Southwood Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thinking about taking the Festool plunge and getting a TS 55 and vac combo. What are the differences between the CT 36 and Ct 48? Anybody know off hand? Done all I can to figure out the difference and can't find anything that really stands out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I'm pretty sure it's just capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Sam is correct, just capacity.. I have the CT 26 and rarely have to empty it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Sam is correct, just capacity.. I have the CT 26 and rarely have to empty it. It's just capacity. I have the CT48. However if you are planning on buying one you might want to consider the cost of replacement bags. The CT36 5 pack of bags are roughly $42, CT48 Bag 5 pack is roughly $48. CT26 bags are roughly $37 for a 5 pack. If you go biggest vacuum you get the most bag for the buck in terms of volume. I wouldn't go any smaller than the CT26 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 It's just capacity. I have the CT48. However if you are planning on buying one you might want to consider the cost of replacement bags. The CT36 5 pack of bags are roughly $42, CT48 Bag 5 pack is roughly $48. CT26 bags are roughly $37 for a 5 pack. If you go biggest vacuum you get the most bag for the buck in terms of volume. I wouldn't go any smaller than the CT26 though. Couple things here.. You can also buy a "never replace" bag.. You can also empty the regular bags and reuse them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 You could buy the long life bag which Festool claims can be filled 500 times. It comes at a price. Around $200+ depending on the model vac you have. Regular bags can get a couple of fills out of each one. Still a consideration. With great Festool, comes great spending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 You could buy the long life bag which Festool claims can be filled 500 times. It comes at a price. Around $200+ depending on the model vac you have. Regular bags can get a couple of fills out of each one. Still a consideration. With great Festool, comes great spending. Wow 500+ times? That is crazy long life. Not a bad price really considering that many bags would run around $3k + Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Or put a $60. oneida mini cyclone in front of the cheap bag and it will last just as long as the 500 time bag and less hassle to empty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Or put a $60. oneida mini cyclone in front of the cheap bag and it will last just as long as the 500 time bag and less hassle to empty. Or put in a cyclonic central vac system for about price as the bigger vac. Never empty any bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I did a lot of research on this very topic just a few weeks ago. The "guts" of all three vacs are the same. The only difference is in capacity and price. I went 26 and am very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Quick replys and thanks, now to pull the trigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 While my wife wasn't looking today (or home for that matter...) I went ahead and ordered a Domino. I didn't order a dust extractor yet, I did order a fitting that Fein makes that will fit into it. Did anyone else start off with a non FT vac and then find adequate reason to buy one later? I just have two cheapy Rigids at the moment. I was looking at the bag costs and saw that the Fein vac bags are a lot cheaper. Anyone run I know I've seen a few people mention running FT with Fein vacs, any pluses or minuses there aside from cheaper bags? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 While my wife wasn't looking today (or home for that matter...) I went ahead and ordered a Domino. I didn't order a dust extractor yet, I did order a fitting that Fein makes that will fit into it. Did anyone else start off with a non FT vac and then find adequate reason to buy one later? I just have two cheapy Rigids at the moment. I was looking at the bag costs and saw that the Fein vac bags are a lot cheaper. Anyone run I know I've seen a few people mention running FT with Fein vacs, any pluses or minuses there aside from cheaper bags? I have the Fein Vac it works fine with the Domino or sanders its adjustable like the FT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 ==>I have the CT 26 and rarely have to empty it. For home/hobby use, I'd get the 26 or 36. The 48 is a big unit -- if you've got the space, no problem... ==>FT with Fein vacs Fein, Mirka and FT are all top-shelf vacs... You may need to futz with tool-end connectors, but that's noise-level... BTW: The fein adapter ($15) is very useful to have, even if you go FT... ==>buy a "never replace" bag I'd put the money towards a DD or UDD setup... A friend of mine got the resuable bag -- looks like a dust storm every time he empties the bag -- especially with sanding/drywall... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 +1 on the CT26 I've got 2 of them on my small pro shop. Rarely have to empty one in any week. Easily get 3 to 4 uses out of each bag. Smaller vac is handy around the shop and especially on a job site . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firehawk Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 Get the smaller vac and spend the extra on the TS 75! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 I am not trying to start a holy war but the Fein hose adapter attached to a rigid shop vac left zero dust from the 24 Domino mortises I just cut. I had myself convinced I was going to run out and buy a CT 26 or Midi tomorrow morning, and it looks like I will be able to hold off a bit. I do have to say I am impressed with my first Festool product. While I am still going to learn and play with other joinery methods, i am going to be grabbing the Domino first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 No holy war Chuck, I'm sure it worked well! Did the rigid come on automatically when you turned on the domino? In all seriousness, you don't need to spend mega bucks to get good dust collection.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 Oh yea TIDOS is quite right, I have a Fein vac that does a pretty good job. Used it with my Domino for a couple of years. My CT26 is a bit more powerful and quieter. The ability to turn the suction down helps with sanding, too much suction pulls the sander down and heats up the pad which wears out the Velcro , learned that the hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 If I was buying a CT tomorrow it was going to be along with a track saw or a Rotex... Damned package discounts. I've only spent about 30 minutes with the Domino but I already see a problem/habit forming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 If I was buying a CT tomorrow it was going to be along with a track saw or a Rotex... Damned package discounts. I've only spent about 30 minutes with the Domino but I already see a problem/habit forming. Welcome to the green Koolaid Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 Oh yea TIDOS is quite right, I have a Fein vac that does a pretty good job. Used it with my Domino for a couple of years. My CT26 is a bit more powerful and quieter. The ability to turn the suction down helps with sanding, too much suction pulls the sander down and heats up the pad which wears out the Velcro , learned that the hard way. I thought the Fein is supposed to be quieter than the ct series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 FT extractors really are overpriced when you consider that any old shop vac will suck the dust out of a tool's DC port. But it's a Cadillac, and with a Cadillac, you get luxury. It turns on when you turn on the tool, it's quiet, it's boom-arm capable, you don't get shocked by the hose, and if you have multiple Festools it completes a convenient system. But the biggest deal is being able to control suction. I'll make the argument that that's not just a luxury, but a necessity when you're sanding. Otherwise it's pigtail city. And I HATE pigtails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 Doesn't the Fein II keep up with the CT line now with features? Plus more storage for less $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 With exception of having to use an adapter the Fein works as well as the FT. Adjustable suction just like the FT which is nice. Even my older model is adjustable and has a tool switch just like the FT. I don't bother with bags just the felt looking bag the Fein came with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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