FESTOOL CT26 dust collector question

[hockey1]

Quick and to the point, are these tools worth the money spent? I have a 12 gallon rigid vac and it works well but I have a few complaints.
1. I hate cleaning the filter all of the time, I have tried dust deputy and it works well but the filter still clogs with fine particulate when sanding.
2. It is a screaming banshee along with many other tools and I am looking for something much quieter.
3. When connected to any tool with a hose diameter of an inch or so I can really hear the motor laboring and it is noticeably hot when shut off. I am afraid of burning it up prematurely.

Finally my wife has given the ok to pull the trigger on my first Festool and lucky for me the tactics of "look how much money we can save if I buy the package deal" actually worked (CT26 & ETS 125). Any opinions are always appreciated.

 

[Splint Eastwood]

Jesse,

It's an exciting prospect, buying first Festool product, especially when you get the Wife's blessing!

At the same time, it is a very slippery, expensive slope as well!

If I were you, I would study their catalogue very carefully. If you get the Vac/combo,

You'll want to get the Rotex sander ($495), the TS55/75 circ saw ($500+). Systainers, accessories, etc...

Speaking from experience, it's a huge financial commitment. Fun, but can be an expensive habit.

I recently posted a workaround(see 73%off Festool, ask me how, gloat post) for Festool's high prices and low discounts (5%). But, if done wisely, you can accumulate enough tools to make it work in your shop.

These tools are nice, but are a tad over priced relative to other options.

Don't forget to research FEIN dust collectors, also. They discount more than 5% and are roughly $100 cheaper than Festool's counterpart. They also have a slightly lower decibel rating 5-10 lower.

Bottom line:
Take your time, research their catalogue for accessory prices (very expensive) and look at FEIN DC's as a competitive alternative.

Good Luck!

Matt

 

[Canuck]

+1 on the Fein Turbo series vac's!

I got me a Turbo II this past spring and it has been great!!!

Much quieter than my old Sears shopvac and performs very well connected to my Delta belt sander and ROS with the small hose. I connect it with a 2" hose for general shop cleanup.

Highly recommend the Fein as a comparison to the Festool.:icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum

Happy shopping!:wsmile:

Wayne

 

[Joe Scharle]

I like the Fein. Noticeably quieter than the Festool, and plenty of power. Had a jam in the hose and before I could reach the switch.....

View image in gallery​

 

[timf67]

I got the CT26 and Rotex sander combo for christmas and holy cow! I am sold on festool. I sanded an entire project and didn't see any dust! I also hooked it up to my table saw DC port and filled an entire Festool filter bag with the dust that my regular DC didn't pull out of the cabinet!

 

[Tarhead]

I chose the Fein over the Festool ~5 years ago. These are the reasons why:

Bags
See how comfortable you will be operating the Festool w/o a bag. I've never used one in my Fein.

HEPA
A permanent (clean in the sink) $35 Cleanstream filter from Lowe's fits the Fein with a fender washer and a 1/4 nut and bolt. I'm still using it. Festool didn't offer a permanent option. They have a long life filter but I'm not sure it's washable.

Hoses
Step on a Festool hose or drop a board on it and see what happens. At the time I bought my Fein the Festool hose would collapse and have a permanent crease. This may have changed. The Fein hose was PVC and springs back.

If I were using the vac on a mobile/commercial basis the Festool would win hands down as it allows systainer attachment and a cleaner, more compact footprint. If I wanted the biggest bang for my buck the Turbo II with a Cleanstream HEPA and a fender washer.

 

[Splint Eastwood]

I chose the Fein over the Festool ~5 years ago. These are the reasons why:

Bags
See how comfortable you will be operating the Festool w/o a bag. I've never used one in my Fein.

HEPA
A permanent (clean in the sink) $35 Cleanstream filter from Lowe's fits the Fein with a fender washer and a 1/4 nut and bolt. I'm still using it. Festool didn't offer a permanent option. They have a long life filter but I'm not sure it's washable.

Hoses
Step on a Festool hose or drop a board on it and see what happens. At the time I bought my Fein the Festool hose would collapse and have a permanent crease. This may have changed. The Fein hose was PVC and springs back.

If I were using the vac on a mobile/commercial basis the Festool would win hands down as it allows systainer attachment and a cleaner, more compact footprint. If I wanted the biggest bang for my buck the Turbo II with a Cleanstream HEPA and a fender washer.

To add to this comment:
Bags: Festool $35 for 5 pack Amazon ($7 per bag)
Hepa Filter Festool $100 can clean, may need replacing
Hoses Festool 12ft vs 16ft, $70-80 to replace

Again, Fesool is a slippery slope (DAMHIKT) so, study the pricing catalogue and put together a maintenance budget, youll need it. I love Festool for the reason cited, Mobile, systainer etc,,,

But if it's just a shop vac your looking for, the FEIN might be a better alternative

Matt

 

[bobby g]

Here is a neat add-on from Oneida!

bobby g

 

[zapdafish]

Some things to thing about, the 125's uses a 5" pad, the 150's use a 6" pad. You cover alot more surface area alot quicker with the 6" pads.

There is a price difference between the Rotex and the ETS sanders but the Rotex is alot more versatile and can give a finish almost as good as the ETS, they are just a bit more unwieldy but very easy to get used to.

I don't know if Fein's have the feature but when sanding, if the vac is on high, it may pull the sander to the surface rather than letting the sander float on the surface. Festool have designed their vacs to where you can lower the vac for sanding.

Don't stock up on alot of sandpaper till February, the Festool Granat series is set to be released in the USA then and all the reviews seem to say it blows all other and their current line of abrasives away as far as durability and life are concerned.

You already have a dust deputy, once you hook that in line with the CT, I think you will be very happy with it. I got a dust deputy for my CT because I kept filling up my bags because I am hooking it up to just about everything, hehe. They have long life bags that are pricey but I went with the dust deputy because I can see when the cannister needs to be empty rather than having to open up the vac each time to check on how full it is.

I believe the CT26/36 are also HEPA certified if you do need something to do that kind of work, I don't know if the Fein can state that.

 

[Splint Eastwood]

Ok, let's recap what we have so far (this is what I do :gar-Bi):


1st yr Owner Cost
ET26/125 vac sander combo $665 All prices via Amazon.com

Oneida Dust Deputy 249 Rockler (no tax, but shipping)
Shipping 15 WAG (wild axx guess)
Hose Kit 75 Believe me, you will want this
Bags 35
Hepa Filter replace 60 Amazon price
Shop Handle for Vac 75 Optional, may want
Total: $1,174

What do we get? 1 vacuum cleaner w/ accessories and 1 sander (bottom line thats what it is)

How much for the Fein w/ Heppa ? I think around $450-500. Some one else can chime in on this.

Again, I own the CT36/125 combo myself as well as some other Festool products.

I've crunched and re-crunched. It's hard Festool, Green, Kool-Aid to swallow.:gar-La;

You haven't yet had a sip! Just make sure you take with Aspirin! :rotflm:

Matt

 

[zapdafish]

I wouldnt order from Amazon. There are some dealers here that offer free shipping and will offer excellent service that Amazon can't offer

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-sales-dealer-area/

You can also do some searches at the above site for more info. Similar topics have been asked many times before.

 

[Tarhead]

All the new Feins are variable speed. If you have an older one like mine you can do this to make it work great with sanders:
Sander Mode


Full Suction Mode


(I had just dumped the vac right before this photo...it's not normally this nasty.:embaresse)

 

[Gregory Paolini]

I bought a Festool CT Midi a while back... Love it! Actually love it so much, I just got a CT26 as well, which is even better!

Planning on picking up another CT26, so each student participating in one of our group classes will have a dust extractor at their disposal

For what it's worth...

 

[Douglas Robinson]

I have one and it is great. The Fein looks good too and needs no vacuum bags. One thing I learned, when sanding do NOT turn the suction to the highest setting. If you do the dust will not be drawn up into the vacuum due to the lack of space between the sander and the workpiece.

Doug

 

[hockey1]

A big thanks to all that have replied. It appears as though both have a large fan base, which makes my choice that much harder. The next time I can make a trip to Raleigh I am gonna have to do a side by side at one of the 2 toy stores in the area to do a side by side comparison for my own eyes. Hopefully soon before my wife changes her mind. I would just hate to pull the trigger online without actually putting hands on the item and then have regrets later.

Seeing the trash can sucked in like that has really impressed me. I was talking to others at my work that do not have a quality tool addiction like I and they couldn't belive that I am willing to spend so much money on a "shop vac". I then proceded to show them that picture and you could see the amazement in thier eyes and I recieved no more hassle from them.

 

[scsmith42]

Jesse, I have a CT22 and an assortment of Festool goodies; you're welcome to stop by the farm and take them for a test ride.

The vac and ETS 150/3 is probably my *favorite* tool combination to use in the shop. I used to hate sanding until I bought it - not any more!

 

[hockey1]

you're welcome to stop by the farm and take them for a test ride.


This is why I really enjoy coming to this site! So many people are willing to help others out. :icon_thum

If I'm in the area I may end up having to take you up on this offer.

Thanks
Jesse

 

[Joe Scharle]

When you visit Scott, call me and I'll bring a Fein over. We're close by. But in the meantime try laying an old sheet (really thin) across the tank and clamp the motor unit over it. It'll help keep the filter clean and cleans itself when powered down or bounce the vac once or twice.

 

[Splint Eastwood]

Jesse,

Sounds like a plan!

You really should take up Scott and Joe's offer!

You will be in for a treat.

Joe is the "Jigmeister" and can show you alot!

Scott has a TEXAS sized Shop with real Big Boy Toys!

Let us know what you decide!

Matt