Questions about vacuums

[MittensCat]

I'm going to buy a Festool CT vacuum and I'm trying to clarify a couple of things and get as much information as possible before I make my purchase. It's a big purchase for me and I really want to get the most versatile model for my needs.

After a bit of reading I have pretty much settled on the CT26 with the tradesman cleaning kit. It seems that the CT26 is versatile in it's capacity and portability and I will be using this vacuum for household cleaning as I'm in the middle of a live in remodel.

I have also been looking at the CT 36 and CT36 AC. Can anyone tell me why the CT36 AC is not approved for RRP certified work? As I understand it, the auto clean is meant to be used with a drywall sander and that it is more of a specialty tool. Eventually I will be hanging drywall in my house and thought that this could be very useful.

Is the CT36 AC ever able to be an approved vacuum for lead paint? Is it too big for daily cleaning tasks and carrying up stairs frequently? Again I want the most versatile machine I can get because I'm only getting one.

Also, I saw a review that said the cyclonic separator significantly reduces suction. Can anyone comment on this claim? I thought it would be nice to have a separator right on top of the vacuum, but at $375 it would have to be worth every penny.

I appreciate any recommendations on the model that will meet my needs.

Thanks

 

[AlexThePalex]

After a bit of reading I have pretty much settled on the CT26 with the tradesman cleaning kit. It seems that the CT26 is versatile in it's capacity and portability and I will be using this vacuum for household cleaning as I'm in the middle of a live in remodel.

The 26 is a nice vac and will certainly meet your requirements.

I have also been looking at the CT 36 and CT36 AC. Can anyone tell me why the CT36 AC is not approved for RRP certified work? As I understand it, the auto clean is meant to be used with a drywall sander and that it is more of a specialty tool. Eventually I will be hanging drywall in my house and thought that this could be very useful.

The AC model is not approved for RRP because the mechanism that cleans the filter vibrates too much. The vibrations break the seals of the vac. Not a big deal with most tasks, but RRP requirements are a lot more strict.

And no, you have no use for the CT36 or the CT36 AC. That little bit of drywall sanding you're going to do in a single house is not going to need an AC vac. Nor a special drywal sander like the Planex. A 150 mm sander and a normal Festool vac is all you need.

I am also doing a live in remodel right now, and I am plastering all my walls. I have to do a lot of sanding on these walls, and I do most of that with my Rotex 150, the ETS 125 and the DTS 400. Rotex does most. I also use a Midi vac with a cyclone attached.

Is the CT36 AC ever able to be an approved vacuum for lead paint? Is it too big for daily cleaning tasks and carrying up stairs frequently? 

The current CT36 AC will never be approved for RRP. The automatic filter leaning makes sure it can not. I also doubt Festool wil bring out an AC model in the future that does. Different requirements. The AC is for walls, and lead paint is not on walls. Well, mostly.

The 36 is not nice to carry up the stairs, especially not when it is getting fuller. You can have over 60 pounds of dust in there. You don't need the 36 anyway in your house, get the 26, and you'll find you'll do months on a single bag. The bigger vacs are for professional production environments.

Also, I saw a review that said the cyclonic separator significantly reduces suction. Can anyone comment on this claim? I thought it would be nice to have a separator right on top of the vacuum, but at $375 it would have to be worth every penny.

I can't speak for the Festool separator, but I have made my own for €40  and I lose nothing in suction. I sincerely doubt the Festool cyclone would lose a lot of suction either. I am sure it is sealed well. My cyclone works great, I save a ton in bags.

 

[MittensCat]

All I needed to hear! Thanks a lot for the reply!

I've spent a lot of time researching vacuums and the ergonomics of the Festool seems to be unmatched. My wife noticed the hose storage on top and was instantly sold.

Would you opt for the bluetooth feature? I'm not sure if it's worth the $80 given that I don't own any other Festool tools. Is this feature compatible with bluetooth from other brands?

I'm on the fence with the cyclonic separator. It seems to come down to money savings in bags and the ergonomics. I've used separators with my Ridgid shopvac and it's pretty annoying if you don't have some sort of cart or dedicated location for it. Does anyone know if using the separator disqualifies the vacuum for RRP? I'm not licensed for RRP but may be in the future. I'm primarily concerned with the hygiene of my home remodel.

Thanks again.

 

[semenza]

  How much drywall are you hanging, and will it be all at once or a room at time over time?

  The remote is a nice convenience feature. I like having it. But far from necessary.  It can be added later on down the road if you decide you want it.  Installing it is very easy.

    In my opinion CT26 is the best all around performer as a single stand alone vac. Go bigger you get more capacity but less portable (same goes for adding cyclone to a smaller vac). Go smaller you get less capacity but easy to move.

  I have separator on one of my vacs for particular tasks. I think the separator will less useful for general purpose remodeling and vacuuming unless you are doing something that produces large volumes of chips. It works well and is easy to attach / remove but you probably won't want to bother if the vac is doing a wide variety of tasks in  several locations during one work session. EX- you have the cyclone attached but need the vac upstairs for five minutes. It may not be all that handy for your all purpose usage. Basically it has pros and cons. It too, can easily be added if you decide you want after you get the vac into use.

Seth

 

[AlexThePalex]

Would you opt for the bluetooth feature? I'm not sure if it's worth the $80 given that I don't own any other Festool tools. Is this feature compatible with bluetooth from other brands?

Would be nice to have, but not a must. Get it later if you want. I don't know if the bluetooth is compatible with other brands, but I would guess not. Festool likes propretiary.

Does anyone know if using the separator disqualifies the vacuum for RRP?

Yes, I would think so. RRP looks at the entire system, and the separator might have some leaks so that would disqualify it. But if you use the vac by itself you should be good.

 

[MittensCat]

Thanks a lot for the advice! I'm really excited to buy this vacuum. Given that I'll use it for home, shop, and contracting work I think that it will be money well spent.

Not sure if you guys are in the United States, but if you are, can you recommend an online retailer? I was going to order from Toolnut or Amazon. Would you go with one over the other?

Is there a difference between the CT26 E vs CT26?

I imagine I'll be hanging drywall one room at a time. Half my house is gutted and I'm deliberating on doing the other half at the moment. Either way, I'm not a drywaller and it will be a learning experience. I'm hoping the CT26 with a separator will handle this task too.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Not sure if you guys are in the United States, but if you are, can you recommend an online retailer? I was going to order from Toolnut or Amazon. Would you go with one over the other?

Is there a difference between the CT26 E vs CT26?

They're the same. So far I can see on their website, Festool sells only one type of 26 in the USA, Dust Extractor CLEANTEC CT 26 E HEPA  574930. The E in Festool name code means Electronic speed control, which all 26's have.

The Toolnut is highly regarded here on the FOG. The former administrator of this forum, Shane Holland, who used to be a Festool employee is now their main sales representative online.

 

[MittensCat]

Okay, I will go with Toolnut.
Does it make any sense to buy the Toolnut protection plan?

 

[Bertotti]

These guys covered it all but I will chime in. I have had the ct26 for many years. My family has taken to using it on the house wood floors I use it for all my sanding and woodworking. I love the thing and I just put the Bluetooth on a couple of months ago. I wish I would have done so sooner. So much more convenient but certainly not a must. I wanted a longer hose so added a second 27mm long hose but in retrospect, I wish I would have bought a D36 instead. I almost never use the second D27 but have had the need for a larger diameter hose a couple of times with projects kicking out bigger chips that get caught in the junction of the hose and tool/item attached.

 

[chase_leibowitz]

I'd personally go with the CT26. I've used it and it's a great vacuum. It's festool's most popular CT vac and kinda the all-arounder.