DIYbanter - Festool routers and vacs - dust collection...good?

On 3/10/2012 7:57 AM, JayPique wrote:
I'm about at my breaking point with routers and dust all over the place and I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about getting the biggest Festool router and vac once I win the lottery next week. Anyone used this set-up? Thoughts? Thank you.

JP

I have never use any of the Festool routers but do have the older CT22
vac. There was a CT33 available however I still do not regret getting
the middle of the road size. Basically I have been busy building for
the last 16 months pretty much non stop and have only filled 3 bags. I
use the vac with my Kreg PH jig, both sanders and track saw. YMWV.

That said, the CT 22 holds 22 liters of waste. I believe that it will
fill the bag to probably 20 liters before I see any noticeable reduction
in performance. Basically those bags tend to be deceivingly heavy and
packed quite full before they need to be changed.

The newer style Festool machines use a modified bag that apparently
collapses to shed dust inside the bag when you turn the unit off. I was
not aware that might have been a problem. Perhaps if you are only using
the vac for fine sanding dust this would be an advantage.

I don't know what you are going to be using the big router for but keep
in mind that for use other than in a table it does weigh 70% more than
the next size down at just over 17 lbs.

And then you are going to buy the Festool sanders, Domino, track saw,
drill.... It is a slippery slope.

When I learned how well the vac collected dust from the Domino the
sanders were the next natural step and I no longer have sanding dust
unless I hand sand.