Anybody have ideas on a good shop vac

[Bob Latourelle]

Looking for suggestions on a good small shop vac to use with a random orbital sander. Not Festool or Fein. Both are to expensive for me.

[Jamie Buxton]

Buy any shop vac, use good earmuffs to handle the shriek, and buy an aftermarket small-diameter hose. The usual shop-vac hose is large diameter so it can swallow construction debris. However, the large hose is inflexible, and it kinda steers the sander. A hose with a smaller diameter is more flexible, so you have better control of the sander, and it is still big enough to pass sanding dust.

[Mike Henderson]

Check the Ridgid at Home Depot. The shelf label will tell you how much suction and how loud (relatively). Make your choice.

I have a Ridgid and it's good - not as quiet as I'd like, but not a screamer.

Mike

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Buy any shop vac, use good earmuffs to handle the shriek, and buy an aftermarket small-diameter hose. The usual shop-vac hose is large diameter so it can swallow construction debris. However, the large hose is inflexible, and it kinda steers the sander. A hose with a smaller diameter is more flexible, so you have better control of the sander, and it is still big enough to pass sanding dust.

+1
That's what I've been doing for 20 years. The filters clog pretty fast, but even my old PC sander catches 99% of the dust with an old craftsman shop vac.

[Jamie Buxton]

One more suggestion....When sanding, a tool-triggered vacuum is a terrific thing. By "tool-triggered" I mean that the vac gets turned on any time you turn the sander on, and it turns off when you turn the sander off. Me, I'm always turning the sander on and off to move the workpiece or move myself. Fancy vacuums like those Festools and Feins you don't want to buy have tool triggering built in. But you can buy separate tool-triggering switches from any woodworking catalog. Here's an example, but there are many out there -- http://www.rockler.com/i-socket-110m-tool-and-vacuum-switch

[Mike Chalmers]

I use a small shop vac with a Dust Deputy. I seldom have to clean the filter, just empty the bucket.
I would advise that you stick to a low power one, as they don't need much. I find that sometimes the ROS is sucking down tight on the work piece making it hard to move the sander.

[Ole Anderson]

ShopVac is bottom on my list. Too noisy and bearings go too fast. Ridgid or Craftsman (my choice) are better choices. I have the 5.5 hp 12 gallon one.

[Dave Zellers]

I use a small shop vac with a Dust Deputy. I seldom have to clean the filter, just empty the bucket.
Yes, + 1 on this, but the OP said no Fien or Festool and, say a Ridgid vac plus a Dust Deputy pretty much adds up to an expensive vac.

But you're so right- a Dust Deputy in between your sander and the vac is a wonderful thing.

So buy the Ridgid or whatever vac now and then down the road add the DD.

But as stated above, wear hearing protection. Something like this is all you need.
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-R-01538-Hearing-Protector-Reusable/dp/B001DZO87M/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1458521831&sr

[Mike Henderson]

ShopVac is bottom on my list. Too noisy and bearings go too fast. Ridgid or Craftsman (my choice) are better choices. I have the 5.5 hp 12 gallon one.
I absolutely agree about the ShopVac brand. I had one and gave it to GoodWill because it was so loud.

Mike

[George Bokros]

I have a DD that I paid $90 for at Woodcraft. It is the small one and I only use it for sanding. I installed a new filter in my vac when i got the DD and it is as clean as I installed it. i use a trash can separator with my chip collector and it works fine for the big stuff.

[Dan Friedrichs]

And buy yourself a HEPA filter for whatever you get. CleanStream Pro is a often-recommended one.

I built my own cyclone pre-separator, added variable speed and tool-triggered, and included the HEPA filter.

[Dan Hahr]

Get the Ridgid 6 hp 16 gal with a detachable blower. It has a lifetime warranty. I'm on my third one because HD won't just send me a switch. This latest model has a much beefier switch which should last more than the avg 7 years the others did. Dan

[Dave Zellers]

Can't you just cut out the broken switch and insert a light switch in line? That's what I did with my old Craftsman 20 years ago and it is still going strong.

With these simple 110v motors, any 110v switch will do.

[Mark Blatter]

One more suggestion....When sanding, a tool-triggered vacuum is a terrific thing. By "tool-triggered" I mean that the vac gets turned on any time you turn the sander on, and it turns off when you turn the sander off. Me, I'm always turning the sander on and off to move the workpiece or move myself. Fancy vacuums like those Festools and Feins you don't want to buy have tool triggering built in. But you can buy separate tool-triggering switches from any woodworking catalog. Here's an example, but there are many out there -- http://www.rockler.com/i-socket-110m-tool-and-vacuum-switch

There you go. I learned one more new thing today. I had no idea such a thing existed. Those are pretty cool. I will need to get one or two for my shop.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would definitely recommend a Clean Stream filter, as they are made of Kevlar, and you can wash them with a hose to clean them, as compared to the paper one that came with it. I also recommend Rocklers flexible hose adapter hose.http://www.rockler.com/dust-right-universal-small-port-hose-kit

I also recommend this little gadget. http://www.rockler.com/fastcap-remote-control-vacuum-switch


(http://www.rockler.com/fastcap-remote-control-vacuum-switch)

[Jim Barstow]

I used a standard shop vac with a tool triggered switch for years. Very frustrating since the filter clogged easily. I got a new makita vacuum with an anti-clog system and built-in tool trigger. The filter never clogs, the hose is very flexible, and it has tool triggering built in.

[roger wiegand]

I've been very happy with my Bosch VAC090S. A lot less money than some others, but HEPA capable, very quiet, and triggered by the tool. Works like a champ.

[Dan Friedrichs]

A lot less money than some others

I'd never heard of it so I googled.....that seems like much MORE money then some of the others. $550?

[Jon Endres]

I had been using a pretty cheap Shop-Vac up until a few years ago, when my wife picked up a Ridgid vac on a Black Friday special for $25. Have no idea what the model is, it was probably sourced specifically as a loss leader for Home Depot. I upgraded the vac with a CleanStream HEPA filter and the 10' Pro-Grade universal hose, which is a lot more durable than the old one. Of course, for the cost of the upgrades, I could have just bought three more vacuums....

The Ridgid is still sucking away, works as well now as it ever did. Allegedly the W1450 which is their 14-gallon model, is a best buy or best value in on of the woodworking magazines. I would certainly buy another Ridgid vac. I like mine, even if it was cheap.

[Tom M King]

We run two of the big Rigid's, and one of the big Shop Vacs with a bag to clean up behind sheetrock and plaster work. One of the Rigid's even ran all day every day for a week several years ago, and is still good to go. We have a half dozen or so of the Cleanstream fliters so we always have a dry one while others are drying after washing. I don't know that I've thrown away one of the filters yet.

[roger wiegand]

I'd never heard of it so I googled.....that seems like much MORE money then some of the others. $550?

Well, less than the similar Festool. I paid $425 for mine.

[lowell holmes]

I have one from Lowes and Home Depot. They both are good.

[Erik Christensen]

shop vacs are like many things in life - you often get what you pay for. Features that are essential (IMHO) for a shop vac used for sanding are:


HEPA filter - why even bother if the vac makes the air 'look' clean while spewing a bunch of invisible but very harmful dust in the air
durable, flexible hose with swivel fitting
speed control so on finer grits you don't suck the sander into the wood and over sand
tool activated trigger


yes you can get an inexpensive BORG vac and retro fit a lot of that functionality but if you add up the costs & hassles you might find one of the 'too expensive' vacs is not that pricey after all - make sure you are comparing apples to apples buy adding aftermarket upgrades to lower cost vacs that lack required features essential for sanding support - then make you choice on what is the best value

[Rick Potter]

I have several shop vacs for individual uses. There is a big one for my chop saw, that eventually will have a piping system along that wall. Another big one is on a cart with a home made boom. I use it for a lot of things, mostly the track saw. Both have Dust Deputies.

For sanding, I have a small, cheap one that sits under the sanding bench. It has a good washable filter, and I can sand quite a bit before having to clean it.

If all you want it for is sanding, they have a new cheapie ($29) at COSTCO. It has a ridiculous 4HP rating, and a cage for a foam type filter, but it looks like it might accept a real filter. It is stainless steel, labeled Kawasaki (?), and will fit under a bench easily. Screamer? Can't tell you.

Just sayin'.

[Jim Dwight]

I started a thread over on the shop forum that has a couple pictures of my Rigid with Clearstream filter and dust deputy shop vac. You can start with the Rigid but I would get the filter as soon as possible. Otherwise it is collecting debris but blasting fine stuff out for you to breath. The DD makes filter cleaning much less necessary. I clean mine about every 5 buckets of debris. And that is not washing, just tapping some of the dust out. I haven't washed it since getting the cyclone.

For sanders, you need a smaller hose. I use the Bosch 5 meter hose, it's 35mm. Still pretty big for sanders but works. I've used my speed control for a router on it and it will let you adjust the suction down as low as you want. With no control, the vacuum sucks the sander to the wood pretty tight.

I also have an auto-on switch which is handy but not necessary. The necessary bits are the shop vac and the filter. Probably on the order of $80. Then maybe a better hose for ~$30. The a cyclone for another $50 and the same or a bit less if you want a cart for the whole thing. I would get the switch last. Vac works fine without it but it is a nice extra to have.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Whe you turn on the vacuum, this causes air to pull in through those holes in the sandpaper. This in turn pulls the sander into the wood. Greater suction means greater force pulling into the wood.

I thought that the procedure was as follows:

Turn on the vacuum and adjust the suction until it just pulls the sander into the wood. Do not just turn it all the way up or it will be like putting pressure on the sander and potentially causing swirl marks in the wood.

So, do "you guys" use vacuums without adjustable suction while sanding? If so, do you end up with swirl marks, or do you simply fix that with hand sanding after the fact?

<edit>

Side note: I own a Festool adjustable AND I own an old Craftsman with a huge amount of suction. It is probably 10 years old now. Probably older.

[Mike Henderson]

Whe you turn on the vacuum, this causes air to pull in through those holes in the sandpaper. This in turn pulls the sander into the wood. Greater suction means greater force pulling into the wood.

I thought that the procedure was as follows:

Turn on the vacuum and adjust the suction until it just pulls the sander into the wood. Do not just turn it all the way up or it will be like putting pressure on the sander and potentially causing swirl marks in the wood.

So, do "you guys" use vacuums without adjustable suction while sanding? If so, do you end up with swirl marks, or do you simply fix that with hand sanding after the fact?

<edit>

Side note: I own a Festool adjustable AND I own an old Craftsman with a huge amount of suction. It is probably 10 years old now. Probably older.
I have adjustable suction on the vac that I use with my sander. I adjusted it a long time ago and never change it. But I never found swirl marks at the high speed. Too much suction kept the sander from moving smoothly across the wood.

Mike

[Mike Chalmers]

Using a 2hp shop vac, not adjustable. No swirl marks, a little tight to the wood sometimes. The Bosch ROS I use it for mostly has an air port just before the line enters the sander housing. I suspect this keeps the suction at an acceptable level.