Filtration ability of CT-25 vs. CT-MIDI and CT-26

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Nov 3, 2023
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So, in my small/garage workshop I have a 15 year old shop vac with a Home Depot "Dustopper" attached to a 30' hose reel (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CVCLXDD), and a remote on/off switch (something similar to this:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072F9DGRL) that I have zip-tied to the end of the hose reel (pics at bottom).  I use this vac setup for both attaching to various random orbit sanders as well as the occasional shop cleanup.  Because of the hose reel, the shop vac is stationary and basically never moves.

This setup actually works surprisingly well.  I got the idea for attaching the remote to the end of the host from the festool bluetooth switch and I agree with some of y'all that remote starting is a amazing.  Remote start and the hose reel have been life changing.  Seriously. 😂

In any case, the one thing I'd like to do is replace the shop vac and Dustopper combo for a HEPA dust collector since there still is some fine dust that gets ejected back into my shop when I'm sanding and such.  I don’t really need the pre-separator and the Dustopper leaks a bit anyway.  I was looking at the CT-MIDI since it's basically the same size as my shop vac so I don't have to change where anything is located.  I was also thinking about going with a CT-26 for the few more CFM considering I have the 30' hose reel, however it's more expensive and would require me to move a couple of things around in my shop.

Now, I see the new CT-25, which is the same size and has the same HEPA filter as the CT-MIDI but has other features stripped down a bit: no bluetooth, no roller brake, ribbed vs. smooth hose, no hose garage.  I don't need any of those features for my setup, I want something that will physically fit in my space that has HEPA filtration. 

I'm in the US, however I did see this video from Festool UK on the UK version of the CT25 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yi5Uyb6TpQ). At 5:27 into the video, he says that the CT25 “has no classification rating” (L or M), so isn’t allowed on a UK construction site.  AFAIK, the machines are physically the same between the US and UK/EU but with different ratings. This makes me wonder: is there a difference in the CT-25 that I’m not seeing that lets it have the HEPA rating in the US due to the filter, but is deficient in some other area that makes it have "no classification rating" in the UK (such as the container seals not being as good so maybe some dust escapes?) or is this mainly a marketing thing and the filtration is just as good?

So in the end, do you know of any differences between the CT-25 and the CT-MIDI or CT-26 with regards to it’s filtration ability and what gets put back into my shop environment overall?  If the CT-25 will filter the air that's returned to my shop as well as the CT-MIDI or CT-26, it seems like a no brainer for me. 
 

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With bags, they will all filter the same.

The difference between CT15/25/MINI/MIDI series and the CT26/36/48 series is the bigger vacs are more heavy duty (mechanical), the main filter has a bit bigger area and a way bigger "contact area" the SelfClean bags.
In practice this results in the "big" series having a bit more consistent performance under prolonged use when the dust "cake" does not get the chance to drop. Under normal use the differences are pretty small though.
 
Woohoo.  I pulled the trigger on the CT-25.  One thing about my setup that didn't work is that when using the remote power switch (just like unplugging and re-plugging in the CT-25), the CT-25 goes into standby mode, not turned on.  I thought this was a deal breaker for me, and that I'd have to get a CT-MIDI and bluetooth switch or go all the way up to the CT-26 which has a physical on/off switch.  But in the end I figured out that I could move the remote switch to the tool AC port, where I attached a small desk fan, and voila! It works!
 
"But in the end I figured out that I could move the remote switch to the tool AC port, where I attached a small desk fan, and voila! It works!"
That sounds interesting. Could you explain how you did that and even better if you could include a pic or two?
 
ChuckS said:
"But in the end I figured out that I could move the remote switch to the tool AC port, where I attached a small desk fan, and voila! It works!"
That sounds interesting. Could you explain how you did that and even better if you could include a pic or two?

Sure, Instead of putting the remote start switch on the power cord for the CT-25 (like i did in my old setup), I attached the remote start switch to a small desk fan, and plugged the fan/remote combo into the tool socket on the CT-25.  Here's a video of the setup:

 
Cool! Thx for the video. I'll try that on my CT15 as soon as I'm done my vacation.
 
Following SuperDuper Tango's clever method, I added a "blue tooth" feature to my CT15 by using the same wireless remote control (that also controls my air filtration system) with a light, providing additional illumination to the shop:

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The triple tap allows me to use a power tool directly with the CT15 and its built-in automatic extraction feature.

 

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I bought the second-hand CT15e at $300 CAD, and the filter net and dust bag were all replaced with new ones by the seller. Except for the hose set, which I bought independently at $60 CAD, all the others were upgraded by the original seller (b including the top cover). At least I felt very good. The remote is currently hooked to makita and can be disassembled at will
 
Cool!

Someone on Etsy should fashion something and sell a kit to make the CT15 bluetooth-able [big grin].
 
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