Am I Crazy? Festool CT 22 E

[Brian Wilhelm]

I just bought one of these today. I got it home, started using it, and it seemed like it doesn't have that much suction. It did suck up whatever I tried, but just didn't seem the same as a Shop Vac. I'm wondering if I think this because it sounds nothing like any American type vacuum, or if it just doesn't have that much suction. I'm hoping it is like other Festool stuff I have bought, and just seems bizarre until I use it for an extended period of time. I would appreciate if someone else out there owns one of these, and could assure me that I am crazy, and will not regret my purchase.

[Dan Lee]

I just bought one of these today. I got it home, started using it, and it seemed like it doesn't have that much suction. It did suck up whatever I tried, but just didn't seem the same as a Shop Vac. I'm wondering if I think this because it sounds nothing like any American type vacuum, or if it just doesn't have that much suction. I'm hoping it is like other Festool stuff I have bought, and just seems bizarre until I use it for an extended period of time. I would appreciate if someone else out there owns one of these, and could assure me that I am crazy, and will not regret my purchase.

Do you have the variable suction set to high?

[Brian Wilhelm]

I've gone through all speeds. Not to be a Festool Prophet, but this thing is too quiet for my taste.

[David Schmaus]

I've gone through all speeds. Not to be a Festool Prophet, but this thing is too quiet for my taste.

???? Seriously

[Mark Engel]

Wow. That sucks. :D

[Brian Wilhelm]

I am serious. That is why I am wondering if it hust might be that I am going crazy. I'm not bragging, but on the slowest speed, it is eerily quiet. What I am wondering is if it will draw the sawdust away from the tool as well as one of the cheaper vacs. I understand it will filter it much better, but the quietness makes me uneasy.

[Tony Joyce]

"It did suck up whatever I tried"
That is sufficient enough for me. It will not be getting any louder. It's definitely not your run of the mill shop vac. I have a CT 33 and love it's performance and quietness.

Different strokes for different folks! You do know Festool has a return policy?

[Brian Wilhelm]

I understand they will take it back. I'm just trying to figure out if it is my perception, and not the vacuum. Like I said, it vacuums up everything I try, but the tone of the motor and the noise it generates is very different than what I am used to.

[Tony Joyce]

This is by design and part of what you're paying for!

[John Hain]

Brian, take a step back and re-read your posts.

You purposefully went out and bought the quietest system available. Seems like you got exactly what you paid for.

If you have a question, take it to your local Festool supplier and plug it in for everyone to hear.

[Brice Burrell]

I've found the smaller hose on the vac isn't great for general clean up but works very well for collecting dust on hand-held power tools, I'd say the same for Fein vacs. I'd say the Festool CT 22/33 is on par with other vacs its size in terms of suction. ShopVac, Rigid, Chaftsman and other brand vac hoses will fit Festool vacs for better general clean up. For use with power tools you can't beat a Festool or Fein vac.

[Brian Wilhelm]

Thanks for the input I was just wondering, because I know it should be quiet, but was wondering about the experience of others, and if they were also a little confused by the tona of theirs when they first used them. Also wondering if the 134 rated CFM is at the end of the supplied hose, or at the port on the vacuum. Also, thanks for mentioning the other brands of hose will work well for general clean up.

[Frank Martin]

....along with excellent filtration. I never miss the Ridgid vac I had before. Because I use it in my shop, general cleanup is done with my dust collector, which is an Oneida cyclone and has no problem sucking up even big things. If you are going to use it outside of your shop for general cleanup, you may want to invest in a larger hose though.

[Brian Wilhelm]

Just going to use it until I can afford to get my entire shop together as my main collection. I figured it would be a good vac to do this until I am willing to install permenant ductwork, and then just use it for the hand held power tools as it was probably designed.

[Frank Martin]

Brian,

Before I got the Oneida cyclone I had a small Jet dust collector, which had bags that did not really filter out small dust particles. Those days I used to use my Festool vac with the standard hose, due to its much better filtering and to me it worked just fine. I never even thought about getting the larger hose. So, I would say you will be pleasantly surprized with its performance. If you are not satisfied with the small hose, just get the larger one.


Just going to use it until I can afford to get my entire shop together as my main collection. I figured it would be a good vac to do this until I am willing to install permenant ductwork, and then just use it for the hand held power tools as it was probably designed.

[Jim Becker]

The Festool vacs are optimized for dust extraction and filtration from small electric tools, especially with the smaller diameter hose that ships with the vac. If you need to move more air for general cleanup (I don't use my CT22 for that, preferring an inexpensive Ridgid unit that doesn't use bags for floor and car cleaning), then you'll want to use a larger diameter hose...and yes, you can buy and use a hose from the 'borg for that purpose.

[Callan Campbell]

I bought my '22' in 2004 along with a 6 inch sander from Festool. You DO have some learning to do, sort of reinventing the wheel. The vacuum always works for whatever task I throw at it. Just don't expect it to scream like a regular shop-vac, it's not supposed to:D. I have both hose sizes, I use the larger hose for connecting my Milwaukee Miter saw with its larger dust output. I bought the Festool hoses because they're anti-static, and they're well made, like the vacuum itself. Try this with your vacuum and whatever sander you've hooked up to it., Sand some project without using the vacuum, then hook them up together. The total noise level doesn't go up much, but look at how much better the sander works, the abrasive stays clean/unclogged, and you don't have all that dust. You're in denial that something could work that well and um, not make noise like all other vacuums you've ever used in the past.
The Festool vacuums just do their job without fanfare;););)

[Joe Jensen]

I suspect your suction concern is due to the small hose. Put the small hose on the old vac and compare that way. Festool makes at least two diameters. I use the small one on the small tools (works great) and the large one on the circ saw for more airflow. Small hose on the shop vac will show you the difference

[Greg Mann]

If you are put off by how quiet the Festool is don't bother buying a Miele vacuum for your carpets. They are quiet enough to have a conversation over while doing a bang-up job cleaning your carpet. Good designs, like these, don't need to be noisy to do a good job. Since you have Festool power tools as well just realize the C22 is part of their system. Case in point, it will make your sanders more effective due to the variable power.

[Brian Wilhelm]

Do you have the newer Milwaukee miter saw hooked up to the vacuum? I have one, and cannot figure out what their thinking was behind the exit shape. I have made an adaptor to work with it, but haven't used it yet. If you have this miter saw, how did you attach it, and how well does the modified dust collection work?

[Mike Goetzke]

My friends father worked for a carpet vacuum company years ago and he claimed they made them sound loud because user thought suction power was related to sound.

BTW - I have had a CT33 for almost a couple years now it really sucks on jack-rabbit mode. I use it mostly with my track saw system and found I needed to make a pre-seperator to prevent the bags ($$$) from filling so quickly.

Mike

[Rick Fisher]

I have a Fein Turbo II and had the same opinion.. I also have a stainless steel shop vac.

I think the shop vac has better suction.. so I use it for clean up .. the Fein just works with the hand held power tools..

[Jason White]

For sanders and smaller power tools, the smaller Festool hose works great.

For general cleanup, get a regular 2-1/2" vac hose from any home center.

Jason


I just bought one of these today. I got it home, started using it, and it seemed like it doesn't have that much suction. It did suck up whatever I tried, but just didn't seem the same as a Shop Vac. I'm wondering if I think this because it sounds nothing like any American type vacuum, or if it just doesn't have that much suction. I'm hoping it is like other Festool stuff I have bought, and just seems bizarre until I use it for an extended period of time. I would appreciate if someone else out there owns one of these, and could assure me that I am crazy, and will not regret my purchase.

[Callan Campbell]

Do you have the newer Milwaukee miter saw hooked up to the vacuum? I have one, and cannot figure out what their thinking was behind the exit shape. I have made an adaptor to work with it, but haven't used it yet. If you have this miter saw, how did you attach it, and how well does the modified dust collection work?
If you mean the new 12" model saw,# 6955, then yep, I own it. I bought the VERY hard to find Milwaukee vacuum adapter for it, #48-03-0200. Ordered it through Berlands after they called Milwaukee for a price.This adapter accepts two different hose sizes. As for the shield/dust channel that you're talking about, I see your point. I haven't had the saw long enough to want to modify it, but I could see someone doing that out of frustration easily. My best guess is that they wanted no obstructions for the blade/ angle mechanism at the rear of the tool, and the flat channel system gives them that. I haven't made any real cuts yet since I just got the saw at Christmas, sometimes you have to be your own best Santa. I'll post the dust collection set-up once I start cutting a bunch of walnut that I bought for one of my nieces.

[Paul Johnstone]

I just bought one of these today. I got it home, started using it, and it seemed like it doesn't have that much suction. It did suck up whatever I tried, but just didn't seem the same as a Shop Vac. .

You are right. It doesn't have near the raw sucking power of a regular shopvac. It works great for sucking out dust made by sanders, biscuit joiners, etc. It's not nearly as good as a cheap shop vac for general shop cleanup, IMO.