Will I benefit from auto clean? CT 36 vs CT 36 AC

[WebRecon]

I’m debating on spending a few more bucks for the auto clean feature. Primarily I’ll be using it for wood working, the Domino, sanding, and the miter saw. In the future I may use it when I borrow my brother’s Planex.

Two questions, will I see any benefit with general woodworking? If I opt for the non-auto clean will it trash the filter if I use the Planex?

 

[Chainring]

That was my dilemma and I would have liked going with the 36 AC, but it comes with the Planex hose. It'll be a long time before I need that hose. I ended up with the big boy 48 AC and while it's a monster, it comes with the super nice 36/32 hose.

You could go with the Midi as it has a nice hose, plus a manual filter bumper.

 

[WebRecon]

I would probably get a second hose anyway to leave on the miter saw. Granted I would opt for a cheaper Bosch one, but I could adapt the Planex hose to the miter saw and buy a smooth Festool hose. 

The midi is too small for me.

 

[Ron B]

I am tacking another question onto this post.  Since the CT 36 AC has a special hose and fitting especially for the Planex, does this hose need any special type of adapter to allow it to fit to the Kapex or 2200 router? 

 

[Peter_C]

When borrowing the Planex, I'd recommend borrowing the CT36 AC too.

The CT36 AC is nice to have when grinding, and drilling concrete. It really is a personal decision. No matter what you get I would still recommend having a D27 hose and a D36 hose.

 

[mino]

Get the AC, it is a small cost adder but adds a significant capability.

One advice, go with the CT26 AC version and get a Cyclone to go along from the savings. Be it a CT-VA (recommend) or other. For non-professional use the CT36 is just huge and heavy when full. When filled with drywall dust, it gets easily to 200lb weight.

CT26 with a cyclone will last months on hobby or light commercial use. The bigger bag capacity is an overkill then. Plus it allows more systainers put atop, into the "saved" height.

EDIT: Just noticed CT 26 AC is NAINA at the moment and the 36 is only in the "Planex" setup.

In the US context, I would go with the CT26 and expect to borrow an AC vac along with the Planex (they usually rent it like this anyway). Use the saved money to get additional D36 3.5m hose and a CT-VA cyclone.

If you do go with the 36 AC, some advice below:

Do not plan/expect/use AC for wood dust. It is for concrete, drywall, etc. which produce fine dust that would clog the SelfClean bags. It is no good for wood as the wood fibres would clog the the main filter instead - AC cannot get them out effectively.

With an AC vac, you will also want to get another main filter eventually - use one with bags and one bag-less. Once a main filter is used bag-less it is not a good idea to return it to "bag use" as it will never work as good.

 

[guybo]

I am tacking another question onto this post.  Since the CT 36 AC has a special hose and fitting especially for the Planex, does this hose need any special type of adapter to allow it to fit to the Kapex or 2200 router?

no,but you can put a regular rotating end on if you like

 

[WebRecon]

Get the AC, it is a small cost adder but adds a significant capability.

One advice, go with the CT26 AC version and get a Cyclone to go along from the savings. Be it a CT-VA (recommend) or other. For non-professional use the CT36 is just huge and heavy when full. When filled with drywall dust, it gets easily to 200lb weight.

CT26 with a cyclone will last months on hobby or light commercial use. The bigger bag capacity is an overkill then. Plus it allows more systainers put atop, into the "saved" height.

EDIT: Just noticed CT 26 AC is NAINA at the moment and the 36 is only in the "Planex" setup.

In the US context, I would go with the CT26 and expect to borrow an AC vac along with the Planex (they usually rent it like this anyway). Use the saved money to get additional D36 3.5m hose and a CT-VA cyclone.

If you do go with the 36 AC, some advice below:

Do not plan/expect/use AC for wood dust. It is for concrete, drywall, etc. which produce fine dust that would clog the SelfClean bags. It is no good for wood as the wood fibres would clog the the main filter instead - AC cannot get them out effectively.

With an AC vac, you will also want to get another main filter eventually - use one with bags and one bag-less. Once a main filter is used bag-less it is not a good idea to return it to "bag use" as it will never work as good.

Thanks for the advice, I think I’ll opt for the ct 36.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

For site woodworking, my money went on the Festool cyclone separator instead of AC. One of the best purchases I ever made. I’ve spent the last few weeks working on 36 linear metres of multi-layer, floor-to-ceiling wall panelling in a house built in 1790. I’m emptying the bin three times a day.

 

[tomktest]

Last year I picked up a CT MIDI-I which has the manual clean feature. I really thought I needed this because all of my previous shop vacs turned into dusty disasters even with a bag and filter. I've been so impressed with how well the Festool dust bags keep the bin spotless! Occasionally I pull out the filter to check it and there is never any dust. That said, I haven't had the opportunity to do any concrete grinding yet so we'll see how it does with fine dust.

For site woodworking, my money went on the Festool cyclone separator instead of AC. One of the best purchases I ever made. I’ve spent the last few weeks working on 36 linear metres of multi-layer, floor-to-ceiling wall panelling in a house built in 1790. I’m emptying the bin three times a day.

Hey does the cyclone get clogged? I have a dust deputy which I wouldn't mind replacing with the Festool so that it would hook up to the top of the vac but I'm worried that the plumbing is a bit too restrictive and will clog when I run the planer.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Hey does the cyclone get clogged? I have a dust deputy which I wouldn't mind replacing with the Festool so that it would hook up to the top of the vac but I'm worried that the plumbing is a bit too restrictive and will clog when I run the planer.

It totally depends on the size and volume of the chips you're going to generate, [member=76739]TomK_2[/member]. I've only personally managed to clog mine once - and that was when I was using a CT26 with the cyclone as a shop vac to clean up a pile of debris containing lumps of plaster, stones and long splinters. There's a kind of restrictor throat on the underneath of the actual cyclone device, and the large lumps got trapped in there. For regular use with hand planers and the OF2200 (which generates a lot of waste during deep routing work) I've never had a problem.

 

[kitfit1]

+1

Use the cyclone every week with my Makita RP2301 and never had any sort of blockage.
More likely to get a blockage from my panel saw when very thin rips get exracted and are too long to go round the bends.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

+1

Use the cyclone every week with my Makita RP2301 and never had any sort of blockage.
More likely to get a blockage from my panel saw when very thin rips get exracted and are too long to go round the bends.

You’re alive [member=76994]kitfit1[/member]  !!! [member=71113]Willy Eckerslike[/member] has been worried about you.

 

[kitfit1]

You’re alive [member=76994]kitfit1[/member]  !!! [member=71113]Willy Eckerslike[/member] has been worried about you.

Lol  [big grin], yep, still alive an kicking. Been really busy the last couple of months and not had much time to post anywhere.

 

[jamanjeval]

There is no benefit for woodworking, even for sanding. I purchased my AC for  the flexibility to be able to use it for applications consistent with the auto-clean function. That is, before I knew about cyclones.

If you’re not ever planning on doing a massive amount of drywall/fine dust collection, maybe consider getting a regular 36 or 48 and a cyclone. The fine dust a cyclone will collect greatly extends the life of a filter bag. Plus, you get the advantage of using the filter bag as a filter. The disadvantage is a cyclone does make the vacuum considerably bulkier, but not necessary more difficult to use as it raises the height of the hose connection (I have the Oneidea ultimate dust deputy)

Even with a cyclone, you will find the the filter bag eventually becomes clogged before becoming full. But, you will have likely emptied the cyclone several times before it becomes an issue. Extrapolating from my experience, I estimate you could sand drywall for an entire 1500 sq ft house using a cyclone (emptied several times) and one ct 36 filter bag.

If I purchased the ct along with a cyclone knowing what I do now, I would have chosen the 48 over the 36ac. The value in the 48, last I calculated it, was that the filter bags had a slightly lower total cost in terms of filtration area and volume they can hold.

 

[mikeyv]

I agree 100% with jamanjeval. I own the CT48 and the Midi II, and I'm getting ready to purchase the 36AC because I have quite of bit of drywall projects coming soon, and the auto clean feature with the fine dust plastic liner filter bags will help me keep my suction up without me having to manually activate the thumper, it will also save me from having to clean or replace my filters as often. So if you have large drywall projects 36AC all the way, if just needing for woodworking projects, then you don't need the auto clean feature.

 

[Coen]

I agree 100% with jamanjeval. I own the CT48 and the Midi II, and I'm getting ready to purchase the 36AC because I have quite of bit of drywall projects coming soon, and the auto clean feature with the fine dust plastic liner filter bags will help me keep my suction up without me having to manually activate the thumper, it will also save me from having to clean or replace my filters as often. So if you have large drywall projects 36AC all the way, if just needing for woodworking projects, then you don't need the auto clean feature.

Welcome to the FoG. Did you notice this is a 2 year old topic?

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[Michael Kellough]

Im using the corded CT Sys vac on my porch sanding paint and filler. The tiny bag’s inner surface gets clogged quickly and the annoying by-pass flap starts thumping, but not the kind of thumping that dislodges caked dust on the inside of the bag.

Good old fashioned thumping works. Pick the vac up a few inches and drop it repeatedly. Apparently enough dust falls off the bag surface to let enough air pass through easily enough that the bypass isn’t need.

 

[Cheese]

Good old fashioned thumping works. Pick the vac up a few inches and drop it repeatedly. Apparently enough dust falls off the bag surface to let enough air pass through easily enough that the bypass isn’t need.

I seemed to have missed that recommendation in the owners manual Michael.  [big grin]

 

[guybo]

Sound like a Robert burns poem, the best laid plans of.........