Vacuum falling apart, brittle plastic

[Sideburns]

Has anybody experienced plastic body parts on a CT- 22 cracking and falling apart? How long do these vacuums usually last? I have owned mine since 2008.  I use to be on this site under a different email, but slacked has off since I am no longer self-employed. So i guess I am a returning  Semi- noobie.
Thanks
TK

 

[Distinctive Interiors]

Hi TK,

I have had the smaller version, the CT11E from new in 2002. The motor & upper casing is the same as the CT22....It still works fine and I have never had anything mechanically go wrong with it.
However, when I first got it, it did'nt come with the Hose Garage on top, so I purchased one as an accessory about 8 years ago. Whatever the Hose Garage plastic is made from is most certainly not the same as the plastic the CT is made from. It is so flimsy and brittle and has huge cracks in it and bits broken off it now.

I believe this is a problem known to Festool but I'm not sure if the manufacturing material or process has now been changed...?

I'm tempted to replace my garage, but not if they are still using the same type of plastic.....

I also have a couple of CT26's and a Midi, albeit newer but no issues with the built in Hose Garage's on those.

 

[greg mann]

I have 2 CT22s that more than 15 years old, probably 18, with zero issues. They are not used every day but I believe the kind of damage the OP is referring to is degradation of the plastic which would happen from age. Not my experience.

 

[jeh]

Is it or was it in direct sunlight (even behind a window) for long periods of time? One way to tell is if the plastic has faded on one side and not the other.

 

[Holzhacker]

I recently replaced the bottom black 1/2 of my old CT22. Ordered the new bottom and wheels from Festool. I've spent years repairing the back end of the bottom related to broken rear wheels and cracks. Cracks got to be too much now. Figured it was time to replace the bottom part of the body. Cleaned everything but it all back together and my old CT 22 is like new.
So do I think the plastic is too brittle or breaking? No.
I know all the broken rear wheels and cracks on the body are my fault. I have had a very bad habit of stacking way too many systainers on top of the CT and rolling across sidewalks or parking lots into a job site.
On the flip side my other CT22 that lived in the shop mostly never had any broken parts.
Beyond that, the rear wheels could be better. They are a bit brittle for constant worldly travel. The old hose garage is another issue everyone has griped about.
Order the parts, fix it and have many more years of great use.

 

[estaud]

I've pulled my CT 22 backward up three stairs into my house using the optional rear handle maybe 10 times in the last few years. One of the large wheels broke off a few months ago. The lower chassis needs to be replaced ($135), but the wheel itself seems to be fine. I did not have the vacuum loaded up with systainers, and I'm a pretty meticulous and careful person. I'm a little surprised it's not more robust. Also, The hole in the top case where the pole/hose support is inserted broke as well. I think both the spots are under engineered. I'm a hobbyist who puts very few hours on these tools.

 

[Michael Kellough]

ABS plastic is not the best material for a vacuum. My old WAP vac is made of heavy polyethylene. Don’t know whether it’s rotomolded or blow molded but it could certainly survive going over a tall waterfall and there is nothing on it that vibrates. Just wooosh.

 

[Sideburns]

I never stored it  in the direct sunlight, mostly in my basement and sometimes my garage. I have definitely have used it hard.  I noticed a few years back my white plastic on the vacuum has yellowed, along with at least two of my sortainers. I plan to change out the bottom, I just hope the plastic is not as brittle as the old stuff is. Is it very hard to remove the front wheels? I don’t want to break anything else if I can help it.  I tried to fix my hose garage with every glue in the book, it would never mend.
I guess I need to print out the exploded view for repair, I don’t suppose there are any videos of putting the vacuum back together?
Thanks for all the comments, it’s good to be back on the FOG. I was on  this site about 8 years ago with a different email and a different handle.

 

[peter halle]

You stated that you have owned it since 2008 in your post.  Plastic is not forever in some forms.  Yes there are many complaints posted here about cracking or damage of the CT vacs from your and my vintage.  Parts are available.

Peter

 

[Holzhacker]

To Sideburns:
Oh yeah, thats those damn rear wheel wells. I fixed those a few times with fiberglass, tape, mesh and screws. But that got old.
I've recently had some decent luck with fiberglass mesh tape and ABS glue I picked up at home depot for the hose garage. Seems to be holding up fairly well so far and better than other past repairs.
I may break down and buy a new hose garage if possible.
Taking the CT22 apart is easy enough. Take the hose garage off, open it up like you are cleaning the filters, unclick the tab so the top end swings up and over fully and the catches will come out of the recesses at the top pillars.
There are a lot of screws to pull out to get the top white and bottom black 1/2's apart. I missed the two over the front wheels so I couldn't figure out how to pull them apart. Once I got those out (with the advice from other forum members) the two halves came right apart. The front wheels pull off. There are no screws for those. Just pull hard.
Order the chassis, wheels and brackets. I just did it recently. Cost me somewhere around $200 but I also ordered extra wheels. My CT is also somewhere from the 07-10 era so I consider this a pretty good deal for lots more years of use.