Dust Collector Capacity

[justawoodworker]

Hello All;  I am a newbie to this forum and am not yet a Festool owner.  I am very interested but a bit skeptical.  I have been to a couple marketing demos and am very impressed with the equipment and especially the dust collection efficiency; however, I have noted the cost of filter bags.

Just how much of the systems collection capacity is consumed on a typical work day?  How often do you have to change filter bags?  At $5 each, I'm concerned.  I have to dump my present dust collector at least once a week (a twenty gallon bag).

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

As a comparison to your current 20 gal. capacity: The CT33 has a capacity of 7.9 gal., the CT22 is 5.3 gal. and the CT Mini is 2 gal.  For these and other specs, check out our website athttp://www.mcfeelys.com/festool/festool_subcat.asp?subcat=22.22.  The CT22 and 33 also have reusable filter bags available.  Here are links for those as well:
http://www.mcfeelys.com/festool/product/456738http://www.mcfeelys.com/festool/product/456737

Just a friendly reminder that prices on many of Festool's product will be increasing effective 4/1/07.

Shane

PS - Welcome to the forum (and hopefully to Festool ownership in the near future).

 

[T. Michael]

Also note that you can put a mini-cyclone in front of the CT 22 or CT 33 to take up 95+ % of the particulate matter, leaving just the very fines to go into the bag.  These are made by ClearVue and Oneida.  I have two small vac systems in differnt parts of my shop, and one of each.  They both work great.  The Clear Vue is fun to watch because it's, well, clear, and you can see the chips swirling around and down into the container.  The Oneida is steel; both are strong.

ClearVue Mini 06 can be seen at http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/  and sells for $165, so it will be a while before you break even at $5 per bag.

And the Oneida Dust Deputy is at http://www.dustdeputy.com/ and costs a comperable $159, or $99 for a do it your self model.  Note that with this one, the size of the inlet and outlet are 1.5 inches; not the standard 2.25 of a shop vac or the input to a CT vac.  This unit claims 99% of the material stays in the cyclone, only 1% into the vac.

Hope this helps,  Mike Ward

 

[justawoodworker]

Is the CT22 designed so that it fits comfortably into a mixed equipment environment?  I learned that it is metric.  Will the hoses fit my existing inch system or do I have to have adaptors.

Will this situation exist with all other Festool accessories that I might buy?  Example:  Will my existing collection of carbide tipped saw blades be usable on a plunge saw or do I have to start over at $50 to 60$ per blade.

Sorry.  That's not a DC subject but it is related to my decision to go Festool???

 

[Daviddubya]

Is the CT22 designed so that it fits comfortably into a mixed equipment environment?  I learned that it is metric.  Will the hoses fit my existing inch system or do I have to have adaptors.

Will this situation exist with all other Festool accessories that I might buy?  Example:  Will my existing collection of carbide tipped saw blades be usable on a plunge saw or do I have to start over at $50 to 60$ per blade.

Sorry.  That's not a DC subject but it is related to my decision to go Festool???

The CT 22/33 standard hose fits all my Porter Cable tools.

Festool saw blades use a metric arbor - sorry.

 

[Per Swenson]

A note on festools dust capacity.

This efficient machine is capable of putting 20 lbs of shmutz

in a 5lb bag as the saying goes. 

No you will not be changing the bag everyday.

They should rebrand this baby as a dust compactor.

Lots of times I have been forced do to poor planning, to empty

a bag in a dumpster. Did I say bag, more like brick.

The shear volume that can come out of that bag is mind blowing.

Now, I admit the cost of the bag seems a bit high, but not in reality.

Besides if you make a living with this thing, the price of the bag is filed under

consumables.

Per

 

[Mirko]

I agree with Per, this month I have opened the vac three times to check the bag status, to my surprise still not full!
I have the CT33 with the re-usable bag, its really tought to guess or predict the rate at which it fills.
I'm a cabinet maker so, I would say for my usage, it gets emptied every month, and believe me its a "presto log" when you drag it out of the vac.

Mirko

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I am amazed at how much dust festool can pack into those bags.  I have a one man shop, turning out a couple of pieces of furniture a month.  My jointer, planer, tablesaw, and bandsaw are connected to a cyclone with a 30 gallon drum that I empty about every two weeks.  The CT22 covers the Festool saw, sanders, and router.  All my sanding is on Festool.  I don't believe it, but I change the bags about every 6 months.  The cost of the bags is pretty minimal compared to their convenience.  Changing that 30 gallon drum is no fun. :

 

[Les]

Also note that you can put a mini-cyclone in front of the CT 22 or CT 33 to take up 95+ % of the particulate matter, leaving just the very fines to go into the bag.  These are made by ClearVue and Oneida.  I have two small vac systems in differnt parts of my shop, and one of each.  They both work great.  The Clear Vue is fun to watch because it's, well, clear, and you can see the chips swirling around and down into the container.  The Oneida is steel; both are strong.

ClearVue Mini 06 can be seen at http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/  and sells for $165, so it will be a while before you break even at $5 per bag.

And the Oneida Dust Deputy is at http://www.dustdeputy.com/ and costs a comperable $159, or $99 for a do it your self model.  Note that with this one, the size of the inlet and outlet are 1.5 inches; not the standard 2.25 of a shop vac or the input to a CT vac.  This unit claims 99% of the material stays in the cyclone, only 1% into the vac.

Hope this helps,  Mike Ward

Mike,

Thanks for the heads up on the Dust Deputy. Just placed my order for one.

 

[T. Michael]

Glad to help Les,

Note that they have a 'super dust deputy, with 2" input and output (vs stock 1.5"), and a taller cyclone for a +$60 add on. this is closer to our hose size, and is what I bought.

Mike

 

[HowardH]

Much to the wife's chagrin, I just picked up Jet canister DC this weekend.  Filters down to 2 microns.  My CT22 isn't a good option to use with my stationary tools.  I planed some cypress today and filled up almost half of that big bag on the jet.  My CT will be used exclusively with the Festool machines.  I can't imagine using the CT with the stationary tools, especially the planer.  It would simply be overwhelmed with the quantity of chips generated.

 

[Les]

Mike,

The only one I see has a 2" connection to the vac and a 1.5" to the tool. Am I missing another Deputy?

Howard,

I don't plan on using mine with stationary tools either. Will use with Domino, router and other hand type tools.

 

[T. Michael]

Hi Les,

Unfortunately, you have to call them and ask for it. 

Apparently hasn't hit their adertising department yet, but does exit. 

I got transferred to their tech support during some query, and asked why they only had a 1.5" port on the inlet; was told they had a 'special' with 2" ports on both inlet and outlet. 

This also makes the mini-cyclone taller; net height 13.5 inches vs 11.5 inches

The do sell a slip/force-on 2" to 2.25" inch rubber adapter onto which you can slide a coupler sleeve, then into the large bore FESTOOL hoses.  but the rubber adapter does lose the anti-static feature of the hoses as someone earlier pointed out. 

Still, works great on the router table with larger chip production.

Mike

 

[fcraven]

Mike,

The only one I see has a 2" connection to the vac and a 1.5" to the tool. Am I missing another Deputy?

I called them yesterday to ask the same question 

YES, it is available, they've just been too busy to get it up  on the web site, BUT it will cost you more...I think he told me 245. Oneida happens to have too many of the smaller version in their warehouse, thus they have to pay too much on their monthly Taxes, thus the sale on the regular Dust Deputy.

Here's a "sort of" picture I found on the Oneida Vac web site. This one is set up for floor sanding with wheels, bigger drum, and a filter. http://www.oneidavac.com/edgers/universal_edger.htm

I like the idea of a 2" port, but I like the portability of the smaller unit, that and the price is good. Haven't bought anything yet, but I think it, or the clearvue, would really extend sanding bag life.