Fein vs Festool

[Programmergeek]

Wow this thread took off I have a fein, a mini and a ct22
The Fein is the quietest nest the mini then the ct22

Now for me the good and the bad.  My Fein has broken twice, apperenty sheet rock dust kills the motors.  Neithor festool has broken althought it is newer.  I usally grab the mini, then the ct22 if a bigger job, then the Fein last.  I don't like the fein because it is a pain to roll around if there is anything on the floor to get under a wheel it topples over.  Also the fitting on the hose does not fit as much as the festool and the varable speed is a must for me if samding.

The festool packs the bags tigher and is a better design here the Fein never packs the bag you get it about 85% full then it looses suction.

Price the Fine is better here since you can use it as a wet dry (you need to buy the buckes for the festool).  Also the hose is bigger than the stock hose on the Festool.  Overall a better valuse out of the box.  But the Festool is better I think since you can get a lager hose, is antistatic, has suction control and easer to roll around.  Also the form factor is better to put boxes on or store. 

Hope this helps,
Jason 

 

[Ned]

...you can get a lager hose...

Yeah.  Helps with serious beer consumption. 

Ned

 

[Anthony]

Price the Fine is better here since you can use it as a wet dry (you need to buy the buckes for the festool).

Hi Jason. No, you can use the Festool's or wet without getting an additional bucket. The additional bucket is a convenience for people who vac wet all the time. You should get a wet filter though, to avoid damage to the regular filter.

 

[Don Bullock]

This is a great discussion. I apreciate the input from all of you. As someone who hasn't bought any of Festool's machines yet, I've found that this discussion has helped me make some decisions. Thanks.

 

[Greg_R]

HEPA filters can be bought for alot of vacs nowadays, so thats not unique to any vac..

Be VERY careful with this statement!  Just because someone throws a $5 part into their vacuum does not mean that the entire vacuum SYSTEM is HEPA rated.  In other words, all the fine dust is blowing around that nice filter that you've just installed.  Very few shop vacs (and home vacuums) offer a true HEPA vacuum system.  Miele, Sebo, and whole-house vacuums are the only certified home HEPA vacs that I'm aware of.

Example: take a Sears vac (with HEPA filter) and see how much dust is left in the air after cleaning up a pile of sawdust vs. using a Fein or Festool... there is a world of difference!  I don't know if the Festool or Fein vacuums have been HEPA certified or not so we can only judge their filtration quality by hands-on performance.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I'm getting to this thread late and I really don't have a lot to add that hasn't already been said, but I not going to let that stop me.  ;D

...  The down side to the mini/midi, as already posted, no HEPA filter offered. I don't mind, but maybe this is a deal breaker to others. One more thing, the wheels on the Festool vacs can ware and possibly scratch floors. Festool sure rethink the wheels on all of their vacs. ...

I own both a Fein Turbo II and a Festool CT-22E and like both of them, but generally "reach" for the Fein because of its being noticeably quieter and without annoying resonance that accompanies the CT-22, and the longer hose and non-scratching wheels.  I have no distortion of the case despite using my Fein to suck out the old mineral wool insulation from about 1500 square ft of the attic of my house - that was many hours of continuous running with over 30 feet of hose.

Regarding the wheels on the Festool, is there a source of PU or rubber bands that could be stretched and applied over the wheels similar to the way bandsaw wheels are?  That would reduce any tendency to scratch floors.

Dave R.

 

[Alko]

"If someone could make an adaptor sleeve to allow mechanical suction adjustment for the Fein vacs they would nearly have the best of both worlds."

Micheal,
Never underestimate the skill of an old "Inhalation Therapist".  I used a standard Fein Wye w/cap and a 1/2 inch drill.

Fein Turbo II "Full Suction Mode":

Fein Turbo II "Sander Mode":

I'm popping this thread a little.....Will intend to start using my Fein Turbo I with the Festool Rotex 150 sander, and came across this interesting thread.
Just wondering where one can buy a "Fein Wye w/cap" - haven't seen it in any catalogue or web page. Also - is this method of reducing suction power (via a variable opening on the hose) the one used by Festool vacs as well (although nicely integrated with a turning knob on the vac body etc)?? I'm a bit worried that it might let out particles somehow....

With best regards/
Alejandro, Sweden

 

[Jerry White]

Look for part # 921086AA13 at Coastal Tool: 
http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/fein/turbo-ii-accessories.htm?L+coastest+gfmp2329ffa2b7a2+1215772878#hoses

 

[semenza]

]

I'm popping this thread a little.....Will intend to start using my Fein Turbo I with the Festool Rotex 150 sander, and came across this interesting thread.
Just wondering where one can buy a "Fein Wye w/cap" - haven't seen it in any catalogue or web page. Also - is this method of reducing suction power (via a variable opening on the hose) the one used by Festool vacs as well (although nicely integrated with a turning knob on the vac body etc)?? I'm a bit worried that it might let out particles somehow....

With best regards/
Alejandro, Sweden

Hi,

  No,  Festool actually reduces the the amount of suction power at the motor.  This has an extra benefit- If you are drawing too much wattage on a curcuit the CT can be dialed back a bit too avoid blowing the circuit.  Several forum members have posted the use of this capability.

Seth

 

[Michael Kellough]

Bob and Jason commented on the fact that the Fein bags, while much larger than the Festool bags, can't be truly filled. If you did you'd never get the bag out of the canister in one piece. There is a positive aspect to that. There is more surface area in the Fein bags so high air flow is maintained for longer period of time with the Fein vacs.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

"If someone could make an adaptor sleeve to allow mechanical suction adjustment for the Fein vacs they would nearly have the best of both worlds."

Micheal,
Never underestimate the skill of an old "Inhalation Therapist".  I used a standard Fein Wye w/cap and a 1/2 inch drill.

Fein Turbo II "Full Suction Mode":

Fein Turbo II "Sander Mode":

I'm popping this thread a little.....Will intend to start using my Fein Turbo I with the Festool Rotex 150 sander, and came across this interesting thread.
Just wondering where one can buy a "Fein Wye w/cap" - haven't seen it in any catalogue or web page. Also - is this method of reducing suction power (via a variable opening on the hose) the one used by Festool vacs as well (although nicely integrated with a turning knob on the vac body etc)?? I'm a bit worried that it might let out particles somehow....

With best regards/
Alejandro, Sweden

The Festool wye fitting will fit the inlet of a Fein vacuum.  You could drill a hole in the cap supplied with the Festool wye, too. 

If you want to be able to vary the amount of suction through varying the amount of air allowed to by-pass your hose and sander, you can drill a larger hole through the cap and attach a small flat plate with a single screw.  By adjusting the position of the plate, you can vary the size of the by-pass opening and thus the amount of suction applied to your sander.

Dave R.

 

[Alko]

Ok, I see - english is not my native language, so I did not really get that "wye-fitting" word (one single hit on google...) till I understood wye=Y !

I didn't find a Wye fitting for Festool (would it really be connectable to the Fein vac - is it a standard connection type?) at their page, but here is the Fein part;
http://www.feinus.com/p/newdustfree/New-vacacc955.htm

Anyone knows if this may be used in a Turbo I (not featuring under Turbo I accessories.) ? Guess I will have to check with Fein. Seems like a very easy and cheap solution then!

/A

 

[MarkF]

Bob and Jason commented on the fact that the Fein bags, while much larger than the Festool bags, can't be truly filled. If you did you'd never get the bag out of the canister in one piece. There is a positive aspect to that. There is more surface area in the Fein bags so high air flow is maintained for longer period of time with the Fein vacs.

The primary reason for choosing the Fein over FT in my mind is the large capacity sans bag.  My Fein Turbo II is fitted with this Cleanstream HEPA cartridge (http://www.cleanstream.com/store/3313209085.html ). The bottom hole on this filter is sealed with a fender washer/bolt/nut and I do not use the large cloth filter which came with the vac.  It's not as clean and tidy as using a bag when you need to empty it but I have the luxury of a woodlot behind my shop to redeposit and slowly release the carbon.  I had just dumped the vac prior to the photos posted earlier in this thread so the plastic attracts fine dust when you dump it.
Mark   

 

[Michael Kellough]

Ok, I see - english is not my native language, so I did not really get that "wye-fitting" word (one single hit on google...) till I understood wye=Y !

I didn't find a Wye fitting for Festool (would it really be connectable to the Fein vac - is it a standard connection type?) at their page, but here is the Fein part;
http://www.feinus.com/p/newdustfree/New-vacacc955.htm

Anyone knows if this may be used in a Turbo I (not featuring under Turbo I accessories.) ? Guess I will have to check with Fein. Seems like a very easy and cheap solution then!

/A

Good point.

Why say wye?
According to spell check it isn't even a word, at least in common usage.

Why not Y? It even looks the part.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Bob and Jason commented on the fact that the Fein bags, while much larger than the Festool bags, can't be truly filled. If you did you'd never get the bag out of the canister in one piece. There is a positive aspect to that. There is more surface area in the Fein bags so high air flow is maintained for longer period of time with the Fein vacs.

The primary reason for choosing the Fein over FT in my mind is the large capacity sans bag.  My Fein Turbo II is fitted with this Cleanstream HEPA cartridge (http://www.cleanstream.com/store/3313209085.html ). The bottom hole on this filter is sealed with a fender washer/bolt/nut and I do not use the large cloth filter which came with the vac.  It's not as clean and tidy as using a bag when you need to empty it but I have the luxury of a woodlot behind my shop to redeposit and slowly release the carbon.  I had just dumped the vac prior to the photos posted earlier in this thread so the plastic attracts fine dust when you dump it.
Mark   

Doesn't the HEPA cartridge get clogged?

 

[greg mann]

Bob and Jason commented on the fact that the Fein bags, while much larger than the Festool bags, can't be truly filled. If you did you'd never get the bag out of the canister in one piece. There is a positive aspect to that. There is more surface area in the Fein bags so high air flow is maintained for longer period of time with the Fein vacs.

The primary reason for choosing the Fein over FT in my mind is the large capacity sans bag.  My Fein Turbo II is fitted with this Cleanstream HEPA cartridge (http://www.cleanstream.com/store/3313209085.html ). The bottom hole on this filter is sealed with a fender washer/bolt/nut and I do not use the large cloth filter which came with the vac.  It's not as clean and tidy as using a bag when you need to empty it but I have the luxury of a woodlot behind my shop to redeposit and slowly release the carbon.  I had just dumped the vac prior to the photos posted earlier in this thread so the plastic attracts fine dust when you dump it.
Mark   

Doesn't the HEPA cartridge get clogged?

That was my question too. I have a hepa on a Rigid shop vac and it clogged all the time: before I could usually get more than an inch or two of debris collected, sometimes even less than that. It seemed useless to me until I put a ClearVue mini-cyclone in front of it.

Ot: This weekend, while doing some renovation off site I discovered I had bricked my CT22 bag. No spares, and no dealer open. Then I remembered Jerry Work's duct-tape solution.  Five minutes later I was good as new.  This is not something I will do regularly but it sure was nice to keep working with a simple solution. That full bag had to weigh 20+ lbs. I was amazed at how much stuff was in the bottom of the trashcan.

 

[Brad Evans]

I have the Fein II.  You  MUST use the paper bag if you're going to use the HEPA cartridge.

It's a great vac, BTW...

 

[Brice Burrell]

The HEPA filter getting cloged is going to be the real problem, if you allow your HEPA filters to be exposed to debris (no filter bag) it won't last long. The debris will puncture the filter allowing larger and larger dust particles through over time.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Ok, I see - english is not my native language, so I did not really get that "wye-fitting" word (one single hit on google...) till I understood wye=Y !

I didn't find a Wye fitting for Festool (would it really be connectable to the Fein vac - is it a standard connection type?) at their page, but here is the Fein part;
http://www.feinus.com/p/newdustfree/New-vacacc955.htm

Anyone knows if this may be used in a Turbo I (not featuring under Turbo I accessories.) ? Guess I will have to check with Fein. Seems like a very easy and cheap solution then!

/A

Good point.

Why say wye?
According to spell check it isn't even a word, at least in common usage.

Why not Y? It even looks the part.

I used the term "wye" because that is the term those in the industry use for a Y-shaped fitting.  For example, here is a partial list of the dust collection related hits that are obtained when the term "wye" is plugged into the search engine.
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.oneida-air.com+wye&qfront=wye&se=&se=&se=

 

[MarkF]

Well folks...my filter gets clogged but not to the point flow is impaired significantly. With the can ~1/3 full of a mix of fine sander dust, Domino mortice and TS-55 excrement and miscellaneous debris from the floor of my car I usually still have the peaks of the pleats showing.  A quick pluck of the pleats with my thumb and most of the dust falls into the can.   My needs are not extreme with the vac and my issue is mainly too much flow/suction rather than not enough.  Also...I'm not sure if the performance/surface area of a bag is more or less than the performance/surface area of the filter once you get an inch or so of dust in the bottom of the bag or how impaired the flow becomes when a coating of dust collects on the inside surface of the bag so I don't know if you really gain much in the hrs of use vs flow equation using the bags. Clogging's gonna happen either way.  The Fein on its worse day is lightyears ahead of the old "Shopvac" screamer it replaced so I'm very happy with it and the filter sans bag after 1.5 years of steady weekend + 1-2 nights/week use.

Also...Wye is a common term in describing a 'Y' junction in the HVAC  and Dust collection world and the connection of the inspiratory and expiratory limbs of a ventilator circuit (which is how I pay for my Festools ;D) is also called a Wye.