Long life bags vs hepa filter bags

[sicd_steve]

I noticed one of the FOG members had it in his plan to buy a long life bag for his CT 26 or 36. After spending a small kings ransom on a long life bag here on Australia I thought it would save me in the long run......but after some many months of using say 6 using it for everything sanding routing cleaning shop etc. I noticed the vac not as powerful as it used to be, then my Festool dealer Bryan told me the long life bag is really only good t the best solution for "chips" like routing planing  etc . But not really best for sanding as the bag fibres eventually get clogged with fine dust.

On this advise I bought a box of hepa bags ( the cloth style ones ) MAN he was right what a difference the suction is now, as I do it for mainly a hobby the bags have been lasting me quite a while as I have a few Festool Vacs. I use the CT36 With a boom arm as my main shop hand held stuff ie. Sanding dominioing etc and I have a CT26 dedicated under the bench for the Kapex with a short 36 hose and I the Midi For offsite work at my kids houses and cleaning shop as it's easy to move around.
So unless you plan to mainly do chipping stuff, the hepa bags may be the best way to go.
What do others have to contribute?

Steve

 

[DB10]

Hey Steve,
    Thanks for the heads up on the long life bag, my dealer advised against using it for any dry wall or fine dust as well. I've only got the Midi and was using it for everything including cleaning the workshop, after getting through bags too quickly I now use my Vax for the workshop, bags are a lot cheaper at Godfreys.

 

[sae]

Perhaps there's a good way to "renew" the bag? I've been using a longlife bag and haven't noticed a loss in power, I'm only sanding down to 220grit or so though? Maybe it's time for me to throw a regular self-clean on just to check.

 

[sancho57]

I got one in both my CTs. No issues here

 

[AlexThePalex]

Had one for my CT22 for two years, no issues. You can machine wash them if they're dirty.

 

[sancho57]

Thanks Alex good to know

 

[nerfball]

I shake out and re-use the non reusable ones two or three or four times before I replace it. Works fine for me.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I shake out and re-use the non reusable ones two or three or four times before I replace it. Works fine for me.

That's something I would never consider and really dislike. You save what, 4 dollar? With all the work you put in to fill that bag, shouldn't that make enough money to buy a new bag? Calculate the cost of the bag in your prices. I make hundreds of euros by filling one bag. 

 

[sancho57]

I shook my bags empty . It got frustrating, took  a long time and got dust all over the place including me and my clothes.

The long life bag makes life easy

 

[RC]

As a hobbyist I do empty the normal bags as well as long as its mainly sawdust i.e. it falls out nicely without needing to dig much in the bag for chips.

I'm still on my first bag and its beginning to lose its integrity after some 5-6 emptyings (the fabric is becoming frayed), so next time it fills I'll swap in a new one.

With this speed the box of five bags I bought will last me about 10 years so long life or cyclones are not cost effective for me.

If you have regular frequent shop time or are a pro then obviously the usage pattern and time cost enters the equation and makes it a different discussion.

P.S. If you wonder, I'm not emptying the bags for the cost savings, but rather its a habit from my childhood as I was brought up to empty the vacuum bags as long as they would humanly hold in one piece... I guess that's ww2-generation grandparent's upbringing echoing down the generations.

 

[fin]

haha i emptied the bag in my midi. i shook it into the skip. then the wind came. and blew the dust all over the street i was working in. every time i walked past the skip i got a face full of dust...

there is bags for henry hoovers that fit ish. but theyre smaller. ive seen 20 for £7.50 on ebay.

i wonder if theres another type of bags available. like paper bags maybe.

 

[Luke]

I use my other Hoover (dyson) to hoover out my ct mini bag. That's bagless so carefully empty that into the bin. Shhhh don't tell the wife!

 

[sicd_steve]

Thanks guys there are few good tips there, the wife has a Dyson as well bag less I will give my long life bag a vac and see how it performs....not sure if it 's safe to put the wife's Meile washer that cost $3000 ...not that washing it is probably safe. You just have to watch out for the wife!! Already sneak it a few car polishing cloths when she's out....but saw dust remnants might give the game away.

 

[Luke]

U might need to empty the dyson more than once for each bag. Make sure u don't overfill the dyson. Don't ask me how I know but they have a good warranty on them [emoji6]

 

[sicd_steve]

Well done Charlie ...shame about the messy shop, the back end view ..LOL

 

[sancho57]

Messy shop???

It looks normal to me

 

[overanalyze]

I was thinking of adding a zipper in the self clean bags for our midi. Empty 3-4 times and then replace. Thoughts?

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Chuck it and put a new one in.  Seems like a silly way to pinch some penny's

 

[tjbnwi]

I just use the disposable bags, last year I went through at least a couple of hundred of them between my 4 CT's. Only time I don't use the bag is for plainer chips.

Could never see having to dump the dust.

Tom

 

[Johnny5]

So, you guys vac up the dust, then get another vac to transfer the dust from the first vac to the second, then empty the second vac into the trash?  [eek]

Part of the reason I like the CT's is because I never have to empty all that dusty crap!  Just open the top, toss the bag and replace.  Seriously, the bags are cheaper than a beer......