Will my Fein vac work with the 1400 EQ router, adapter needed?

[webdesigner]

Hi Fellow Festool Lovers,

I'm thinking about buying the 1400 EQ router, it's a beauty!
I already have the Fein Turbo II vacuum, will I need an adapter so it'll be compatible with the 1400?
What, why and from whom?

Yes, I love the CT 33...but is it worth putting my old Fein vac on craigslist and spending another $504? Please don't sell me too hard, I'm easily influenced.
Besides, I have a Hepa filter on the Fein and it is quiet!

George

 

[nickao]

Keep the Fein! There is nothing wrong with it. After using two CT33 this week I still think the Feins are a better vac. Quieter(when new) and in the real world more suction. The CT seems to level at a certain suction level faster than the Fein.

In other words the Fein has a stronger suction longer. But the Fein loses this edge after a time and goes down hill fast. The Festool seems to last longer between filter cleanings, but at a slightly lower suction level than the Fein. Once the Fein drops below this threshold you need to clean the filter sooner then the Festool. I do not care if your Fein is HEPA or not ,in my shop with the vacs side by side these are my real world experiences. To me in my shop I see no difference at all between my Festool and Fein with no Hepa.

The Festool excels when cleaning filters or changing bags for sure. But as far as compatibility there is not a problem.

Get one of these:

Adapter

Nickao

 

[webdesigner]

Nickao,

Thanks for the quick reply!
My Fein is still fairly new and I baby my tools, so it should be fine.
Besides, I'm not doing production type work.

Orange color...easier to locate and now I can spend the extra $500 on some other Festool thing I don't really need, haa.

Thanks again,
George

 

[Zaphod]

I have a Fein TIII and CT22 and would agree with Nickao that the Fein is slightly more powerful and substantially quiter (6dB measured) than the Festool.  The Fein is 6 years old with moderate/heavy use; the Festool is 6 months old.  The Fein is not noticeably louder now than when new.  The Fein's paper filter bag has 3x the capacity of the CT22; it takes a long time 'till its HEPA filter needs a shakin.  The Fein & Festools hoses are interchangeable; Fein hose works fine with TS55; needs an adapter for the Festool sanders.  Fein's casters are sturdier but it doesn't have variable suction or the ability to stack systainers.

 

[extiger]

Webdesigners,

I too have a Fein shop vac (the Turbo II). Yes the hoses from a Festool shopvac are interchangeable. But you want the Festool hose because it has a protruding lip on the end which locks the hose to the tool while you're working. Fein's $12 step-down adaptors work for a while, but only provide a 'wedge  fit'. A locked in hose is superior.

Be advised that Festool offers two hoses. A green one with an integral grounding wire to nullify static electricity. And a grey one for less money without the grounding. You can pick up the grey hose new for $75. I bought mine on eBay for $50.

Gary Curtis

 

[Warrior]

You are deffinately going to want a 36mm non anti-static festool hose for use with your Fein Vac/OF1400. The antistatic hose is useless to you. the 36mm hose is much more efficient dust collecting.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

The answer to your question is a resounding YES!  I have both a Fein Turbo II (about 5 years old) and a CT-22 (about 2 years old) and several Festool power tools including an OF 1400 router, an RO 125 sander and several Bosch tools including a ~20 year old 4x24, 11 Amp belt sander.  Overall, for general use, I prefer the Fein because it is much quieter to my ears and the 16 ft hose supplied with it is of larger diameter and much more flexible than the 27mm AS hose supplied with the CT 22.  I have had no problems using the Rotex 125 with that Fein vac and its hose.  To enable the Fein hose to connect to the Festools that have a round DC nipple intended to fit Festool's 27mm hose, all you have to do is install a rubber O-ring into one of the grooves on the DC nipple.  I prefer this setup because the of the flexibility of the Fein hose and the extra limited angular range "swivel" joint that the O-ring connection provides - perfect for carving out old cracks in a plastered ceiling of which I have done a lot in my house.    The Fein rubber adapter mentioned by others is also a good product to have around your shop.  I mention that old Bosch belt sander because its use without good antistatic setup will result in near continuous shocking of your hands in dry (low humidity) conditions.  For that sander, I simply ran a short length of braided copper wire from a screw on the sander frame to its DC outlet nipple and connected the sander with a Festool AS hose to my CT 22 -- no more static shocks.  If your planning on making a lot of shavings/sawdust, you might consider getting a small cyclone and installing it between your vacuum and your tool.  I bought a Dust Deputy complete from Oneida and have used it with each of my Fein and my CT 22 vacuum machine.

Dave R.

 

[webdesigner]

Thanks for all the great feedback!!
You guys are the best!!
Cyclone is a good idea, but I just don't have the space.

Dave,
Can you please show me your anti-static copper wire setup? DC outlet nipple?
And O-ring.

Thanks again,
web designer & tennis instructor

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Thanks for all the great feedback!!
You guys are the best!!
Cyclone is a good idea, but I just don't have the space.

Dave,
Can you please show me your anti-static copper wire setup? DC outlet nipple?
And O-ring.

Thanks again,
web designer & tennis instructor

I wish that I could, but I am among the digitally/PC/software challenged.  I don't have a digital camera and don't know how to use any of the software techniques that others on FOG are experts about.  [I need to work on that, but I'd rather focus on using my Festools for a while.]  I used uninsulated braided copper wire, probably about 16 gauge.  Why?  Because I had some [don't know where it came from, probably long ago from Radio Shack] and it is soft and flexible and will flatten / spread out easily when compressed. All I did for that old Bosch sander was to  remove one of the screws that holds the built-in blower and motor to main belt drive mechanism and reinsert that screw through a looped end of the braided copper wire and retighten it.  Then I ran the copper wire a mere couple of inches to the dust outlet nipple of the belt sander, winding it over the outside of the dust outlet and inserting about 1 inch of it into the outlet.  The tool end fitting of Festool AS hose is in contact with that braided copper wire when the hose is attached to the Bosch belt sander.

I made a similar "static dissipating bridge" connection between the inlet and the outlet of my Oneida Dust Deputy, securing the short length of braided copper wire with stainless steel radiatory hose clamps.  As with the belt sander, a short length of the copper wire extends into the fittings on each nipple of the Dust Deputy to ensure electrical continuity between the Festool AS hoses that go to the inlet and the outlet of the Dust Deputy.  That copper wire is also in contact with the metal nipple itself of the Dust Deputy to ensure the whole setup is fully grounded against static buildup.  If I was going out to buy supplies today, I'd probably look for copper foil tape and use it instead of braided copper wire because the foil might make a neater and cleaner installation.

Dave R.