The CT 15 costs half as much as the MINI, and it's exactly the same vacuum, minus the wireless module, brake, filter cleaning lever, and "hose garage" at the top, but with a larger container (identical to the MIDI). Also, it comes with a regular hose (not the anti-static one supplied with the MINI and MIDI). The hose bayonets are identical. However, you can buy those extras (except for the wireless module, which you definitely can't - and I'm not sure about the filter lever) as spare parts, and add them to the CT-15 basically turning it into a... er... "wirelessless" MIDI. Personally, I find the "brake" and the filter cleaning lever completely useless (the brake doesn't work very well, and you can clean the filter by pulling it out and banging it against a wall or using a brush), so it was just a matter of how much I wanted the wireless module. I don't have any wireless Festool tools, so decided it wasn't worth the price difference from a CT 15 to a MIDI, and bought the CT 15 kit (with a bunch of floor- and upholstery-vacuuming accessories that would have cost me another 50€ or so) plus the Systainer-compatible "hose garage". In total it was 350 euros (£299), including VAT. And if you don't want the hose garage (the CT 15 comes with a smaller top, that fits some accessories but not the hose itself), it's about 300 euros, including the floor vacuuming accessories. BTW, you don't need to wrap the cable on the outside. If you prefer, you can put it into the "hose garage" itself (that's why there's a slot for the cable on the edge of the lid, it's not just for the plug). The "garage" will fit the cable and the standard hose just fine (but if you stack systainers on top of it, you're better off using the cable bracket at the back, so you don't need to remove them every time you want to plug it in. As you mentioned, the "garage's" design is pretty bad and forces you to remove the systainers in order to open the lid. Festool's designers' brains just seem to freeze now and then. Also, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you can add a zipper to the "self-cleaning" (disposable) bag for easy emptying, and reuse it multiple times. Or you can buy the "long life bag", which comes with the zipper built in, and can be washed, but costs about 25x as much and lets more dust through (so the actual filter gets dirtier). There are already some enterprising people selling modified (zippered) bags on eBay, but I do have a sewing machine, so I made my own. I did use a green zipper, of course. :-P
@@julianweiser9985 - I find that it retracts way too easily. Just yank the hose a little bit too hard and it "unbrakes". You can achieve the same with a small wood block. If they'd added a real brake to the back wheels it would have been much more efficient.
To save money on the bags, you can cut off the end, fold over, then use a piece of plastic binder strip / poster holder to seal. Peter Millard has a video on it 👍.
Or just sew a zipper on the end, like I did. Some people are actually selling modified ("zippered") Festool bags on eBay, so you don't even have to do it yourself.
@@markjarman7819 - The "self-cleaning bags" are meant to be disposable. They have a finer filter than the "longlife bag", and will slowly get clogged. But you can easily get 5 or 10 uses out of them instead of just 1. The "longlife bag" will last virtually forever (I think it's even washable) but it lets the finer dust through, and that dust ends up on the main paper filter (which you can clean but not actually wash), or getting blown back out. Festool specifically mentions that bag should only be used with "large chips and debris" (the kind that _won't_ clog the cheaper bags anyway). Personally, I prefer to use the finer (and cheaper) bags, and discard them only when the loss of suction become noticeable, than use the more expensive bag that lets fine dust through by design.
I have a midi in my van and a mini and one midi in my shop. Best extractor out there in my mind. The old midi in the shop was used when I bought it and still going strong on my cs70 table saw.
If you can, empty the bag every now and then, I emptied mine about five times when grinding down my concrete floor and trust me, the dust was horribly small. However, the unit was still perfectly clean on the inside after the whole job.
My friend who is a cabinet maker bought this vacuum and I told him I bought the next model down. I had the 26 I think the bigger model and my friend would correct me in saying mine is the bigger model. Well my friends vacuum is very good and powerful for its size. Even my model I used on grinding and still didn't seem to lose suction despite the concrete dust. My vacuum changed ownership at one stage I know not where it went so I bought a metabo since. There wasn't much difference in price to my festool although the extra feature of thumping was about $500 au so I didn't want to go there. It's hard to tell I did quite a bit of research to my vacuum which basically is a starmix. It has two thumping actions for each filter. What I mean to say one filter thumps followed by the next filter been thumped. The vacuum is a lot heavier than your vacuum which for what you are using it for will be a benefit. i won't cut any wood or sand any material unless I have a vacuum attachment.
@@Smallbarnworkshop The L version has got the same filter as the M version. Both have the same HEPA filter. The only difference between CTL and CTM is the automatic suction hose detection and a sensor which sets off an alarm if the suction volume drops to avoid unhealthy air pollution with the M version. Reason for this alarm function is an industrial safety regulation. For private use you get the same product cheaper and without the annoying beeping if you go for the CTL Midi. And yes, you can use it for liquids but you have to exchange the filter. There is a special wet filter out there.
yes sorry Christian. it’s the cheapest with the smooth hose, I did reference the CT15 in the video. thanks for you view and comment it’s appreciated. Regards JP
@@Smallbarnworkshop The price Festool charge for a vacuum cleaner would be justified if they used a brushless (electronic, digital, or other terms that mean a multi-phase invertor driven) motor, like many domestic units or the spindles on CNC machines etc. Instead they use the same design of brushed motor you get in the cheapest of vacuum cleaners. It may be better built, but it has the same limits on performance and efficiency (and noise). Vacuum cleaner turbines need high rotational speeds (~ 20,000 rpm) to keep the size reasonable- brushed motors are a cheap and cheerful way to get this. At this price they should use better. You get more performance, longer life (Festool charge £32 for a set of brushes!) less noise and (much) lower power requirement with brushless.
@@Tensquaremetreworkshop - Festool's Cleantec vacuums perform as well (both in terms of power and noise) as any other major brand, for a similar form factor. Hilti is slightly better (but more expensive) and Nilfisk is about the same (in terms of both performance and price) but noisier. Practically everyone else is noisier _and_ has less suction. Of all Festool gear, I'd say vacuums (especially the CT 15) are probably the best value for money. I can't speak for the durability of their motors' brushes, but I have several (non-Festool) tools with brushed motors that have been using the same set of brushes for nearly 10 years, so I don't think that will be a significant expense, in the long run.
@@RFC-3514 The point is that it is old technology. Would any serious woodworker buy a cordless drill today that was not brushless? The only argument for brushed motors in vacuum cleaners is the (very) low cost- and Festool can hardly claim that. Yes, hand mains power tools are largely still brushed- but that is partly because of the space the invertor needs- not an argument in the case of a wheeled vacuum- plenty of space to fit it. Face it- Festool are happy to sell yesterday's technology for inflated prices. Brushless extraction turbines are much more efficient, quieter, give higher levels of vacuum and flow and are more reliable.
The CT 15 costs half as much as the MINI, and it's exactly the same vacuum, minus the wireless module, brake, filter cleaning lever, and "hose garage" at the top, but with a larger container (identical to the MIDI). Also, it comes with a regular hose (not the anti-static one supplied with the MINI and MIDI). The hose bayonets are identical.
However, you can buy those extras (except for the wireless module, which you definitely can't - and I'm not sure about the filter lever) as spare parts, and add them to the CT-15 basically turning it into a... er... "wirelessless" MIDI.
Personally, I find the "brake" and the filter cleaning lever completely useless (the brake doesn't work very well, and you can clean the filter by pulling it out and banging it against a wall or using a brush), so it was just a matter of how much I wanted the wireless module.
I don't have any wireless Festool tools, so decided it wasn't worth the price difference from a CT 15 to a MIDI, and bought the CT 15 kit (with a bunch of floor- and upholstery-vacuuming accessories that would have cost me another 50€ or so) plus the Systainer-compatible "hose garage". In total it was 350 euros (£299), including VAT. And if you don't want the hose garage (the CT 15 comes with a smaller top, that fits some accessories but not the hose itself), it's about 300 euros, including the floor vacuuming accessories.
BTW, you don't need to wrap the cable on the outside. If you prefer, you can put it into the "hose garage" itself (that's why there's a slot for the cable on the edge of the lid, it's not just for the plug). The "garage" will fit the cable and the standard hose just fine (but if you stack systainers on top of it, you're better off using the cable bracket at the back, so you don't need to remove them every time you want to plug it in. As you mentioned, the "garage's" design is pretty bad and forces you to remove the systainers in order to open the lid. Festool's designers' brains just seem to freeze now and then.
Also, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you can add a zipper to the "self-cleaning" (disposable) bag for easy emptying, and reuse it multiple times. Or you can buy the "long life bag", which comes with the zipper built in, and can be washed, but costs about 25x as much and lets more dust through (so the actual filter gets dirtier).
There are already some enterprising people selling modified (zippered) bags on eBay, but I do have a sewing machine, so I made my own. I did use a green zipper, of course. :-P
thank you for your details reply, you have given me plenty to think about. Sewing a zip in the bag is very interesting ! thank you and regards JP
The brake does help a lot when you have an angled driveway.
I bet! Regards JP
@@julianweiser9985 - I find that it retracts way too easily. Just yank the hose a little bit too hard and it "unbrakes". You can achieve the same with a small wood block. If they'd added a real brake to the back wheels it would have been much more efficient.
love your content. You're two steps ahead of all my plans!
Thank you Eric 👍 Regards JP
To save money on the bags, you can cut off the end, fold over, then use a piece of plastic binder strip / poster holder to seal. Peter Millard has a video on it 👍.
Brilliant! Thank you Idler. Regards JP
Or just sew a zipper on the end, like I did. Some people are actually selling modified ("zippered") Festool bags on eBay, so you don't even have to do it yourself.
This works great on timber waste but anything finer I find you do lose suction after time.
Good point! 👍
@@markjarman7819 - The "self-cleaning bags" are meant to be disposable. They have a finer filter than the "longlife bag", and will slowly get clogged. But you can easily get 5 or 10 uses out of them instead of just 1.
The "longlife bag" will last virtually forever (I think it's even washable) but it lets the finer dust through, and that dust ends up on the main paper filter (which you can clean but not actually wash), or getting blown back out. Festool specifically mentions that bag should only be used with "large chips and debris" (the kind that _won't_ clog the cheaper bags anyway).
Personally, I prefer to use the finer (and cheaper) bags, and discard them only when the loss of suction become noticeable, than use the more expensive bag that lets fine dust through by design.
I have a midi in my van and a mini and one midi in my shop. Best extractor out there in my mind. The old midi in the shop was used when I bought it and still going strong on my cs70 table saw.
I am really liking mine Mark.Thanks for the view and comment. Regards JP
Great review. Thanks for taking the time.
Thanks for watching! Regards JP
Thanks a lot for your video. Still happy with your vacuum cleaner? For your woodwork, do you think the volume capacity of the MINI is enough?
Yes, absolutely. I am still on my first bag and it has been used a fair bit. I certainly didn’t need anything bigger. regards JP
@@Smallbarnworkshop Thanks 👍👍👍
Funny that I have had the original CT Mini since what? 13-14 years? and NEVER noticed the wheel brake system, heh.
it’s amazing. I used my table saw for ages without realising the fence folded into a rip fence 🙄 regards JP
If you can, empty the bag every now and then, I emptied mine about five times when grinding down my concrete floor and trust me, the dust was horribly small. However, the unit was still perfectly clean on the inside after the whole job.
Thanks Julian. We will give my next bag a go. Regards JP
Well for the Brits they should make a waterproof vacuum...
😁
My friend who is a cabinet maker bought this vacuum and I told him I bought the next model down. I had the 26 I think the bigger model and my friend would correct me in saying mine is the bigger model. Well my friends vacuum is very good and powerful for its size.
Even my model I used on grinding and still didn't seem to lose suction despite the concrete dust.
My vacuum changed ownership at one stage I know not where it went so I bought a metabo since.
There wasn't much difference in price to my festool although the extra feature of thumping was about $500 au so I didn't want to go there.
It's hard to tell I did quite a bit of research to my vacuum which basically is a starmix. It has two thumping actions for each filter. What I mean to say one filter thumps followed by the next filter been thumped.
The vacuum is a lot heavier than your vacuum which for what you are using it for will be a benefit.
i won't cut any wood or sand any material unless I have a vacuum attachment.
Ronald. thank you for the view and your comments. some interesting information there, thank you. regards JP
I hope it works out for you: I am sure it will. All the best.
Thanks Norman. I am sure I will keep the channel updated. Regards JP
Thank you!
You're welcome! Regards JP
Does this vac have a hepa filter and can it be used as wet vac?
Thanks
Hi. it’s a class L , think it needs to be Class M for a HEPA (?) which adds a fair bit to the price. it’s not a wet system. Regards JP
@@Smallbarnworkshop thanks.
@@Smallbarnworkshop The L version has got the same filter as the M version. Both have the same HEPA filter. The only difference between CTL and CTM is the automatic suction hose detection and a sensor which sets off an alarm if the suction volume drops to avoid unhealthy air pollution with the M version. Reason for this alarm function is an industrial safety regulation. For private use you get the same product cheaper and without the annoying beeping if you go for the CTL Midi.
And yes, you can use it for liquids but you have to exchange the filter. There is a special wet filter out there.
@@rainbowlable hi. Thank you for the information . Regards JP
It's not the least expensive. The CT 15 is tied with the CT Sys
yes sorry Christian. it’s the cheapest with the smooth hose, I did reference the CT15 in the video. thanks for you view and comment it’s appreciated. Regards JP
Have a look at peter Millard channel he showed how to make reusable bag or it
Will do Matt. Thanks. Regards
Great video !!!! thanks
Thank you Michael. Regards JP
Never though I would see 'cheap' and 'Festool' in the same sentence...
I think Peter Millard also managed it with his cheap tool v Festool videos. Thanks for watching Mike. Regards JP
@@Smallbarnworkshop The price Festool charge for a vacuum cleaner would be justified if they used a brushless (electronic, digital, or other terms that mean a multi-phase invertor driven) motor, like many domestic units or the spindles on CNC machines etc. Instead they use the same design of brushed motor you get in the cheapest of vacuum cleaners. It may be better built, but it has the same limits on performance and efficiency (and noise). Vacuum cleaner turbines need high rotational speeds (~ 20,000 rpm) to keep the size reasonable- brushed motors are a cheap and cheerful way to get this. At this price they should use better. You get more performance, longer life (Festool charge £32 for a set of brushes!) less noise and (much) lower power requirement with brushless.
I know. it was an extravagant purchase. I’d just sold my bike and was feeling flush 😊 regards JP
@@Tensquaremetreworkshop - Festool's Cleantec vacuums perform as well (both in terms of power and noise) as any other major brand, for a similar form factor. Hilti is slightly better (but more expensive) and Nilfisk is about the same (in terms of both performance and price) but noisier. Practically everyone else is noisier _and_ has less suction.
Of all Festool gear, I'd say vacuums (especially the CT 15) are probably the best value for money.
I can't speak for the durability of their motors' brushes, but I have several (non-Festool) tools with brushed motors that have been using the same set of brushes for nearly 10 years, so I don't think that will be a significant expense, in the long run.
@@RFC-3514 The point is that it is old technology. Would any serious woodworker buy a cordless drill today that was not brushless? The only argument for brushed motors in vacuum cleaners is the (very) low cost- and Festool can hardly claim that. Yes, hand mains power tools are largely still brushed- but that is partly because of the space the invertor needs- not an argument in the case of a wheeled vacuum- plenty of space to fit it. Face it- Festool are happy to sell yesterday's technology for inflated prices.
Brushless extraction turbines are much more efficient, quieter, give higher levels of vacuum and flow and are more reliable.