Way back, in January 2006, I bought my very first Festool, a TS55 with 2 extra 1400mm rails, the rail accessory kit in a Systainer, a pair of Quick clamps and 2 extra fine tooth saw blades. My dealer had both a CT22 and a CT33 in his demo room, each with a bag nearly half full. I was encouraged to open those extractors to become at one with the bags. By then the days when I handled 4x8' sheets of 1.25" plywood were long gone. I realized that with the larger capacity CT33 I would use fewer bags, but those bags would be much heavier, when full, that the smaller CT22 bags. I thought that over for a few minutes and added the CT22 to my order. The next day I went back for a tradesman cleaning set with a 38mm x 5m AS hose.
The following week a good friend, having seen my Festool saw and CT in action, went to the same dealer to get Festools for himself. He believes in "More Power" and "Bigger is always Better" so he selected a CT33. I sell the cabinets and so on I build. My friend is a hobby woodworker. I have lost count how often he has asked for my help removing a bag from his CT33!
In 2009 I had so many Festools and often in two different rented shops, that I bought another new CT22, to which I added a boom arm. I had built a boom arm for my first CT22 based on a movie industry senior reflector stand, of which I had a spare. When the time came for the second boom arm I considered building another, until I found the price of the reflector stand then was more than the complete Festool boom system.
In late 2009 I had decided to build a really large shop in an industrial building, which I tasked a realtor to locate. By then I had seen the CT26 and CT36 in Europe. I assumed eventually they would be available in the USA, but I was very happy with my CT22. I have never experienced blow-out of CT22 bags, but then I do not sand drywall. I reasoned that if I stuck with CT22 I only needed to stock one kind of bag. I also suspected that as the USA launch of the CT26 approached, there would be people offering good deals on slightly used CT22s. Besides my favorite Festool dealer I visited others close to me, mentioning that when the price was right, I was in the market for good used CT22.
As the renovations of my industrial building started, I hired a staff of 6 other cabinet makers, all experienced and super talented. All of us owned some Festools. Knowing I would need at least 6 CTs in addition to the plant Dust Collection system, I offered all those fellows a deal: I would lease any of their personal CTs and then buy and CT22s they wished to sell. Unfortunately among them there was only one CT22. So when the CT26/36 arrived, I bought 3 slightly used, as well as that personal CT22. For use on sites, I did buy a new CT36, which has recently been certified HEPA.
As for reliability, my first 2006 CT22 has been used a few hours 5 days a week since then without the need for any factory service. As I do with electrical outlets on many other things, I have left a short 14 gauge grounded extension cable plugged into the CTs. That way any wear is with the female end of the extension cable. I have never needed to replace the receptacle on any of my CT.
Yes, knowing the fleece CT22 bags were coming I did let my inventory of the paper bags run low. I have had excellent results from the new fleece bags.
