Festool CT 22 HEPA Review

What the reviewers like:
Experts praise the sturdy construction and quality of Festool shop vacs, as well as their ease of control. Variable speed (3 to 10 amps) makes for better dust collection from sanders, and you can reallocate power in order to use higher-amp tools. Though designed for a 20-amp circuit, the Festool CT 22 HEPA comes with an adapter for use on a 15-amp circuit. Top-quality design details include locking wheels and an anti-static hose to prevent shocks. Reviews say the Festool CT 22 HEPA is easy to tug around without tipping over; its flat top has a recessed area to hold small tools and parts, and attachments allow you to mount other Festool power tools on top to save space. While most reviews say it's not the quietest shop vac, reviews note that Festool shop vacs don't have the annoying high-pitched whine typical of most.

What the reviewers don't like:
Some reviews (though not all) find the Festool CT 22 louder than the top-rated Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III. As with other pro-level shop vacs, no cleaning tools or extension wands are included in the base price; the unit comes with just the hose and two filter bags. There's no drain, and reviewers say emptying liquids is not easy without an accessory that costs extra. But the main drawback is the price tag.

Festool CT 22 HEPA review highlights

Reviewers recommend the 5.8-gallon Festool CT 22 HEPA shop vacuum for collecting dust from portable tools drawing up to 10 amps (or higher if suction is turned down) -- but not for general workshop use to collect larger debris. For that, top honors go to the Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III shop vac (*est. $400), which can also collect dust from heavier portable tools up to 19 amps. In addition, the Fein shop vac is much quieter than the Festool vacuum. While the Festool CT 22 is excellent for dust extraction, its high price is a drawback. However, reviews confirm its high build quality, making it a good long-term investment.

The Festool CT 22 HEPA Dust Extractor adds HEPA filtration to its immediate predecessor, the Festool CT 22 E -- for which we found six in-depth reviews from professional woodworkers. We rank Bill Esposito's review highest, not only because it's the most current, but also because he notes a few drawbacks and details not mentioned in the other reviews. Although we found no large comparative reviews that include the Festool CT 22, the recent Fine Homebuilding review of tool-triggered shop-vacs covers a larger Festool shop vac. Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide also covers a related Festool wet-dry vacuum; both reviews are also relevant to the Festool CT 22 HEPA Dust Extractor.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Taunton's 2008 Tool Guide
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Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs
Rob Wotzak and Taunton Press Editors
Sept. 2007

A larger but similar Festool dust extractor, the Festool CT 33, is ranked at the top by both editors and readers in this review in the annual tool guide by Taunton Press, who also publish both Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking. More than 9,000 readers of both magazines rank the Festool shop vac at the top. The editors' review of five tool-triggered shop vacs is essentially the same review published earlier in the June 2007 issue of Fine Homebuilding (below).

2. Fine Homebuilding
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Untitled
Rob Wotzak
June-July 2007

The Festool CT 22 HEPA shop vac isn't included in this recent review, but Carpenter Rob Wotzak and his crew give top ranking to the similar, larger Festool Cleantec CT 33. The review compares the Festool shop vac with four other five tool-triggered shop vacs by using them on a 2,000-square-foot remodeling job. This review measures noise levels with a decibel meter held four feet from each shop vac at ear level, and specifies pros and cons for each model. Each vacuum also gets ratings for suction power, filter performance and convenience, ease of emptying, mobility and overall design.

3. New Hampshire Woodworker.com
Festool CT 22E Mobile Dust Extractor
Bill Esposito
Feb. 10, 2006

This is the most current detailed review of the Festool 22E Dust Extractor that we found, though it covers the earlier Festool 22E rather than the newer model with HEPA filter. The review is well illustrated and organized, with lots of detail. In fact, many specifications are included here that aren't mentioned in other reviews or even on the Festool USA website. Esposito praises the Festool 22E as "a finely engineered tool," saying the lack of drain is its only drawback.

4. Woodworker's Journal
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European Power Tools
Rob Johnstone
Apr. 2007

Tool expert Rob Johnstone reports on his December 2006 visits to European tool manufacturers, including Festool. He notes that while tools made in Asia are aimed at hobbyists and homeowners for whom price is crucial, European companies design their tools for professional use, so durability and top-notch performance matter much more than price. In his weblog, Johnstone notes that to test durability, Festool "employs an entire staff of people whose only job is to break Festool tools by misusing them."

5. The Woodshop
Festool CT 22 Dust Extractor Review
Jack Loganbill

Woodworker Jack Loganbill tests and rates both the Festool CT22E shop vac and smaller Festool CT Mini in separate in-depth reviews, noting specific pros and cons and comparing them with the Fein Mini Turbo shop vac as well. At its lowest speed, this reviewer finds the Festool quieter than the Fein. Sound level increases if you raise the speed and suction, but the sound quality remains attractive, not annoying. The review praises the Festool for its internal filter cleaner and variable speed, significant advantages over the Fein shop vac.

6. C John Herbert.com
Festool System -- Festool CT 22
C. John Herbert
Updated Apr. 14, 2005

This review covers the Festool CT 22 in the context of the whole Festool system, showing how it integrates with the circular saw, guide rails, and other accessories -- both at jobsites and in the workshop. He's delighted with the way the Festool Dust Extractor keeps jobsites clean no matter what kind of cutting is needed. In a separate review of the Festool Mini, the author says the CT 22 has much better suction.

7. OnlineTool Reviews.com
Festool CT22E Dust Extractor Review
Dean Bielanowski

This in-depth review of the preceding model, the Festool CT 22E, notes that for collecting dust from portable power tools, a big workshop dust collector isn't very effective because it's designed for high air flow (cfm) at low speed. The Festool shop vacs, on the other hand, run at a lower air flow but much higher speed, so they work well with the small dust ports on portable tools. The author, a woodworker, praises the variable-suction control on the Festool CT 22 shop vac, noting that a lower suction is especially useful for vacuuming the workshop, to keep the shop-vac tool from sticking to objects. While this reviewer considers the Festool CT22 a good value, he finds it louder than the Fein shop vacs.

8. Benchmark
Festool CT22e Vacuum Review
Phil Bumbalough

This well-illustrated review covers the predecessor of the Festool CT HEPA shop vac, the CT 22 E; the newer model is the same except for the HEPA filter. Woodworker Phil Bumbalough compares both the Festool CT 22 and the smaller CT Mini with shop vacs by Craftsman, Shop-Vac, and Fein. He finds the Festool much more pleasant to use than the consumer-brand shop vacs, and says it's even quieter than the Fein. A true Festool fan, the author notes no drawbacks, but he does recommend the Festool CT33 for shops needing larger capacity.

9. Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide
Untitled
Roland Johnson and the editors at Taunton Press
Jan. 2005

Tests here comparing ten shop vacs praise the Festool filter design, not only for its self-cleaning feature but for the way it saves space and maintains good air flow. The Festool shop vac tested here is the largest model, the Festool 33 (now the CT33 HEPA) but the Festool CT 22 HEPA is similar. A survey of more than 6,000 readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding ranks the larger Festool shop vac second only to the Fein Turbo III. Editors' tests show that when run on low speed, the Festool shop vac runs as quietly as the Fein, and even at maximum power, measures at just 68.5 decibels -- quieter than the manufacturers' own rating. The earlier 2004 Tool Guide reports the same rankings from both editors and readers.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs