In short: for a self-employed tradesperson who changes a dust extractor bag twice a week, one Macam reusable bag usually pays for itself within about three months and saves between £325 and £1,300 over three years, depending on the machine. A small workshop running three extractors can keep around £2,300 over three years, or roughly £770 a year. The figures below come from the same running-cost calculator shown on our product pages.

How we work out the saving

Our product pages have a running-cost calculator. It compares what you would spend on disposable bags over three years with the price of the Macam bag, using these rules:

• Disposable bag cost: the typical UK retail price of a pack of disposable bags for that machine (August 2026), divided by the number of bags in the pack.
• Working life of a Macam bag: a cautious 355 emptying cycles, that is 20 to 30 uses between washes and up to 15 washes. The bag is rated for up to 500 cycles, so many users will do better than this.
• Period: three years of 52 working weeks. If your bag changes go past 355, the calculator adds a second Macam bag to the cost.

The calculator does not include the 15% discount you get when you buy two or more bags, or the cost of running out of bags in the middle of a job. Branded bags from the machine maker often cost more than the typical prices used here (for example, Festool's own CT 26 bags were about £9.90 each in October 2026), so for many users the real saving is higher.

Case 1: self-employed joiner with a Festool CTL 26

A joiner fitting kitchens and doors uses a Festool CLEANTEC CTL 26 with a sander and track saw, and fills a bag about twice a week.

• Disposable bags over three years: 312 bags at £2.90 = £904.80
• One Macam bag for Festool CT 26: £71.50
• Money kept: £833.30, about £278 a year
• Pays for itself after 25 bag changes, about 12 to 13 weeks of work

Many joiners add a second bag so one can dry after washing while the other is in use. With the 15% two-bag discount, the pair costs £121.55 and the saving is still £783.25.

Case 2: furniture maker sanding with a Mirka DEXOS 1217

A furniture maker sanding timber and panels uses a Mirka DEXOS 1217 and changes the bag about twice a week. Mirka bags are the most expensive disposables we price.

• Disposable bags over three years: 312 bags at £4.40 = £1,372.80
• One Macam bag for Mirka DEXOS 1217: £68.50
• Money kept: £1,304.30, about £435 a year
• Pays for itself after 16 bag changes, about 8 weeks of work

Because each disposable costs so much, this is one of the fastest paybacks in our range.

Case 3: small workshop with three extractors

A two-person joinery workshop runs three machines: a Festool CTL 26 on the bench (3 bag changes a week), a Bosch GAS 35 on the saw (2 a week) and a Makita VC2012L for clean-up (1 a week).

Bought in one order, the four bags qualify for the 15% multi-bag discount, so they cost £231.20. The workshop keeps £2,311.60 over three years, about £770 a year or £15 a week. Disposable bags stop being a running cost, and nobody has to reorder them or wait for a delivery.

Case 4: cleaner or home user with a Henry

Lower-cost machines save less, but still pay off. A cleaner using a Numatic Henry and changing the bag once a week:

• Disposable bags over three years: 156 bags at £1.20 = £187.20
• One Macam Henry hoover bag: £35.50
• Money kept: £151.70
• Pays for itself after 30 bag changes, about 7 months

What this means for a small business

• It is a small, one-off tool purchase. Across the 41 machines in the table below, a Macam bag pays for itself after 13 to 42 bag changes, with a typical figure of about 26.
• It removes a running cost. At two changes a week, the typical saving is about £580 per machine over three years. That is cash that stays in the business instead of going on consumables.
• It avoids downtime. You cannot run out of a bag you empty and refit, so a job does not stop because the last disposable has gone.
• It cuts waste. Two changes a week means 312 fewer disposable bags thrown away over three years, for every machine.

When a reusable bag saves less

• If you change the bag less than once a month, it will take longer to pay back.
• Very fine dust, such as plaster, concrete, brick or stone, shortens the bag's life.
• Macam bags are for dry waste only. Do not use them for wet pickup, hot material or hazardous dust such as asbestos or silica, and always keep the machine's main filter fitted.

Savings for every machine

Three-year savings at one and two bag changes a week, using the same calculator as the product pages. Prices are in pounds and include VAT.

Not sure which bag fits your machine? Use Find your bag, or email your machine's make and model to info@macamfilter.com and we will confirm the right one.

Questions

How quickly does a reusable dust bag pay for itself?

For most dust extractors, after about 20 to 30 bag changes. For a tradesperson changing the bag twice a week, that is roughly three months.

How much can a small workshop save with reusable dust bags?

A workshop running three extractors can keep around £2,300 over three years, about £770 a year, by replacing disposable bags with Macam reusable bags.

How long does a Macam reusable bag last?

Our calculator assumes 355 emptying cycles: 20 to 30 uses between washes and up to 15 washes. Very fine dust shortens this.

Figures last checked November 2026. Disposable prices are typical UK retail and change over time.