Festool CT or other brand?

[leer]

I do not own a Festool Dust Extractor yet.  I use a regular shop vac with my track saw, and figure once I buy a Festool sander, then I'll want a Midi or maybe a 26.  I am a hobbyist so equipment stays in my basement shop, where temperature is relatively constant year round.  And since a dust extractor at most might move to another room of the house, it won't get bounced around in transit.  So, I guess I am somewhat less concerned than I might otherwise be about the weakness of the hose garage.

I'd prefer to stay with Festool, but what other dust extractors are worth considering, if you need to control the amount of suction when used with a sander?

 

[orm8426]

I do not own a Festool Dust Extractor yet.  I use a regular shop vac with my track saw, and figure once I buy a Festool sander, then I'll want a Midi or maybe a 26.  I am a hobbyist so equipment stays in my basement shop, where temperature is relatively constant year round.  And since a dust extractor at most might move to another room of the house, it won't get bounced around in transit.  So, I guess I am somewhat less concerned than I might otherwise be about the weakness of the hose garage.

I'd prefer to stay with Festool, but what other dust extractors are worth considering, if you need to control the amount of suction when used with a sander?

For the same price as a CTL 26 you can get a Bosch Gas 35L.

It has a higher airflow rate, comes supplied with a 35mm hose standard as opposed to 27mm , has 35 litre capacity and comes with nozzels/floor tool/chrome pipes, etc...

Whilst it might not have the retail therapy properties of buying a new piece of Festool kit, it does look like a better product.

 

[semenza]

    The fact that the Bosch includes a larger hose would be a detriment for use on sanders.  The increased airflow through the larger hose is not needed, and then you will have to deal with the larger , heavier, hose on the sander. Realistically both hose sizes are good to have if being used with a wide variety of tools. And whether getting the Festool, Bosch, or another brand you will probably end up wanting both sizes.

Seth

 

[thedude306]

I've had the bosch vac090A in my shop for a while now.  I just got it back after 6 weeks of trying to get it fixed...I don't think that was a bosch problem and the service center dropped the ball but it's a concern.  Outside of the absolutely poor warranty service, the vacuum is really a solid performer.  A couple things of note: the anti-static hose is an extra$$ as is the hepa filter.

I had the good fortune of getting a CT36 for three weeks in that time.  It's also a nice vac, but I prefer the power of the bosch, the longer shut down on tool activation mode, and the L-boxx integration (only important if you have L-boxxes!)  And the garage hose absolutely drove me nutz but that's a personal preference issue. 

Two things that both vacuums lack, and these are big pet peeves of mine, a true no loss of power with the pulse to clean the filter and the power plug is not always live.  I can live with the auto filter clean pulse on the bosch, I didn't like it on the CT.  But WHY they didn't have the plug live all the time is a real annoyance.

I think if I was looking again I would have a hard look at the starmix ipulse vacs.  There are a couple different units from Metabo and Mafell.

 

[semenza]

I've had the bosch vac090A in my shop for a while now.  I just got it back after 6 weeks of trying to get it fixed...I don't think that was a bosch problem and the service center dropped the ball but it's a concern.  Outside of the absolutely poor warranty service, the vacuum is really a solid performer.  A couple things of note: the anti-static hose is an extra$$ as is the hepa filter.

I had the good fortune of getting a CT36 for three weeks in that time.  It's also a nice vac, but I prefer the power of the bosch, the longer shut down on tool activation mode, and the L-boxx integration (only important if you have L-boxxes!)  And the garage hose absolutely drove me nutz but that's a personal preference issue. 

Two things that both vacuums lack, and these are big pet peeves of mine, a true no loss of power with the pulse to clean the filter and the power plug is not always live.  I can live with the auto filter clean pulse on the bosch, I didn't like it on the CT.  But WHY they didn't have the plug live all the time is a real annoyance.

I think if I was looking again I would have a hard look at the starmix ipulse vacs.  There are a couple different units from Metabo and Mafell.

Just for clarification .... the CT36 that you tried was the CT36 AC (Auto Clean) ?

Seth

 

[thedude306]

Yes, it was the CT36 AC.

 

[Ed Bray]

I have a Karcher MV-3P which I was very pleased with, has plenty of suction, holds a good amount of collected material, has wet/dry function and has Auto On with tool socket. It is a very good bit of kit and I got it when on sale for

 

[orm8426]

    The fact that the Bosch includes a larger hose would be a detriment for use on sanders.  The increased airflow through the larger hose is not needed, and then you will have to deal with the larger , heavier, hose on the sander. Realistically both hose sizes are good to have if being used with a wide variety of tools. And whether getting the Festool, Bosch, or another brand you will probably end up wanting both sizes.

Seth

It's not detrimental to use on the sanders at all.  The machine has an electronic control to reduce the power/suction and the extra weight doesn't get noticed at all.

 

[semenza]

    The fact that the Bosch includes a larger hose would be a detriment for use on sanders.  The increased airflow through the larger hose is not needed, and then you will have to deal with the larger , heavier, hose on the sander. Realistically both hose sizes are good to have if being used with a wide variety of tools. And whether getting the Festool, Bosch, or another brand you will probably end up wanting both sizes.

Seth

It's not detrimental to use on the sanders at all.  The machine has an electronic control to reduce the power/suction and the extra weight doesn't get noticed at all.

I'll rephrase ....  Might be a detriment to some users. Personally I don't like the D36 hose on the sanders. YMMV

Seth

 

[Stone Message]

I do not own a Festool Dust Extractor yet.  I use a regular shop vac with my track saw, and figure once I buy a Festool sander, then I'll want a Midi or maybe a 26.  I am a hobbyist so equipment stays in my basement shop, where temperature is relatively constant year round.  And since a dust extractor at most might move to another room of the house, it won't get bounced around in transit.  So, I guess I am somewhat less concerned than I might otherwise be about the weakness of the hose garage.

I'd prefer to stay with Festool, but what other dust extractors are worth considering, if you need to control the amount of suction when used with a sander?

Hi Lee

I looked into dust extractors a few years back and for general tool use could find nothing to beat the CT26. Mine is 4 years old, I use it every day and would not be without it. I have never had even a second where I thought that I should have gone for anything else.

I do have other extractors, both by Numatic, but these are specialist machines for other tasks.

Trust me the CT26 is the dream machine.

Peter

 

[John H]

I have a CT 36 but recently purchased a Bosch VAC090S 9 gallon dust extractor and was very pleased with the decision.

Cost was $488.  It does not come with a HEPA filter, but I did not want a HEPA filter.  The filters are very easy to change - the back top hinges upward and the filter is directly below.  HEPA filter is $116

The vac does not immediately shut off when using the tool activation feature - it runs for about 7 seconds, to give the hose a chance to clear

Very easy to move around - handle right in the top center

Does not have adjustable vacuum, but again not a problem

I bought 5 fleece filter bags for $40

Lastly, I was able to buy a really good SCMS (Bosch 12" Glide) and this vaccum and still have money left over compared to a Kapex 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUCUK6K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[thedude306]

The power broker feature comes with the "A" version of those models.  I assumed it was on the S version too.    Along with the AFC (Auto filter Clean)  That's another pet peeve of mine, the AFC defaults to the ON setting every time you turn the vac on.

I wish that it would either remember your last used setting, or default to the OFF position.

When using the tool activation mode, it does remember the setting you set the AFC to.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I have  a Makita, which is a Alto self cleaning unit that comes with a 16ft. Anti static 36 mm hose. It weighs 27 lbs and is 67 CBS on full vacuum  suction. I picked up a 27 mm adapter and a 27 mm hose that 11 ft long. It doesn't  have a systainer mount, but at that weight and it's quiteNess it works well for me. I'm thinking a midi or a  6.6 gal Alto is in the  future. 

 

[jnug]

I just pulled the trigger on the CT26 as part of a package deal discount. I was seriously considering the Bosch "S" machine myself and have to go back to look at the marketing material for it as I can't remember how many differences there were with the A. Was it just power broker?

If not for the package deal and the ability to change out to a 36mm hose which I did, I probably would have gone for the Fein myself. I did need to do more research on the fittings of the Fein. The word is that they are dedicated fittings but that there are adapters to take you out of the Fein dedicated bits and into the rest of the world. It does appear to be a good machine and would have been hard to pass on if not for the Festool package discount.

What about the Fein makes it worth considering IMO, it is remarkably quiet,,quieter than the Festool CT's and appears to have a little more umph than the CT's. The Fein seems to be transitioning from a mainly roundish form factor to less round but not quite the squat rectangle of the Festy's. That would likely have all been acceptable to me as long as I was fully satisfied on the fittings issue. Functional features appear to be the same as the Festy again with a quieter machine that at least by spec has a bit more umph.

 

[timberrat37]

I've had a fein for about 3 years loved it but hated the hose storage or lack there of.
I just pulled the trigger on a ct 26 and kapex and oh how I love both the vac is awesome but noisier than my fein but having the adj vacuum feature is very nice for sanding.  As far as suction goes I think they are pretty close but I see the new veins have a little more suction than the ct 26 and yes the feins hoses and attachments are all there own but will work with the festool track saw haven't tried it with the kapex

 

[leer]

Glad to read all the commentary on dust extractors.  It appears the Bosch GAS 35L is NAINA -- at least I found no references to it from any USA sources. I think I'll just stick to the Festool line.

I must be out of my mind, but I'm going to pull the trigger and get a Domino 500 before the 4/1 price increase.  I'm building cabinets for our study remodel and cannot stand the thought of relying only on a pneumatic nailer and maybe pocket screws. But this has been a record year for expenses.  My wife and I are going on a Viking River Cruise in a month, and we are also planning our daughter's wedding in July.  I said I'd hold off on any new tools purchases as a result, but hate to wait and have to spend another whopping $25 later after the price increase ...  [big grin]

 

[toddgregson]

I just bought a CT26 off of ebay.  Well documented seller and a great price.  It looks and operates flawlessly and came with the attachment cleaning kit.  It was a great savings and allowed me to stay all festool on my budget.

 

[jnug]

Good find!!! UK ebay????

 

[Birdhunter]

I think the "system" aspect of Festool products is both real and a strong inducement to buy within the brand. The tools and the vacs are designed to work well together.

I have a Fein vac, but it is a standalone vac. I have a couple of Festool vacs and they are used in conjunction with my Festool tools.

Both Fein and Festool vacs are powerful and quiet, but I'd give the quietness edge to Festool.

 

[jnug]

That is interesting. More often heard that the Fein vac were a bit quieter. But honestly it is hard to imagine a vac being both a bit quieter and have a bit more juice at least if talking about similar footprints. Hard to be quieter unless you have a way to insulate from the noise unless using a substantially different power technology.

How did you find the whole dedicated fittings thing on the Fein? Were you able to find the adapters that took you out to the rest of the world or in the end was that not necessary in your case?