Midi 1 to 1.5" dust port

[josh1]

Hi,

First post.  I'm thinking about buying a Festool Midi 1. 

I want to be able to do 2 things with it.  First I have a couple tools I want to be able to use it as a dust extractor for: a Milwaukee router and a Dewault miter saw.  Both tools have 1.5" dust ports.  I've searched the Internet but couldn't figure out how people hook the 27mm hose to their 1.5" dust ports.

Second I want to be able to use it as a shop vac.  I was planning on buying the "compact cleaning set in systainer" for that. Is this a good option or are there other options I should consider.  Basically just want to be able to suck up stuff off the floor and have a wand to get down in crevices. If there are other better or cheaper ways to get cleaning attachments I'm definitely interested.

I'm a light user that tries to squeeze in some wood work on the weekends (or some remodeling).  Before I make the purchase I was hoping you guys could weigh in on the best way to connect to the port and verify that the compact cleaning set is a solid purchase. This would be my first Festool purchase!

Thank you!

 

[batmanimal]

The MIDI was my first Festool purchase as well! It’s a great one.

That was a month ago, and I now have the Domino joiner, miter saw, and a router on order. Oh, also I’m planning to buy a second Festool vac. So, um, just be forewarned, this brand is addictive.

I would not use the MIDI as a shop vac. It will be awesome as a dust extractor for your tools. Especially with the Bluetooth module ($45) that serves as a remote, so you can turn the MIDI on and off at the tool end of the hose while you work.

I would skip the cleaning kit and instead use the money to buy a second dedicated shop vac (ideally with a filter). I have the Ridgid stainless steel one with a filter, and it’s been great for shop tidying. I use bags for mine. The MIDI is not ideal for chunks and debris, especially w the included 27mm hose (just over 1” internal diameter). It is best for fine dust and keeping your work environment clean and safe while you work. Clean up tasks are best for a cheaper shop vac that you don’t care about abusing. Just my 2 cents.

You can definitely find attachments for the hose ports. I think what you are looking for is 36 to 50mm sleeve, but hopefully someone else can provide exact pointers.

Welcome to the club, BTW!

 

[batmanimal]

Another option for a smaller shop vac is the Milwaukee M18 cordless one. It’s not high capacity like a traditional 5-10gallon vac, but I reach for it quite often. It comes with an angled wand attachment that is perfect for crevices (I use it most often to vacuum out ash from my pellet grill). If you are already on the Milwaukee system, it’s a great addition.

Makita also makes a really good hand held vac (perfect for the inside of my “granola bar wrapper trash can on wheels”, aka “car”) that runs on their 18V battery system. It is very powerful, but more of a detail vac than a shop vac.

Or you could be like me and have a Ridgid shop vac, MIDI, the Milwaukee, and the Makita all housed in the same 2 car garage. I may be slightly obsessed w vacuums.

 

[afish]

I would use a dedicated shorter hose for the SCMS to maximize efficiency. Cant help with the Milwaukee but dewalt uses a proprietary connector. dont quote me but I think it something like DWV9000 eitherway it will screw onto the end of the centec hose.

 

[afish]

yes just checked here is a link to the dewalt connector.  Im not a fan of the connector because it big and bulky for things like sanders but it works well on SCMS since it wont pop off and the extra bulkiness isnt an issue. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirec...3684279&id=8653948328076077&widgetName=sp_atf

 

[Steve1]

I have made hose adapters for my table saw. router table, jointer and bench sander.  Typically, I start with a piece of ABS pipe or fitting.  I have a small lathe that makes turning them down a lot easier.  Probably, if I searched hard enough, I could find a pre-maid fitting at a store or online.  Home Depot actually has a very good selection of hose adapters.

 

[afish]

If I need a hard to find adapter or need it ASAP I use PVC and heat gun.  Just find the closest size pvc and heat it up. works like a charm and very simple cheap to do.

 

[afish]

Also THIS hose is a good option for the money.  I dont use just festool tools so I like the option of the interchangeable ends. plus the price is reasonable.  PRO tip spend a few dollars more and get the longest option. The ends that are attached to the hose simply thread on so you can buy extra fittings separately if needed and cut the long hose down and make several shorter hoses and make them custom length to suit your needs. Without stressing over cutting up a $175 festool hose. You can also add the PET covering.  Here is a pic of the same hose I made with the covering. Also the Dewalt DWV9000 will thread directly onto this hose. 

 

[josh1]

Whoah!  You guys are on it.  Lots of good suggestions.

So if I was getting a different hose I could just figure out how to connect it to my tools.  So it raises a question.  I saw on the bigger extractors they have the hose port on the front.  Is it easy enough to connect the new hose to the Midi or do I need to go up to the 26?  I think the size of the Midi is what I would pick if I was just going based on size.

I also liked that it came with the bluetooth receiver built in.

 

[afish]

I cant help with the front vs top port but wouldnt expect it to be an issue since the festool hose is the same on as the larger units.  I will say that stepping up to the 26 will give you a "little" more CFM's not a lot but every little bit helps so something to consider.

 

[batmanimal]

One other thing to consider if you are deciding between MIDI and CT26 is that the CT26 supports the mobile workcenter attachment that turns the vac into a little rolling tool cart, basically, as well as the boom arm attachment (if those options matter to you). The MIDI does not support those things, though there may be some aftermarket third party gear that would work to gain that functionality.

The CT also requires the ~$80 Bluetooth kit to retrofit it with Bluetooth capacity (the two piece one).

 

[Peter_C]

No matter what Festool vac one decides, having a 36mm hose is the way to go. I rarely use a 27mm other than for the sanders, OF1010 etc, and even then I use a boom arm that has a 36mm hose, with a short 27mm whip. When it comes to floor cleanup the 36mm is far superior. The air flow difference is remarkable. Both of my 36mm hoses are 5 meter hoses, and I am glad they are not the shorter 3.5m version. I am also a fan of the new style Festool hoses.

Also I own a bunch of the Festool floor cleaning noozles and the only one I want to use is the most expensive one.https://www.festoolusa.com/accessory/452908---d-36-bd-370#Overview

There is a Ridgid adapter set available at Home Depot I use occasionally, but I have a bunch of other adapters from who knows where.https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...ERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-202077239-_-N&

 

[josh1]

So it sounds like I'm either going to want to get the centec hose with whatever adapter I need to get to my 1.5" ports or the 36 mm Festool hose.  I'm guessing that 36 mm Festool hose is very close to the same size as my tool ports.  Anybody know if it would plug right into a 1.5" toolport?

 

[afish]

Did you see THIS I dont think the 90 end will plug directly in without an adapter but its a cheap hose for the SCMS.  One issue is the Dewalt connector I talked about screws onto the 1.25 hose directly.  So thats something to consider.  I actually just placed a small order with cen-tec today for some parts since your post got me going to build a short dedicated hose for my Dewalt SCMS.  I already had the DWV9000 and some left over hose I just needed the #41213 that will screw onto the other end and plug into the CT.  Im unconvinced that 1.5 hose will make a huge difference over a 1.25 with only about 30ish inches of hose length.  15' yes but not so much with such a short run.  I may be wrong but about to find out.  I do like the dewalt connector on the SCMS since once its locked on its not popping off.  So wanted to stick with it.  I also just saw today that centec sells tapered hose too.  Thats something I didnt know till today.  Im pretty convinced most of this hose is the same at its core or comes from the same china factory somewhere.  It just the ends and covering that makes it different.  Just fyi the centec has a smooth interior too. 

 

[josh1]

I don't have a sliding compound miter saw.  I have a basic Dewault miter saw that has a basic non-latching dust port.

I am going to have to spend some time looking at the cen-tec stuff and its good knowing that the interior is smooth.  It looks like they have a "garage kit" that comes with hose and accessorys and works with the Festool dust extractor.  That may be just what I need to connect to my tools.

 

[afish]

I just ran across THIS it looks like it might screw onto the centec 1.5 hose if DC suffers to much with a 1.25 hose.  I hadnt seen this before and couldnt find something similar on the centec site.  The DWV9000 still locks me into the 1.25 hose if I want to keep using it so that kind of sucks but might work to adapt the 1.5 hose to the CT port.

 

[josh1]

What size is the port on the dust extractor?  Is it 50 mm or 2.5" or something else?

 

[josh1]

I ordered the Midi!!!  I'll figure out the rest after it gets here.  I think I may have been overthinking. 

 

[josh1]

I got it in today.  Thank you for all of your help.

It connected to my dust extraction ports with no problem.  It also connected to my old shop vac attachments without issue, so the number one thing I was concerned about wasn't an issue at all.  Those metric measurements just made me nervous trying to connect to my equipment.

The miter saw port didn't really help much.  I'm guessing I would have to have a full dust collector with some sort of shroud to keep that saw from spraying dust everywhere.  I haven't tried the router or sander yet but I'm a lot more confident they will work.

It rolled easily around my garage.  I could see not wanting to use the included hose for full-on demolition clean-up or storm recovery but dust, pebbles, sawdust, hand plane shavings, leaves, and dirt were not a problem at all with the included hose.  Only time will tell how much of my bag I filled up since I don't know how firmly it stuffs the dirt in there.

Overall I am very pleased and glad I made the purchase.  I had planned on ordering the centec hose but I think for now I will just stick with this one.

Thanks again everybody for your help!