Dedicated Kapex Vac (other brands?)

[WPeters]

Planning my kapex purchase and wanting to get a dedicated vac.  Kapex will be a shop saw and stay with the saw station 100% of the time.  We have two CT26 vacs (one with a boom arm) and I really like them.  However, not sure I want to spend the $ for another dedicated to the Kapex.  Please share your experiance with other brands of vacs out there that work well.  Also what size hose should I get?  Thanks!

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

Everyone will tell you to get the 36mm hose.

 

[maxtool]

I have a fairly robust set of festools (including 2 Mft/3s) but when i built my kapex bench with room underneath for a ct26 I decided to hold the line on my spending and temporarily put an old craftsman shop vac underneath.  I used it's large hose and installed a $20 automatic switch. 
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-auto-switch/p-00924031000PP

It works well enough that I recently spent my CT26 money instead on a Carvex (love it BTW) and plan to keep my temporary solution in place for some time to come.
I don't use the kapex extensively so, for me it's OK, but I know this is an inferior solution - it isn't a HEPA vac and it's noisier (although the kapex is fairly noisy too). The dust pick up on this setup with the larger hose works well.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Given that your Kapex will be a shop saw, you'll probably be fine to start off with any old vac for starters, perhaps spend the extra money on a dedicated AntiStatic hose (appropriately grounded, if not through a vac) for starters.

However, since many wood dusts are considered carcinogenic (Oak among them), I would feel most comfortable eventually pairing it with some sort of HEPA vac. If this is a dedicated shop saw, another CT-X (26,36,48) vac would be ideal.

 

[GarryMartin]

I'm a DIY/hobbyist, with tools in the garage and mostly used around the home (or at my parents etc. when they want something done!)

I have a CTL26 with a boom arm in my garage workshop, but I put a dedicated Midi under my Kapex (with 1.5m 36mm hose). I figured the Midi would be easier to disconnect, easier to move around, and smaller for using in the house and for taking outside of the house.

I don't know whether that might be a consideration for you in relation to considering a cheaper shop vac, but I just thought I'd mention it as it works really well for me.

 

[Birdhunter]

I like either Fein or Festool due to the low noise level and excellent dust collection.

I have a Festool vac with the 36mm (large) hose dedicated to my Kapex. It fits under the UG stand neatly whereas the Fein doesn't.

I've gotten rid of my other shop vacs. There are shrill and hurt my old ears.

 

[P2P]

Anyone using their Kapex with someone else's dust collector as opposed to a Festool extractor?

I just sold my Hitachi sliding compound miter saw and am wanting to pick up a Kapex.  I already have a CT Midi that I could use with it, but I also have a large Jet canister dust collector that I use with my table saw and planer.  Pros and cons of just using it with the Kapex too?

My Kapex will be staying stationary in the shop.

 

[Timtool]

Anyone using their Kapex with someone else's dust collector as opposed to a Festool extractor?

I just sold my Hitachi sliding compound miter saw and am wanting to pick up a Kapex.  I already have a CT Midi that I could use with it, but I also have a large Jet canister dust collector that I use with my table saw and planer.  Pros and cons of just using it with the Kapex too?

My Kapex will be staying stationary in the shop.

It doesn't work when connected to the dc outlet of the kapex, many tried, nobody succeeded. You would need to instead build some kind of screen around it to collect dust and allow for a high air volume to pass.
Each time you reduce the diameter of a tube by half, you split the surface of the circle by 4. So saying you are coming from a 100mm tube going to 30mm you are reducing the opening by nearly 7 times. Which is like blocking you hose for 70% and hoping it would still work!

That being said, the kapex does a pretty good job at throwing 95% of the dust through the hole even without a vac, i am wondering how good a DC hose led up the the outlet of the saw but stopping a few inches before would work. the difficulty would be to get it moving with the head

 

[festooltim]

I used a rigid shop vac on mine before getting a CT 22. Any vac will work just pic up a box to plug them into to turn on and off automatic. I would do some research to find one that is fairly quit I hate shrill loud vacuums.

 

[overanalyze]

On larger kobs where the Kapex and track saw are on site we have a regular shop vac with a hepa clean stream filter and a bag hooked to a craftsman vac switch on the Kapex. We use a 1-1/2" hose and it works well. The midi stays with the TS55.

 

[festooltim]

I'am glad you mentioned the clean stream filters I think they are great. Whatever shop vac you get I highly recommend the clean stream filters they are far better than what comes with the vac. I would throw away the crappy filter that comes with most shop vacs. The clean stream ones last a really long time.

 

[fshanno]

Craftsman hang on the wall shop vac with an auto switch.  Works fine.

 

[Kev]

I've held off responding because everything I wanted to say made me sound like a Festool snob ... but anyway ...

I'd go to the effort of at least dedicating a CT-Midi (or mini) with an appropriate 36mm hose and a long life bag - sell the bit you don't need that come with it. Festool gives you worry free compatibility, auto on, HEPA, quiet operation, excellent warranty and support. Anything else that supports the same criteria will be equally as expensive.

Plus you then have a very handy small Festool DC for other jobs if you need it.

To the flip side, any vac that can suck will be better than none at all. It's just a matter of how many boxes do you want to tick - Festool ticks them all apart from "low cost".

 

[gstuartw]

This discussion brings up the issue of when dust collection devices should activated. I love the auto on feature of the Festool dust extractors but as ccarrolladams said in reply to my post [Are you using supplemental dust collection with your Kapex and dust extractor?] "My experience is with many Festools it is best to have suction going before any dust is created and it should run after the dust stops being created. Usually there is no downside to starting extraction early, except when sanding. Auto-On is great when sanding." I'll add to that comment by saying the same holds true for just about any if not all brands.

Trying to achieve auto on with a non-Festool dust collection device should not be too important a consideration compared to proper dust collection. Fine particles that aren't easily visible stay suspended in the air for quite some time after the cutting operation is complete and those particles are the most dangerous to our health. It is always a good idea to start dust collection/extraction before the chips start flying and allowed to continue for a bit after the blade is no longer in contact with the wood. Whether you forego the Auto On setting or use it and let the blade/bit spin a second or two before and after is the key to more complete and safe dust extraction. IMHO

 

[jerrym303]

I have a Fein Turbo II on mine with a Mr Nozzle hose.  The end fits great on the saw is probably the same size as the 36MM Festool.  Way less than a CT and works great and is quieter to boot.  I do also have a CT26, but I atually prefer the Mr Nozzle hose.

http://www.amazon.com/Fein-9-20-25-Turbo-II-9-Gallon-Auto-Start/dp/B001GCVJ4W/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1391129024&sr=1-1&keywords=fein+turbo+ii

http://www.amazon.com/Fein-9-20-25-Turbo-II-9-Gallon-Auto-Start/dp/B001GCVJ4W/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1391129024&sr=1-1&keywords=fein+turbo+ii