Educate Me

[Byron Trantham]

I have been reading here and there about the different shop vacs. I have a Craftsman 16 gal screamer. I am prompted to ask about Feins and Festool vacs because of a post about a DeWalt biscuit cutter and using a Festool vac - very effectively. I am lead to believe these vacs are expensive. What features do they offer over my current vac? Why do I need one?

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

[Todd Burch]

The top 10 reasons to get a Festool:

1) Your ears will thank you, as will any other ears that have to listen to that screamer.

2) Festool CT33 (the biggest vac) cost $445 by itself. I am quite satisfied with its engineering and performance.

3) Better filtration. With the Sears, you have to clean the cartridge. With the Festool, you throw away the bag. The bags even come with an attached hole-cover so that dust doesn't go everywhere during the throw-away process.

4) When you turn the Festool on, you are not aware of where the out-exhaust air goes. With my old Sears, I knew where the air came out because it blew floor dust everywhere. Stupid design.

5) The auto-on feature with the Festool attached tools (or any tool under 10 amps) is awesome. As loud as any tool is, that would require dust collection, you cannot hear the vac running. (Bob Marino - if you are listening, Festool needs to add an LED to the vac when in auto-on mode, and running, so you know its running! - Or I guess I can assume it's running since there is NO dust!)

6) For onsite work, and even in the shop, The Festool is very stable and balanced. I cannot imagine tipping it over by pulling on the hose. With the Sears, I tipped it over daily. Daily.

7) Can you buy a 23' foot anti-static hose for your Sears?

8) Oh yeah - no such thing as an anti-static Sears hose.

9) Top top is flat - it gives you yet another work surface.

And reason # 10,

10) If nothing else, people that come to visit your shop will be very impressed. I'm thinking about using mine for our living room coffee table, as a conversation piece. (Not!)

Todd

[Byron Trantham]

The top 10 reasons to get a Festool:

1) Your ears will thank you, as will any other ears that have to listen to that screamer.

2) Festool CT33 (the biggest vac) cost $445 by itself. I am quite satisfied with its engineering and performance.

3) Better filtration. With the Sears, you have to clean the cartridge. With the Festool, you throw away the bag. The bags even come with an attached hole-cover so that dust doesn't go everywhere during the throw-away process.

4) When you turn the Festool on, you are not aware of where the out-exhaust air goes. With my old Sears, I knew where the air came out because it blew floor dust everywhere. Stupid design.

5) The auto-on feature with the Festool attached tools (or any tool under 10 amps) is awesome. As loud as any tool is, that would require dust collection, you cannot hear the vac running. (Bob Marino - if you are listening, Festool needs to add an LED to the vac when in auto-on mode, and running, so you know its running! - Or I guess I can assume it's running since there is NO dust!)

6) For onsite work, and even in the shop, The Festool is very stable and balanced. I cannot imagine tipping it over by pulling on the hose. With the Sears, I tipped it over daily. Daily.

7) Can you buy a 23' foot anti-static hose for your Sears?

8) Oh yeah - no such thing as an anti-static Sears hose.

9) Top top is flat - it gives you yet another work surface.

And reason # 10,

10) If nothing else, people that come to visit your shop will be very impressed. I'm thinking about using mine for our living room coffee table, as a conversation piece. (Not!)

Todd

Ok Todd, you sold me. Now how are you going top finance one of these things for me? :D :D :D

Mine tips as well. Very aggravating! :mad:

On the more practical side, I knew about the auto-on feature. How adaptable, in your experience, are non-Festool tools, to the hose? I can think of two tools in particular, my DeWalt biscuit cutter [already solved via another post] and my Bosch 5" ROS. That sucker has a square exhaust hole for their filter bags.

One last point. That vac cost as much as my new DeWalt 13" thickness planer!

[Jim Becker]

One last point. That vac cost as much as my new DeWalt 13" thickness planer!

The CT-22 E costs less than the CT-33 E that Todd has...even "less" if you buy it in conjunction with another tool with their bundles. hee hee :D (Seriously, that's what I plan to do as soon as I can find a way to kill my Ridgid screamer effectively and without remorse...)

The only real difference I can see between the the two is "storage capacity"...5.8 gal vs 8.7 gallon.

[Todd Burch]

I'm not familiar with the Bosch bags, but could you cut off a section of a bag and adapt it somehow to a round 27mm nozzle? (And, remember me in that $50 referral program Festool offers!!!)

[Christian Aufreiter]

I can second Todd's post. Love my CT 22.

You might like to check out some reviews:
http://www.cjohnhebert.com/Festool.htm
http://benchmark.20m.com/tools/Festool/FestoolIndex.html
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm
http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/festool_atf_55e_part2.htm


If you have any questions regarding Festool I may suggest that you contact Bob Marino at ROBARLMAR@aol.com
Bob is hobby woodworker (SMC member, BTW) and Festool ISA. Due to the fact that he uses the tools himself he has an incredible knowledge.

Regards,

Christian Aufreiter, Austria

[Mark Singer]

Byron,
I have the Fein Turbo II and itis nice...quiite, powerful and has the auto start for sander,
Mark

[Ed Falis]

Byron,

When I got the Festool plunge saw, I bought the hose that has the Festool end for tools and a larger end to fit the Wap Vac we have. The tool end fits lots of tools in my shop, so I guess you'll be in pretty good shape with the Festool standard hose.

- Ed

[John Miliunas]

Marino is going to kill me for this post, but here goes: I got a tremendous deal on the Fein Mini Turbo, about the same time I bought my Festool 125 sander. Like the Festool vacs, it's quiet, very stable, packs a LOT of punch for a little guy and has the same bag and filter attributes that the Festool has. It doesn't have a big flat surface on top, thus can't incorporate the Festool "Systainers". The Mini also doesn't have the "auto start" feature, though its bigger brothers do. Thanks to Bob Marino's suggestion, I picked up an Auto Start module at Sears for 20 bucks and it does the same thing! I've used the setup with both of my Festool pieces, as well as my Freud biscuit jointer. It does a tremendous job with all of them! The ease of moving it around, as well as its stability, has also contributed to my cleaning the shop more often, 'cuz it's easy! The one negative aspect of it is, the thing does not have on-board tool storage. I keep my hose hung near the vac and keep all the accessory tools in a plastic tote. Haven't found it to be inconvenient. I believe that even the smallest Festool vac has an edge in capacity and features, but the Mini is a high quality alternative. :cool:

[Jim Tobias]

I have been reading here and there about the different shop vacs. I have a Craftsman 16 gal screamer. I am prompted to ask about Feins and Festool vacs because of a post about a DeWalt biscuit cutter and using a Festool vac - very effectively. I am lead to believe these vacs are expensive. What features do they offer over my current vac? Why do I need one?

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Byron,
I too suffered for many years with the screaming of the 16 gallon Craftsman. I broke down and bought the Fein Turbo III about a year ago and was absolutely amazed at the difference in the noise level with tremendous suction. You will not believe the difference in shop noise.
When you hook a sander to it, you cannot hear the vacuum at all. It worked so well that I recently convinced my wife that she needed a small(around the house) vacuum and bought HER the Festool CT 22. It is alos quite good but it is not as quiet as the Fein III. Hope that helps. Either way, Fein or Festool, you will be shocked at the difference.

Jim

[Byron Trantham]

guys. Who would have thought that so much response would be gotten over a question about something as mundane as a vac. :confused:

I am glad I asked the question. It looks like I want the Festool 33. If I am going to go from a $90 Craftsman in the name of improving/upgrading then I think this is the unit. I have to wait a bit as Christmas was far too good to me to even bring up another $400+ tool.

I logged into the sites Christian provided and I couldn't believe how efficient that vac is.

Thank you all for your input.

[Rob Bourgeois]

Marino is going to kill me for this post, but here goes: I got a tremendous deal on the Fein Mini Turbo, about the same time I bought my Festool 125 sander. The Mini also doesn't have the "auto start" feature, though its bigger brothers do.

John... I am curious.. My mini that I won on Plans now (gloat) last summer does have the auto-on feature. Mine just says CT Mini. (Dont see a turbo any wheres on it). Its a great machine just like everyone says, use mine with the scrollsaw, sander and as a vac with no annoying noise, just the sound of dust going away.

Oh and by the way...where do you guys buy your replacement bags.

[Rob Bourgeois]

My Festool Mini that I won on Plans Now (gloat) last summer does have the auto-on feature. Its a great machine just like everyone says, use mine with the scrollsaw, sander and as a vac with no annoying noise, just the sound of dust going away.

Oh and by the way...where do you guys buy your replacement bags

[John Miliunas]

My Festool Mini that I won on Plans Now (gloat) last summer does have the auto-on feature. Its a great machine just like everyone says, use mine with the scrollsaw, sander and as a vac with no annoying noise, just the sound of dust going away.

Oh and by the way...where do you guys buy your replacement bags

Rob, mine is a *Fein* (That's why I said "Marino is going to kill me"!) Mini Turbo, not a Festool Mini. That's what I meant by it not having all the features of the Festool. My "Auto Start" plugin is an outboard add-in from Sears. In any event, I think the Festool, Fein or most all the other Euro-brands are the way to go when it comes to vacs. :cool:

[Stewart Crick]

Byron,

Let me know when you get that puppy, I'm going to have to come down and check it out!!!! :D

Stu

[Rob Bourgeois]

Yeah John I saw that and tried to edit it but somehow it double posted... Maybe I hit the wrong button..too dang early to be typing i guess.

[Byron Trantham]

Byron,

Let me know when you get that puppy, I'm going to have to come down and check it out!!!! :D

Stu

Stu, will do. I have to do some money searching but I hope to pull it off. :rolleyes:

[Todd Burch]

I'm going to throw yet another wrench in the works.

I was working onsite the other day, all proud of my new CT33, and I had it with me in tow. I was finishing a staircase and using it to keep the dust in the house to zero, and it was working just fine.

I went into the study where the wood floor was being put down, and those guys had a WAP vacuum. It was bigger than the CT33 (which means it was a pretty good side unit), taller at least, and VERY quiet. I mean, REALLY quiet. My CT33 will go into stealth mode, since it has a variable speed motor, and with the CT33 on "turtle" speed, it was about the same db level as the WAP. I don't know if the WAP has a variable speed, or what it costs, but if noise is crucial, look at the WAP.

Todd.