Festool Vacuum cyclone dust collector

[MarcV]

I thought others would be interested in a similar setup. This is a cyclone dust collector that can be fitted to any vacuum. The company supplies all the pieces with instructions on how to measure and cut them to fit your specific vacuum. Its a solid piece instead of other cyclone systems that have multiple pieces to the cyclone portion. There are casters and when attached can roll around with your vacuum. It works great, the company is called "The Mullet Dust Cyclone Collection".

 

[NiteWalkerGR]

Looks cumbersome to empty being a single piece; you'd have to dismantle your entire setup.
At $279, I'm either buying the ultimate dust deputy (the one designed for festool vacs) or I'm skipping a few takeout meals and buying the festool cyclone instead.

It does look interesting, but not being able to use bags is a huge deal breaker for me personally. I want as little dust in the air as possible.

edit: I can't find a single video showing this thing in action where the user actually bought the mullet. All the ones I could find had it sent out for "review". And zero comparisons between the dust deputy, festool cyclone, cheap chinesium cyclones, etc.

 

[ChuckM]

I've seen pics of this product, but it didn't catch my attention because I need the cyclone to be on the top of any dust collector, be it a shop vac or CT, for space consideration reason. With the use of a DD (the latest 2.5 model, antistatic, if it matters, is $80 Cdn, free containers from your local diner), there's no need to reach into the inside of the dust collector except to clean the filter -- maybe twice a year? To replace the bag? Maybe once every 20 years or during the lifetime of the vac, whichever comes first?

 

[mino]

Every one knows how I like the CT-VA compactness and not really think of Oneida DDs as anything special.

The Oneida DD sets are actually very usable, unlike this.

The only case where this makes sense to me is when sucking water/liquids at some static industrial/commercial place. There I could put a pump in the big opening for emptying once in a while. But for dry dust this looks a like a good idea (save money and avoid gaskets by using a single molding) which completely fails on considering usability.

 

[MarcV]

All fair assessments from everyone. The only other dust collector I've had was the Festool one that went on top of the vac. I didn't really like it and felt I lost some suction because the straps would not hold it together as tight as needed. For my needs this one works better. It's detaches easily and I can wheel it around my garage with systainers on top of my MIDI.

 

[Ebuwan]

Yeah, at that price point, tough sell.

I have the DD one that goes on top of the vac; even that one annoys me because i lose the ability to put any other systainers on top. It performs great though.

 

[ChuckM]

One nice thing about woodworking is that there's almost a suitable solution to every woodworker's needs as diverse as those needs may be. I'm sure the OP finds the Mullet a great fit for him, or he wouldn't share it here. The vast choices of tools and equipment (and techniques) available are partly what make woodworking an interesting adventure.

 

[NiteWalkerGR]

I thought others would be interested in a similar setup. This is a cyclone dust collector that can be fitted to any vacuum. The company supplies all the pieces with instructions on how to measure and cut them to fit your specific vacuum. Its a solid piece instead of other cyclone systems that have multiple pieces to the cyclone portion. There are casters and when attached can roll around with your vacuum. It works great, the company is called "The Mullet Dust Cyclone Collection".

Did you buy the mullet, or was it sent to you by the company?

 

[luvmytoolz]

As someone who generates at least 20-40 litres of swarf in a normal day of work, this product wouldn't interest me if it was free.

Absolutely terrible design, what were they thinking?

 

[MarcV]

I thought others would be interested in a similar setup. This is a cyclone dust collector that can be fitted to any vacuum. The company supplies all the pieces with instructions on how to measure and cut them to fit your specific vacuum. Its a solid piece instead of other cyclone systems that have multiple pieces to the cyclone portion. There are casters and when attached can roll around with your vacuum. It works great, the company is called "The Mullet Dust Cyclone Collection".

Did you buy the mullet, or was it sent to you by the company?

I bought it. I don't really think it's that terrible of a design but what do I know. This is sure a tough crowd. Like I said I had the Festool dust collector and I didn't like it. This set up works well for me in my garage. To each his own.

 

[ChuckM]

I had the CT26 and sold it because it was more or less an over-priced shop vac for me (not for many others of course). Then came the CT15 which for its price was a good deal, and I got one. We all have our reasons for not liking a CT, apology not needed.

About tough crowd, if it happens, I'll try to reason with them with logic, facts and my experience.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I had the CT26 and sold it because it was more or less an over-priced shop vac for me (not for many others of course). Then came the CT15 which for its price was a good deal, and I got one. We all have our reasons for not liking a CT, apology not needed.

About tough crowd, if it happens, I'll try to reason with them with logic, facts and my experience.

You really are Canadian! That doesn’t work down here in America.  [tongue]

 

[luvmytoolz]

Please don't take it that I was trying to offend as I wasn't, but the design of that really has me baffled.

Apart from the very large footprint (would've been better to design it to sit on top the CT), the fact you have to empty it via a smallish hole is insane. I can't see how this won't cause huge clouds of dust spilling/blowing everywhere when trying to empty it?

I used to use my DD without bags, and even though the entire top came off, it was always a PITA to empty into bags and a fair amount would always spill. Now of course all of mine have bags.

 

[mino]

You really are Canadian! That doesn’t work down here in America. insert random country.  [tongue]

There, corrected.

Work with folks across the world. While US folks tend to be very good in arrogance (though not open one), the most self-centered folks I met were from ... all over the place. People are just, well, People.

All things considered, I would argue with ChuckS that it DOES work here. On FOG.

The people who buy Festool rarely do so on impulse or on the simples like raw specs. More so in US than in Europe, given the (relative to others) prices. And it shows.

 

[Steve1]

Apart from the very large footprint (would've been better to design it to sit on top the CT), the fact you have to empty it via a smallish hole is insane. I can't see how this won't cause huge clouds of dust spilling/blowing everywhere when trying to empty it?

Yeah, I don't like that small dump port either. 
I have to put my dust into a bag for disposal, and it would seem to be rather awkward to hold the bag while shaking the container to empty it.  Likely, I would first dump it into a 5 gallon pail, then dump the pail into the bag.   
My planer dust bag has a 6" port, and that has a tendency to clog when dumping.  The port on that cyclone looks possibly smaller than 6".

 

[ChuckM]

Based on the info. gleaned from the internet, the port is 4" in diameter. The product has received very good reviews on Amazon, and emptying the container doesn't seem to be an issue for anyone. Here's one video someone has posted on YouTube:


By the way, the product was previously sold under the brand name of M5 dust collector.

One can consider this a turnkey approach because, other than the half-an-hour installation, the user wastes no time in making one of those home-made carts to go with a cyclone and shop vac. Anytime you go with a turnkey solution, you, of course, need to pay a premium. Just ask anyone who has had experience dealing with a turnkey application system in a corporate setting.

So, if you don't mind the large footprint (I do!), and have no time for hacks, it's worth a look. Yes, it does require some disassembly before you can remove the dust collected, and it probably isn't right for you if you need to do that often.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
Likely, I would first dump it into a 5 gallon pail, then dump the pail into the bag.   
Snip.

Probably the case, based on what I gathered from the Internet.

 

[mino]

...
One can consider this a turnkey approach because, other than the half-an-hour installation, the user wastes no time in making one of those home-made carts to go with a cyclone and shop vac. Anytime you go with a turnkey solution, you, of course, need to pay a premium. Just ask anyone who has had experience dealing with a turnkey application system in a corporate setting.
...

Well, the Oneida set version goes $150-ish from what I gather.

So this product is really about being *lower* cost than even the basic DD. Still better than a long-life bag. But barely and at a comparatively huge footprint.

Being on a tight budget (and outside of liquids collection where it could shine) I would go Oneida ahead of this in 100% of cases.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
Being on a tight budget (and outside of liquids collection where it could shine) I would go Oneida ahead of this in 100% of cases.

That's more or less the same line of reasoning why so many think they'd go Dust Deputy (Original, Delux or 2.5) ahead of Festool CT Cyclone in 100% of cases! [tongue] [tongue] [tongue]

 

[mino]

Snip.
Being on a tight budget (and outside of liquids collection where it could shine) I would go Oneida ahead of this in 100% of cases.

That's more or less the same line of reasoning why so many think they'd go Dust Deputy (Original, Delux or 2.5) ahead of Festool CT Cyclone in 100% of cases! [tongue] [tongue] [tongue]

No. It is not.
Not sure why you are playing false arguments this way. It is below you.

The CT-VA is more ergonomic than the DD as it has a smaller foot print, the bin is transparent and it connects with a Festool vac out of the box. None of that the DD sets provide.

On the practicality scale the CT-VA is above or comparable to the Oneida products in pretty much every aspect. Whether it is worth it on cost or whether it is more/less suitable for a use case is a separate discussion which does not really belong on this thread.

The DD sets are, at same, way above the Mallet solution on practicality and I do not see anything in which they would be inferior - as long as dry dust collection is considered.