Festool Combo Promotion

[John Morrison60]

Looking for input to decision.

I am upgrading shop tools in preparation for retirement.
One of remaining tools needed is sander.
Like the versatility of Festool Rotex (I also do not have any Festool yet).
I would like to pull trigger before Festool's price increase.
The question involves purchasing the dust extractor with the Rotex 125.
I already have an OK shop vac, as well as a shop cyclone.
Is the dust extractor significantly more effective than
a decent shop vac? To warrent discarding the current equipment?
If I didn't already have the other systems, I would probably buy the Festool vacuum.
However, $400 is a little above my casual tolerance, if I already have a workable solution in hand.

Appreciate your suggestions.
John

[Doug Shepard]

...Is the dust extractor significantly more effective than a decent shop vac? To warrent discarding the current equipment?
...


I think so but my previous shop vac was just OK, nothing great (a large DeWalt that's no longer made). I dont have any heat in the shop so I've been working on a workbench top inside, in a part of the house normally only used in warmer months, but it does have heat so that finish and glue can cure. I've done both sanding and routing while hooked up to the Festool vac. I've got a drop cloth down but the floor is carpeted and I'm literally a few feet from furniture and a TV screen (dust magnet). I've got extremely little dust or chips that aren't getting picked up by the Festool vac. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to get away with this indoor woodworking. Just my 2 drachmas.

[Don Bullock]

Congratulations on your pending retirement. I too am doing the same thing -- just 77 days left:D after 37 years of teaching in grades 3 - 6.:eek:

I currently have my RO 125 hooked up to a ShopVac with a Dust Devil in between. It's adequate, but a Festool dust extractor would be much better IMHO. It's much better than a normal vac. In my situation right now I just can't justify the cost.:(

[Jim Becker]

You can use any vac with the Festool tools. But I will say that the CT vacs/extractors are really engineered well and provide some benefits, including variable speed (great when you get down to those fine grits and start getting "sticking" from too much suction, lower sound levels. auto on/off including delayed off and the convenience of a a machine that rolls easily and can carry some systainers on top for space consolidation.

[Joe Chritz]

My sanders are hooked to a downdraft table and cyclone. I don't get enough dust in the air to see it in a strong raking light and I am using much cheaper and less well designed dust colleting units.

I have a CT33 which may end up running the dust port next to the table but so far the DC works great. If you were in the market for a good shop vac the Festools are very nice for the reasons Jim mentioned. The sound level is enough in itself.

Joe

[Jason White]

I used my Festool TS55 saw and sanders with a RIDGID shop vac for awhile, but it was noisy as hell and spewed a lot of fine dust particles from the exhaust port. The hose also sucked (and not in a good way).

Getting the CT22 vac was definitely the way to go. Suction control is very useful, depending on which sander you're using. I also love being able to stack my sanders on top in their systainer boxes. The vacuum is also very quiet compared to my regular shop vac and the tool-activated feature is a god-send. The wheels are cheap plastic, however, and I suspect they will break over time (the Fein vacs have beefier-looking casters on them).

At a minimum, get the gray-colored Festool hose (non-antistatic). It's pretty cheap and will fit any standard shop vac, but the rubber boot will do a better job of connecting to your sander than a non-Festool hose will.

JW


Looking for input to decision.

I am upgrading shop tools in preparation for retirement.
One of remaining tools needed is sander.
Like the versatility of Festool Rotex (I also do not have any Festool yet).
I would like to pull trigger before Festool's price increase.
The question involves purchasing the dust extractor with the Rotex 125.
I already have an OK shop vac, as well as a shop cyclone.
Is the dust extractor significantly more effective than
a decent shop vac? To warrent discarding the current equipment?
If I didn't already have the other systems, I would probably buy the Festool vacuum.
However, $400 is a little above my casual tolerance, if I already have a workable solution in hand.

Appreciate your suggestions.
John

[Cary Swoveland]

Looking for input to decision.

I am upgrading shop tools in preparation for retirement.
One of remaining tools needed is sander... The question involves purchasing the dust extractor with the Rotex 125...

John

The Rotex 125 is a fine tool, but whenever I have a choice between using a 5" or 6" sander, I invariably reach for the latter. Were I buying a Rotex, I'd spend the extra $80 to get the Rotex 150.

Cary

[Jerry White]

John,

I wish I could have back all the time and money that I have spent trying to avoid the Festool solution. I try to buy good tools and when I first became aware of Festool products, I felt I could adapt my existing tools to be as effective and continue with the tools I had. Of course, it can be done, but if I had it to do over, I would go directly to Festool sanders and dust extraction.

There was the problem of finding adapters for connecting dust ports of my sanders (all different) to the shopvac hose. Then it turned out that the reported need for suction control for the vacuum is real. None of these are big problems, but require some effort and expense to achieve a "workable solution".

Recently, I finally purchased the RO 150, ETS 150/3, along with the CT 22. My impression after just a small amount of use is that I never would have gotten as good a system the way I was going. Why did I wait so long?? So, if it is not a financial hardship, I recommend the Festool vac. Should you get the Festool dust extractor and find that it was not for you, remember the 30 day satisfaction guarantee that Festool has.

One more thing, if you elect to go with your present shopvac, the suggestion that Jason gave above regarding the Festool gray hose is a good one.

Good luck,

Jerry

[Loren Hedahl]

Before Festool I had a small WAP shop VAC that I had converted to use the HEPA filters that Sears sells. When I upgraded to a TS55 saw RO125 sander and Domino I also went for the CT22 vac combination purchase.

Both vacs work just fine. I tend to use the WAP for the saw and the CT22 for sanding. If I could have just one I'd choose the CT22 mostly because the systainers fit on top and I believe it is a little quieter.

As you might note, I am just not one to get very emotional over a vacuum cleaner.

[jason lambert]

Get the festool and don't look back a good variable speed vac is one of the most used tools and will protect you from saw dust and noise. I also have the 150 it is a great combo. Both tools you will use allot! I could go into details but this is the simple answer.

[Narayan Nayar]

I have a CT22 like most on this thread, but I hear good reports about the Fein vacs.

The "system" approach of the Festools gives their vac that much more value, I think. I don't reach for adapters to plug the vacuum into the tool. I have a place to securely store my systainers while working. I have the boom arm, too, at the end of which is the hose and a power cable, so I just wheel that thing around, pick the tool I need, plug it in, and go. No cord or hose winding.

Think about how much you'll use your Festool. Then think about how often you'll use the festool with a vacuum. I realize the privilege in being able to say this, but for my time and money it doesn't take too many times to make the extra cost of an integrated system worth it.

Cheers.

[Bill Wyko]

All I can say is it's money very well spent. My hepa filters in my ct33 don't even show signs of dust. This thing is great. I'd go with the 33, it has higher capacity and a storage compartment for only 60 bucks more. IMHO.

[John Russell]

I have an older RO125 that I selected because the RO150 did not have ergonomics that worked for me. That has changed and if I were to buy again today, the choice would be the RO150 because it has improved ergonomics and there is more sanding surface.

I have never regretted investing in Festools because of the systems approach where things work together well and I do not have to worry about adapters or other issues when tools are mixed together. For me, this has value that I am willing to pay for.

Good luck,
Buy the 150 and CT22

[Don Bullock]

Edit for the above post: SWMBO has OKed a CT 22 and sander combo. Bob has been contacted and expects a call from me tomorrow.:D

See: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=80615#post815660