Fien Dust collectors

[Chris Payne]

I am fixing to buy a new Fien or a Festool dust collector very hard choice. Did I read correct that Fien is 240v. or is Festool to ? That could be my deciding factor I can't always find a 240v. hook up on job sites.

[George Bokros]

I believe both the Fein and Festool are 110 volt.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

I have both - very old Festool MIDI and a brand new Fein II. I like more a new one - much quieter, more powerful. Both 110V.
Ed

[glenn bradley]

Not a hard choice. The new Feins are nothing like their predecessors. Pretty much everything has changed except the color and the price. No more variable suction, now made by some eastern European company that makes vacs for several badges. Local Fein dealer dropped them from his store due to false expectations. Fein seems to have chosen a whole different section of the market to offer these tools to.

[Larry Edgerton]

They are 220 in Europe, you may have been looking at an ad from over the pond. So no, you may not be losing it after all!:p

[Ben Rivel]

Not a hard choice. The new Feins are nothing like their predecessors. Pretty much everything has changed except the color and the price. No more variable suction, now made by some eastern European company that makes vacs for several badges. Local Fein dealer dropped them from his store due to false expectations. Fein seems to have chosen a whole different section of the market to offer these tools to.Thats what I keep reading about them. Sad to hear they went down hill. No there really isnt any good competition for Festool.

OP: Both brands offer 110V versions.

[George Bokros]

I see on Fein's website there are even two new models, one with automatic filter cleaning. No pricing though.

[Chris Payne]

Thanks It don't sound real positive for the Fien

[Nick Decker]

I hate to hear this, as I have a Fein Turbo I being delivered from Amazon tomorrow. I had read some less than favorable reviews about the newer models, but good ones too. The idea is to use it to replace my aging Shop-Vac, run through a Dust Deputy. The lack of variable suction isn't a deal breaker, but if it isn't quiet AND powerful, it goes back.


Not a hard choice. The new Feins are nothing like their predecessors. Pretty much everything has changed except the color and the price. No more variable suction, now made by some eastern European company that makes vacs for several badges. Local Fein dealer dropped them from his store due to false expectations. Fein seems to have chosen a whole different section of the market to offer these tools to.

[Bradley Gray]

Nick, I would love to hear how your purchase works out. I have been needing a vac and about to order the Fein I, but was put off by the reviews.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Again, I have both. My new Fein II I have - only enjoinment to use. Much quieter then MIDI, even it is slightly bigger - much easier to pull it by the hose when needed. More powerful suction.
I don't know where all these negative review came from - I don't have experience with old Fein vac, but for last 7-8 month, I have a new one - only positive experience.
Just one "negative" - no space for hose/ power cord, but I don't need it.
Ed

[Nick Decker]

That's encouaging, Eduard, and Bradley, I'll be glad to report back once the new one gets here.

I purposely chose the smaller Fein because of the Dust Deputy, since virtually all the dust, etc., ends up there. It'll sit on a shelf in the garage, so don't care how mobile it is. I don't even care about the tool plug-in, I just want strong and quiet.

[glenn bradley]

I hate to hear this, as I have a Fein Turbo I being delivered from Amazon tomorrow. I had read some less than favorable reviews about the newer models, but good ones too. The idea is to use it to replace my aging Shop-Vac, run through a Dust Deputy. The lack of variable suction isn't a deal breaker, but if it isn't quiet AND powerful, it goes back.

If you had not run an older Fein there would be no basis for comparison. Like many things; if it is good for you, it is good. I have a couple of items that others find suboptimal but, they do the job for me.

[Jim Dwight]

I just bought a new shop vac last weekend but I didn't go the Fein/Festool route, I bought a Rigid, this one:

https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/4-gallon-wet-dry-vac

It pulls through a dust deputy that gets almost all the dust so I didn't want a large compartment on the shop vac. It has a 10 amp motor but only a 4 gallon compartment around the filter. I need to get the quasi HEPA filter still, it's $20 (HEPA fabric but not HEPA rated). It is not quiet by any stretch but works well - as does my older 7amp Rigid. I have a separate switch to turn it on when I turn the attached tool on.

I don't care about the noise because the other tools require me to wear hearing protection anyway. I can't hear the shop vac until I turn the other tool off (then it runs for 7 seconds and turns off).

[Art Mann]

I just want to mention that the shop vacuums being discussed here are not dust collectors and will not substitute for one. Dust collectors are designed to move mass quantities of air at a modest vacuum. They are the best for big stationary tools. Shop vacuums are designed to maintain a high negative pressure with a much smaller and tightly constrained air flow. These are more appropriate for use with electric hand tools. You will never be able to keep up with the dust and shavings from a planer or jointer using even a top-of-the-line shop vac. On the other hand, a dust collector won't maintain suction through a 2.5 inch hose typically used with electric hand tools. The shop vac is the better choice.

[Bruce Page]

Not a hard choice. The new Feins are nothing like their predecessors. Pretty much everything has changed except the color and the price. No more variable suction, now made by some eastern European company that makes vacs for several badges. Local Fein dealer dropped them from his store due to false expectations. Fein seems to have chosen a whole different section of the market to offer these tools to.
That makes me love my 10 year old T-III even more.

[Nick Decker]

Vacuum gloat? :)

[Rich Riddle]

Well the Fein in the garage works wonderful. You can select to have it start when the tools starts or just turn it on. It's hooked up to Festool hand tools and couldn't work better.

[Chris Payne]

Thanks for all the comments believe i will lean toward a festool.

[Nick Decker]

My Fein Turbo I has been delivered and I can give you a quick first-blush impression. I like it a lot.

It's replacing a garden variety Shop-Vac that's rated at 6 HP and 90 CFM. The Fein doesn't list HP, but CFM is rated 151.

The Fein is very noticeably quieter. Measured sitting next to each other, using my phone app, the Shop Vac is 77 db, the Fein is 63db. Aside from the volume, the noise that the Fein makes is less strident and high pitched. Really don't need any meters to judge this aspect of it.

I'm using the exact same hose arrangement for both machines. That is, I'm connecting the same 2.5" hose from the Dust Deputy directly into the inlet on the vacuum. While the Fein feels stronger, I can't be sure by how much, as I'm only judging with my hand at the end of the pickup hose. I'll have a better feel for that after using it with the router table.

While they did drop the suction control switch on the vacuum, they do have a sliding vent on the business end of the hose fitting where it attaches to a tool, if that's important to you. I won't be using the stock Fein hose, so I'll lose that feature.

The Fein connects to the standard DD hose easily enough, by removing the stock fitting from the Fein hose. The end that used to go into the Fein hose now easily fits into the stock DD hose. A quick hose clamp there and you're good to go. (What you do for a hose from the DD to your tools is up to you. I use about 20' of 2.5" hose to go to various tools and to clean the floor.)

No idea how the new Fein compares to the old Fein, or the Festools, but so far I'd definitely choose it again over the Shop Vac. I'll update if anything changes, and if anyone has questions, fire away.