Festool CT VA 20 Cyclone - Video
- Thread starter Stone Message
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 4,550
jobsworth said:
We are on a campsite in The Netherlands and so I am practicing in the showers !
Nobody has complained yet but I do tend to get up early.
Peter
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 4,550
jobsworth said:
Hi Ron
We have just got back and after the unpacking and clean-up we will need another break. I have had some good days shooting video of e-bikes whilst away.
Have a good time with Paul - he won't be at the D&M show this coming Saturday then !
Peter
DeformedTree
Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2018
- Messages
- 1,397
Peter,
Thanks for the video on the CT SYS use. I haven't done a lot of debris with my CT-VA yet, but one thing about the design that is very annoying is how the base doesn't connect to the top, it's just a bucket for the bin. This makes moving it around (if you have to go up/down stairs and such) a pain. I like the idea of the CT SYS, thus thinking of having one with the cyclone. It would seam the correct way would be to have the CT SYS on top of the CT VA, then you could walk around with it, and when you need to dump the bin, you lift the whole assembly off the bin. Have you tried this way? Does the hose fit nicely? If you have done it to give a nice hand carry vacuum option can you report on how it feels to carry?
Thanks for the video on the CT SYS use. I haven't done a lot of debris with my CT-VA yet, but one thing about the design that is very annoying is how the base doesn't connect to the top, it's just a bucket for the bin. This makes moving it around (if you have to go up/down stairs and such) a pain. I like the idea of the CT SYS, thus thinking of having one with the cyclone. It would seam the correct way would be to have the CT SYS on top of the CT VA, then you could walk around with it, and when you need to dump the bin, you lift the whole assembly off the bin. Have you tried this way? Does the hose fit nicely? If you have done it to give a nice hand carry vacuum option can you report on how it feels to carry?
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 4,550
I have not tried that and I agree that having no positive attachment method between the main unit and the base is a pity.
Peter
Peter
Mr Speaker
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2019
- Messages
- 77
Hi there, as a FOG newbie, i have bought the CT VA 20 and the CTL SYS, I also have a Bosch GAS50M on my CNC router with a ‘ahem’ homemade cyclone separator. The CTVA20 works wel with the CTL SYS, and all needed atachments come with it. I did sell my CTL SYS though and bought a CTL MINI because: I used the CTL SYS on a trolley 90% of the time anyway, there is no electronic sucktion control on the SYS, and most importantly, the CTL SYS would go in a sort of hose blocked mode very often with the cyclone in between. The CTL MIDI solved that all. It’s not that much bigger if you compare it with the SYS on a trolley. Now as for efficiency (separation effectiveness divided by cost), the home made cyclone actually separates better. It is a lot bigger and not mobile at all. In it’s corner on top of the huge Bosch it performs outstandingly. Why then pay so much more for the Festool? It still separates very well, it is portable, everything fits perfectly together, it’s way smaller and it is 10 times more professional when you are at a customer. The system approach and portability make it worth the money for me already. And once you have used the separator, it is hard to understand why not everybody uses them. I never, ever buy new bag. Once a year I clean the filters. The stationary setup dumps the exhaust outside through a heat exchanger the mobile Festool is occasionally with a disposable bag on site without the separator.
usernumber1
Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2018
- Messages
- 406
Mr Speaker said:
can you share any pictures of your cyclone?
ThisVeteranVlog
Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2020
- Messages
- 129
Although this is an older post, I would like to share my thoughts on the CT Cyclone. I purchased mine new a few weeks ago, as of this post, and could not be happier with it. There is something about keeping a tool line in the same ecosystem when the design is mutually supporting across different platforms.
The CT Cyclone does an excellent job at separating particles before hitting my CT 26. I recently completed a bed build for my daughter and emptied the CT cyclone at least 4 times. Note that the CT Cyclone, coupled with my CT26 is the most used tool in my shop as I use it for all dust collection. From the TS75, Kapex, Domino, ETS-EC, MFK, HL 850, OF1400 in CMS - the CT26 gets used on everything. At the end of the project, all that remained in my filter bag were fine particulates - not a single shaving of wood despite all the ripping, crosscutting and domino-ing I did on the project.
I previously owned the Oneida Dust Deputy (ODD) separator. It performed the job of dust/particle separation just fine. However, the CT Cyclone has a few legs up on that unit.
First, the CT Cyclone (CTC) has a clear body collector bin. This makes it easy to tell when emptying it out is required. With the ODD, it is a non-transparent composite; unless I was constantly opening the lid to check the levels, the only way I found out it needed to be emptied was when the hoses became clogged from overflow. Also, the CTC bin is easy to remove with the rest of the unit staying on the CT 26. Granted, with both units, you can use a garbage bag to collect particulates, however I found that using a bag diminished results and would find shavings being sent to the filter bag inside the CT 26. With the ODD, if you didn't use bags, you would need to remove the entire unit off the CT26 and dump it. With the CTC, I only need to remove the bin - it's a quick process. Once the bin is emptied, place it back in the garage and secure the two latches. It's quite quick.
The last feature that was unexpected came in form of the design in the Festool ecosystem. When working on the bed project, I needed to make some cuts on my Kapex. I only have the Kapex, no support wings or stand. Unless the piece I'm cutting is generally short, I need some type of support for the cut piece. For a while I fiddled with different sized objects on the adjoining table to support my work piece: scraps of wood, cardboard boxes, and even SYS2 containers. However nothing was perfectly plane with the Kapex.
While scanning my shop for an appropriately sized object to support my work, it dawned on me that the CTC (when mounted on a CT26) is not only close to being on plane with a Kapex, but it is EXACTLY the same plane as the Kapex. This completely blew my mind and solidified the genius design of Festool products.
Needless to say, I am beyond happy with this unit and highly recommend it to other users of the Festool line.
The CT Cyclone does an excellent job at separating particles before hitting my CT 26. I recently completed a bed build for my daughter and emptied the CT cyclone at least 4 times. Note that the CT Cyclone, coupled with my CT26 is the most used tool in my shop as I use it for all dust collection. From the TS75, Kapex, Domino, ETS-EC, MFK, HL 850, OF1400 in CMS - the CT26 gets used on everything. At the end of the project, all that remained in my filter bag were fine particulates - not a single shaving of wood despite all the ripping, crosscutting and domino-ing I did on the project.
I previously owned the Oneida Dust Deputy (ODD) separator. It performed the job of dust/particle separation just fine. However, the CT Cyclone has a few legs up on that unit.
First, the CT Cyclone (CTC) has a clear body collector bin. This makes it easy to tell when emptying it out is required. With the ODD, it is a non-transparent composite; unless I was constantly opening the lid to check the levels, the only way I found out it needed to be emptied was when the hoses became clogged from overflow. Also, the CTC bin is easy to remove with the rest of the unit staying on the CT 26. Granted, with both units, you can use a garbage bag to collect particulates, however I found that using a bag diminished results and would find shavings being sent to the filter bag inside the CT 26. With the ODD, if you didn't use bags, you would need to remove the entire unit off the CT26 and dump it. With the CTC, I only need to remove the bin - it's a quick process. Once the bin is emptied, place it back in the garage and secure the two latches. It's quite quick.
The last feature that was unexpected came in form of the design in the Festool ecosystem. When working on the bed project, I needed to make some cuts on my Kapex. I only have the Kapex, no support wings or stand. Unless the piece I'm cutting is generally short, I need some type of support for the cut piece. For a while I fiddled with different sized objects on the adjoining table to support my work piece: scraps of wood, cardboard boxes, and even SYS2 containers. However nothing was perfectly plane with the Kapex.
While scanning my shop for an appropriately sized object to support my work, it dawned on me that the CTC (when mounted on a CT26) is not only close to being on plane with a Kapex, but it is EXACTLY the same plane as the Kapex. This completely blew my mind and solidified the genius design of Festool products.
Needless to say, I am beyond happy with this unit and highly recommend it to other users of the Festool line.
ear3
Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,341
Just picked up the CT-VA 20. Wondering about drywall applications in use with the CT-26 -- should I switch over to regular filter from HEPA filter when sanding drywall with the cyclone fitted (and sanding with a regular ETS sander, not the Planex)?
Also, has anyone tested how the Cyclone works with the CT-Sys when doing drywall, and is there a preference for either the regular, disposable bags or the long-life bag for this application?
I don't have a huge amount of drywall sanding to do at the moment (otherwise I'd be all in on CT-AC), but since it is remote rather than shop-based work, it would be nice if I could get away with just bringing the CT-Sys.
Also, has anyone tested how the Cyclone works with the CT-Sys when doing drywall, and is there a preference for either the regular, disposable bags or the long-life bag for this application?
I don't have a huge amount of drywall sanding to do at the moment (otherwise I'd be all in on CT-AC), but since it is remote rather than shop-based work, it would be nice if I could get away with just bringing the CT-Sys.
Imemiter
Member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2019
- Messages
- 355
ear3 said:
My experience cleaning up drywall dust with a CT Sys leads me to believe that the long life bags clog more quickly but are easier to clean and get going again. The disposable bags seem to clog to a point where knocking them around doesn't do much good anymore and they have to be thrown away. I haven't used my CT Sys/Cyclone combo for drywall dust yet. LOVE my drywall subcontractor!
sancho57
Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2011
- Messages
- 7,089
Had mines for a while. For most applications it works great, sawing, sanding dominoing etc etc, but when using something that produces a lot of chips like the 850 planer it clogs up very quickly. I still really like it and use it, except for the 850
Similar threads
