# dustless sanders



## bierman (Mar 1, 2017)

Hey guys.

I am sure this topic has come up before, but bear with me, I am new to the site. 

For those of you who run the festool planex and the vac, are they worth all the money? I am also looking at the porter cable/dewalt dust extractor combo. I can save almost $800 going that route, but don't want to make a bad decision trying to save a few bucks.

I do about a third of my yearly business in drywall and am currently hand finishing and hand sanding. I have decided I can justify the cost if they are as good as advertised and will speed the sanding/clean-up.

Also, as I am looking towards the automatic taping tools down the road, which company makes a good set up without just blindly buying the most expensive. Thanks


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

In your case I would go with the porter cable. The festool is much better. I say go with the porter cable because it doesn't sound like it's a tool you would use every week. Sounds to me like you may use it 2 or 3 days a month. If that's the case, it's not worth buying a festool. The porter cable holds up great with limited use.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

Yes, they are worth the money for frequent users.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

I think the festool sanders and vacs are top of the line in dust free workplace. I love em.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

We have the Planex and have used the PorterCable. The Planex has better ergonomics in my opinion. Combined with an AutoClean vac and you can sand longer than you want to and stay 90% dust free. We bought ours when Festool had their recon sale a few years back. We only use ours for lived in remodels. It may get used 8-10 times a year. Well worth the money we paid. We added the AC vac a year later and that made it even better. If you get the Planex order the soft pad for it. Makes it much better to control.

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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Putting my Planex to work tomorrow in a lived in home. Until you use it with the CT 36 AC, you just can't imagine how much dust it collects. Worth every cent I invested in the system. 

Tom


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

We use our Planex on average once a month I'd guess, maybe twice a month. It's well worth the money invested compared to hand sanding.

We even sand for our drywall guy when he does the finishing on large projects because we don't want all the dust he would make.


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## sparehair (Nov 21, 2008)

bierman said:


> Hey guys.
> 
> I am sure this topic has come up before, but bear with me, I am new to the site.
> 
> ...


You want to do the best work for the best people? Buy the best tools.

If youre spending 4 months a year doing sheet rock an extra 800$ for the best possible machine will be paid for in one maybe two jobs.

Goldenview has the dewalt vac. He hates it. I am on my fourth 36. I run those things into the ground every twenty four months. Get a warranty repair, run it for another 24 months and toss it over my shoulder for 75 percent of what I paid for it. Annual cost to operate $75.00. Plus bags of course.

I go through about 120 bags a year.

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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

I have the Planex and love it. I matched it to the CT26, not as it is intended to be but I already had that vac. I am only sanding drywall repairs or where we are skimming walls etc, and we prep every interior paint job with it. I would say we use it once every couple of weeks, worth every penny.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

I've used the porter cable for 15 yrs now. I catch 90% or more of the dust. It works for me. 
From what most here have always said, planex is supposed to be a lot better. 

No job is dustless. 

Search craigslist for a used one. Good luck. 


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## bcook19791 (Aug 24, 2016)

I just started running the portercable/ dewalt combo. I'm happy with it. Sure beats sanding by hand. Id say it collects 90% of the dust. Never ran the Festool so I can't compare, but I do drywall sporadically usually in occupied homes and it saves me a ton in time and cleanup.


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## sparehair (Nov 21, 2008)

And another one ignored all the advice and just did what they were going to do anyway...

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## bierman (Mar 1, 2017)

*dustless sander*

Thanks for all the feedback. I got the planex with the 36 ac. Only one house under my belt with it, but it is impressive. Still getting it dialed in, or me dialed in to it. Thanks again.:thumbsup:


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

I have the porter cable and using my CT26 but the porter cable is dying I think. It will all of a sudden suck to the wall very hard and start the motor smoking. Had a few workers using it to sand down removed wall paper before I skim coated it. I do believe they might have been a tad hard on it as this was a large commercial office. I am really, really leaning to the Planex and getting the AC36, I would use bags though (on the 36) and I do now on the 26, so just not sure if I need the AC? Thoughts all?

The bags keep the machine so much cleaner IMO


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

Brhokle606 have no trouble sanding drywall with the Planex matched to the CT 26, but I am not using it everyday. Also bear in mind you have to buy the correct hose for the Planex, as the small green hose that comes with the CT26 will not work properly with the Planex. 

If I was sanding drywall more frequently, or if I was starting I over, I would get the AC36 as it would be far more efficient on bags and comes with the the correct hose for the Planex I believe. 

At the time I could not justify another Festool vac.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

brhokel606 said:


> I have the porter cable and using my CT26 but the porter cable is dying I think. It will all of a sudden suck to the wall very hard and start the motor smoking. Had a few workers using it to sand down removed wall paper before I skim coated it. I do believe they might have been a tad hard on it as this was a large commercial office. I am really, really leaning to the Planex and getting the AC36, I would use bags though (on the 36) and I do now on the 26, so just not sure if I need the AC? Thoughts all?
> 
> The bags keep the machine so much cleaner IMO


The bags do keep the unit cleaner.

The auto clean function does no good with a bag in the CT. It will pop but it has no affect on the bag.

There is a liner for the AC, and it uses non-HEPA filters. As Ohio said, you need the correct hose, it's about $175.00 as an individual item.

Tom


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

That hose is great! I wish the other hoses were that flexible. 

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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

brhokel606 said:


> I have the porter cable and using my CT26 but the porter cable is dying I think. It will all of a sudden suck to the wall very hard and start the motor smoking. Had a few workers using it to sand down removed wall paper before I skim coated it. I do believe they might have been a tad hard on it as this was a large commercial office. I am really, really leaning to the Planex and getting the AC36, I would use bags though (on the 36) and I do now on the 26, so just not sure if I need the AC? Thoughts all?
> 
> The bags keep the machine so much cleaner IMO





overanalyze said:


> That hose is great! I wish the other hoses were that flexible.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk


Pretty much my go to hose. Won't work with certain tools (the other 36mm do) and the Compact Cleaning Set unless you change the tool end cuff.

Tom


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

I bought a compact cleaning kit and cut the end of the wand off at the small to large transition in the end of the plastic. The Planex hose fits around the end and the compact hose end still fits inside. I also bought an adapter that fits in the Planex hose and adapts to the tool end on the sanders. This way I can still use the AC vac when sanding small stuff or corners.


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## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

bierman said:


> Also, as I am looking towards the automatic taping tools down the road, which company makes a good set up without just blindly buying the most expensive. Thanks


I don't have experience with the sanders but I did start adding auto taping tools this past year and I know you already bought the sander but I would start with the corner auto tools first. They save so much time you will kick yourself for not getting them sooner. Get a compound tube, applicator heads, flushers, and a roller. This will get you set up for inside corners. Depending on how much you want to spend right away you can also get an applicator head for outside corners and a roller. Then add in boxes and nail spotters. Can use a banjo or I'm going to try a flat applicator head for my tube and then just put the tape in the mud and see how that works. 

I have columbia brand and like them but I think others have had good luck with any of the major brands. There is another thread going about auto tools right now with some good info.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

bierman said:


> Also, as I am looking towards the automatic taping tools down the road, which company makes a good set up without just blindly buying the most expensive. Thanks


See this thread;

http://www.contractortalk.com/f49/do-you-wet-tape-dry-tape-your-inside-corners-315098/

Tom


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

sparehair said:


> And another one ignored all the advice and just did what they were going to do anyway...
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk




Huh? 


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## sparehair (Nov 21, 2008)

Comes on says Im going to do x but maybe I should do y? 75 percent say do y. Does x.

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