Festool577085 CT 48 E HEPA Dust Extractor

Maybe it's the sweet lemons effect because I spent $1300 on a shop vac, but this is a nice and well designed piece of equipment. I bought the bluetooth switch that you put on the end of the hose, but was disappointed to find out I also need to buy the bluetooth module that you install into this thing. So just to have one functioning switch I need to spend another $80. For such an expensive vacuum, you would think they could just include the bluetooth module for free. So for this vacuum, the vacuum attachment systainer, bluetooth module, and taxes, this thing is approaching $1300 if not more.Honestly I just bought this because of the HEPA filtering. For most tasks, a $100 Rigid shop vac with a bag is about 90% as good.

Yes, it is expensive. I used it with a Festool sander and I literally had to check for saw dust in the bin to confirm it was actually removing material. There was NO dust in the air so I did not believe my hand when I felt the sanded surface. Now I get dustier using a scraping plane than I do using a random orbit sander. No regrets spending the money.

Best tool for the job I have had. Yes, it is expensive, but it performs as expected. Very happy with purchase.

I ordered this to use in my woodshop. I built a wall-mounted arm from which I hung a hose. This arm is collapsible, from 9ft to 5ft, and swings in a 180 degree arc. It will allow me to attach the hose to my table saw's blade guard, as well as nearby tools like my belt sander, drill press, and miter saw. It also goes over the top of my assembly table where I can use the hose for sanding, using the Kreg pocket hole jig, etc. The Festool CT48 sits under the pivot of this arm. The hose for the vacuum by itself wasn't long enough...I purchased Dust Rite hoses from Rockler to get the length I needed. More on this in a bit.The vacuum is very powerful. I'm amazed at the amount of suction this vacuum has, and how it maintains that suction even as the bag fills. That's a big difference between this unit and the traditional shop-vac type units I used before...as THOSE units fill, their single stage filters get plugged, and they lose suction. And cleaning those filters off is no joy...often that's the messiest part of working in my shop!The bluetooth switch and module (purchased separately) work well also...I have the switch mounted on the end of the hose, so no matter what I have it plugged into, a light press of a button turns on the vacuum. It reliable, and easy to install and set up! This vacuum, like the other Festool products with which I'm familiar, is well thought out, and works perfectly!And it had better work perfectly, because they're SO expensive! That's my only gripe...the vacuum is expensive, but you're just getting started. You'll eventually need extra bags...they're $11 each for the CT48. The Bluetooth module and switch are $80. The hose is only 11.5 feet long, which isn't long enough for many situations, but a second hose from Festool is $135. Finally, there's no accessories for the hose...no stick wand, or alternate size adapters...end of the hose is sized for Festool sanders and tools, but I don't have any of those! I still needed adapters to connect my tools! In my case, I purchased two 1 1/2' Dust right hose kits from Rockler. Each had a 12' hose...one kit had adapters that fit all my tools. The other had a coupler that connected the hoses together. This gave me 24 feet of hose and all the adapters I need, and cost $100. They are larger inside diameter than the Festool hose, which helps make up for the extra length, and they're very high quality and durable, unlike the cheap options available elsewhere...a good compromise, I feel. I certainly don't feel I've lost anything in terms of vacuum power.So, yeah, it's expensive, and accessories are ridiculously expensive! On the other hand, the warranty is outstanding, and to be perfectly fair, HEPA dust extractors from the likes of Makita and 3M aren't all that much, if any, cheaper! So in the end, I swallowed the cost, bought the unit, and I'm satisfied with my purchase. If it was stolen, I'd buy it again.