What to look for in a Shop Vac?

[Josh Kocher]

HEPA, automatic starting, quality build are my top 3.

Variable suction is great, but not a deal breaker... I rarely turn mine down.

If I was buying a shop vac today, I'd likely get that hepa Fein vac. Or possibly another Festool vac.

But as had been said, it isn't going to be very effective with your saw or jointer...

I get it, you want to buy something that will get your started and work into the future, and you really do ultimately need a good shop vac. But I'd also be looking at fast-tracking a proper DC purchase with effective filtration/separation soon.

You really do need it, the shop vac won't cut it.

[Larry Edgerton]

The cost of the bags for me. Its why I don't use Festool or Fein vacs.

[Don Kondra]

Shop Vac @ $160 on sale, Dust Deputy @ $150 vs Festool @ ~ $1000

Put the savings toward a dust collector !

Cheers, Don

[Ole Anderson]

Any Shop Vac (brand) I ever got had the bearings go bad in short order. You know, that terrible growl you hear after you turn it off and it spools down? I picked up a well rated 12 gallon 5.5 hp (haha) Craftsman and have been very happy with it. $75. Long cord, filters fine (I use it mainly when sanding) and it will propel itself across the floor it blows so hard. And at that price, you can put the money aside that you save by not buying a Fein and put it toward a good dust collection system. I use it for winterizing my spa, the drain plug helps there. Pair it with a $40 iSocket auto switch and you are good to go with your sander, router or corded drill for your Kreg jig.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-xsp-12-gallon-5.5-peak-hp-wet-dry/p-00912006000P?sid=IDx01192011x202447059&gclid=Cj0KC Qjw_ODWBRCTARIsAE2_EvX4ofTzKNgYDrgzzO323Hnh9tqIRf_ 8JEwMjqe3W9ptVozE1epgPqkaAipwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds &dclid=CIHMg6iux9oCFUnbwAodH-QH2g

http://www.rockler.com/i-socket-110m...YaAnqDEALw_wcB

[Nick Decker]

My Fein Turbo sits on a shelf, right next to the Dust Deputy. A 20' Rockler hose reaches anything it needs to in the shop, so the unusual Fein hose size isn't a factor. Because of the Dust Deputy, I've never had to change a bag or filter, both are pristine.

[Dustin Bullard]

I think something worth pointing out is that the Fein Turbo 1 starts at $250... Filters out to 1 micron out of the gate and can be upgraded with a HEPA filter has auto start/stop for your tools and more suction than any shop vac (static pressure is the real measure of suction, not CFM numbers which are always flubbed.... Fein is 98", Festool is 96" a 6.5HP Shop vac is around 60" )

The more expensive 60"+ Static Pressure Shop Vacs are all $150-180+

Yes the Fein vac requires bags but if you are using it for sawdust you will probably find that they bags last a lot longer than you would expect... (I'm 8 months into my first CT36 bag used exclusively for sanding, routing and my SCMS and its still only about half full)... A Dust Extractor is not for cleaning the shop floor or hooking up to 4" machinery...

I would definitely look at a dust extractor for small tools and a small dust collector for big chips from things like band saws, jointers, planers and table saws.

[glenn bradley]

I have two of the Ridgid vacs where the blower comes off for the supposed use as a yard vac/blower. This makes adaption/reduction of the vac very simple. A Dust Deputy and a Clean Stream filter are a must IMHO.

The prototype that won't die.

DD after use (1).jpg

Version 2.

ShopVacDDv2-1.jpgShopVacDDv2-2.jpgShopVacDDv2-3.jpgShopVacDDv2-4.jpg

One is the full shop vac for floors and powered hand tools. the other handles DP, smaller bandsaw and what-not. The Dust Deputy captures so much of the dust that I only clean the filter and empty about a 1/4 cup of spoil out of the wooden box every 6 months or so.

[Robin Dobbie]

The cost of the bags for me. Its why I don't use Festool or Fein vacs.

Shopvac bags are crappy paper, Fein bags are fleece or something. You can definitely empty and reuse them a few times. I put a zipper on mine, but it doesn't close easily. I keep meaning to make some sticks with v-grooves in them that screw together to clamp the bag bottom closed.

[Josh Groen]

My Laguna fusion f3 is connected to a 16 gal. Shop vac and it does a pretty mediocre job. A true dust collector is needed for proper dust control.
As far as shop vacs go, don't worry about on board plugs. They are amp limited to pretty much sanders. Look into an i-socket autoswitch to use with any vac instead.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I use a festool almost daily for "delicate" work. Wonderful vac, absolutely zero wrong with it, except the price. Also use a throwaway vac for the nasty jobs, ie lathe and plaster. They usually don't last long, never spend more than $100. Currently it's a Dewalt, and I'm rather impressed by it. I think it'll last longer than usual. Motor bearings failing is what gets most of them. I'd recommend either of those. I've never been impressed by a Shop Vac or Craftsman brand vac, but I've definitely not tried them all.

[Marshall Harrison]

Looks like I may need to rethink this dust thing. maybe get one of the Harbor Freight dust collectors. The specs for the F2 says a minimum of 500 CFM is required. The HF 1 HP is 660 CFM and the 2 HP is 1550 CFM.

[Ray Newman]

Beware of the Harbor Fright dust collectors. While the ads claim: "Collect dirt, dust and debris as tiny as 5 microns with this dust collector." Five micros is not tiny, it is large.

WYNN makes some very efficient filters for units such as the Harbor Freight dust collectors, but they cost almost as much as the dust collector. Dust collection is nothing to scrimp on.

https://wynnenv.com/woodworking-filt...er-efficiency/

[Alex Zeller]

I have a 2hp Reliant dust collector I got from my brother in law for free. But it's pretty heavy and I have it stored upstairs in my garage. It's also needs a 30 amp outlet if it's wired for 120v. I cut up a bunch of bowl blanks on my bandsaw and didn't want to mess with connecting it up so I used my 10 year old Rigid vet vac. It's the largest one they sold at the time. I made it so the vac hose is sucking directly on the lower blade guide, maybe an inch below the table. The vac got about 2/3 to 3/4 of the sawdust. Once I move the bandsaw to the garage I'll connect up the dust collector. For now I would say that a wet vac is better than nothing but I don't see it being a great long term solution.

[Brandon Thill]

If I were getting a dust extractor I think I'd get the Makita, did very well here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3OTFdvp000. OTOH for smaller tools my Ridgid 1450 with HEPA has been a really solid machine (and for all around shop vac duties). Not quiet, but coming from my 15 year old Craftsman screamer, it a relief. If you need a stopgap machine, it will work well enough I think.

[Curt Harms]

The cost of the bags for me. Its why I don't use Festool or Fein vacs.

Shop Vac drywall bags will fit Fein vacs. It's what I have in mine.