Not another Sander Thread: CT-SYS Extractor Shakedown

[Scott B.]

With all the talk about new sanders this week, I thought I'd throw a curveball and talk about the new CT-SYS dust extractor.

I'd appreciate it if users of this tool would add their thoughts and experiences with the CT-SYS here in the thread.

Here's the link:http://topcoatreview.com/2016/10/festool-ct-sys/

Hope everyone is having a great Fall season. Thanks for reading.

[attachimg=1]

 

[mattmass]

Great read! A wonderfully thoughtful review. Thanks so much for sharing it.

 

[Shane Holland]

Good stuff, as usual, Mr. Burt. Well done, sir. And, nice thread title to boot.

 

[JonSchuck]

In the hose description didn't you mean "anti-static" instead of "anti-suction"?  Great article.

 

[Scott B.]

In the hose description didn't you mean "anti-static" instead of "anti-suction"?  Great article.

Good catch, Jon thanks...corrected. An hose that is anti suction would be difficult to work with!

Good stuff, as usual, Mr. Burt. Well done, sir. And, nice thread title to boot.

Thanks Shane...

Great read! A wonderfully thoughtful review. Thanks so much for sharing it.

Thanks Matt, I am glad you found it helpful.

 

[Scott B.]

We've had a few questions from readers about the possibility of backpack or strap functionality with the CT-SYS.

We have a video coming out very soon showing its main performance functions as well as a full breakdown of the features of the tool.

This is a quick still shot from some of our vid footage showing the strap capability:

[attachimg=1]

This is with the hose garage removed for reduced footprint and bulk. It can also be strapped with the hose garage on.

 

[Bob Marino]

 
Good review and comparison, Burt. Well written. Looking forward to the video.

 

[Scott B.]

 
Good review and comparison, Burt. Well written. Looking forward to the video.

Thanks for reading, Bob. Hope you are well.

 

[Davesbuildtips]

Hi Scott. I appreciate the amount of time you put into your article.
A question or 2 and input as requested..
1. You state that the sys vac and mini are HEPA. Are they sold differently to the Australian models which are not HEPA, but a HEPA filter is available.
2. The hose on the sys vac is 3 metres, the hose on the mini is 3.5 metres. Also the hose on the sys vac needs to stay connected or dust will start falling out if the bag hasn't been closed.
3. The dust bag volume is 3.5 litres in the sys which is 50% of the 7 litres in the mini. The chamber size is 4.5 litres v 10 litres (45%) which quite honestly amazes me that Festool even mention it as use without a bag would be inadvisable unless using the mini as a wet vac. The sys can not be used as a wet vac.

 

[Gregor]

Also the hose on the sys vac needs to stay connected or dust will start falling out if the bag hasn't been closed.

Havn't had that happening as long as the CTL-SYS is oriented normally (like it is inside a systainer stack), it seems to compact the dust nicely into the bag - I'm confident the mini will also spill dust should you orient it hose connector down without one connected...

 

[Xoncention]

In the hose description didn't you mean "anti-static" instead of "anti-suction"?  Great article.

Good catch, Jon thanks...corrected. An hose that is anti suction would be difficult to work with!

If Senior's Bernoulli's principle is anything to go by your comment is still correct, although for the purposes of the article, misspoken  8)  Any hose by it's nature is anti suction. Try adding a cyclone into your suction circuit and your PV=C will change.  [big grin]

 

[Scott B.]

Hi Scott. I appreciate the amount of time you put into your article.
A question or 2 and input as requested..
1. You state that the sys vac and mini are HEPA. Are they sold differently to the Australian models which are not HEPA, but a HEPA filter is available.
2. The hose on the sys vac is 3 metres, the hose on the mini is 3.5 metres. Also the hose on the sys vac needs to stay connected or dust will start falling out if the bag hasn't been closed.
3. The dust bag volume is 3.5 litres in the sys which is 50% of the 7 litres in the mini. The chamber size is 4.5 litres v 10 litres (45%) which quite honestly amazes me that Festool even mention it as use without a bag would be inadvisable unless using the mini as a wet vac. The sys can not be used as a wet vac.

Hi David

Thank you.

To your questions/comments:

1. I haven't seen or researched the Australian models but I suspect that there is a difference. Here in the states, the Cleantec line is called "Full Unit HEPA Certified", meaning not just the HEPA filter but the entire unit (seals, etc) are rated. You can read more about it here on Festool's microsite about the HEPA extractors:http://www.eparrphepavacuum.com/ It is a big deal here because the EPA has strict regulations (and fines) about what types of vacs can be used legally on older homes (pre-78) which often contain lead paint.

2. As someone noted above, if the CT-SYS is sitting down in its table top or stacked orientation, the bag opening would be facing up, so no dust should come out when the hose is removed. That would be the way to take the hose off and close the bag. If it was in shoulder strap configuration, it would be possible for dust to release from the bag, but it would also be difficult to take the hose off in that position. We will be showing this in the video when it comes out.

3. You are correct, that the CT-SYS has 48% of the bag capacity of a Mini. We had initially plugged the chamber capacity (rather than bag capacity) of the Mini into our comparison chart versus bag capacity of the CT-SYS for a result of 37%, which is inaccurate and has been since edited to reflect bag vs bag. Thanks for the heads up. And you are right, the CT-SYS is not recommended for wet vac use. My guess is that they state the chamber size to give people an idea of the inner volume and size of the housing, I don't think it is meant to imply wet use ability.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Scott B.]

Here is the video segment that goes with our recent review of the CT-SYS:

 

[Scott B.]

In the hose description didn't you mean "anti-static" instead of "anti-suction"?  Great article.

Good catch, Jon thanks...corrected. An hose that is anti suction would be difficult to work with!

If Senior's Bernoulli's principle is anything to go by your comment is still correct, although for the purposes of the article, misspoken  8)  Any hose by it's nature is anti suction. Try adding a cyclone into your suction circuit and your PV=C will change.  [big grin]

Lol thanks for the science angle.

I don't really get into the cyclones and dust deputies. Curious if others have though..

 

[Gregor]

I don't really get into the cyclones and dust deputies. Curious if others have though..

I use a cyclone with the CT-SYS and it extends the time to clean out the bag by a factor of ~30 (50L drum under the cyclone, cleaning the bag roughtly every 2nd or 3rd time I empty the drum). Especially when planing or routing it is helpful since these opertaions product a huge amount of waste in a short time....

 

[Scott B.]

I don't really get into the cyclones and dust deputies. Curious if others have though..

I use a cyclone with the CT-SYS and it extends the time to clean out the bag by a factor of ~30 (50L drum under the cyclone, cleaning the bag roughtly every 2nd or 3rd time I empty the drum). Especially when planing or routing it is helpful since these opertaions product a huge amount of waste in a short time....

Sounds like a good set up for you. It is impressive how that smaller motor still has plenty of suction. Thanks for sharing.