Please recommend a shop vac

[Victor Robinson]

Sadly, in my little garage shop, I don't even have a shop vac.

It's time to do something about dust collection - I'm getting tired of wearing a mask all the time and sweeping up constantly. I don't think my wife appreciates the fine layer of dust on the cars either.

I won't have the space for one of those fancy dust collection gizmos, but I do need a general purpose shop vac that can also be attached to the TS, MS, jointer, etc. Any recommendations? What's the minimum HP I should be getting? Again, I won't be able to run tubing all over the garage for a fancy dust collection setup - just something that can be dragged around and attached to tools as necessary. Thanks!

[doug faist]

Victor - I've got a Fein Turbo III that I love. It's quiet, good capacity and has the capability of turning on when a sander or other tool is connected to it.

Pricey, but I think it's worth it if it's your only DC tool.

Doug

[Jason White]

Having been down this route, I'd recommend trying to do a little better than an ordinary shop vac.

Take a look at the single-stage dust collectors. Get something with a 4" diameter hose. They don't occupy much more space than a shop vac and don't cost too much, either ($100-200 range). Even a 1HP unit will do a lot more for you than a shop vac, especially with the larger wood shavings from machines like a jointer, planer, etc. Most, if not all, have casters so you can wheel them around from machine to machine.

If you mostly want dust collection for smaller tools like sanders, then a shop vac is fine. However, consider springing for a "tool actuated" unit like the Fein or Festool units. They're quieter, cleaner, and do a much better job than the cheaper shop vacs at the home centers. Much more expensive, but worth it if you're really serious about dust collection.

In my shop, the 1HP delta is for the big machines, and the Festool shop-vac is for the sanders and other tools that only produce fine dust.

Jason




Sadly, in my little garage shop, I don't even have a shop vac.

It's time to do something about dust collection - I'm getting tired of wearing a mask all the time and sweeping up constantly. I don't think my wife appreciates the fine layer of dust on the cars either.

I won't have the space for one of those fancy dust collection gizmos, but I do need a general purpose shop vac that can also be attached to the TS, MS, jointer, etc. Any recommendations? What's the minimum HP I should be getting? Again, I won't be able to run tubing all over the garage for a fancy dust collection setup - just something that can be dragged around and attached to tools as necessary. Thanks!

[Rick Fisher]

Whatever you choose.. Get one with automatic on - off..

Its so awesome for using with power tools..

I have a Fein Turbo II .. Love it .. Super quiet..

[Noah Katz]

I also don't have the room for a "real" dust collector and ordered one of these

http://clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm

The Ridgid is only $100 and is more suitable than any other shop vac I know of in that it has almost double the cfm (187).

Also half the WL (56"), but that's many times more than dust collectors..

To be effective it will take special attention to the hookups to machines, especially the TS.

It will take a below table shroud that nearly encloses the blade, and an above table guard like the new one for the Sawstop.

Steve Gass of Sawstop says it takes only 150 cfm total for effective collection using their new guard and blade shroud.

[Harry Hagan]

Stay away from Shop Vac's stainless steel models—they rust through.

When I called Shop Vac about the rusty hole in my stainless steel tank the customer service person wanted to know if I’d put water in it. Sure, I said; it’s a wet-or-dry vac. She then told me the “restaurant grade” stainless steel they use is not rust proof.

After some discussion regarding my erroneous perception that stainless steel should not rust; she agreed to send me a replacement tub.

I'd go with something made of plastic. It would be rust and dent proof.

[Hank Knight]

Victor,

I second Doug Faist's recommendation of the Fein Turbo III. I have one I've been using for a "dust collector" in my shop for a long time and it has worked well. It's not a true dust collector in any sense of the word, it's a very good vacuum cleaner. It has, however, worked reasonably well for me in some limited dust collection roles. I hook it up to my Inca 570 jointer/planer and it catches about 90% of the chips. I use it with my band saw too, but it is less effecitve there - about 60%. I have never found a satisfactory way to connect it to my table saw, drill press or lathe, so I just vacuum up the dust and chips from the floor when I use those machines. It has the auto on/off feature others have mentioned where you plug a tool into the vac and the vac is activated when you turn the tool on or off. Works great for things like router tables and biscuit joiners. It is very quiet. It doesn't capture the fine dust that is the true health hazard, it only catches the big stuff. The dust bin capacity is very limited, even though it's a pretty good size vac. It is really not very satisfactory when I have a large job that involves plainng a lot of stock. I spend more of my time than I like emptying the vac. I'm beginning the installation of a Clear Vue cyclone this weekend that will address the fine dust and limited capacity problems, and I will pipe it to all of my machines which will be nice. Nevertheless, I have been well satisfied with the Fein Turbo III and I will continue to use it for the things it does best. It is a very good vac.

My $.02

Hank

[Dave Sharpe]

I have three in my shop - an old Craftsman, a Rigid, and a tallish steel Shop vac. Back in the days when I was a chimney sweep, I used plain old Sears craftsman shop vacs with great success - they're cheap, durable, and have good enough filtration for even that kind of rugged work.
The key element in any shop vac is the filter - sure, you need a strong enough motor, but the filter is the thing that gets clogged more or less quickly depending on how fine the dust is you're working with. These filters look a lot like an old car air filter, or a filter on a hot tub - basically jsut a pleatd paper cylinder with plastic discs top and bottom. I like the ones that are somewhat flexible, with the rubber discs instead of rigid plastic. This makes them much easier to clean, as the flexion helps to shake the dust out of the pleats. Stay away from the kind with a metal reinforcing screen around the filter - they're a bear to clean properly. And while we're on filters, please wear a dust mask when you clean them out, as there is a LOT of fine powdery dust floating in the air. I usually just shake them and bang em on the inside of the tub, then empty the tub into a large lawn bag. (Except now that I have a cyclone collector, I bang the filters out on the floor right in front of the pickup for the cyclone - the airborne dust then goes right onto the cyclone.)
One last thing about the shop-vac design that I have - it's one of the upright cylinders with attached wheels and a largish handle. On the handle is a bucket type of thing for all the attachments. Pretty dumb design, because you have to remove all the attachments each time you turn the bucket upside down to empty it. Also, the taller design is less stable - you can't really drag it around the shop by the hose as you work - it's guaranteed to tip over. Along those lines, I do like the types of hoses that either clip in or screw into the housing. This provides a much more secure connection than the older design which just slips into place (and then pops out as soon as you try to drag the vacuum around by the hose)
All of the other recommendations are great, but if you're on a budget it's hard to beat Craftsman or Rigid for plain ol' shop vacs.

[Victor Robinson]

Thanks everyone! I ended up running to the BORG and picking up the Ridgid 1670. I'm on a tight budget at the moment with the new SS coming, so this is will do splendidly for now.

[george wilson]

What the devil is "restaurant grade stainless steel" supposed to mean? 304 stainless steel is the grade most commonly used on counter tops and food handling,and it IS STAINLESS. Whatever Shop Vac is using ISN'T STAINLESS. What a LOAD!!!

I have a Fein 9 gallon. Actually have bought 4 in all. 3 were for my former toolmaker's shop. They are,as said,quiet,very handy,and just as powerful as any of the screamers others sell.

YOU CAN hook up a standard 2 1/2" Sears vac. hose. Just jam the flexible end into the vac. inlet. I am glad of that. Unless I'm using portable power tools,the Sears hose is what I keep on the Fein all the time. Otherwise,I'd find the smaller dia. hose too small for sucking up shavings.

P.S.: I leave the bucket shaped filter on the Fein,and also put a Cleanstream fine filter inside it. That way,NO dust gets through,and the micron filter doesn't need regular cleaning.

[Bruce Page]

Most common 300 series stainless steels have small amounts of carbon in them and will rust or corrode to some extent if water is left on them, particularly around welded or crimped joints. Some exceptions are 304L, 316L & 321L.
FWIW

[Kyle Iwamoto]

If you got the Ridgid, check into the Cleanstream wet/dry filters. They are pricey, BUT, they hose off clean. No dust storms when you thump the filter to clean it. Just hose it off, let dry and good as new. In actuality, for the long run they are cheaper, since you don't beat them to death. I've had mine for over a year, and I know I would have replaced the HEPA 2 times already. Don't waste time with the paper filter. They get trashed so quickly, they are the most expensive of the filters.

I wish I could afford a Fein, but my hobby woodworker status cannot justify that. I know it's awesome......

[Dave Lehnert]

"Whatever Shop Vac is using ISN'T STAINLESS"

A common misconception. Some grades WILL rust


Here is another option. $200.
Universal motors, like used on a shop vac , are not made to run for extended amount of time, all the time.

http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00921335000-1?hei=248&wid=248&op_sharpen=1&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

[Wayne Cannon]

My experience is limited to an 18 gal ShopVac and Fein, both with plastic canisters. This comparison may give you things to look for in other brands.


The large ShopVac will out-suck the Fein Turbo III (and every other shop vacuum I've been able to try) by a significant margin.
The ShopVac costs significantly less than the Fein and is competitive with the Borg's Rigid.
The ShopVac is a screamer (i.e., earplugs required) while the Fein is much, much quieter.
The Fein comes with an automatic switch (vacuum turns on when the tool is turned on and off several seconds after the tool) while I have an aftermarket automatic switch for the ShopVac.
The ShopVac has twenty times [gross exaggeration, but you get the point] as many after-market and third-party accessories (filters, attachments, etc.) and any other brand, are comparatively inexpensive, and are readily available at almost any hardware store.
The Fein filter is large and easy to clean.
The cleanable ShopVac filters are smaller and harder to clean, and the bags (which I use most of the time) are a pain to remove if they are more than half full. You can layer a thin disposable flat paper filter over the ShopVac's pleated filter to make cleaning easier. I've never seen bags for the Fein, but they eliminate the dust cloud when emptying. I'm going to invest in an Oneida Dust Deputy to minimize the whole filter/bag cleaning/emptying issue.
Take a large (2+") and small (1+") fitting with you from your tools or measure them carefully -- e.g., palm sander, bandsaw port, etc. Try the store's shop vacuum on the fitting. The Fein and ShopVac have interchangeable sized hoses and accessories that fit the standard (???) fittings on my tools and from Woodcraft. I've found that many brands of shop vacuums have fittings that won't mate with my vacuums or tools, so they may have similar problems with other fittings/tools in your shop. On the other hand, neither my ShopVac nor Fein mate with my bandsaw's port, however.

[george wilson]

I'm not a stainless user,coming from 39 years in a museum,but I can tell you that I don't want stainless steel that isn't stainless.

I did see a neighbor's sink that rotted all the way through because she left a bowl of Clorox in the sink,and some of it spilled on the stainless. It looked like a crystalline structure in the stainless that corroded all the way through. But,that wasn't water.

[Greg Peterson]

I understand the restrictions of budget and space as I too have severe limitations on both fronts.

I do feel it is important to make the distinction between dust collection and chip collection. Putting these two endeavors into respective categories will provide a better understanding and measure of effectiveness.

Dust collection is simply capturing the particles that present the greatest health risk (1 micron size).

Chip collection is more a matter of housekeeping.

Think of it as pennies and dollars.

If you watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.

[Bill White]

In addition to my central vac system, I have 2 Ridgid canister vacs. There is a "muffler" available for the canisters that really does tone down the racket.
Use a good filter. The ones that come with the vacs are just "chunk deflectors".
Bill

[Glen Butler]

You should still wear a mask all the time and you will have to sweep almost as often. A shop vac will not have the power to collect much from an the fine dust will still go everywhere. I have a nice cake of dust on my walls and I use a dust collector.

[Bill Franklin]

I have a Fein Turbo II. I thought I needed a bigger one, but was talked out of it. It has never disappointed me.

Happy New Year. Bill

[lou sansone]

fein - hands down the best for the money - used and abused mine for 10 years and still going strong

lou

[Karl Brogger]

The best vacuum I've ever used is made by Alto.

Not cheap, and worth it.

[james bell]

i had a craftsman, and when i got a summer place, purchased a shopmate or something from hd or lowes. didn't work well, and purchased another brand. awful. the sears will pick up anything - nails, pieces of concrete, water, etc. told my wife if i ever purchased another shop vac that wasn't craftsman, put me out to the pasture and take away my woodworking tools.

that said, i am only talking about vacs less than $150 - not the fein or other high end product. also, i have never had a sears shop vac go bad, keeps running and sucking.

[Jerome Stanek]

I vote for the Fein They are quite and you can run them continuously.

[Sean Nagle]

I currently use a Fein behind a Dust Deputy for general vacuuming and dust collection from my portable machines such as the ROS, hand-held router and plate joiner. I have centrally plumbed this system within my shop using household central plumbing PVC pipe and fittings. This has eliminated dragging the vac/DD unit around the shop which always seemed to be in the way.

For dust collection from my tools, it works quite well. However, for general vacuuming, it doesn't have the suction that I would get straight to the Fein.

Since my setup is centrally plumbed I have been considering using a real central vacuum unit such as this Electrolux PU3450A which is spec'd at 125 CFM and 140" of lift. These specs exceed any shop vac I have seen.

http://www.thinkvacuums.com/electrolux/vacuums.htm

Has anyone used one of these central vacuum units in place of a shop vac with success?

[Lance Feagan]

I would get a Fein or Festool vacuum. Both are excellent products. Key advantages of either:


Quiet
Adjustable speed (useful to make sure the sander doesn't vacuum itself to the workpiece)
Great filtration
Can remove bags without creating a flurry of dust. Festool paper bags have a a plastic ring that goes into a slot to connect them and include a plastic plug to cap it before removing it.
http://www.festoolusa.com/images/400/s_ctfis_452970_z_01a.jpg
Auto on-off with tool.
Good selection of accessories.

I would look at Festool CT 22/33 or Fein II/II. Festool CT 22/33 are equally powerful. Fein Turbo II is slightly less powerful than Turbo III.

Fein Advantages:


Slightly higher vacuum (static water lift) on Turbo III model. Same on Turbo II as CT 22/33.
Slightly quieter
Potentially lower price if purchased without HEPA filters
Slightly bigger diameter hose comes with it, though Festool accepts up to a 50mm (~2") hose.

Festool advantages:


Slightly higher CFM (134 vs 116 for Turbo II, 126 for Turbo III)
Better bag attachment system
Anti-static hose
A bit easier to roll around/over obstacles, large diameter locking wheels are useful and easy to use
A bit easier to stack things on top (flat top surface)
Much better rolling vacuum head for floors (adjustable height wheels are wonderful)

There are a number of other posts on this subject. They are both great vacuums and would serve you well for years.

[Noah Katz]

Has anyone used one of these central vacuum units in place of a shop vac with success?

I thought about it, but ended up going with this (haven't received it yet)

http://clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm

In case you're not aware, you can get much better prices on ebay for central vac's.

[Steven Satur]

Another vote for Craftsman. Over the years I have owned 2 Craftsman vacs and 2 Ridgid. The Craftsman has alot more suction hands down. You can sick the nozzle on a 25 lb. box of 16 penny nails and empty the box in no time. The Ridgid just doesn't have it. Even with fine dust the Craftsman is 100% better.

[tyler mckee]

Just bought the 16 gallon ridgid with the detachable blower and i really like it. Its still loud, but not as loud as my smaller shopvac model. So far great suction with the filter that came with it, i've just been using my smaller shopvac to suck the crap out of the filter (i use bags in the smaller one). And once you have everything semi clean just open the garage door and blow it out! Looks like a sandstorm blowing out of my garage sometimes but it does a hell of a job, as long as i'm careful with it it doesn't stir too much dust inside the garage, just outside. Very little dust settles back down when im done.

How well do bags work in the larger shop vacs? I like to use them in my smaller one, but the big ones are a lot more, and i'm curious about how long you can use them before you loose too much suction.

[Noah Katz]

What do you mean "the"?

They each have many models.

As far as I can tell they may have the same guts, like the detachable blower models.


Another vote for Craftsman. Over the years I have owned 2 Craftsman vacs and 2 Ridgid. The Craftsman has alot more suction hands down. You can sick the nozzle on a 25 lb. box of 16 penny nails and empty the box in no time. The Ridgid just doesn't have it. Even with fine dust the Craftsman is 100% better.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a Craftsman, and would definitely recommend the Cleanstream filter. The only problem that I have had was when I overloaded it, and broke the bottom of it. Some tempered hardboard and epoxy fixed it, and it has worked well from then on. I don't wash it off, but do regularly brush it clean when I empty the vacuum.

Doc

[Wayne Cannon]

I've rarely had a full bag result in a significant loss of suction unless I've vacuumed a lot of very small particles, i.e., from a lot of sanding (wood or wall-board compound). Most of my vacuuming is from the drill press, floor cleanup around the table saw, etc., whose particle size fills the bag before it cuts down significantly on air flow.

[Dar Lounsbury]

Fein Turbo III. The best I have ever used. Powerful, quiet, easy to service. Did I say it is quiet. Something most shopvacs never thought about.


Dar