Best Reviewed
Wet Dry Vacs
- Best wet dry vac for home and garage Ridgid WD1450 *Est. $135
- Best workshop vacuum Bosch Airsweep 3931A *Est. $535
- Portable wet dry vac Ridgid Pro Pack WD4522 *Est. $95
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- Sturdy build quality
- Three-year warranty
- Anti-static hose
- Self-cleaning HEPA filter
- Variable suction for use with different tools
- Expensive
- Odd hose diameter
- Not very convenient for liquids
Critics say the 8.7-gallon Festool CT 33E wet dry vac is the best 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 33E wet dry 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 an extra cost. The odd-size hose diameter means it can be tricky to attach to tools not made by Festool, though you can buy adapters. For about the same price, the Bosch AirSweep 3931A (*Est. $535) is described by experts as a little more versatile.
The Festool CT 33E is tested thoroughly in various comparison reviews of wet dry vacs for woodworkers, the most recent of which are at retail site Rockler.com and at Wood Magazine. Earlier tests done at Fine Homebuilding are more thorough, however, and compare the Festool with more competitors. 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 the website BenchMark.
Our Sources
1. Rockler.com
This review by a major retailer compares Festool dust extractors with the revamped Fein Turbo wet dry vacs, concluding that both brands are extremely quiet and provide superior dust collection. Now that Fein shop vacs offer adjustable suction, the Festool models have lost some of their edge.
Review: The Best in Shop Vacs - Fein vs. Festool, Rockler Blog Team, Feb. 6, 2009
2. Wood MagazineDetails/Subscribe
This review compares the smaller but very similar Festool CT 22E with three other tool-triggered wet dry vacs. Despite the high price, the Festool earns top ranking, with praise for strong suction plus adjustable power that can make full use of a 20-amp circuit. The only drawback noted in this review is that the hose can be tricky to attach to power tools not made by Festool.
Review: Wise Buys: Tool-Triggered Vacuums, Editors of Wood Magazine, May 2008
3. Taunton 2009 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe
This review of five tool-triggered wet dry vacs compares the Festool CT 33E with four competitors, based on tests done for the June 2007 review in Fine Woodworking (below). Readers agree with the editors in top-ranking the Festool.
Review: Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs, Rob Wotzak and Taunton Press Editors, Nov. 2008
4. Fine HomebuildingDetails/Subscribe
The Festool Cleantec CT 33 Dust Extractor (now called the CT 33E) gets top ranking as Editors' Choice in this comparison review of five tool-triggered workshop 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
5. Taunton's 2005 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe
This roundup review compares the previous version of the Festool CT 33 with six other pro-grade wet dry 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 33E second only to the Fein Turbo III.
Review: Shop Vacuums, Roland Johnson and the editors at Taunton Press, Jan. 2005
6. 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: Untitled, Rob Johnstone, April.2007
7. Journal of Light ConstructionDetails/Subscribe
Professional contractor David Grubb tests the Festool CT 33E along with six other tool-activated workshop vacs. Tests here find the Festool wet dry vac powerful, quiet and well made, but too delicate for most jobsite work.
Review: Tool Test: Tool-Activated Vacuums, David Grubb, Dec. 2004
8. Fine WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe
Comparing 13 shop vacs for endurance, adaptability and ergonomics, woodworker Roland Johnson praises the Festool CT 33 (the predecessor to the current CT 33E) 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
9. Benchmark
This well-illustrated review goes into detail about the smaller Festool CT 22E wet dry vac, but recommends the Festool CT 33E for workshops requiring a larger capacity vacuum.
Review: Festool CT22e Vacuum Review, Phil Bumbalough
10. SawmillCreek.org
In this discussion of wet dry vacs at a woodworking forum, readers compare the Fein Turbo II with several Festool shop vacs. The Festool CT 33E workshop 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
11. ToolMonger.com
Editor Chuck Cage recommends using the Craftsman Auto Switch with a budget wet dry 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 workshop 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
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