Does anyone have a vac with a hose garage intact?

[lynkage]

Sorry for the rant, but folks should know about poorly designed products. I know this looks like I am a first-time user, however my account no longer is valid, so I had to sign up again.

CT-Mini CT-Midi CT36 CT48 all broken, and they never get transported, just live in the shop. I have had mine for about 8-10 years but pretty disappointed in the fact that my Ridged shop vac that is 15-16 years old still works like the day I bought it and is not broken. It does get tossed around and beat up on jobsites, trucks etc.

On top of that my CT-Midi and CT-36 both have lost the ability to start up when in Auto mode.

Looking at the Makita lineup makes me wonder why I bought all of these Festool vacs. Some of my Makita tools are 15 years old or more and still work flawlessly.

Let's just say that I have invested 10's of thousands of dollars in festool products over the last 10 years and I am really disappointed in my dust collectors.

I am not willing to invest in a new garage just to be disappointed again.

Festool, if you read this, just know you have failed in a market where there is lots of competition.

 

[Bob D.]

Over 10 years, still going with the original hose garage [and fingers crossed  [big grin] ].

 

[Coen]

I am not willing to invest in a new garage just to be disappointed again.

Festool, if you read this, just know you have failed in a market where there is lots of competition.

The new hose garage is a different design and stronger than the earlier version.

 

[Cheese]

15 year old CT 22...perfect
10 year old MIDI...cracked
3 year old MIDI I...perfect

 

[mino]

...
Looking at the Makita lineup makes me wonder why I bought all of these Festool vacs. Some of my Makita tools are 15 years old or more and still work flawlessly.
...

And I am pretty sure that some (most?) of your Festool stuff does work as well. Assuming is was serviced as any tool needs to be when parts get worn out.

Ref. garages, we do not have the problem with our non-Festool vacs either. Even the 15+ year old ones which had a motor replaced by now. Guess why ? None have internal accommodation for hose storage, let alone an equivalent of a Festool "garage" one can put systainers on. I am sure the HD vacs (unfortunately now out of sale) or the CT 15 would fare the same way. With no hose garage to grab by, there will be no hose garage to rip apart by doing so either.

I think a lot of people think that because one pays a lot, one will get a "lot of metal for his money". This generally holds when one compares cheapo plastic hobby tools without bearings to professional use stuff.
But moving from mid-range to high end, the ergonomics, including weight are important so there will be LESS material on top-of-the-line tools, not more. With Festool, one is paying for a Mercedes/BMW class product versus a Fiat. And, sometimes, versus a Toyota which will overlast the BMW with ease. But will never ride as one.

In some cases, the Mercedes *will* also last more, like the W124 series which were indestructible. But in other cases it will "just" be a better car while it runs. And one pays for that "better" in servicing costs as well as upfront. The parts are lower volume and more complex, hence more expensive the same as the car is. As it is difficult to manufacture them, there is also little non-original "cheapo" market for BMW parts ...

I am 100% that it would have been trivial for Festool to *design* an indestructible hose garage. But. But would people still buy the vacs if they were 5 pounds heavier for it ...

It looks in their original design, the went "too light" as apparently assumed it will not be used as a "handle". Current iteration they used a sturdier construction but still light.

We can feed back to Festool that we want "stronger even if heavier". But IMO that is a wrong feedback. Much better option would be a "stronger and bigger" garage as an aftermarket OPTION for those who need it while keeping the default as light as possible. Especially on the Mini/Midi which are site animals first.

 

[Vondawg]

Mini and midi out in the field @ eight years…pulled and yanked around, stood on and stacked toolboxes rolling here to there….(not super abused) even drilled a 2” hole for sys cyclone and still hangin tough,no cracks, my Fein and 23 live in the shop w/no problems but rarely move

 

[acer66]

Have a midi for 5 or so years and it does get lugged around a lot onto job sites but there is some push and pull in the shop and it looks fine.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

My CT26 is only a little over 2 years old and it does spend most of its time in the shop, but it has gone out on a few kitchen remodels too. Never had a problem with it.
The company has another one that is a few months newer and it gets used pretty hard. The only issue it has is a broken cord wrap on one side. I have no idea how that happened though.

 

[leakyroof]

Finally had to replace the Garage on my 36 Auto. I pulled the vac toward me and the plastic broke off in a fairly large piece. New Garage is def. different than the old design.

 

[Coen]

My CT26 is only a little over 2 years old and it does spend most of its time in the shop, but it has gone out on a few kitchen remodels too. Never had a problem with it.
The company has another one that is a few months newer and it gets used pretty hard. The only issue it has is a broken cord wrap on one side. I have no idea how that happened though.

Yeah, post 2018 CT's with the new garage are not really prone to this failure.

 

[Pmth95]

Had to replace the Garage on my 10year old CT26, it just started falling apart just by touching it the wrong way!
Ordered a new one and my systainers don't seem to hold on (one latch only) as securely as the original system (Four Latches).
Was expecting better from Festool feels like a regression due to a faulty original garage.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Back before this thread, we had a frequent poster named PA Floor Guy. He owned a bunch of Festools (among other brands) and refinished floors. In less than a few years all (several) of his Festool vac’s had caved in hose garages (so couldn’t stack Systainers on top) and were unsightly and unprofessional looking at clients homes. He appealed multiple times to Festool USA for some kind of relief and got nowhere. Consequently he got really frustrated and left the FOG.

 

[guybo]

I dont know if the handles have saved mine but no breakage on a 33, 36 and 26

 

[DashZero]

I bought into the Dewalt Tough System in 2015. Thick, heavy plastic and flexible. I had not even seen Festool or Systainers. All my tools were dewalt an in the canvas bags or plastic case they came in, and then in the Tough System Boxes. They even had rubber gaskets. After a few times of them being in the back of pickup truck, and it rained, I doing they were as waterproof as I expected with that nice looking gasket. The case weren't manufactured to a strict tolerance as would have made the gasket waterproof. Then because those boxes were so nice a large, they were just way top heavy to pick up and carry, and you tend to want them filled up with all the acceories and items that go with the tools. I even had a cordless dewalt skill saw, 60V grinder, hammer drill, impact driver, compact blower, cordless fan, cordless vacuum, etc. I figured with a local big box store and the warranty of local pickup and a year warranty, and a local service center this was great. Well I go to pick up and transport and next thing the handles start breaking off the boxes, and sometimes the mount for the handle on the case itself. Then I try and get them swapped out at the big box store, only to find I wait hours and no one can ever find the ones that are inventory supposedly, then I order online, and never get fulfilled at the store, the I get some replacements, and they break also. So then I relish the flip up side handles are flexing the sidewalk and breaking because they flip[ to a 90 degree angle and put cantilever stress on the whole thing front two side with all the weigh tin the middle. Then a retired guy tells me he will teach me how to cut, seam, sand solid surface material for a shower and bathroom project. He say go to this place 45 minutes away and buy this: Festool Track Saw TS55, CT 26. Mirka DEROS 650 Sander. So I drive there, look at the price, im shocked, but I do it anyway. a week or so later I realize, the sustainers are the right size because the handle don't break off the you pick them up. Then thinner material is somehow better, while noisier, they have some form of tool organization in them. I sell all the Dewalt tools except fan, blower, impact, 60V. But buy extras empty systainers. The only thing that has failed on me has been the hose garage of the CT26 Hepa. Which is far better that is failed 6-8 years after purchase vs two weeks with the Tough System. a year or so later Dewalt makes tough system 2.0. To late im sold on the organization and functionality and durability and the fact I could fit all the sustainers in the from trunk of my 911 and the back seats and deck, and the CT26 on the front seat. As now it was during covid, I only had the 911, my brother had died a few years before who had the truck. A long story to a young about way, of I bought a new hose grate last week, and wished id done it sooner. But I still won't get rid of my Systainers. Now I want an OSC, a DTSC 2000, and a cordless Domino 500, KSC-60, CSC SYS 50, and a Mafell Jigsaw just because.

 

[pixelated]

I recently broke the hose garage on my 6-ish YO CT26, but it was my fault for leaning on the unsupported front part too hard. But now it has a fresh new-style one.