Which extractor for small workshop?

[Stevenscustomguitars]

Hello,

I have a small workshop, about 6m x 3m. My venerable Fein QA55 is showing it's age - it's fine with dust but when using the floor head it doesn't suck up grit or much else. I've tried cleaning the filter but it just seems to have lost a bit of suction, not sure what else I could do.

Anyhow, I was wondering what to consider as an upgrade - it will be used with power tools - router table, TS55, mitre saw, sander etc and general shop tidying. I'll be needing to move it around from tool to tool. I was looking at the CTL 26 but I guess it doesn't need to be festool. Power take off is a must. Does it matter that the festools are 'L' rated rather than 'M'? I be working with general hardwoods, ply and mdf.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Holmz]

Bosch may be worth a look too.

 

[Kev]

I personally think the Festool DC's work well with other Festool tools .. being able to easily clip a systainer on top, comes ready to plug in Festool tools and rated for Festool tools in terms of auto on, etc.

Unless there was the potential to save a lot of money or get something that worked significantly better, my default would be to buy Festool.

For shop, 26 or 36 .. the 48 is a little more beastly in format.

What ever you choose, make certain it's rated for how you intend to use it with your tools .. you can find you're sanding for hours on a regular basis and you'd want to know that the dc you're using has a decent duty cycle.

I'd also take static electricity into account, particularly if your area and/or workspace is prone to build up.

 

[Holmz]

I personally think the Festool DC's work well with other Festool tools .. being able to easily clip a systainer on top, comes ready to plug in Festool tools and rated for Festool tools in terms of auto on, etc.
...

and Festool vacs also state that Festool works with Festool.

Starmix make the Mafell version of a Vacuum, and Tanos make systainers for Festool and Mafell. I am not sure on the Bosch and whether they take Systaiers... but the point is they all are pretty standard.
So Festool works with Festool, and my Mt55 hooks up to my CT26, and a FT branded systainer from Tanos would fit on a Starmix.
Unless the color matters, there is not great difference.

At one point the FT Vacuums were made by Nilfisk, but I think that that has changed.

In the US the FT is a good choice. But it is not the only choice.

 

[smiley99er]

I love my ct 26 just buy extra bags and you will be good to go

 

[ear3]

The Bosch doesn't have variable suction, which you would want with the sander.  I find the capacity of the CT26 to be more than adequate for shop work, but I also have a heavy duty Rigid shop vac for floor and debris cleaning.  I also prefer the Rigid vac on the router table because of its greater power.  You probably know this already but the difference between the Festool 26, 36 and 48 is simply size -- all three units have the same motor and CFM rating. 

 

[grbmds]

I have used a Fein for years and, after equipping it with a HEPA filter, still use it for cleanup and some power tool collection. Since I bought a CT I use that almost always for collection with both Festool and other tools I can adapt the hose end to. One thing I would make sure of is that the collector is equipped with a HEPA filter to make sure you don't put the tiniest dust particles back into the air. This is especially important with sanding. Having said that, the CT is the best vac I've used for dust collection; also the most expensive.

 

[Stevenscustomguitars]

Thanks for all the responses.

I was wondering how the festool compares to somethg like this Numatic?http://www.axminster.co.uk/numatic-nvd750-workshop-vacuum-extractor-ax782721

Although I don't have any tools with a 100mm outlet.

 

[Holmz]

Thanks for all the responses.

I was wondering how the festool compares to somethg like this Numatic?http://www.axminster.co.uk/numatic-nvd750-workshop-vacuum-extractor-ax782721

Although I don't have any tools with a 100mm outlet.

The reviews were good.
You need something that will suck chrome off a bumper for joiner and routers, and maybe with a cyclonic deal for the big chips.

Unless you have a normal sander, the FT sanders do not like a lot of vacuum. So you need a small HEPA for them.
I would get the one in the UK assuming you are there. They seem like an AirBo

 

[grbmds]

Just to add to my previous post, I don't use the CT for my jointer, planer, router table, tablesaw, or bandsaw. There just isn't enough air movement to draw that volume and size of the dust/chips off the machine. I have tried the CT with my Incra router table (under table dust collection), but it isn't as effective as my large dust collector. In your original post, it wasn't clear whether you were talking about handheld or stationary power tools.

 

[Stevenscustomguitars]

Just to add to my previous post, I don't use the CT for my jointer, planer, router table, tablesaw, or bandsaw. There just isn't enough air movement to draw that volume and size of the dust/chips off the machine. I have tried the CT with my Incra router table (under table dust collection), but it isn't as effective as my large dust collector. In your original post, it wasn't clear whether you were talking about handheld or stationary power tools.

Thanks.

For stationary tools, I have a Jessem router table that I've ply-lined. And a large Makita sliding mitre saw. Also the JET bobbin sander is stationary. The my hand held tools are a metabo sxe 450 orbital sander, jigsaw and the TS55 saw. What do you use with the router table?

Does the Numatic that I posted move more air than the Festool then? Would that be better for the router?

 

[Holmz]

Just to add to my previous post, I don't use the CT for my jointer, planer, router table, tablesaw, or bandsaw. There just isn't enough air movement to draw that volume and size of the dust/chips off the machine. I have tried the CT with my Incra router table (under table dust collection), but it isn't as effective as my large dust collector. In your original post, it wasn't clear whether you were talking about handheld or stationary power tools.

Thanks.

For stationary tools, I have a Jessem router table that I've ply-lined. And a large Makita sliding mitre saw. Also the JET bobbin sander is stationary. The my hand held tools are a metabo sxe 450 orbital sander, jigsaw and the TS55 saw. What do you use with the router table?

Does the Numatic that I posted move more air than the Festool then? Would that be better for the router?

Yes .

There are 2x 1200W motors.
And the spec for airflow can be numerically compared with the CT. The numbers are higher.

 

[AndyUK]

I've got the Numatic and it's great being able to switch between the 2 hose diameters (100mm and 32mm) for different machines/tools.
It's got plenty of suck  [tongue] so you won't be wanting for dust extraction as it's very efficient.
However it is fairly big and bulky (35 litre drum), 2400 watts is probably way more power than is actually needed for every task, I would of preferred to have a switch for each motor to choose 1200/2400 watts.
It has no variable power control.
It has no power take off (not always a deal breaker but would of been nice).
Oh yeah and the Numatic doesn't come with fitted castors which is a bummer.
The Numatic wheel kit is around £80+.
I made my own dolly using mdf as a base and 4 off 4" castors.

 

[Stone Message]

Andy is right that the Numatic is good. I have had one for many years and use it daily. It is a great way to warm the workshop up on a cold day.

If I had to choose just one extractor it really has to be the CT26. I bought it at the start of my Festool obsession, it is used daily, has never gone wrong and works a treat.

I use a cyclone separator with both the Numatic and the CT26 which saves a lot on running cost.

If you are in a small workshop then I also recommend building something like the Dust Hub as it helps the workflow and keeps things tidy.

Peter

 

[jamanjeval]

I would go for the festool ct48.

1) sustainers store easily on top of it and it provides a rolling base to push into a corner when not in use.
2) more economical for consumables
3) a sys mft makes it into an auxiliary bench

A cyclone, like Peter suggested, is a smart addition. Even though you won't fill the dust collector as easy, the larger bag in the CT48 will help to keep suction while the bag fills up. The performance of the larger dust collectors are the same. So the surface area of the bag becomes a limiting factor as it fills. With very fine dust, I start to loose suction on my 36 starting around 3/4 full. I would expect the 48 to be slightly better as it fills.

 

[Holmz]

I have a CT26 which was repaired so it still works.
I use it for sanding and with the track saw and router. I used it 4 days this week.
However every piece of gear between the vacuum and the tool is a point for "loss of flow".

The cyclone will not increase the flow, but it will remove chips.
Since the flow of a CTX6 is already too low for jointers, planers, routers and miter saws adding in a cyclone will not help. In theory it will save money, but you will need a broom and dustpan.

As I mentioned in post #8...:
- You need one vacuum specification for sanding (CT26 is what I use, and the systainer fits on that or the Starmix equally well).
- You bigger stuff would like the increased flow of Numatic.

Since the Fein still runs, then the Numatic makes sense.
If you already had a massive vacuum, then a small HEPA one for sanding makes sense.

 

[Forza]

As mentioned, just adding for the heck of it. The CFM of the Festools isn't enough for the bench / fixed tools, in my experience too. I use my CTs for mostly sanding and for all of the other Festool gear. Everything else in the shop now goes through my 2HP/2 micron Cyclone (Laguna). Even at that (if the CFM was high enough), you'd be filling bags at a high rate and quickly realize that a cyclone separate canister would pay for itself in a short amount of time.

 

[Stevenscustomguitars]

Ok, so I decided on the CTL26 AC. I need something with some portability and might get a static more powerful unit down the line.

I've been looking at reviews and am wondering if I made a mistake in buying the autoclean version. Does it have a HEPA filter in it as standard like the non-autoclean version? And can I use autoclean with the fabric self clean bags? It will be mostly for wood dust but I do occasionaly clean up plaster and paint dust.

Do you think I should have bought the standard one?

 

[bertv]

If you do plaster the autoclean is just right.

 

[Holmz]

Ok, so I decided on the CTL26 AC. I need something with some portability and might get a static more powerful unit down the line.

I've been looking at reviews and am wondering if I made a mistake in buying the autoclean version. Does it have a HEPA filter in it as standard like the non-autoclean version? And can I use autoclean with the fabric self clean bags? It will be mostly for wood dust but I do occasionaly clean up plaster and paint dust.

Do you think I should have bought the standard one?

Did they sell you that because you needed it?
Or because they did not ask?

This quote indicates that the AC was not required:

...- it will be used with power tools - router table, TS55, mitre saw, sander etc and general shop tidying. I'll be needing to move it around from tool to tool. I was looking at the CTL 26 ...