CT 36 E HEPA Dust Extractor OR Dustless HEPA Vacuum?

[Steven Hsieh]

I am having a hard time decision in vacuums. Due to EPA new regulations, we all are forced to use HEPA vacuums for lead based paint. I mostly like one use it for sanding, vacuuming paint chips.

I am leaning toward to the dustless HEPA vacuum, because it has more holding capacity. However I would like to use festool sanders in the future. Their RO 123 FEQ Rotex sander. So I am kinda between.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve Rowe]

When attaching a vacuum to a sander, I find the variable suction a near necessity. I always move the suction to the middle setting for ease of control during sanding. Too much suction and the pad has a tendency to stick to the workpiece and jump around. The autostart feature is also nice.

I don't find vacuum capacity much of an issue for sanding as I can go a long long time with a CT22. Using the smaller capacity vacs for extraction with a router, planer, or general cleanup isn't as good because the larger chips do not compact nearly as good as sawdust. I don't sand painted surfaces very often, so your judgement is better than mine in this regard. If you can wait, Festool is releasing the CT48 dust extractor. Last forecast I heard was sometime this fall but I have seen these dates slip in the past.