Festool OF1400 dust collection vs others w/ dust collection attachments...

[Nick Shattuck]

Hi,

I have a Bosch 1617 router with the dust collection kit and, while I suppose it's better than not having kit, my router still shoots large and small chips at around a 5' radius from my router and puts a fog of fine dust into the air that settles on everything in the shop. I hate having to use my router for this reason. I have great dust collection on every other tool but this one and it makes a huge shop-wide mess regardless of how I use it.

I hate the idea of shelling out $600+ on a plunge router, but I would in a heartbeat if the dust collection is actually as good as people claim. So for those that have used the OF1400 and other routers w/ dust collection attachments, how do they compare? Is the Festool on a different level? I have a Festool sander that I love because it doesn't leave a trace of dust when I use it... is the OF1400 just as good?

[Mark Carlson]

Its better than most but not perfect. Some hand held router ops are going to be dusty. I try to use my router table as much as possible because with dust collection from below and from the fence its almost dust free.

[Nick Decker]

Nick,

I don't know about the Festool routers, haven't used them, but I feel the same about the Bosch. To the point that I'll put off using it until the weather permits taking it outside, if possible.

Yes, dust is bad for your physical health, but trying to collect it will drive you crazy!

[Jim Becker]

I have no way of comparing to others...I've never had my DW618 with the plunge base attached to extraction, but I'm quite pleased with the performance in that realm with my OF1400 as well as my OF1010. The inclusion of alternative devices that serve to improve collection when doing things like edges also helps. There will never be "perfect" dust/chip collection from a device like this, but Festool does do a pretty good job of it. And I love the router(s), too. They are comfortable for me.

[Ben Rivel]

I went from a Bosch 1617 to the Festool OF 1010 and the OF 1400 and with all the little doodads attachments and depending on the cut thats being made overall Id say that with my Festool CT 36 connected to their routers the dust collection IS much better than my Bosch 1617 with their edge guide and a Shop-Vac was.

That said there is another reason to "go Festool" and that is buying into their system of components that all work well together. Once you get a Festool vac and a router itll just be natural to get one of their track saws which will come with a guide rail which in turn can be used with their routers and jigsaws and the system just keeps growing from there. There really isnt any other company with such an expanded collection of offerings that build out a similarly large system. Now, that said, is it expensive, HECK yes! BUT, I for one certainly wouldnt go back to non-Festool tools with a few exceptions of course. No one company could make EVERYTHING perfectly.

[Mike Cutler]

Nick

I have the OF 1400 and the OF 2200 for reference. Everything kind of depends on how they are used, but I don't personally think you'll ever get "dust free" out of any router. It's not going to be as dust free as your sander.
The OF2200 is better for dust collection that the OF1400. I think this is due to the increased size of the vacuum area just because the OF2200 is bigger. Both aren't bad though. If you are surface routing say stopped dados, both are really good, but if you're doing edge work there is going to be some debris. Same if routing through mortises, but not as bad. The edge chip deflector for both routers will control 180 degrees of slinging chips, but the uncovered 180 degrees is going somewhere. The OF 2200 is once again a little bit better because of the vacuum pickup area.
Brutal honesty, The OF 1400 is a fantastic router, as is the OF2200, but I still have a dust mask on, and have a bench top dust collector pickup in place, when using them.

[Dustin Bullard]

Just to throw out another option, I recently picked up one of the new Oneida Router Hoods for like $40 and I'm very happy with it so far.

[Victor Robinson]

If you are comparing to other routers for any given operation, yes, it will be on-another-level better.

But given the operation, the results may not be 100% dust free, and again, some operations might even lead to downright disappointment if your dust collection expectations are too high. But again, it will be better than most other routers would manage in the exact same situation.

[Nick Decker]

Dustin, which router are you using the Oneida thingy on?

[Nick Shattuck]

Thanks for the replies. I don't have expectations that the OF1400's dust collection would compare to the Festool sanders, but it's crazy how much dust and chips fly out when I'm carving a mortise with my Bosch 1617. In addition to the vacuum attached to the dust collector adapters on the router, I usually clamp a 4" flexible DC hose end to near wear I'm cutting, and that cuts down on the fine dust but doesn't help much for chips flying in every direction.

I'd like to try the Oneida, but from the looks of it, I can't see it doing any better than the bosch adaptor, but who knows.

[Dustin Bullard]

Dustin, which router are you using the Oneida thingy on?

Bosch mr23ev with a plunge base. I’m happy with the router but was super bummed when I found out you can’t use a router lift with it.

[Josh Kocher]

I think collection usually is a factor of the type operation you're doing. Setup, position, depth of cut, type of bit, etc.

I'm overall very happy with my OF1010, but sometimes it still makes a mess. Often using my Makita router I manage a very clean cut.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have one, and the dust collection is good if you use the attachments, but the attachments are always in the way for the kind of things I use a router for, so reality for me is the stuff stays in the box. I use a shaper for as much as I can.

I actually don't like the router much and use others for the most part. I have a 1010 as well,, nice little plunge, but again I do not like a lot of the features.

Oh, and no, its not as good as the sander. Different animal.

[Nick Decker]

To those who recommended the Oneida Router Hood, a big thanks. I got one in yesterday, and am impressed. I've used it on both the Bosch 1617 and the little Dewalt 611. Included is a photo showing how much dust didn't get collected when rounding over the top edge of a box I'm working on. Virtually none.

I'm not accustomed to this kind of dust collection with a hand held router. Usually, even with the Bosch dust attachment on the 1617, dust ends up across the room.

One thing I'd like to see changed is to have it made from thicker plastic. It's comprised of two concentric discs which sandwich together the hose attachment and that little hood on the bottom. Together, the discs come to about 1/4" thick, and it's possible for them to flex if you're not careful. Basically, though, once assembled and mounted there's no place for the dust to escape but into the hose attachment, which hooks up nicely to one of the fittings that come with the Rockler small port kit thing. Oneida also sells a specific hose for it, if needed.

Anyway, great tool, IMO.