Festool EHL 65 E-Plus GB One Handed Planer

[jmbfestool]

Simple Question has any one noticed on the Planer that the dust extration does not work that well on the right side! On mine when using it on the right side i got some wood shavings coming from the blade and when using MDF ( i know its banned in america not UK though) it comes out all over the place but when using it on the left its good it all comes out of the extration. I wish it was the other way round seen as im right hand so the dust goes into my face unless i use a dust bag or a extraction system. I have been told by a Festool Rep its cus of the blade being on a Angle it wont actract properly on one side unless your using a extraction system which i know germany are very keen on but not very practical on site!  Is this true or is he just trying to get ride of me making up crap!

Thank you!!!

 

[mwhafner]

I always use my HL850 hooked to the CT22, and I haven't experienced any difference between the left and right.  the 36mm hose is essential, as the 27mm clogs very quickly.

 

[Sweet]

JMB , your problem isn't particularly clear to me.

First you say that you are having problems with dust extraction, then you say that the Festool rep. has told you it won't attract properly unless you're using an extraction system????

I think I am guessing correctly that you are:

1. Not using any type of EXTRACTION, i.e. Planer hooked up to any type of Vac. e.g. CT22

2. That you are saying that the dust/shaving EJECTION is poor on the right hand side only.

This is not a problem, just your expectations.

Festool's planer blades are set at an angle. This helps to eliminate tearing of the grain that can happen with blades that are set at right angles. Think back to hand planing e.g. shooting doors to size. Its best to rotate your plane 15-30 degrees off parallel, again to limit tearout, its this technique that Festool is incorporating into their design. It's due to this design, that we as users, experience better EJECTION one side of the plane.

Unless you use some form of EXTRACTION i.e. a vacuum it is unrealistic to expect your workplace to be free from shavings or for that matter dust. I don't know what UK sites you're working on but do your lungs and everybody else's around you a favour and get an extractor. The Midi is great. Light, maneuverable and small. From my experience and with the amount of H+S legislation being dumped on us....... They are very practical!!!

 

[nickao]

I love the guys(not particularly this poster) that say oh the dust collection sucks, only to find they think dust collection means everything will just go in the bag with NO vac!

I talked to a guy who said oh the dust collection on the Milwaukee Miter Saw  sucks, it only collects about 70% of the dust. I said thats funny on mine it is like 90 or 95%.

He meant only 70% went in the bag, no vac at all, which is fantastic! I had to laugh.

Using a bag is more like dust placement, not dust collection.

 

[mwhafner]

I think that is why they call the vac Dust Extractors.

 

[mark90]

also to say that exrtaction is out of the question on the job site is crazy,i have my c22 at all my jobs and have never had a problem with dust

 

[nickao]

Dust collection not on the job site? Oh my that is a homeowners main concern on many jobs. We were collecting dust ten years ago even longer, well trying anyway.

Mwhafner you are right that is a crazy statement, especially here on a Festool forum where dust extraction is one of the key elements of the entire Festool system. Some would even say the key element.

 

[Sweet]

Spot on Nick (as always!) I was trying to get the same point across as you. The 'system' for me always includes an extractor. I've got a CT22 and a midi. They are the first and the last items on my jobsites. If you don't use a vac, that (for me anyway) is a quarter of the reasoning for buying Festool gone. Dust collection is clearly a key point of their design, which is reliant on the user using an extractor!!!

 

[greg mann]

This may be a dumb question but you are twisting the knob which diverts the flow one way or the other aren't you?

 

[Tinker]

I am not familiar with the small planer you are talking about.  I do have the HL 850 and have used it a couple of times outside in my 20 million acre workspace.  When i fiirst tried it outside, I was working on the back terrace.  I ended up with dust and chips scattered everywhere in sight.  i spent more time sweeping up the mess from concrete deck, picknic table and chairs and from where car had been parked, than it did to do what little planing i had to do.  Later, i did some more planing in same area and wisely (IMHO) dragged out the CT 22.  Some difference.  If dust is even a small consideration on any site job, even the smallest job, I cannot immagine any time is saved by NOT using an extractor of some sort hooked up to any machine that will be spewing dust and debris.  If the CT 22 or 33 are too heavy or clumsey to drag around, get a mini.  When I was in construction, I used many tarps to cover areas, but I have since found it takes a whole lot less time and back aches dragging around a CT than it ever took to drag and spread tarps all over the site.
Tinker

 

[Ken Slemmer]

JMB, 

Do you use the planer much or is this a one job and done...?

One can fill a mini quickly whilst planning. 

The capacities for the MINI is 2.6 gal and MIDI at 3.3 gal.  You will fill up the filter bags in a short time. 
If you are going to use the planner on a regular basis, consider a larger capacity dust extractor with the 36mm suction hose.

 

[joiner1970]

JMBFestool,

Hopefully I can help you, firstly can I say that most of the people on here are American and they do not have this planer yet so they cant really help you.

I have had the same planer over a year now and I found you really do need to use an extractor with it. I have used it quickly before without extraction and it does not blast the chippings out of the nozzel fast enough so I use extraction always. Its a great little planer and with extraction I can trim door etc in furnished houses with no worries.

Greg Mann,

This planer does not have a knob to change to collection direction, you just pull out the nozzel and turn it around simple as that.

 

[jmbfestool]

JMBFestool,

Hopefully I can help you, firstly can I say that most of the people on here are American and they do not have this planer yet so they cant really help you.

I have had the same planer over a year now and I found you really do need to use an extractor with it. I have used it quickly before without extraction and it does not blast the chippings out of the nozzel fast enough so I use extraction always. Its a great little planer and with extraction I can trim door etc in furnished houses with no worries.

Greg Mann,

This planer does not have a knob to change to collection direction, you just pull out the nozzel and turn it around simple as that.

Yah i agree. I have used are normal site vacuum  for extraction for a bit to see the difference and it is better but only when the vacuum has a new bag and is a max vacuum  once the bag gets bit full it looses small amount of sucktion but this small amount seems to have a big affect on the planer and it starts to kick MDF dust back out the every gab possibe. So i take it does need a powerfull extractor. So am i right to assume the festool extration are really powerfull? Or is MDF just to fine and ill always get MDF coming out the gaps.

Oh yeah I do wish festool planer had a knob to change direction  instead of removing the nozzel to place it on the other side. Becuase it around the nozzle  the gabs let the dust come out.

 

[jmbfestool]

JMB, 

Do you use the planer much or is this a one job and done...?

One can fill a mini quickly whilst planning. 

The capacities for the MINI is 2.6 gal and MIDI at 3.3 gal.  You will fill up the filter bags in a short time.   
If you are going to use the planner on a regular basis, consider a larger capacity dust extractor with the 36mm suction hose.

Yeah, So i might go bit bigger ill get bit pissed of if i have to keep emptying the bag

cheers.

 

[joiner1970]

I have the midi one and its great I think with the Festool ones the extraction works so well because of all the filtration so it doesnt clog up it always sucks really well.

 

[justinmcf]

hi jmbfestool. in regards to your question...  i have used the dust adaptor on the right side when i have to use my left hand for planing and there was plenty of dust/ woodchips  flying out.
and when i reverse hands i change the dust adaptor to the left side and i have had the same amount of dust/ woodchips flying out. when i look to the ground i can see the same amount of dust and chips on both sides.
i have never used a dust bag with a planer, it would be interesting to know if they are worth buying, it would be a lot easier for me to buy a bag than haul my vac up six flights of stairs . my current job has a lift/ elevator but we are not allowed to use it! 

 

[jmbfestool]

hi jmbfestool. in regards to your question...  i have used the dust adaptor on the right side when i have to use my left hand for planing and there was plenty of dust/ woodchips  flying out.
and when i reverse hands i change the dust adaptor to the left side and i have had the same amount of dust/ woodchips flying out. when i look to the ground i can see the same amount of dust and chips on both sides.
i have never used a dust bag with a planer, it would be interesting to know if they are worth buying, it would be a lot easier for me to buy a bag than haul my vac up six flights of stairs . my current job has a lift/ elevator but we are not allowed to use it! 

The dust bag is okay if you use it on the left side so its handy if you gotta do a quick job in some ones house and cause minimal amount of wood shavings but you will have a bit but alot less then with out it. On the right side you will have more mess below the tool where you were working. I have now bought the CTL 22 extractor and using it on left or right it leaves no mess at all. well worth the money but if your willing to pay ?366pounds for no dust or mess at all or you pay ?24pounds for a dust bag and have little amount of mess or you pay ?0 and have alot of wood shaving all over the customers TV, Sofa, window! I would add this the the bag does not work well or not at all with MDF the bag will fill up with MDF dust but also alot of dust is still created in the air the extractor eliminates all of this.

 

[robski]

i found the bag on my ehl 65 useless no matter what side i had it on, never had so much dust and large chips coming out of my old bosch or dewalt planers but the surface finsh with those 2 were nowhere near a good as the festool. i recently purchased the ctl midi and the dust and chip collection is fantastic with the ehl65, never thought it would be as good as it is-nothing escapes. not overly empressed with the performance of the midi with the ts55 though, tried the ideas of fog members yesterday but nothings changed, if you saw and route alot my advise is go for the ct22.

 

[jmbfestool]

i found the bag on my ehl 65 useless no matter what side i had it on, never had so much dust and large chips coming out of my old bosch or dewalt planers but the surface finsh with those 2 were nowhere near a good as the festool. i recently purchased the ctl midi and the dust and chip collection is fantastic with the ehl65, never thought it would be as good as it is-nothing escapes. not overly empressed with the performance of the midi with the ts55 though, tried the ideas of fog members yesterday but nothings changed, if you saw and route alot my advise is go for the ct22.

Yes da is my advise 2 you should of bought the CT22 thats the one i bought and yes you are right it does help and makes a big difference with the planer! No dust at all when planning MDF which was my main problem really.  Any one who thinks about the size  forget about the midi its not worth it. The smallest you can get is really the CT22 with out compromising performance  because if you get the smaller  on then you loose performance like many other people have found out by buying the Midi n Mini just foeget about them two and go for the CT22 Its not that big and it does its job well.

 

[pingvinlakrits]

Forget the Mini - I have it and it does well until the bag is 40% full, then it performs to a level well behind my tiny Bosch home vacuum cleaner. Sad, but true.
I cannot recommend it other than for very very small jobs. With the EHL65 or the TS55 it does not work well. I have regrettably used it with the CMS+TS75 and I wish I could say it sucks, like in a positive way.

The Midi has the same power as the Mini but a bigger bag and I guess it is why it works better - more time before performance drops. I use my colleagues CT22 which is a very different league. Much better but I keep hauling the Mini for smaller tasks. It is very cute.  :