# what is better then a shop vac



## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Have a question for all. I am thinking of getting a fein vaccum. Does anyone here have one and what is your opion on it. Seen porter cable has one. I have a shop vac now is a pain in fact the construction of it is poor I emptied out the tank of it and the wheel where the tank meets it is cracked. The only thing I like about these vaccums is the price. And I don't want to by a PC or fein if to find out later that after spending the prices they want to find that they are just hype. I want to get my monies worth out of their systems. After the prices I've seen so far they are more then I spent for my delta dust collector. I would use this but room is an issue I only use it when I'm planning and jointing. Because that is when I'm doing it by the truck load. So does anyone have some suggestions and places with a decent price to go to.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Glenmore,

I do not own a Fein, but have many WW friends on other forums who swear they are one of the best you can buy. Very quiet and quality built.

Give us a review if you end up with one.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Glenmore,

Take a look at these...



http://www.amazon.com/Fein-9-55-13-...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1191797304&sr=1-1


http://www.amazon.com/Fein-9-77-25-...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1191797304&sr=1-9



Kinda pricy aren't they?

Look very carefully at the customer reviews... you can learn alot there...


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Joe,

Price and quality many times go hand in hand. That Fein will outlast 10 of the $50 units below it's grade, so really it is a bargain by my calculations  




Joe Lyddon said:


> Glenmore,
> 
> Take a look at these...
> 
> ...


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Bob N said:


> Joe,
> 
> Price and quality many times go hand in hand. That Fein will outlast 10 of the $50 units below it's grade, so really it is a bargain by my calculations



Hi BobN

I'm just not used to seeing such high prices for what looks like a shopvac...

It's good to know that there are shopvacs and there ARE REAL shopvacs!

For that kind of money, couldn't you get a good starter DC system?


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Joe,

For that kind of money, you could get a good "chip collector", but a true "Dust Collector" would run a lot more. DC is one of the most loosely used terms in WW and very subject to great debates on many forums. The Fein reputation is excellent for using as a "dust collector" on many of the small hand power tools, but as is obvious, would be worthless as a whole shop "dust" or "chip" colector. I do know that in the event my shop vac does not out live me, I will certainly have to consider the Fein as it's replacement. :sold:


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Review in the buyers guide on these. The PC, is nearly the same amount of money as the Fein but it has poor filter cleaning mechanism, weak wheel locks and no drain for wet contents, hepa filters not available... all items the Fein has for 50.00 more. Here is how they rated out overall:

Festool -$510. - Very Good & Best Overall
Fein - $300. - Very good & Best Value
Porter Cable - $250. - Very Good
Bosch 3931A $400. - Good 
Milwaukee 8936-20 $270. Good 

Hope this helps. 


Corey


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks guys going to get this and more this winter getting my tool list going. Going to add a grizzly 14" band saw and a better drill press also. Got really fed up today with both of them. So my list is growing as usal hahaha.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Glenmore

Take a hard look at the Sears Vac.. It's hard to beat the price and because it's Craftsman they will back it up... 
I have used one for a long time and it's still like new...on the inside 

And it has sucked up water,saw dust, you name it..takes a lick-en and keeps on tick-en.

80.oo bucks for this one, plus the replace filters are cheap..I have used the same filter for about 3 years, and I blow it out all the time..

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917761000P?vName=Tools&cName=Wet-Dry+Vacs


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Sorry Bj I don't buy nothing from there anymore got burnt to many times with tools with the crapsman name. And just leave it at that.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Glenmore, In the same way the leading brand becomes the name for a class of items, such as Kleenex for facial tissues or Sawzall for bayonet/reciprocating saws, ShopVac earned its name. The problem is everybody buys the cheap plastic versions instead of the heavy duty commercial units. I am not knocking the Fein or PC units, but I would urge you to check out the high quality ShopVac units before dropping any money. You might be pleasantly surprised.


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## vapochilled (May 2, 2007)

I picked up a cyclone lid for a trash can that hooks to my 12 gallon Ridgid shop vac. This does double duty as a chip and dust collector. I fitted the hepa filter to trap dust and the cyclone catches all the big stuff.
So far I'm real happy with it. I have no space or spare power for a dedicated DC unit, so this works well for me.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Glenmore,

I use a regular 20 gal. shop vac, but I stick in the drywall dust bags. That makes it easy to clean, keeps the dust WAY down, and is still reasonably inexpensive.


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## garycurtis (Sep 17, 2007)

Glenmore, seems like a lot of the responses suggest alternate brands. You asked a question, however, and since I own a Fein Turbo II here's some direct answers. With no flag-waving.

I bought the Turbo II because the smaller hose diameter (1 1/8 inch) is easier to handle. It is the quietest system on the market, and it fits into a 16" vacuum barn under my bench. And since I get allergies and asthma from fine dust, the optional 1 micron filter is important to me. 

Now that I've had it for 18 months plus, here's my impression. My wife steals it from me every week to clean house. It just works well. I'm on my first dust bag. How's that?? 

It is is expensive. About once a year you can get them on sale at Amazon for about $50 off. But the tool kit (with floor sweep) is another $50. And the 1 micron filter costs an additional $40. The investment bothered me at first. But 18 months on one filter bag offsets that. When I think about the cost of running household vacuums over the years, the quality seems to pay off. But I never have to fiddle with it. My shop is all new and dedicated to woodworking, so I wanted good equipment. After all, it is only a vacuum cleaner.

Gary Curtis


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Mike said:


> Glenmore, In the same way the leading brand becomes the name for a class of items, such as Kleenex for facial tissues or Sawzall for bayonet/reciprocating saws, ShopVac earned its name. The problem is everybody buys the cheap plastic versions instead of the heavy duty commercial units. I am not knocking the Fein or PC units, but I would urge you to check out the high quality ShopVac units before dropping any money. You might be pleasantly surprised.


Mike,

How do you know what the "high quality ShopVac units" are from the other quality? Will they say "heavy duty commercial unit" in the product desription?

Links to any example?

Thank you.


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## garycurtis (Sep 17, 2007)

Joe, 

The Festool and Fein units from Europe list in their specifications CFM and inches of water as a measure of vacuum strength. 

I know that in Fein shop vacs the air used to cool the motors is clean air, not downstream dirty from hose. Motors list the wattage as power output, not the arbitrary amp and 'silly-putty' horsepower ratings. 

Gary Curtis


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Well said Gary, no ambiguity there.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks Gary for the review of the vaccum. Definetly going to get me one come spring. That is an added feature that I was looking for a tool that will hook up to the ports of the tool sick and tired of trying to rig dust collector to the tool. Really a pain. But one thing Gary my wife won't get it hahaha.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I think you have you're wife figured out all wrong Glenmore, next time we talk on Skype put her on and I'm sure that I shall be able to convince her of the necessity and urgency of some new equipment for you're compact shop, I reckon that she will volunteer to work overtime to speed things up!


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## garycurtis (Sep 17, 2007)

Glenmore, here's a few bits of Fein trivia. In order to hold the assorted tool tips, they sell a basket which mounts to the top of the cleaner. For the $50 they want for it, I would go to Bed Bath & Beyond and buy an equivalent for $12.99 and bolt it on with small clips.

If you ever get caught up in the Festool 'frenzy', you'll have a problem adequately attaching the Fein hose to the dust port on Festool gear. Festool vacuum hoses have a rib on the end of hoses. It mates with the dust port and locks the hose in. If you go that route, here's some good news. The Festool hoses fit right into the Fein vacuums. You won't need the green anti-static hose ($100), but can get by with the cheaper gray Festool hose. 

I bought my big shop machinery from Eagle Tools in Los Angeles, and they advised me on on the hoses. Having a 'locked in' hose sucking dust out of your tools as you cut is a real plus. I was astounded at how much dust is churned up by something as puny as a circular saw. 


Gary Curtis


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## jer760 (Nov 17, 2007)

Have you checked out the ridgid vacs? I have a 6 hp one that I like alot.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Joe, sorry I missed your question in this thread. The place I buy my Shop Vac brand items is from Grainger. There are small vacuum stores as well as janitorial supply houses that will carry the steel can commercial units. (They are also available in stainless) All the motor parts are replaceable and available. Bags are available in two styles: the small white extra fine filter bags and the large blue bulk bags that capture the bulk of the mess. This combination of bags is what optical stores use to capture the ultra fine plastic dust from making eye glasses.

As a side note for Craftsman lovers, Sears has 1 micron filters for some of their shop vac models and high efficiency models as well.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

I'm surprised no one has recommended HF. I purchased their's for much less than what others have listed here in the thread. I have one and I have no complaints about it. Like some about sears, I was leary and in a way still am of HF. But, every once in awhile they do come through.

Shop-vacs, DC units, it really doesn't matter what size of hp it is, it matters on CFM. Heavy duty = the thickness of material that it is made out of not necessarily the quality of the motor.


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