Standard Dust Collector with Festool Tools

[Pete Brown]

I have an Oneida cyclone. I also have a festool saw and probably will get a domino.

Has anyone connected a festool tool to their standard DC? If so, did you use their hose or your own? If your own, what size fit and how well did it work? I know that shop-vac style DC can be better in some cases, like what you get with these small tools, but I don't know if my cyclone will do just as well. I'd rather not add another DC to my shop, and I don't care how much dust flies around if I use it outside :)

I could try this stuff out, of course, but I just haven't had time :)

Thanks.

Pete

[JayStPeter]

Dust Collectors aren't made for the static pressure needed for small tools.

I connect my Festools to my other brand shop vac using a Festool hose. The hose fits most other vacs.

[Jim Becker]

Jay summed it up...dust collection systems are designed for low pressure and large air volume. Small tool collection requires just the opposite...high static pressure and relatively low air volume due to both the hose and the port size. Use the Festool hose ('cause it has the correct rubber end on it to mate with the various tools) and use any shop vac if you can't swing a CT22. You may need to provide a bleeder port to reduce the vac's suction when sanding to avoid "sticking" as you get to finer grits. And wear good hearing protection...

[Pete Brown]

Thanks guys. Looks like one of their vacs is going to be on my list. I can't stand listening to my shop vac with or without hearing protection; I hope theirs is quieter :)

Pete

[Glen Blanchard]

Well I know this runs against the grain here, but I'll put in my $.02 anyway. I don't have room for a Festool vac. I know they are small, but my workshop is VERY cramped as it is. When I retire and we move (and I get a much larger workshop) I will buy a Festool vac. In the mean time, I am forced to make due with my DC - I don't own a shop vac (of any kind). I have it hooked up to my 5" Festool ROS and I must say that it does a surprisingly good job. At least that is my perception.

I say give it a try and see what you think - or at the least, use it with your DC until you get the Festool extractor.

Okay, probably only $.01. :p

[Tom Jones III]

I'll be a rebel along with Glen. I simply am not going to buy a festool shop vac when I've already spent a lot of money on a cyclone. I hooked my dewalt ROS to a 4' long shop vac sized flex hose, then to a 4" reducer and I plug it in to the 4" flex hose that I connect to my jointer. It works surprisingly well. I have even tried it on my porter cable plunge router that has a hose about 1" or 1.5" and it does a pretty good job. I am even considering adding a 4" run of ducting that will end on the ceiling directly over my workbench so that I can plug directly into it.

[Pete Brown]

Thanks guys.

My 2hp cyclone did a passable job with my Porter Cable ROS. It wasn't great, though.

It does do an awesome job on my router table and a pretty good job with my table saw :)

The thing that really needs to happen, is for me to get a better hose that has more flex. The current 2" dc-style hoses are just too stiff. I think the festool stuff is better in that respect. I'll try it out up at Cayce and see.

Pete

[JayStPeter]

I think you'll like the Festool hose.

I honestly haven't tried using anything small with my big cyclone. But with my old 1.5HP double bag unit my DW biscuit joiner would sometimes clog when I tried to use the DC, but not when I used the shop vac. I eventually got a Fein vac and haven't really looked back. Maybe the bigger DC would work good enough. But, I really like the autostart with the vac and it is significantly quieter than the cyclone. I would probably get a Festool vac if I didn't already have the Fein.

[Rick Schubert]

I would imagine a shop-vac consumes a lot less power than a 2 hp cyclone. If used while sanding, either would be one for extended periods of time. The shop-vac could pay for itself in 50 years! Maybe less.

Rick