Festool CTL Sys Feedback

[James555]

Morning,
I've got a Festool Midi but am getting fed up lugging it about for 'small' jobs so the CTL Sys has been winking at me.
A typical small job is one I'm doing next week - sand a water damaged windowsill back to bare wood and sand back a few small / medium sized easifill filler patches on the ceiling and walls nearby.
I use the RTS400 and ETS150/5 sanders, so am keen on staying with Festool dust extraction but obviously don't want to waste 300 quid.
Thanks.

 

[Ollie78]

I know a guy who loves his. He uses is it for much the same as you suggest, just little jobs.
It's also good for last thing out once you have done a bigger job and cleaned up everything, there is always that last bit on the way out that you miss.

It does only have very small capacity though.
Makita do a similar vacuum but battery powered.

I am cheap so I just use the midi.

Ollie

 

[petermillard]

I bought the CTL Sys for exactly that reason. It was OK for light sanding and sawing, and cleaning up, but pretty hopeless for anything like easifill - the bag clogged very quickly, you’re better off with the midi for that. It’s the weakest of the Festool extractors, and doesn’t have variable speed, so if you like to turn down the suction while sanding, you’re out of luck.

The size and ‘sustainer stackability’ made it very compelling for site/install work though, and tbh there isn’t much else around at that kind of size with any kind of filtration classification ie you can get small vacs (Aldi, Scheppach) but they’re not Class L dust extractors, if that makes a difference to you or your clients.

HTH P

 

[Doug71]

Festool are releasing a cordless version of the CT SYS which runs on two 18v batteries, I expect it will be really nice but apparently it only runs on the new 4ah batteries as there isn't room for the 5.2ah ones

I keep nearly buying the cordless Makita vac, I am going cordless as much as possible for site work..

 

[Doug B]

Festool are releasing a cordless version of the CT SYS which runs on two 18v batteries, I expect it will be really nice but apparently it only runs on the new 4ah batteries as there isn't room for the 5.2ah ones

I keep nearly buying the cordless Makita vac, I am going cordless as much as possible for site work..

Saw it recently at one of their road shows, Doug’s right about the batteries but it seemed a good vac.

 

[James555]

Thanks for the comments.

I've gone back and forwards many times and the CTL Sys is the only one that gets close to what I want. The Makita 18v is a wet / dry vac and I've been there before. Great for plumbers (wet) and small (dry) clear-ups, but not for dust extraction as they clog pretty quick. The Makita 36v would be as heavy as my Midi.

My Festool sanders are corded, so the CTL Sys being corded is fine, even though the new 36v version looks nice. Can you run a corded tool off it?

There seems to be a gap in the market not *entirely* fulfilled. Something for small repair jobs that the CTL Sys seems to get *very* close to fulfilling, but what Peter M says about sanding easifill is a concern, and indeed other reviews have suggested likewise.

The largest area of easifill I'd sand is perhaps a 400mm x 400mm patch so I need gauge whether that would be a problem. I assume a quick shake of the bag gets it going again if suction tails off.