Festool Dust Extractors

[Don Corleone]

I'm looking for some advice on festool dust extractors. Currently I have a 16 gallon Ridgid shop vac hooked up to a cyclone. The shop vac is actually hung on the wall above my garage door (small garage) and connects to the cyclone with a 4" dia hose and out of the cyclone is a 2" dia hose that goes straight up, runs across the ceiling, and then drops down into the middle of the shop. With the length of hose and the drop down in hose dia, I suspect I am getting a lower level of suction. More than that, I have a hard time keeping the hose on the tools. I use the Rockler flexiport fittings to connect to the tools. My questions are this:

1. Is it worth buying the Festool extractor?
2. Are there better attachments that I can use?
3. If I do get a festool extractor, should I get a smaller one with the cyclone or just get a 26/36 with no cyclone?

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’d get a Midi and figure out how to attach your cyclone to the top of the vac. You’ll be pleasantly amazed at how much quieter the Festool vac is compared to an ordinary sop vac. Since the Midi has a small footprint you can take it to wherever your working so you won’t need such a long hose. You might want to keep a section of the Ridgid hose in case you need a large diameter in the future. Festool hoses are expensive.

 

[Don Corleone]

Michael -

Thanks for the comments. I can always find a spot to put a bigger system. So if space were not an issue, is there any point in getting a larger one other than have more bag capacity (setting aside the idea of the cyclone for the moment)? And does the cyclone have to be on top of the extractor? Can I use the Rockler cyclone that I currently have instead?

 

[Michael Kellough]

All the Festool vacs (except little Sys Vac) have very similar CFM ratings. The main difference is the bag size. The bigger bag is similar to a larger lung. It takes longer to get congested so if you aren’t using a true cyclone a bigger bag will be beneficial.

The Rockler dust separator is not a true cyclone. It’s much less efficient in capturing fine debris which is what kills air flow in vac bags even when they aren’t full. I’d get a Midi and a Dust Deputy cyclone and pass the Rockler on to someone else.

Or, if money is not a concern the Festool “cyclone” is perhaps more compact and convenient.

 

[Vondawg]

The Festool unit is not a true cyclone either,  but as MIchael said, more compact. I find myself using the D D and getting better pull/suction on the CT26 , IF you’re just sanding/cutting, then the Festool CT-VA20 (it fits mini and midi w/slight mod) works great and is @ble to move around, on/off site easily...it clogs on me when routing and I still get stuff in the bag
My [2cents]

 

[Roseland]

I have a CT26, but a friend has just bought a new Midi to go with a cyclone.  The Midi has a feature the CT26 does not - the ability to de-dust the bag with a lever on the size:


If I was buying again, I would go for the Midi.  The Midi also comes ready equipped with the Bluetooth control, so you only need the remote control.

Andrew

 

[xedos]

Connecting a shop vac to a cyclone with a 4" hose is a non-starter.  They just can't maintain the necessary airflow in that size pipe to be effective.  I'm surprised you even got usable suction at the end of the hose at all.

Re: the tool connections - the festool hose will do a fine job of this. Some people like the Rockler solution , others not.  Bosch VAC005 is another worthy option at $30 or less.

If you want a semi-permanent piping option you should look into central vac piping to run out of the cyclone and across the garage.  That will provide you with the most robust and highest flowing extension you can get.  Running long lengths of flex hose eats away the suction of a system.

POWERTEC 70259 is an all in one kit , but you can probably assemble what you need piece meal for a lot less $$$ with less waste from a local vacuum dealer and amazon.

If you are going to remain stationary and run the cyclone 90% of the time I'd save the $50 and just go with the MINI. 

 

[guthrie_m@earthlink.net]

Does anyone have a recommendation for which dust extractor to get that can handle lead dust if striping lead paint off of a house?  I have a house built in 1919 and need to strip the outside paint to repair and repaint it.  I will also use it for my wood working projects.  Suggestions? 

 

[Birdhunter]

Re lead paint..... I’d talk to a professional about your plans. I an not an expert, but I have been involved in lead remediation before I retired.

Lead in dust form is most dangerous. In my limited experience, the remediation involved bagging the entire area, guys in full hazmat gear,, followed up by rigorous clean up.

In most states, you must disclose if the structure has or had lead paint. You may have a problem if a non-professional non-certified person removed the lead.

Again, I am neither an expert nor highly experienced in this specialized area.

 

[Thompmd]

I have the CT36 & CT-VA20 and love them together but I’ve only been using them for a few mo. Their stuff is really costly but nice.  I don’t remember the numbers but it seems like to jump from  26-36-48 was only like $50/step? I was pleasantly surprised that all of my current tools interchange with 1 hose.

I was went to their Lebanon facility just to see it(I’m 45min away)not knowing they don’t sell things there, I told them I was looking to buy their shortest 36mm hose for my Kapex and they actually went and cut me a section(apparently off an old/existing hose and gave it to me!!! That rocks in my world. They took the time to answer my questions etc.

In the few months I’ve used the ct-va20 is only partially full and to be honest I haven’t checked the ct36.

I don’t think you can go wrong with them.

 

[Rick Herrick]

I recently bought the CT26 and then went back and forth on cyclones.  I ended up with the CT-VA-20.  So far its just fine for me.  I don't use the middle, clear section just yet.  I may go to it simply to get my hose outlet higher to help with available hose length.  As it is now, I just pop the top off every couple of days and use my shop vac to pull out what's in the little chamber.  So far so good.

I don't have any evidence other than my gut but I think the cyclone may have dropped overall suction just a tad but its acceptable for me. 

 

[xedos]

I'm pretty sure adding a cyclone (any brand)  to your Festool vac is going to ruin it's HEPA certification as far as OSHA is concerned and be a bad idea all around when dealing with lead

 

[Mario Turcot]

I'm pretty sure adding a cyclone (any brand)  to your Festool vac is going to ruin it's HEPA certification as far as OSHA is concerned and be a bad idea all around when dealing with lead

Found this interesting since I have a cyclone.

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA),[1] also known as high-efficiency particulate absorbing and high-efficiency particulate arrestance,[2] is an efficiency standard of air filter.[3]

Filters meeting the HEPA standard must satisfy certain levels of efficiency. Common standards require that a HEPA air filter must remove—from the air that passes through—at least 99.95% (European Standard)[4] or 99.97% (ASME, U.S. DOE)[5][6] of particles whose diameter is equal to 0.3 μm; with the filtration efficiency increasing for particle diameters both less than and greater than 0.3 μm.[7] See the Mechanism and Specifications sections for more information.

Source: Wikipedia

Am I wrong to believe that HEPA is about the air quality that exit the vac? If so how a cyclone can nullify the filter characteristics?

 

[Rick Herrick]

Before I bought my CT-VA-20, I was told it would not affect the HEPA rating.  Now I don't plan to do any lead vacuuming but I hope a Festool accessory on a Festool tool would not disable it from being fully HEPA compliant.

 

[Shane Holland]

Am I wrong to believe that HEPA is about the air quality that exit the vac? If so how a cyclone can nullify the filter characteristics?

Actually, yes, it would be wrong to believe that, but it's certainly easy to assume that.

The HEPA standard applies to air passing through the filter. In other vacs, air may escape the vac in many ways. If the filter is not properly sealed, air could circumvent the filter, for example. Exhaust could bypass the filter, etc.

Festool has their vacs independently tested to a higher standard to ensure that the entire vac is HEPA certified. That means that the seal around the filter, all air passing through the vac and then being exhausted has been measured to meet or exceed HEPA standards.

I would assume using a Cyclone could compromise the HEPA level of filtration. Unless properly tested and certified by a laboratory, it's simply speculation on the effects.

Shane

 

[Mario Turcot]

Thank you [member=48572]Shane Holland[/member] for the explanation.

 

[Shane Holland]

I should add that Festool does not explicitly state or claim HEPA certification on the CT Cyclone. If you're using your CT in a way that relies on HEPA for safety (RRP, for example), I would advise that you not use a CT Cyclone or other pre-separator.

 

[guthrie_m@earthlink.net]

I should add that Festool does not explicitly state or claim HEPA certification on the CT Cyclone. If you're using your CT in a way that relies on HEPA for safety (RRP, for example), I would advise that you not use a CT Cyclone or other pre-separator.

Thanks Shane.  RRP is exactly what I will be doing.  I got certified as a RRP  just incase i start remodeling in my historic district or any of the few around me.  Plus i wanted to make sure i was doing it correctly and safely.  I’m doing it myself to save 30 grand on my personal home.  I love old homes.