Festool Cleantec CT33 HEPA

*Est. $560

Sturdy construction
Comes with a HEPA filter
Variable suction for use with different tools
Large wheels make it easy to move around

Expensive

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Our Analysis

Reviews say the 8.7-gallon Festool CT 33 shop vac is the top choice for collecting dust from handheld sanders and other small power tools, with superb quality and features. Variable power enables dust collection from tools that draw more than 10 amps (on a 20-amp circuit). Experts praise the Festool CT 33 shop vac's overall build quality, as well as its quiet performance. The Festool has a self-cleaning HEPA filter, anti-static hose and blower. Larger hoses are available for the Festool CT 33 HEPA, but at extra cost. Its main drawback is simply its price. For those on a budget, reviewers recommend the Ridgid WD1450 (*est. $100) for general cleanup jobs.

The Festool CT 33 HEPA is tested thoroughly in various comparison reviews of shop vacs for woodworkers, the most recent of which is at Fine Homebuilding. This review compares it with four other tool-triggered wet/dry vacuums, giving each numeric ratings for power, filtration and dust collection, noise, mobility, ease of emptying and overall design. Earlier reviews in Fine Woodworking and Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide covering the previous version of the Festool CT 33 are still applicable, as is a detailed single-product review at Benchmark.com.

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Our Sources

1. Taunton's 2008 Tool Guide

The Festool Cleantec CT 33 dust extractor is the top-rated shop vac in a survey of more than 9,000 readers of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking. Editors' comparison tests also pick the Festool CT 33 as the Editors' Choice "best overall" tool-triggered shop vac.

Review: Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs, Rob Wotzak and Taunton Press Editors, Sept. 2007

2. Fine HomebuildingDetails/Subscribe

The Festool Cleantec CT 33 Dust Extractor gets top ranking as Editors' Choice in this comparison review of five tool-triggered shop vacs. Carpenter Rob Wotzak measures noise levels, and each vacuum gets ratings for power, convenience, mobility and overall design.

Review: Untitled, Rob Wotzak, June/July 2007

3. Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide

This roundup review compares the previous version of the Festool CT 33 with six other pro-level shop vacs plus three budget models. Included are survey results from more than 6,000 readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding, who rank the Festool CT 33 second only to the Fein Turbo III.

Review: Shop Vacuums, Roland Johnson and the editors at Taunton Press, Jan. 2005

4. Woodworker's JournalDetails/Subscribe

Tool expert Rob Johnstone reports on his December 2006 visits to European tool manufacturers, including Festool in Germany. Johnstone says that to test the durability of its tools, Festool "employs an entire staff of people whose only job is to break Festool tools by misusing them."

Review: European Power Tools, Rob Johnstone, April.2007

5. Journal of Light ConstructionDetails/Subscribe

Professional contractor David Grubb tests the Festool CT 33 along with six other tool-activated shop vacs. Tests here find the Festool shop vac powerful, quiet and well made, but too delicate for most jobsite work.

Review: Tool Test: Tool-Activated Vacuums, David Grubb, Dec. 2004

6. Fine Woodworking Details/Subscribe

Comparing 13 shop vacs for endurance, adaptability and ergonomics, woodworker Roland Johnson praises the Festool CT 33 (the predecessor to the current model) for its variable suction, as well as for the top-mounted filter design and internal filter cleaner.

Review: Shop Vacuums, Roland Johnson, May/June 2003

7. Benchmark

This well-illustrated review goes into detail about the smaller Festool CT 22 shop vac, but recommends the Festool CT 33 for workshops needing a larger capacity.

Review: Festool CT22e Vacuum Review, Phil Bumbalough

8. SawmillCreek.org

In this discussion of shop vacs at a woodworking forum, readers compare the Fein Turbo II with several Festool shop vacs. The Festool CT 33 shop vac earns praise for its variable suction and HEPA filter bags. However, several owners find it more fragile than the Fein Turbo II, and not as suitable for general shop cleanup.

Review: Fein vs. Festool, Contributors to SawmillCreek.org

9. ToolMonger.com

Toolmonger editor Chuck Cage recommends using the Craftsman Auto Switch with a budget shop vac as an alternative to a more expensive tool-triggered shop vac like the Festool. One reader comments on features that still make a Festool shop vac worth the money.

Review: $20 Auto Switch + $50 Shop Vacuum = $400 Festool Dust Collection Vac, Chuck Cage and Contributors to Toolmonger.com, April 2007

10. Power Tools for Geeks

This brief review of the Festool CT 33 shop vac seems more like an advertising blurb than a genuine review. Mark does note some special features of the Festool, like the antistatic hose and the ease of switching between wet and dry vacuuming.

Review: Festool Dust Extractor, Brian Mark, Jan. 11, 2006