Open fire - fire place and firebox help

[Toby Newell]

If you just got it, dont use it! And return it. I'm not sure how much the premium is over the CTL Midi but basically whatever it is paid for an airflow sensor and a beeper.

Apart from the letter L changing to M on the outside it is identical in function to the L class. Seems like a con to me. Only the larger CTM26 and CTM36 AC have the Auto Clean function, (in addition to the beeper and sensor) the AC has a filter air shock cleaning function by temporarily blocking the airflow, creating a vacuum and releasing it. This imparts an impulse to the filter and shakes off some of the dust, thus unclogging it, it does this at regular intervals and on demand.

On the CTM midi you do this manually by covering the hose and pressing the lever, the same as on the CTL! The problem is the released dust gets partially blown out the exhaust port, not very healthy! But the main issue is it's not really an M class extractor and it's useless for use with plaster dust as it is identical to the non M class. Festool don't even sell a High Performance filter or any open M class bags for. It's a legal con job, the H&S nannies have deemed you too stupid to notice when the suction is dropping, so in this case you pay £100 quid for the machine to beep at you.

The CTM26 and CTM36 both have an automatic vacuum shock type auto clean function and can be used with open bags and the HP filters. These can be used to vacuum plaster and fine dusts. I still think the Starmix ipulse system is more efficient but at least the 26 and 36 models actually can be used with plaster.

The CTM Midi is simply an L class that beeps at you. I would take it back whilst it's new.

Even if you have used it I would cite the opinion that you bought it as a vacuum to be used with plaster like most M class vacuums and yet you cannot do that with this tool. If they disagree ask them where are the open M class bags for plaster?

 

[ThornhillMike]

Oh dear you didn't did you?

"I can recommend the Festool Midi..." (says Toby Newell)

 

[ThornhillMike]

If you just got it, dont use it! And return it. I'm not sure how much the premium is over the CTL Midi but basically whatever it is paid for an airflow sensor and a beeper.

Apart from the letter L changing to M on the outside it is identical in function to the L class. Seems like a con to me. Only the larger CTM26 and CTM36 AC have the Auto Clean function, (in addition to the beeper and sensor) the AC has a filter air shock cleaning function by temporarily blocking the airflow, creating a vacuum and releasing it. This imparts an impulse to the filter and shakes off some of the dust, thus unclogging it, it does this at regular intervals and on demand.

On the CTM midi you do this manually by covering the hose and pressing the lever, the same as on the CTL! The problem is the released dust gets partially blown out the exhaust port, not very healthy! But the main issue is it's not really an M class extractor and it's useless for use with plaster dust as it is identical to the non M class. Festool don't even sell a High Performance filter or any open M class bags for. It's a legal con job, the H&S nannies have deemed you too stupid to notice when the suction is dropping, so in this case you pay £100 quid for the machine to beep at you.

The CTM26 and CTM36 both have an automatic vacuum shock type auto clean function and can be used with open bags and the HP filters. These can be used to vacuum plaster and fine dusts. I still think the Starmix ipulse system is more efficient but at least the 26 and 36 models actually can be used with plaster.

The CTM Midi is simply an L class that beeps at you. I would take it back whilst it's new.

Even if you have used it I would cite the opinion that you bought it as a vacuum to be used with plaster like most M class vacuums and yet you cannot do that with this tool. If they disagree ask them where are the open M class bags for plaster?

Sorry, this reply didn't show at the time! I haven't bought anything yet but had settled on the CTM (but no longer!). I'll start my search process again. Is there are reason that the Bosch and Festool H models are a little cheaper than the M models? Surely an H model filters everything up to High, or am I being too simplistic? Sadly here on the Isle of Man I'm limited to what is stocked or will be delivered...

 

[Toby Newell]

"I can recommend the Festool Midi..." (says Toby Newell)

Mike, Dude, don't gaslight... not good. I specifically said the Festool Midi as an L class... I specifcally never mentioned the CTM Midi and specifically mentioned that I wouldnt buy any M class Festool. Sheesh. Maybe just read my comments all the way through. The CTM Midi is probably the biggest rip off out there.

 

[Toby Newell]

Im basically wasting time on an entire articles worth. Pffft.

So. There are 4 classes. All based on final filter efficiency in % / occupational exposure limits in mg/m³ time weighted average.

These are L, M, H (and H class asbestos in some regions eg Oz). They also make specific models for aluminium and other refractory metal dusts but they are not part of the legislation.

M and H class are both identical to L class except they have to have an airflow sensor and audible alert when airflow drops to a certain level and auto shut off when it drops to another level.

H class are identical to M class except they have finer filters and stronger, more secure bags, that's it.

So, I could use a more expensive H class type filter in my L class and an H class bag and it would basically function as an H class. Except for the airflow sensor and this is key. The legislation has to account for morons and there are quite a few in the construction industry. If you cannot tell that your hose has fallen off your sander, then you are also the guy that needs auto wipers when rain hits your windscreen. I can tell when suction drops, (same as I can tell when I can't see out my windscreen) the motor gets muffled and it's note gets higher pitched, I can lift the vacuum to check for weight. The legislation assumes Mungo uses the vacuum until it stops and carries on working, hence the airflow sensors and alarms. It's basically an idiot tax. AC vacuums are different. If you are vacuuming superfine dust you basically need an AC M class vacuum or the flow alarm will be going off every 30 seconds.

The motors, airflow and vacuum pressure are all identical (and with L and non AC M class the filters too) The legislation specifies the amount of dust released per unit volume of air but this is a bullshit number based on false premises, it assumes the L class user is a moron and uses the extractor until the bag is totally full and the vacuum and airflow rate drop dramatically. What they don't tell you is that because the L class filter is protected by prefiltering from the filterbag, that compared to an open bag M class with Auto Clean, the L class with coarser dust actually has better airflow.

AC vacuums, 'Proper' M class ie vacuums that are designed for superfine dust like plaster, have an Auto Clean function. They operate with an open bag that exposes the filter to dust, this starts clogging the filter instantly and the flow rate drops to that below an L class, however at a predesignated flow level flow sensors trigger a filter cleaning mechanism, either a reverse vacuum shock or vibratory shock that shakes most of the dust from the filter. Thus the flow rate over time is sinusodial but never drops below a certain value (until the filter degrades, which it does over time, L class filters almost never degrade as they are protected by the filterbag) M and H class vacuums will also switch off if the flow rate gets too low.

H class vacuums are identical to M class vacuums except they have better filters and use stronger bags. And the label. You can make an M class an H class simply by fitting a different filter and different bag. H class filters exceed HEPA values and often RRP around £100, the bags are double bags, a multi layer fleece which is sealed, surrounded by a dual layer plastic bag which is open in use and sealed around the fleece before removal from the machine. For this reason the AC function does not work when using H class bags.

Therefore my Festool CTL26 with an CTH26 £20 filtersack and £100 H class filter would work identically to a Festool CTH26 as long as I kept an eye on airflow and changed the bag when it dropped. I guess I could do this with a handheld anemometer, but moot, as if I was doing an H class job I would need an H class rated vacuum for insurance.

I don't actually know how the H class asbestos is different, I think it varies from region to region, in the UK you might be able to use a standard H class, in Australia, you can't.

So, it's mainly bullshit, same vacuums, different bags and filters. Only difference in class is really the airflow sensor, which btw will eventually stop the vacuum working below a certain value. The only really difference is in the AC and non AC vacuums, the AC vacuums work much better with fine plaster type dusts.

It's a legal thing but you could vacuum up asbestos just fine with a Festool CTL26 with an H class filter and H class bag, to be safe I would only fill the bag to 30% capacity to maintain efficiency. It would function exactly the same as a company charging thousands with their H class equipment. Obviously I couldn't do this as a professional for insurance and legal reasons, but it's ok for me personally as I know my machines are all as powerful and efficient as H class in every day usage and I can always simply buy a HEPA or H class filter if needed.

 

[Toby Newell]

Sorry, this reply didn't show at the time! I haven't bought anything yet but had settled on the CTM (but no longer!). I'll start my search process again. Is there are reason that the Bosch and Festool H models are a little cheaper than the M models? Surely an H model filters everything up to High, or am I being too simplistic? Sadly here on the Isle of Man I'm limited to what is stocked or will be delivered...

See my big post above, but no idea, small island issues dude, I worked in Guernsey for months. Maybe the vendor has H class vacuums he can't shift as M class is more popular? I would get H class then and maybe try to sell the filter and bag! They are very expensive.

 

[Toby Newell]

In summary L class is perfect for all non superfine dusts, even hazardous ones, simply buy the H class filters and bags and only fill to 30% to be safe, voila.

H class is pointless unless you get a good deal as the filters are expensive. Any AC function on an H class is moot when using H class bags as these do not work with AC.

If you need to vacuum plaster, cement or masonry dust then you do need an AC vacuum. These can be used with closed bags and the AC function turned off (at least on Festools, make sure as the regular AC cleaning is very loud and annoying!) All AC vacuums are M rated as a minimum.

 

[Toby Newell]

"I can recommend the Festool Midi..." (says Toby Newell)

Lol you reference a thread from a year ago without reading the current thread you are posting to where I never mention the mid and specifically advise to buy the Bosch or Starmix M class over the Festool AC version, the Midi not even coming into the conversation as it doesnt have AC

Also look for Nilfisk, they got taken over recently and make some cheap rubbish products but some of their stuff is very good. I think Starmix and Nilfisk make rebranded vacuums for multiple different manufacturers. Mafell rebrands a lot of Metabo and Bosch and adds a badge premium, Metabo rebrands a lot itself. There are niche vacuums made for Stihl, Flex and Fischer etc by Starmix and Nilfisk. Starmix and Nilfisk only make cleaning machines, tooling is expensive, so is certification, hardly any general powertool maker makes their own vacuums apart from Festool. Trend, Fein, Makita, Hikoki (rebranded Hitachi) et al all rebrand vacuums or licence cheap Chinese models. Before I got my CT22 (one of the first in the UK) I had several Fein Dustex QA35E's and Trend TA35's, these mini darleks were the same machine, at the same time Hitachi sold the equally identical QB35E, all made in Italy I belive, excellent little machines. I only bought the Festool as the others were top heavy and kept falling over when you pulled them via the hose, sadly Fein and Trend have changed designs every few years as whoever makes theirs either goes bust or introduces a new model. Festool on the other hand still makes the same CTL26 and CTL36 as they did 20 years ago, just updating the hose garage to fit the updated systainers.

If you can spot a very similar looking machine to a Starmix or Nilfisk it might be the same model.

You have a ridiculously large house, I would buy the larger Starmix and the largest antistatic hose they do.

Sitebox Ltd » Starmix ISP iPulse M-1635 Safe Plus Vacuum Cleaner, 35l, 1600w, 240v » Product

Starmix ISP iPulse M-1635 Safe Plus Vacuum Cleaner, 35l, 1600w, 240v, Safety vacuum cleaner for the construction site and workshop

www.sitebox.ltd.uk

^^^ less than £800 plus the hose, obviously extra delivery to IOM and you might have to plead with them...

If you don't need to vacuum plaster just get a Festool CTL26 with a bluetooth module.

 

[ThornhillMike]

Lol you reference a thread from a year ago without reading the current thread you are posting to where I never mention the mid and specifically advise to buy the Bosch or Starmix M class over the Festool AC version, the Midi not even coming into the conversation as it doesnt have AC

Also look for Nilfisk, they got taken over recently and make some cheap rubbish products but some of their stuff is very good. I think Starmix and Nilfisk make rebranded vacuums for multiple different manufacturers. Mafell rebrands a lot of Metabo and Bosch and adds a badge premium, Metabo rebrands a lot itself.

If you can spot a very similar looking machine to a Starmix or Nilfisk it might be the same model.

You have a ridiculously large house, I would buy the larger Starmix and the largest antistatic hose they do.

Sitebox Ltd » Starmix ISP iPulse M-1635 Safe Plus Vacuum Cleaner, 35l, 1600w, 240v » Product

Starmix ISP iPulse M-1635 Safe Plus Vacuum Cleaner, 35l, 1600w, 240v, Safety vacuum cleaner for the construction site and workshop

www.sitebox.ltd.uk

^^^ less than £800 plus the hose, obviously extra delivery to IOM and you might have to plead with them...

If you don't need to vacuum plaster just get a Festool CTL26 with a bluetooth module.

All replies massively helpful Toby, as always. Thank you for the time taken (and yes, you could populate your own "Toby's Tools" section on this forum; all us non-professionals would fund it massively helpful I'm sure.

 

[Toby Newell]

fund it massively

That would be much appreciated

 

[Toby Newell]

FFX.co.uk > ITS.co.uk | Official UK Superstore for Tools, DeWalt, Makita & Milwaukee.

FFX Tools are now in administration. The Domain FFX.co.uk has been purchased by ITS.co.uk ITS is your home or tools and is perfectly set up to continue to service all your orders and needs that you would have previously received from FFX tools. Folkestone Fixings is not longer operable. Now...

ffx.co.uk

This to me looks identical to the Starmix ipulse m1635, yet £300 quid cheaper. I say 'looks' because the motor is 200W less powerful and Metabo is a shit zombie faux German brand recently bought out by American investment bankers who maximised profits by reducing quality, so meh, could be great, could be false economy. I wouldn't touch Metabo with a bargepole these days, neither Makita. I'd still get the Starmix.

Someone tell Malcolm to set up a new 'Finding out' section and I can write up all this gumpf in a formal Ultimate Tool Guide and other articles.

FFX.co.uk > ITS.co.uk | Official UK Superstore for Tools, DeWalt, Makita & Milwaukee.

FFX Tools are now in administration. The Domain FFX.co.uk has been purchased by ITS.co.uk ITS is your home or tools and is perfectly set up to continue to service all your orders and needs that you would have previously received from FFX tools. Folkestone Fixings is not longer operable. Now...

ffx.co.uk

And fecking lol, looks like this is a Mafell rebrand of the Metabo cheap Starmix rebrand... £80 cheaper than the Starmix but £236 more than the 'I can't believe it's not German' brand I guess you pay more because it's painted in the 'still mostly German, honest guv' brand.

Lol. Minefield? Don't start. Anyone for some famous, lifetime guarantee heirloom Britool hand tools? You can still get 'em, handmade in, er, China? Bought by Facom, French heirloom manufacturer, subsequently bought itself by Stanley Black and Decker, who own Draper.... so now you can buy 'top quality' Britool and Facom tools, made of Chinesium by Stanley Black and Decker and marketed as Britool Expert after the Draper Expert range... or How about Sheffield industrial and craft giants like Marples and Record? Or Irwin? All Stanley Black and Decker and mostly Chinese. Milwaukee? Made in Ohio China, Mexico and Thailand by TechTronic Industries who also licence the Japanese Ryobi name...

Even Leatherman and Snap On get parts for their cheaper tools made in Mexico or China, very, very sad. I have original Record, Marples, I Sorby etc tools, some 100 years old and it's why I like Festool and Bosch, they last, my 2004 Trion jigsaw still works like new.

 

[ThornhillMike]

FFX.co.uk > ITS.co.uk | Official UK Superstore for Tools, DeWalt, Makita & Milwaukee.

FFX Tools are now in administration. The Domain FFX.co.uk has been purchased by ITS.co.uk ITS is your home or tools and is perfectly set up to continue to service all your orders and needs that you would have previously received from FFX tools. Folkestone Fixings is not longer operable. Now...

ffx.co.uk

This to me looks identical to the Starmix ipulse m1635, yet £300 quid cheaper. I say 'looks' because the motor is 200W less powerful and Metabo is a shit zombie faux German brand recently bought out by American investment bankers who maximised profits by reducing quality, so meh, could be great, could be false economy. I wouldn't touch Metabo with a bargepole these days, neither Makita. I'd still get the Starmix.

Someone tell Malcolm to set up a new 'Finding out' section and I can write up all this gumpf in a formal Ultimate Tool Guide and other articles.

FFX.co.uk > ITS.co.uk | Official UK Superstore for Tools, DeWalt, Makita & Milwaukee.

FFX Tools are now in administration. The Domain FFX.co.uk has been purchased by ITS.co.uk ITS is your home or tools and is perfectly set up to continue to service all your orders and needs that you would have previously received from FFX tools. Folkestone Fixings is not longer operable. Now...

ffx.co.uk

And fecking lol, looks like this is a Mafell rebrand of the Metabo cheap Starmix rebrand... £80 cheaper than the Starmix but £236 more than the 'I can't believe it's not German' brand I guess you pay more because it's painted in the 'still mostly German, honest guv' brand.

Lol. Minefield? Don't start. Anyone for some famous, lifetime guarantee heirloom Britool hand tools? You can still get 'em, handmade in, er, China? Bought by Facom, French heirloom manufacturer, subsequently bought itself by Stanley Black and Decker, who own Draper.... so now you can buy 'top quality' Britool and Facom tools, made of Chinesium by Stanley Black and Decker and marketed as Britool Expert after the Draper Expert range... or How about Sheffield industrial and craft giants like Marples and Record? Or Irwin? All Stanley Black and Decker and mostly Chinese. Milwaukee? Made in Ohio China, Mexico and Thailand by TechTronic Industries who also licence the Japanese Ryobi name...

Even Leatherman and Snap On get parts for their cheaper tools made in Mexico or China, very, very sad. I have original Record, Marples, I Sorby etc tools, some 100 years old and it's why I like Festool and Bosch, they last, my 2004 Trion jigsaw still works like new.

At the risk of stretching your patience Toby would you say that's a better tool than the Bosch 55M?

Bosch GAS 55 M AFC 74Ltr/sec Electric M Class Wet & Dry Dust Extractor 240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile M-class wet and dry dust extractor. Features an automatic filter cleaning technology for sustained, powerful suction and enables very fast work progress. Features an extremely powerful suction turbine, providing 254 mbar of very high vacuum pressure...

www.screwfix.com

 

[Toby Newell]

At the risk of stretching your patience Toby would you say that's a better tool than the Bosch 55M?

Bosch GAS 55 M AFC 74Ltr/sec Electric M Class Wet & Dry Dust Extractor 240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile M-class wet and dry dust extractor. Features an automatic filter cleaning technology for sustained, powerful suction and enables very fast work progress. Features an extremely powerful suction turbine, providing 254 mbar of very high vacuum pressure...

www.screwfix.com

Lol you only stretched it when you misquoted me...

The Bosch looks to me like a rebrand of the discontinued Karcher NT 55 M

Kärcher Wet and dry vacuum cleaner NT 55/1 Tact Te M

Kärcher is the world's leading solution provider for cleaning and maintenance with products and services for leisure, household, trade and industry.

www.kaercher.com

Same filter as the Festool, worse ergonomics and possibly worse motor, same negative vacuum filter cleaning as the Festool, ie 3 pulses, compared to the Starmix which has 30 pulses on each of the TWO filters.

Iirc client of mine bought the smaller Bosch and the very loud and obtrusive filter cleaning operated every 15 seconds, annoying as F, I think the Starmix only functions as needed.

The Bosch looks worse performance and ergo wise than the discontinued Festool CTM48.

I wouldn't touch the Metabo with a barge pole, they probably bought the carcass from Starmix but put a cheaper motor and shittier electronics in it. Metabo used to be on the same level as Bosch, Mafell and Festool, they are a zombie brand now, bought by the same investment bankers that also destroyed Hitachi, now Hikoki. I used to have Hitachi and Metabo tools, not anymore, cheap rubbish. One of my clients was a banker / industrial engineer consultant, he had been recently contracted (at the time) by Metabo to assess their crap quality control and try and improve it.

The real Starmix has two filters, greater filter area, a 30 pulse electro-pneumatic filter cleaner, a better flow sensor, a more powerful motor, a better external inlet plug, an internal inlet valve for isolating before you remove the bag and seems to be the best machine in class. I would just buy the best.

Two things to remember, most dust is released when changing bags so things like an internal sealing valve are great, as is a sturdy attached external plug for transport. Also I would go for a smaller extractor. Larger extractors pull less vacuum at the hose as the motor has to maintain a vacuum in the container volume first, I know this as I used to have a Numatic NTT2000-3 which had an 80 litre tank, but then in had 3 motors!

Finally my CTL36 when full of dust weighs a ton, you could barely lift a a 55 litre machine when full, you are looking at 25 to 30kg held outstretched, great deltoid workout but a nightmare when trying to hold in front of you climbing stairs, and the bags are likely to break. A 55 litre bag full of rubble and plaster / cement dust weighs 10 to 15kg, that's a reasonable size dumbell for shoulder work.

I would just bite the bullet and get the starmix. You have an enormous house and will be saving tens of thousands doing the work youself, a good quality extractor is essential, you may as well buy the best. I would get the Starmix if I needed AC and I have had over 20 Festool extractors and almost all my power tools are Festool and Bosch.

 

[Toby Newell]

Festool Dust Extractor CTL26 E AC GB Mobile Vac CLEANTEC 574944 240v uk plug | eBay

Appliance socket connected load. Festool Power Tools. Festool Systainers. Vacuum Cleaners. Beta Hand Tools. Beta Socket Sets. Stack Sheets / Tarpaulin Sheet. Manufacturer's T's & C's will apply (misuse will not be included under warranty).

www.ebay.co.uk

If you did actually read all my advice you might consider this ^^^^

£689 bit of an anomaly, basically a CTM26 AC but without the beeping nannies. Cheaper and better than the Bosch with much better ergo and the legendary Domel motor. You simply set the AC interval yourself or turn it off if you are using filtersacks. I would get that and spend the saved money on a proper hose, I would get a 36mm x 3.5m minimum, preferably a 36mm x 5m, the supplied 27mm is useless, clogs easy.

Either that or get the Starmix if you want to maximise suction power and efficiency. But yeah, budget for hoses. I have well over £2k in hoses.

 

[ThornhillMike]

Lol you only stretched it when you misquoted me...

The Bosch looks to me like a rebrand of the discontinued Karcher NT 55 M

Kärcher Wet and dry vacuum cleaner NT 55/1 Tact Te M

Kärcher is the world's leading solution provider for cleaning and maintenance with products and services for leisure, household, trade and industry.

www.kaercher.com

Same filter as the Festool, worse ergonomics and possibly worse motor, same negative vacuum filter cleaning as the Festool, ie 3 pulses, compared to the Starmix which has 30 pulses on each of the TWO filters.

Iirc client of mine bought the smaller Bosch and the very loud and obtrusive filter cleaning operated every 15 seconds, annoying as F, I think the Starmix only functions as needed.

The Bosch looks worse performance and ergo wise than the discontinued Festool CTM48.

I wouldn't touch the Metabo with a barge pole, they probably bought the carcass from Starmix but put a cheaper motor and shittier electronics in it. Metabo used to be on the same level as Bosch, Mafell and Festool, they are a zombie brand, bought by the same investment bankers that also destroyed Hitachi, now Hikoki. I used to have Hitachi and Metabo tools, not anymore, cheap rubbish. One of my clients was a banker / industrial engineer consultant, he had been recently contracted (at the time) by Metabo to assess their crap quality control and try and improve it.

The real Starmix has two filters, greater filter area, a 30 pulse electro-pneumatic filter cleaner, a better flow sensor, a more powerful motor, a better external inlet plug, an internal inlet valve for isolating before you remove the bag and seems to be the best machine in class. I would just buy the best.

Two things to remember, most dust is released when changing bags so things like an internal sealing valve are great, as is a sturdy attached external plug for transport. Also I would go for a smaller extractor. Larger extractors pull less vacuum at the hose as the motor has to maintain a vacuum in the container volume first, I know this as I used to have a Numatic NTT2000-3 which had an 80 litre tank, but then in had 3 motors!

Finally my CTL36 when full of dust weighs a ton, you could barely lift a a 55 litre machine when full, you are looking at 25 to 30kg held outstretched, great deltoid workout but a nightmare when trying to hold in front of you climbing stairs, and the bags are likely to break. A 55 litre bag full of rubble and plaster / cement dust weighs 10 to 15kg, that's a reasonable size dumbell for shoulder work.

I would just bite the bullet and get the starmix. You have an enormous house and will be saving tens of thousands doing the work youself, a good quality extractor is essential, you may as well buy the best. I would get the Starmix if I needed AC and I have had over 20 Festool extractors and almost all my power tools are Festool and Bosch.

Okay, thanks Toby. Now the search for a supplier that delivers to the Isle of Man!

 

[Toby Newell]

Okay, thanks Toby. Now the search for a supplier that delivers to the Isle of Man!

Ha! Well just speak to them really, really nicely! I know what a pain it can be, I worked in Guernsey on two occasions for months, some won't deliver, some will if you plead, if they sell it on the island you have to pay the 'small island tax ' and if it's anything like Guernsey, your items can get randomly held up in customs!

 

[ThornhillMike]

Ha! Well just speak to them really, really nicely! I know what a pain it can be, I worked in Guernsey on two occasions for months, some won't deliver, some will if you plead, if they sell it on the island you have to pay the 'small island tax ' and if it's anything like Guernsey, your items can get randomly held up in customs!

Courier charges are what kills us. Most things come by (the Government owned) boat so many suppliers give up on the freight charges. It's killing us as an Island. Helpfully the link you kindly sent suggests Sitebox only want £30 to send it over. Bargain!

 

[Toby Newell]

https://productz.com/en/bosch-gas-50/p/JD40

^^^ Hilarious. Bosch also used to do a rebranded Starmix ipulse, seems they moved to a discontinued Karcher design almost certainly to save money.

Fascinating no one apart from Festool actually make their own vacuums, I guess it's the injection mold tooling that is expensive and vacuums are some of the largest IM parts in the industry, that and the cost of certification, although many seem to put cheaper motors in so I guess its just the tooling cost and vacuums are a niche product compared to impact drivers and circ saws.

 

[Toby Newell]

Courier charges are what kills us. Most things come by (the Government owned) boat so many suppliers give up on the freight charges. It's killing us as an Island. Helpfully the link you kindly sent suggests Sitebox only want £30 to send it over. Bargain!

Well good luck, your ferry service cannot be worse than Condor!

 

[Toby Newell]

Ha, Sitebox are just down the road from me, don't appear to have very good reviews.