they have crept up in price and if I was buying again I would look at the DCV501. (All my drills are DeWALT so I already had batteries).

I note that the CTLC SYS has the lowest performance of all the Festool extractors and that 2 x 4.0Ah batteries only last 14-25 minutes (and you can't fit the higher capacity batteries in it). None of this might be an issue for you. On the plus side it has Bluetooth and variable suction.

Good luck!

 

[slavi.yordanov]

If you don’t already have a bunch of batteries, don’t bother with the cordless version. Even if you do, consider that the runtime is less than 15 minutes on full batteries. There is no way you get 25 minutes runtime.

 

[semenza]

And get this dust extraction piece for drills. It is great for shelf hanging jobs and the like. Especially for drywall dust that tends to get smeared on things.

   https://www.festoolusa.com/accessory/500483---d-27-bsd

Seth

 

[woodbutcherbower]

I have a CTL26 as my main extractor, but also a CTL-SYS which I use for small-scale trim work, door hanging and so on. It’s ideal when you just have a few cuts to make or a few holes to drill.

But I’d agree with all of the above. Also - you only need to encounter one job where you generate a larger volume of debris to realise just how tiny its capacity is. The other downside of cramming everything into a minimal space is that once the already-limited bag is half-full, the demand on the turbine motor increases and it gets hot. The machine responds by opening an internal flap, directing some of the airflow towards the motor to cool it. As a result, the suction drops considerably. And the bags (sold as a pack of 5) are pricey.

It’s a great little extractor, but you need to be fully aware of its limitations. Bear in mind also that the corded version has been discontinued, so you’d be looking at a used one.

Kevin

 

[mrboult]

I think the CTLC SYS is a weird product. With the tiny bag and the 15min battery life I see this as being almost useless. Unless your criteria is so exacting that nothing else will do, I'd steer clear of this product.

Love my CTL Sys regular though. The small bag is what it is, but it's a great vac.

 

[cliftonukhandyman]

Thanks guys for the input. It feels like the corded version is the way to go. I have some batteries but can imagine it being a pain to have to carry 4x 4AH and recharging so often.

Thanks Seth I have already purchased that drill attachment and looks like a handy item. Drilling into internal walls most days so will be interesting to see if I can retire the dustpan and brush.

I do wonder if the ring you need to place the drill bit through will get in the way to eyeball for accuracy.

 

[rst]

I use the Festool drill extraction attachment, to insure placement, I pull the back so I can place the bit in the correct location before placing the vac on the surface.  Milwaukee and other manufacturers make larger attachments for large bits and hole saws.  I have one similar to the Festool that will work with up to 2 inches and another that looks like a dustpan that suctions below the holes being made so can work with oscillating or reciprocating saws.  Essential for commercial work

 

[Imemiter]

I use the Festool drill extraction attachment, to insure placement, I pull the back so I can place the bit in the correct location before placing the vac on the surface.  Milwaukee and other manufacturers make larger attachments for large bits and hole saws.  I have one similar to the Festool that will work with up to 2 inches and another that looks like a dustpan that suctions below the holes being made so can work with oscillating or reciprocating saws.  Essential for commercial work

Do those Milwaukee's fit the CT hose?

 

[Holzhacker]

At 15 min run time the battery CTLC is worthless to me.
The festool drill nozzle thing is very nice. I use it for drywall and masonry holes. Works great. If you are drilling bigger holes, i.e. hole saw type holes look into the Bosch versions. Bosch makes 2 that I know of. Both very nice, both better for bigger holes. Not cheap though but you are on the FOG so who cares.