Is the Festool ct26, and ct cyclone. Worth it or not?

Do you really need to spend almost $2k on a dust extractor? In short, not really but what type of work are you doing? Are you a pro or hobbyist? Here are some tool links-
Festool ct26 dust extractor-

Festool 36mm hose-

Ivac switch for shop vacs-

Check out my TSO products affiliate site-

[KAFilmswpg]

Great job Anthony. I’ve watched about a dozen reviews of Festool vacs and this was the best one I’ve seen yet by far

[tonyc]

About the excess suction causing sanding problems; one model of Rigid vac I had came with an "adjustable airflow valve" built in the handle like on the Rockler "Dust Right Shop Vacuum Handle". You could also Macgyver some adapter somewhere on the hose and put a hole in it. It's also useful when I'm trying to vacuum a work area floor that is covered in protection paper and there is too much suction so it pulls the paper up.

[tonyc]

16:30 That automatic switch can be a good solution for a not heavy duty tool like a a sander but it can be a problem with high-current tools like a big chop saw/table saw. All the power come from one circuit so it may trip the breaker As apposed to the IVAC "SWITCH BOX SB-NA" that feeds from two circuits.

[gregorymacneil]

I went with the dust deputy 2.0 and have had excellent results. I used a 10 gallon metal drum instead of the 5 gallon plastic bucket so the thing will not tip over - tipping over is a major issue that no one talks about with the 5 gallon buckets. With the dust deputy I changed the vac bag once over a two year period.

I am restoring a house room by room so mobility is not an issue otherwise I would consider the Festool. As for adjusting the vacuum pressure for my ETS EC 150 I really have not noticed it to be an issue and I spray all my work - but - it might be an issue with a more powerful vacuum.

Great video

[murphyrp]

Nice comparison. I have an older Kirby vacuum which has excellent suction and have it combined with a cyclone on a bin to catch most of the dust. Very loud though. That Festool vac system will be close to $2000 here in Australia. Like the Paulk smart bench template on the wall.

[matthewwysocki]

I have had both and now have two Festool CT minis (one with the cyclone). It’s simply a superior product.

[williamborges]

Great video, Anthony. Yup, if you're a non-dentist/lawyer hobbyist, go cheap with a shop-vac, a Dust Deputy, and a DIY cart. BTW, don't buy a big-body shop vac. Instead, get a powerful small-bodied one so the cart holding it and the dust-cyclone can be kept small. 😃

[NWGR]

Great comparison Anthony, thanks for posting.
Both have their place in the shop; I use my midi for collection at the tools, my dewalt shop vac for general cleanup. It's worth installing HEPA bags and filters even on basic shop vacs.
edit to add: A dust separator is a must have IMHO. The festool cyclone is nice if you need that systainer compatibility, otherwise the dust deputy 2.5 is a lot more efficient in collecting dust with much less suction loss.

[hobbes]

As for a sound meter, you can simply use your phone. There are plenty of (free) apps to do this.

[glenncallahan]

good job brother, thanks for the details!

[BenM]

Fun fact: Makita Systainers also stack on top of Festool’s Dust extractors and Festool systainers can be stacked on top of a Makita systainer.

[dahut]

You linked a 5-meter long Festool 36mm hose. Is that what you are holding at 6:08 (because they also make a 3.5 -meter hose)?

[LivingTheLifeRetired]

How healthy is the reusable bag? The point of the vac is it is hepa but to empty the bag you are going to have concentrated dust particles everywhere.

[MangoKiwiButton]

At lease you can save some money building the cyclone for festool

[kevinohara]

I think there's a home made festool cyclone brewing lol