Vacuum Question

[Greg Parrish]

I have a Festool CT26 for my sander station now. I'm looking for a quiet hepa vac to put on my miter saw station (before you say it, I tried to build a hood and just don't have room in the location it has to sit in my small shop). My miter station is behind my workbench and against my roll up door. Every hood design I've come up with doesn't allow full saw movement without hitting the door or requiring me to move the bench, but I just don't want to give up any more room around my bench. So, that said, the compromise for the moment looks to be a good hepa vac until I one day have a larger shop or get the epiphany on a hood design that may work.


I've been looking at the Fein Turbo II heap, the Makita VC4710 help and the Nilfisk Aero 26 Hepa. They are all somewhat close in price and a lot less than another CT26 Festool. Any thoughts on which vac would be best in this role? It wouldn't really need adjustable flow but I want it quiet which is why I'm not looking at regular shop vacs like the ridgid I use for floor cleaning. The miter station is fixed and will not move, so it's not a jobsite setup.


Another option is that I could move the CT26 to the miter saw, but then I'd have the same question above about what vac works best to replace for my festool sander station. I had thought about getting a CT15 for my sander station since I already have an antistatic hose setup there, but not sure if it would be a good choice there or not.


Listed from lowest to highest CFM ratings:
Nilfisk: https://www.amazon.com/Nilfisk-ALTO-.../dp/B00HQOB0ZC
Makita: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-VC4710...s%2C167&sr=1-1
The Festool CT26 I have on my sanding station fits between Makita and Fein for CFM rating.

FEIN: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K74N81W...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for any insight on these 3 brand hepa vacs.

[Doug Dawson]

I have a Festool CT26 for my sander station now. I'm looking for a quiet hepa vac to put on my miter saw station (before you say it, I tried to build a hood and just don't have room in the location it has to sit in my small shop). My miter station is behind my workbench and against my roll up door. Every hood design I've come up with doesn't allow full saw movement without hitting the door or requiring me to move the bench, but I just don't want to give up any more room around my bench. So, that said, the compromise for the moment looks to be a good hepa vac until I one day have a larger shop or get the epiphany on a hood design that may work.


I've been looking at the Fein Turbo II heap, the Makita VC4710 help and the Nilfisk Aero 26 Hepa. They are all somewhat close in price and a lot less than another CT26 Festool. Any thoughts on which vac would be best in this role? It wouldn't really need adjustable flow but I want it quiet which is why I'm not looking at regular shop vacs like the ridgid I use for floor cleaning. The miter station is fixed and will not move, so it's not a jobsite setup.


Another option is that I could move the CT26 to the miter saw, but then I'd have the same question above about what vac works best to replace for my festool sander station. I had thought about getting a CT15 for my sander station since I already have an antistatic hose setup there, but not sure if it would be a good choice there or not.


Listed from lowest to highest CFM ratings:
Nilfisk: https://www.amazon.com/Nilfisk-ALTO-.../dp/B00HQOB0ZC
Makita: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-VC4710...s%2C167&sr=1-1
The Festool CT26 I have on my sanding station fits between Makita and Fein for CFM rating.

FEIN: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K74N81W...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for any insight on these 3 brand hepa vacs.

The differences between those vacs would IMO be swamped by the inadequacies of onboard dust collection for any miter saw I've ever seen. You can't just move the CT26 between the two stations?

[Greg Parrish]

The differences between those vacs would IMO be swamped by the inadequacies of onboard dust collection for any miter saw I've ever seen. You can't just move the CT26 between the two stations?

I don't want to move them as they will be somewhat built into each station. Will continue to look at options for dust hood or at least maybe a drop off the dust collector that I could open to suck airborne dust away while the larger goes into the vac. But to find a design for a hood that allows full movement of the Makita LS1019L and still fits my tight space behind the saw doesn't look good so far.

[John Goodin]

I received an email last week about a “cheaper” Festool vac that was coming out soon. I didn’t read the specs because I can’t afford both Festool and good wood but remember the price was $349. — power cord, hoses, wheels etc may or may not be included.

[Greg Parrish]

I received an email last week about a “cheaper” Festool vac that was coming out soon. I didn’t read the specs because I can’t afford both Festool and good wood but remember the price was $349. — power cord, hoses, wheels etc may or may not be included.

thanks. That’s the CT15 I mentioned. It’s apparently same size and specs as the midi but without blue tooth trigger, without anti static hose and without systainer stack ability . It may well work fine for my sander station but not sure.

[Mark Carlson]

Can you run a 2in pvc pipe between the two stations? Then you could plug the CT26 into one end of the pipe and the miter saw into the other.

[Greg Parrish]

Can you run a 2in pvc pipe between the two stations? Then you could plug the CT26 into one end of the pipe and the miter saw into the other.

they are too far apart.

I don’t mind a second vac but wondered how those listed compared to the ct26 I have since they are cheaper. I’m just not sure my dust collector can pull enough air necked down to 2.5” if I went that route and it isn’t close enough to test without some reconfiguring of duct work

[William Chain]

I think the CT15 will be the ticket. I am looking at that myself for exactly the same purpose. I think it will do the job for slightly less $ than others on your list, it will take up less volume, and yet still it will have wheels, etc, but not the extra bulk of the others on the list. I am trying to confirm, but I think it will have the same filter element as the CT26 which would be convenient. I'd leave the anti-static hose over on the sander, you're guaranteed finer material there and far more static. The mitre station will be coarser dust anyway. I have one of those Rockler universal hoses on my mitre dust pickup chute and it does fine, so I wouldn't think the lack of the antistatic hose on the CT15 will be a big deal. Nor will the lack of bluetooth.

thanks. That’s the CT15 I mentioned. It’s apparently same size and specs as the midi but without blue tooth trigger, without anti static hose and without systainer stack ability . It may well work fine for my sander station but not sure.

[Greg Parrish]

Ended up deciding to try the CT Midi 1 since the CT15 not available until April. Will use it on my sander and move the CT26 over to the miter saw. Ordered a short 3.5M 36mm hose to use with it as everyone seems to recommend that with the kapex saws.

couple things that swayed me. I read that the hose and plastic body on the fein were not anti static. May not be a big deal but I wanted anti static. And I read someone’s complaint on the makita regarding having to ship it out of USA for repair since they didn’t live near a service center. Not sure if that’s the case but I don’t live near one either. Also the makita seems to be geared primarily for concrete dust based on the advertisements like the Bosch, Hilton and Milwaukee units. However the nilfisk seems to get good reviews but it doesn’t have adjustable flow.

[Dan Coker]

Have you considered the Festool CT SYS? I believe it is the small portable sustainer style vac that looks like one of their sustainers and not their other typical vacs. I have been thinking of getting one of these for my sanding station. They don’t have the capacity to hold very much saw dust but it would be perfect for a sander only as they make only fine dust and it would take a while to make enough of that to fill it up. I believe the CFM on the CT SYS is the same as the CT Midi but I could be wrong on that. The reason that I want one is because the hose hookup is much stronger and better designed while mated to my Festool RO125 compared to using an other brand of vac and hose. I get tired of fighting the hose and having it constantly pull out with my current vac and RO125 combo. Not sure of the price on the CT SYS but i believe it’s under $400

[Greg Parrish]

I didn’t simply because I wanted to be able to use it with my sander, track saw and one day a domino. The smaller system might be fine for those but don’t know. The midi is prob overkill but we will see. It shows up today.

regarding the CT SYS I saw two in the box in Miami last week for $349. Think that’s about $50 off. May be older model or something as owner said only certain items could be reduced per festool. Didn’t look closely.

at this place. https://www.internationaltool.com/shop/

[Ole Anderson]

You can't talk about vacuums here because eventually it will bring up a word that is banned...

[Greg Parrish]

You can't talk about vacuums here because eventually it will bring up a word that is banned...

what? Black holes? Absence of matter? Outer space? I’m apparently not up in the “word” in question. LOL

on another note the midi just showed up via amazon next day prime delivery. The 36mm hose comes tomorrow. Look forward to getting the hose and getting my miter station in service.

[Larry Edgerton]

I didn’t simply because I wanted to be able to use it with my sander, track saw and one day a domino. The smaller system might be fine for those but don’t know. The midi is prob overkill but we will see. It shows up today.

regarding the CT SYS I saw two in the box in Miami last week for $349. Think that’s about $50 off. May be older model or something as owner said only certain items could be reduced per festool. Didn’t look closely.

at this place. https://www.internationaltool.com/shop/

I have one of those mounted over a bench, works well, will sand out about two kitchens before you start hearing the bypass dojiggy. Bags are cheap, and if you run out you can just suck the bag out into a larger vac. Have been split about 50/50 on Festool stuff, but that little vac is a winner. On occasion I will take it on an install when I know I am not going to have a big mess.