Questions about dust collection hoses and accessories - Festool vs Cen-Tec

[Julie]

I love my CT Midi. I have it mounted in my custom MFT workbench connected with a Dust Devil, which is in the center of my shop. I would like to be able to use it to vacuum the entire shop.

So far I have added two accessories: the Bluetooth switch that I use all the time, and the upholstery brush that I use when cleaning my bench top (because it is so much faster than just using the end of the hose).

What is the best and most cost effective way to:
1. extend the reach of my hose
2. add an extension tube and floor brush
3. make it easier to attach to the OF1010 - I really do not understand why Festool could not just make the OF1010 port round like the ETS125. :-(
4. make it easier to change the suction when using the ETS125.
    The MIDI controls are not accessible from the front of my workbench and the bluetooth control that I have on the hose does not provide suction controls.
    I know that Festool sells the Cleantec Reducing sleeve D 27 DM-AS/CT that allows variable suction, but it is $33.

I am considering several options:

1. Adapt all the various parts that I currently own. ($0)
I have a Home Depot shop vac that I have been using for the whole shop cleaning. I hate the large diameter hose that is way too stiff. I bought the car cleaning kit that came with a smaller diameter hose (about the same size as the festool D27 that came with my MIDI). It works much better. I 3D printed an adapter for that hose so I could connect the original wand and floor nozzle. That works okay, but I don't like dragging the vac around and changing the outlet that it is plugged into.

Continuing, I 3D printed and adapter for the "good" shop vac hose so that I can plug the Festool hose into it. That gives me the length, but it does not work well. I get clogs at the connection of the two hoses. I also feel like a large diameter wand at the end of a long small diameter hose is not providing proper suction.

I have decided that this is not acceptable.

2. Buy the Festool Standard Cleaning set ($115)
This would let me clean the floor around the workbench with the single hose. It would not reach the entire shop, but most of the sawdust that escapes collection ends up in the area that it would reach. I feel certain that this would work well as the components are designed to work together.
    - Will I still have the clogging problem where the D27 connector goes into the wand.
      What I am experiencing now is that any wood chips or slivers catch on the end of the hose because it is smaller than the adapter that I have it plugged in to (in #1 above) and then other stuff just keeps catching on that?

3. Festool Tradesman Cleaning Set ($245)
If I wasn't on such a tight budget, the easy solution would be to buy the Festool Tradesman Cleaning Set. The hose is only 3.5m so I would not be able to reach the entire shop with it connected to the D27 hose, but I would be able to get most of it.
I do have a couple questions about it:
    ○ Will the accessories connect to the D27 hose? I assume that they will and are the same as the ones in the Standard Cleaning Set
    ○ Can I connect the D36 hose to the CT MIDI and then connect the D27 to the end of the D36?
    ○ with the D27 connected to the D36 will I have the clogging problem at that connection?
    ○ Is there an adapter for the D36 to allow it to connect to my OF1010 so that I would not have to attach the D27 when using the router? That would allow the hose path to be shorter.

4. Buy one of the Cen-Tec kits
There are several kits and I am not certain if the hoses are different.
    - Cen-Tec 30' antistatic hose and quick connect adapters.    $166.69https://www.amazon.com/Cen-Tec-Syst...703876212&sprefix=cen-tec,aps,148&sr=8-5&th=1
    - Cen-Tec 30' hose and quick connect adapters for $66 
      https://www.amazon.com/Cen-Tec-Syst...tool+dust+extractor+hose,aps,139&sr=8-21&th=1
      I could get the 20' version of this for $60 if I knew that it would connect to the festool hose and work well.
    - Cen-Tec 30' hose, quick connect adapters and cleaning accessories $88.48
      This would just eliminate using the Festool hose.
       https://www.amazon.com/Cen-Tec-Syst...703876212&sprefix=cen-tec,aps,148&sr=8-2&th=1

The Cen-Tec system would give me two things that I won't get with a Festool solution.
    - The Cen-Tec adapter could live on the OF1010 which would make that easier.
    - The Cen-Tec hose end has a suction control

    ○ Do I really need an anti-static hose?
    ○ Will the Cen-Tec hose connect to the Festool hose?
    ○ If I got the Cen-Tec 30' hose I could just use it instead of the Festool hose, but that would be an awful lot of hose to coil up somewhere when working with power tools at the workbench. Alternatively I could just connect it to the MIDI when I wanted to clean the entire shop.
    ○ Will the Cen-Tec accessories work with the Festool hose?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Julie,

I'd suggest that with a 30' hose you may see an unacceptable (qualitatively) decrease in performance. Also, chasing down accessories and so on can get expensive.

Have you considered simply getting a second dust collector? Back when I was performing more work on-site I'd regularly have two- to four- extractors going, often one paired per tool. If you were to have two extractors, between the two of them you could probably cover most of your Shop, and you could have one dialed-in for your sander.

Festool does make a connector with a manual suction control, though I don't have any experience with it:https://www.festoolusa.com/accessory/577162---d-27-dm-asct#Overview

 

[smorgasbord]

I myself went down the Cen-Tec path when I only had 1 Festool tool. It's been OK - prices are reasonable and the quality is fine. The 1.25" hose diameter is just about right for most things, but not big enough for benchtop planers and too big for small sanders. The quick connect is a bit fiddly since you have to line up the two nibs when connecting and it has the rotating suction reducer thing that I end up rotating when I don't want to.

It's good that they have different ends, but bad that they only sell them in sets. I was able to buy the hose with one set and then buy one additional set and that's got me covered pretty well, but do note that some of the ends are longish and since I leave them attached to the tool (so I can use the quick connect), they can get in the way when storing in the systainer with its blow-molded insert. I usually pull the inserts out anyway so I can cram more accessories in the systainer.

That all said, moving away from a solitary centralized Home Depot shop vac should be on your list.

 

[HighlandMarine]

Hi Julie,

Couple of things.

1) Personally, I try to use 27mm hoses for dust, 36mm for anything larger.
2) The tradesman and workshop cleaning sets are great value for money, sometimes Hartville has them open box on their eBay store for a great price
3) Somebody on here might be willing to trade you for a newer style 27mm with the adjustable piece on the end.

 

[Cheese]

I have a MIDI I that sits underneath the Kapex. It connects to the Kapex with either a 5' x 36 mm hose or a 5' x 50 mm hose. Because both hoses are so short, I am forced to replace either with a long hose for general cleanup. At first that was a nuisance but it's actually proven to be a blessing.

That allowed me to purchase the D36 x 7M hose and mount the Bluetooth module on the far end. The 23' hose allows me to vacuum almost the entire shop without ever moving the MIDI. The stainless extension tubes fit on the hand wand tight and for large areas to be cleaned up I install the Turbo floor nozzle, 203809. All the smaller 27 mm vac fittings also fit the larger hose and the larger 36 mm hose also cures the typical hose clogging issues. 

This whole hose swapping thing was a blessing in disguise. It's faster than swapping out a blade on the track saw and we do that without any second thoughts.

As far as your 1010 port issue is concerned, the obround port was Festool's port style of choice for many of their early tools. The DX 93, RAS 115 & RS 2 all had obround dust ports. The good news is the new OF 1010 R has been updated to a round dust port, however, it is plastic. If you use the 1010 a lot, consider an upgrade because along with the round port, they've made a lot of ergonomic/tool changing improvements. I'm considering an upgrade in the future myself.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

As Cheese said, the latest version of the OF1010 does have a round port. Not only that, it's the inside-outside style, where a 27mm hose fits in it and the 36mm hose fits over it. It's like a TS fitting rather than a sander or Domino fitting.
There were other changes too.  The depth-stop turret is moved, making it more like a compact version of the OF1400, minus the ratchet on the collet.

Hose swapping is definitely a "first world problem", to be sure, but in a commercial environment, it matters.

I'd suggest that with a 30' hose you may see an unacceptable (qualitatively) decrease in performance. Also, chasing down accessories and so on can get expensive.

Have you considered simply getting a second dust collector? If you were to have two extractors, between the two of them you could probably cover most of your Shop, and you could have one dialed-in for your sander.

Though this is the more costly option, at least up-front, it is also likely to give you the best performance and the least hassle.
That's how I do it. I have a big dust collector that goes to the miter saw and jointer. Then there are two CTs on opposite ends of my space. The CT26 does the Router table with a 36mm hose, swapping to the 27mm for smaller tools. The CT15 is more portable, it goes further out away from the bench.

 

[woodferret]

I have the d36 kit, but honestly broom/dustpan for the first pass to get the large stuff.  The d27 on the end of the d36 is enough to reach everywhere and works still with the kit extensions.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I have the d36 kit, but honestly broom/dustpan for the first pass to get the large stuff.  The d27 on the end of the d36 is enough to reach everywhere and works still with the kit extensions.

I do the same, broom/dustpan, for an entirely different reason though.
I do my best to collect the mess right at the tool, which is where my extractors stop.
We had floor-sweep ports in several locations around the old shop, but those were not repeated when we moved, because of the damage that was done to the bags in the old one. Most people didn't check the debris carefully enough before sweeping it in. Magnets and wire mesh screens were added to try to mitigate the damage, but enough had already been done to allow it to happen again. Screws, staples, etc puncture the bags.
Since I don't do site-work anymore, I don't do any floor cleaning with my CTs.