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Thread: Does decent Shop Vac dust collection still need to be so expensive?

  1. #1

    Does decent Shop Vac dust collection still need to be so expensive?

    I'm looking to improve my dust collection for my ROS, biscuit joiner, miter saw, etc. I'll retire my 20 year old Ridgid and get a good quality shop vac and cyclone separator.

    I know I don't have to spend over $1000 for a Festool vac/separator to achieve very good results. But I was thinking I'd have to budget $600 for a Makita/Bosch vac and Onieda Dust Deputy kit.

    But now I see that Ridgid has a 12 gallon w/HEPA filtration kit for $126. Pair that with a $99 Onieda Dust Deputy, build a cart with some scraps, and I've solved the problem for $250.

    What am I missing?

  2. #2
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    I have a big Ridgid shop vac & Dust Deputy for collection from the small tools. It works very well & can't see a good reason to spend hundreds more for a "better" solution.

  3. #3
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    Currently I use a Smaller rigid with a "cleanstream " filter to hook up to sanders and smaller tools. It has worked quite well after figuring out suitable attachment pieces for the hose.

  4. #4
    The bigger (16gal "6.5HP") Ridgid vacs move more air (165CFM vs 144CFM on the one you linked). I have one of those, with the CleanSteam HEPA filter Mike mentioned.

    The cyclone seems like a unnecessary complication. I buy the cheapest 16gal shop vac bags I can find and let them be the "pre-separator". Given how little air you might manage to move through a sander, it's hard to conceive that you need cyclonic pre-separation to prevent a 16gal bag or filter from restricting airflow.

  5. #5
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    The advantage of adding a cyclone to a shop vac is that it lets you use a better filter that won’t clog as quickly since the DD separates out all but the finest dust. It’s also way easier to empty because you aren’t filling up a bag filter, nor are you having to remove the motor assembly to dump it.
    I used a DD with my Ridgid vac for a couple years and the only complaint I had was that it was unweildy/tippy. If I were to do it again I would make or buy one of those kits that lets you attach the DD+bucket to the vac, which lets you roll them around as one unit and gives you only one hose to deal with.
    Last edited by Marc Fenneuff; 01-03-2021 at 1:16 AM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I'm looking to improve my dust collection for my ROS, biscuit joiner, miter saw, etc. I'll retire my 20 year old Ridgid and get a good quality shop vac and cyclone separator.

    I know I don't have to spend over $1000 for a Festool vac/separator to achieve very good results. But I was thinking I'd have to budget $600 for a Makita/Bosch vac and Onieda Dust Deputy kit.

    But now I see that Ridgid has a 12 gallon w/HEPA filtration kit for $126. Pair that with a $99 Onieda Dust Deputy, build a cart with some scraps, and I've solved the problem for $250.

    What am I missing?
    There's the input, then there's the output.

    If the cheaper vacuum provides the same suction, it's hard to justify A Shop Vac You Can Be Proud Of. However, if you have to deal with the noise and particle output, clean and quiet is worth it.

    I put the shop vac outdoors, where the noise and fine dust being flung about don't bother anyone. I hooked up a light to the remote control, so that I know when the vac is running.

  7. #7
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    I have that basic configuration for about three years now, mine is stationary with 2" scd40 pvc piping around the workbench(5 ports) and the shop including table saw blade guard, band saw, etc. Have to expand the 2" pvc for the hose to connect to it. Lost track of how many times I have dumped the five gallon bucket, have yet to get any noticeable amount in the first paper bag filter. Vacuum always seems to stay at a high level of flow and suction. Getting ready to expand the piping system as I removed a wall in the basement and am expanding the shop. Currently also using a dust collection system with cyclone and have an air filtration system also.
    I would look around and see if anyone is selling a used Central Vacuum system for a house, have seen them in the hundred dollar range. Should be capable of more air flow and then vent it to the outside.
    Good luck
    Ron

  8. #8
    +1 on venting the vac outside. I have a cheapie Shop Vac 6.5 after a dust deputy inside the shop. I cut a big hole in the filter but left the mesh screen. I have an exhaust hose that ports outside. More power, no filter to clean, and much of the noise vents out. (No neighbors). I have a 3HP powermatic system for 4-6" ported tools and use the shop vac setup for anything with a 2.5 inch port or smaller and for cleanup.

  9. #9
    I use a little Rigid Vac, I think it has a 4 gallon capacity, with a big motor. I don't really remember the current but it was over 10amp and within an amp or so of the largest motor on a Rigid. I use a dust deputy so I do not need capacity in the shop vac and it allows the setup to take up less space to not have much capacity. I put the Rigid "quasi" HEPA filter on it. I call it quasi because while the filter material may be HEPA fine the system has not been tested to meet HEPA requirements. It is thus not as good as a true HEPA vac but it was far cheaper. I hook the vac to the cyclone with plumbing piping to reduce losses. I had to heat it up to form it to fit. I use a Bosch 5 meter hose on the smaller tools and a long Rigid hose that is 2.5 inches for cleanup. My little tools are a track saw, Festool domino XL, Bosch 1250 sander, and smaller DeWalt sander.

    I have to clean the filter sometimes and I dump out whatever dust is in the tank when I do that but it is minimal. The dust deputy gets nearly everything except for some very fine dust that gets caught in the filter. Sometimes I take it outside and tap on it, sometimes I use the DC to suck dust out of it, sometimes I do both.

    My only complaint and the only reason I see to spend more is it is noisy. But the tools are noisy enough I need hearing protection anyway so I can't see spending several times more for something quieter. If you want to get something quieter, I would look hard at Fein.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    You are buying features with the expensive shop vacs. Adjustable flow so the ROS works better and isn't sucked down tight to the work, noise level, finer particulate filters, automatic switching, and maybe some other features like no-static hoses or smooth interior hoses. If you can live with a louder vac, with more restriction in the hose (I'm sure the vac is rated with no hose connected), smaller area filters, walking to it to start and shutoff the vac with nothing else running, etc..., then cheap is the way to go. But not in every case are you just spending money for a name. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I'm also a huge believer in a cyclone. Maybe a half plugged filter is not an issue for everyone, but I want to maintain flow from start to finish.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Dwight View Post
    My only complaint and the only reason I see to spend more is it is noisy. But the tools are noisy enough I need hearing protection anyway so I can't see spending several times more for something quieter. If you want to get something quieter, I would look hard at Fein.
    Good point on the noise. But I do wear hearing protection.

    This is one of the best head-to-head dust extractor comparisons that I've seen. It's what had me leaning toward the Makita. But, according to their testing, Fein is one of the noisiest (so is Festool). So, $$$ doesn't always equal a lower noise level.

    Decibal-Levels.png

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I'm looking to improve my dust collection for my ROS, biscuit joiner, miter saw, etc. I'll retire my 20 year old Ridgid and get a good quality shop vac and cyclone separator.

    I know I don't have to spend over $1000 for a Festool vac/separator to achieve very good results. But I was thinking I'd have to budget $600 for a Makita/Bosch vac and Onieda Dust Deputy kit.

    But now I see that Ridgid has a 12 gallon w/HEPA filtration kit for $126. Pair that with a $99 Onieda Dust Deputy, build a cart with some scraps, and I've solved the problem for $250.

    What am I missing?

    The only stuff you're missing are the additional features, which may or may not have any value to you. The onboard tool-triggered outlets turn the vac on/off when the tool you're actually using gets turned on/off. The Festool packs up nicely -- the hose coils up inside instead of flopping around and being exposed to damage/being a hassle to deal with. The lower noise level is really nice. They have flat tops so you can stack your tools on top, same with the Fein and Makita. Many of these extra features are primarily of interest to the traveling pro, who is in and out of their vehicle to/from jobsites all the time. If this is just going to live in a hobbyist shop, a lot of those features don't matter, so it becomes harder to find value at those higher price points.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Does Ridgid still sell the muffler you can add on to reduce noise? I put one on my Craftsman and it helped with the noise quite a bit. I use smaller shop vacs (estate sale purchases) on the smaller tools like a sander. Easy to move around from tool to tool w/o permanent ductwork.

  14. #14
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    I've used Rigid vacs for a while w/ Dust Deputy added , I have no complaints . If you accept the noise , don't need or want the extra features , the bigger Rigid vacs have enough CFM to be effective . The I-Vac power switch/plug is nice , I use them in cabinet work stations . Sanding , miter saw , etc. Big DC for big stationary tools .

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    The bigger (16gal "6.5HP") Ridgid vacs move more air (165CFM vs 144CFM on the one you linked). I have one of those, with the CleanSteam HEPA filter Mike mentioned.

    The cyclone seems like a unnecessary complication. I buy the cheapest 16gal shop vac bags I can find and let them be the "pre-separator". Given how little air you might manage to move through a sander, it's hard to conceive that you need cyclonic pre-separation to prevent a 16gal bag or filter from restricting airflow.
    You really need to give a cyclone a try. When sucking lots of fine dust, a clean filter will start to plug up in moments, drastically cutting airflow. With a cyclone, there is a little less flow, but that level is maintained long after the filter would have clogged with no cyclone. I have the Ridgid 16 gal. vac & have run it both ways to compare. I can run through several bucket loads of dust & still have just a handful of dust in the vac & the filter still pretty clean.

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