Death, Taxes, and Dust

[Gaijin Daiku]

Good afternoon, All--

I am toying with the idea of buying a Festool vacuum to use with my saw and (someday) Festool router.

Keeping in mind that I have a Jet dust collector and shop vac for other functions, member recommendations regarding which Festool vac would suit my purpose (mostly sawing, routing...not on a long hose) would be most appreciated. 

Thanks!

Bruce

 

[justinmcf]

hi bruce, i recommend the ct-22 or ct-33.
if its for the workshop, i would buy the larger ct-33.
if its to be used onsite, get the ct-22.

they both have the same motor.
the only difference is the amount each can hold in a dust bag.  22 litres or 33 litres.

regards, justin.

 

[sw1211]

I would go with the 22 and add a dust deputy (mini cyclone), the dust deputy will pay for itself over time in vacuum bag savings.

 

[Corwin]

Me too on the CT22 with cyclone.

 

[jmbfestool]

me 3

 

[PeterK]

With the cyclone, I wish there was a CT11 as sure don't need much bag capacity. Haven't changed a bag on my CT33 since getting the cyclone.

Another vote for the CT22.

 

[Neill]

Bruce,

You did not say what kind of shop vac you have.  If it's a Fein, even one of the previous models, you should do well.

I had a Turbo II that I used with all my Festools.  It worked well.  Then a little over a year ago, I succumbed to the self imposed pressure and bought a CT-22.  Do I like it a lot, you bet.  Was it a great improvement over my Turbo II.  No.

I now have my Fein hooked up to my router table.  With its tool activation, it starts up when the router does.  Kind of overkill but the router does kick up a lot of dust and it all works well.  I also use it to clean the shop since I had all the accessories.

I use the CT-22 for everything else from my ETS 125 sander to my Kapex.

For overall versatility, I would go with the CT-22 if I had to make a choice.  Great for the shop, but also mobile if you need it at the jobsite, even if the jobsite is somewhere in your home.

Neill

 

[Forrest Anderson]

With the cyclone, I wish there was a CT11 as sure don't need much bag capacity. Haven't changed a bag on my CT33 since getting the cyclone.

There was a CT11, and some members still have one. Unlike the other CT machines, it had a neat pull-out handle so you could wheel it along like a suitcase.

The  manual is available for download, and there's an Italian video there you can see it.

It is interesting to note that the air volume flow and pressure, along with the filter surface area, were the same as the larger CT22-55 machines.

Forrest

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

That handle in the CT-11 was pure genius.

 

[AlexThePalex]

That handle in the CT-11 was pure genius.

The handle is nice yeah, only shame is the wheels of the CT aren't much to cart with.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Btw, I wish I knew the CT11 existed before I got my 22. The lower weight would have saved me a lot of sweat.

 

[mwildt]

I liked the Italian video especially the power cord. It looked like it was a rubber sheath cord which is way more flexible than what we get on the models in the US. I just hate the plastic cords all tools seems to come with these days. The ETS150 sander cord is nice, just wish the ct22 had it too.

 

[Bill Wyko]

I have 2 CT 22's and a CT-33. The 33 is the oldest and has never filled the bag. It gets everything though. Either way, they are the best dust extraction I've ever come across.

 

[tbellemare]

It looked like it was a rubber sheath cord which is way more flexible than what we get on the models in the US.

I think the cords that Festool provides in the 'States are SJO. Those cords, I think, are rubber conductor insulation with an overall neoprene (rubber-like) jacket.

The cords that comes on the CT's feel slightly stiff but are actually quite supple for the amount of copper they contain. I've pulled a lot of wire, including wire that required machines (winches, pickups, ladders, and such) to pull.

IMHO, the Festool cords are truly excellent for the current they can carry.

Tom

 

[mwildt]

Yep, they are much better than other vendors. Only wish the CT22's was a tiny bit more flexible. I'm used to european wiring so guess I'm hard to please  [big grin]

It looked like it was a rubber sheath cord which is way more flexible than what we get on the models in the US.

I think the cords that Festool provides in the 'States are SJO. Those cords, I think, are rubber conductor insulation with an overall neoprene (rubber-like) jacket.

The cords that comes on the CT's feel slightly stiff but are actually quite supple for the amount of copper they contain. I've pulled a lot of wire, including wire that required machines (winches, pickups, ladders, and such) to pull.

IMHO, the Festool cords are truly excellent for the current they can carry.

Tom

 

[Gaijin Daiku]

Thanks everyone for the information.