shortening power cord on CTMIDI

[handymanty]

has anyone shortened the power cord on a CT dust extractor?  i want to cut about 4 feet off.  i want to keep the plug and re-wire it from the inside.  is this going to be a big PIA?  and special tools needed to get in there?  thanks.

 

[DB10]

I gota ask the question, why do you need to cut 4' off of the power lead?

 

[Holmz]

Any warranty will likely be voided.

If you are going to do that, then maybe keep the cord in the bag, and put on a new shorter cord either made up or taken from something else.

But why would you want to make it shorter?

 

[Dunn wood]

I find it way too long as well, PIA to wind up in the hose garage. Also hard to get hose and cord to fit.

 

[Holmz]

I put the cord in first and then the hose.
The hose is harder to fit than the cord, and I only unwind as much cord I need to get to the outlet after I take out the hose.

I do not think I would be comfortable suggesting shortening it with the warranty implications, and I have a lot of tools that have short cords on them to get local power into the machine. The only tools I have not considered modifying are the Festools.

In theory: it should be easy. Just get a cord from the shop and totally replace the existing one, but that assumes you have the electrical skills to not get shocked, and if others are using it, then there is liability to consider.

In practice: I would suggest you send it to Festool to do that for you, as that is the safest from both a safety and warranty perspective.

 

[Cheese]

If you're really bent on having a shortened cord on the Festool vac, just fabricate a new one and swap it for the original.
Swap out the cords and retain the original just in case you want to sell the vac in the future. No one wants to purchase a used Festool vac that has dubious blood lines.

 

[DB10]

  There's definitely a knack to getting the hose and cable neatly into a Midi. I always start with the hose first, just find it easier that way, each to their own. Once you get used to it, it all works out.
I would think twice about cutting 4' off the cable, sods law would suggest that one day you might need that extra length.

 

[Cheese]

I agree with DB10...the bulky thing is the hose, so if you can find a method to pack that away, the rest will be relatively easy.

Personally, I wouldn't suggest shortening the cord, it's an option, however not a great one.

 

[Doug S]

You can fit the cable holder off the ct26 on to the back of the midi, it needs a bit of alteration but the holes are there for it. I have done mine and it works great, much better then trying to stuff cable in the top with the hose. If you do a search on the forum you will find a few threads and photos from other people who have done it.

Doug