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Got a few mdf projects coming up and want to up my dust collection game in the shed so decided to get one of the M class dust collectors to try and get rid of much airborne nastiness as possible. There's loads of options but these two caught my eye a [url= https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Festool-Ctm-26-E-Gb-4014549284766-Mobile-Dust-Extractor-240V ]Festool CTM26E[/url] at £680 or a [url= https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Trend-T35A-Euro-5027654056516-Dust-Extractor-230V-1400W-Class-M?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxOGf-Ybc1QIVxrvtCh2y4g7lEAkYBCABEgIIvPD_BwE ]Trend T35A[/url] for a smidge under half that price.
Both M rated, capacity and flow rate seem similar enough not to worry about, the Festool certainly looks a little tidier and sturdier and has hose storage and variable speed but is that really worth twice the cost? It's generally going to be staying in the same place so the hose storage isn't that important and I guess the variable speed might be useful for sanding but it seems like a big chunk of extra cash for not much extra functionality.
Before I order the Trend is there anything that i'm missing that will make me regret the cheaper model?
. Not for UK sale. For Euro socket only. Contact authorised distributor in your country for availability.
Just to give you an extra option. I don't use the m- rated version but really impressed with Fein extractors. Very tough construction, fuss free and very sucky.
Another thing to think of aside from price and performance...
A quality that's not high enough on people's check list with dust collectors- a flat top. It's really handy to put the tool you're using down and wheel the whole lot around.
Check out numatic as well. They have quite a big range, not just little ones with a funny face. Very happy with mine, although it is long since obsoleted from the current line up
Lots of second hand numatic stuff about, especially in 110v - spare hoses and motors are pretty cheap too. I bought a massive 3- motor one that can suck in light for 50 quid. It's basically a black hole in a can
Good point about spares. When I damaged my numatic hose I popped into the local electrical shop and they had a spare on hose on the shelf. Same fitting on my ancient one as the new ones
[url= http://www.toolpost.co.uk/pages/Health___Safety/Dust_Extraction/CamVac_Extractors/camvac_extractors.html ]CamVac?[/url] They seem cheaper and more flixible from a workshop set up too.
Give the owner of that site a ring, he is one of the more knowledgeable woodworkers with a lot of experience of working with "toxic" wood dust.
The Festool machines are over rated and over priced(IMO, and I have used a few), a style over substance product. Capacity is not great for the size of the machines and the hose storage is a faff.
I have a Trend T30 which is bagless, and a Nilfisk 20l, both are robust and work well for a lot less cost than the Festo version, with the Nilfisk much cheaper again than the Trend. The Nilfisk is a good machine but came with both lead and hose that are too short, I adapted a longer hose to fit, parts are much harder to find compared with the Trend but large (George?) Numatic Hepa bags fit, are cheap and filter well. It does both wet and dry using the same filter which is plastic mesh.
I looked at all those and tried a Festool one for a bit.
In the end I decided to go for the cheapest that did what I wanted and haven't regretted it. Spares seem readily available.
I paid £124 last october, so I image they are on offer reasonably often.
I actually planned to make a separate vortex dust collector, but a joiner friend gave me a tip about just wrapping the filter in the bag cloth instead of using a bag and it works a treat!
Blimey. I popped out thinking this was a bit too obscure to get much response but thanks everyone. I think the Euro socket thing is just me quick linking to the wrong page everything else about the machine should be accurate.
A few other options to look at. I guess my main criteria is very sucky, around a 30 litre capacity and m rated (mdf paranoia). Spares availability is a good point. As it's just me at home I don't tend to break much stuff but it's always good to know you can repair things if needs be.
I'll take a proper look at some of the other suggestions this evening.
I get my Festool stuff mostly from FFX. [url= https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Festool-Ctm-26-E-Gb-4014549284766-Mobile-Dust-Extractor-240V ]CTM 26 E for £606 inc vat.[/url]
MDF Is the devil's spunk so I wouldn't dick around cutting corners by getting something cheaper that doesn't have the appropriate filtration.
And I'd still wear a suitable mask!
(Have become more aware of levels of dust filtration, etc., having recently bought an Axminster APF10 mask and then find they fibbed about its capabilities; this was a recent thing amongst much of the woodturning community in the UK. Was returned for refund having raised a dispute with PayPal.)
househusband: What did you end up buying as a replacement for the APF10?
As someone has said MDF is the 'devils spunk'. Do not expect to collect it all with any extractor, especially when using a router.
I have had a Bosch gas25 for 15 years and still going strong. I fit kitchens for a living so it has had a good test. I have always thought Festool to be overpriced until I bought their plunge saw and rail- you wouldn't believe the difference between that and the Dewalt version it replaced. I have not used their extractor.
Festool kit is very nice. Their tools are designed for dust extraction, and are notably better at it than other makes. So, you only get Festool levels of dust collection is you use Festool tools and extraction.
househusband: What did you end up buying as a replacement for the APF10?
As an interim measure I bought one of these:
I do use it only when sanding and turning more toxic woods such as laburnum. I do also have an Axminster Trade dust/chip extractor with 1micron filter next to the lathe with 100mm suction hose close to the tool rest, and a MicroClene (company folded soon after I bought it!) filter above the lathe - hope to get a Record Power AC400 as a replacement when they come up on offer around Christmas time!
Long-term I'll probably get a 3M Versaflo. Did look at the Trend Airshield Pro but its heavy.
So, you only get Festool levels of dust collection is you use Festool tools and extraction.
I do own some festool tools and appreciate they are well designed and that the dust extraction often rates more highly than similar products but, and this is the bit I guess I'm trying to answer isn't the actual vacuum purely down to the volume of air sucked up the tube and the filtration down to the filters in the unit.
So hypothetically If I were using a kapex saw (or any other festool power tool) and plugged the festool dust extraction unit in and everything worked great but then I swapped it out for a different manufacturers dust extractor with the same flow rate and rated to the same filtration level would there be any difference?
footflaps or anyone else with a festool dust extractor: One of the feature that the trend doesn't have is the option to vary the suction, do you find this useful or do you tend to leave it on the same setting most of the time?
My festool rail saw's extraction is so well designed that it blows the waste through the exhaust vent. So much so that I often don't bother turning the extractor on (even though it's connected) for a couple of cuts and there's little dust created.
You don't need Festo extraction for Festo tools, my rail saw and router have the same level of dust collection using my workmates festo machines or using my own.
I agree that you should be wearing additional breathing protection, as above. Even a P2 or P3 disposable would be better than not,and sealed eyewear too if you are sensitive to the fibres.