shop vac vs DC for small tools

[brianlanning]

For small power tools like routers or belt sanders, which would perform better? a 1200cfm DC with the hose stepped down from 4" to 1" or 2", or a shop vac/central vac type machine with a 2" hose inlet?

The reason I ask is because during the router special, i saw norm plug his router into what looked like a central vac inlet. Originally, I had my 4" DC hooked up to my router with the attachment leigh jigs sells. I wasn't too impressed. Do you think it would work better with a central vac or shop vac?

brian

[Leon]

IMHO the dust collector is better suited for tools that set still while in use. Shop vac for portables like circle saws, hand held routers, plate joiners, sanders. But then again you have that noise thing going on with the typical shop vac.

[brianlanning]

Yeah, my shop vac can wake the dead. I plan to enclose a room for the compressor and the DC. I was thinking about also installing a central vac and the extra piping but I only wanted to do it if it's worth it. Sounds like it is.

brian

[Leon]

In some instances I think the shop vac would be better from a portability stand point. If you are going to run duct work for the vac I would be tempted to only use the DC.

[brianlanning]

My shop vac wheels around nicely, but the power cord is sort of annoying. I also bought it long before my woodworking habit started. If I were to buy a shop vac today, I would have very different criteria for choosing one. I would also be prepared to spend a lot more to get what I wanted. And (i've done no research) I have to wonder whether the wall mounted shop vacs or household central vacs would be more powerful than my current shop vac.

Does the trashcan separator work with shop vacs and central vacs?

brian

[Leon]

My choice would be the Festool or Fein Vac.

I have never used one.

[Robatoy]

I have a Lee Valley trashcan lid (Veritas  05J30.11) and it works great on my portable Ridgid table saw with an ordinary ShopVac...mine is, I think, a 10-gallon unit with 160 horsepower. It's hooked up with a Craftsman current tap for auto switching. The hose is 2 1/2" diameter. You need a pretty good garbage can for it not to collapse due to the vacuum. (That's for real, this time not a joke.)

The noise developed by the universal motor of the saw together with the ShopVac, is something you'd have to experience to believe. (Sticking your head up the arse of a Sabre jet comes to mind.)

I use a Turbo II Fein for all other tools, like sanders. I use a Festool CT22 exclusively on a Ridgid 6' ROS sander for on-site installations.

(The Festool Rotex 150 works great with a Turbo II Fein)

The Fein also works reasonably well with the Makita 1013 10" slider. The Fein works exceptionally well on the Kreg Pocket cutter (K3) and the biscuit jointers.

[Toller]

I have a Hoover Guv. It is very powerful and surprisingly quiet. The filter is easy to clean, but clogs faster than I would like. It is fixed, but with a long hose I can get everywhere. Once of these days I am going to plumb a system to get around the clumsy long hoses.

Yes, I have one and it works great; more than 90% stays in the separator and the power is not significantly reduced. I have a Triton, which is on close-out all over; I guess not everyone liked it as much as I do. It helps with the filter clogging problem I mentioned above.

[Dan]

On Sun 26 Feb 2006 10:37:51a, "brianlanning" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I find the dust collector is best on the tablesaw, the planer, and the jointer. I get the best suction for band saw and the SCMS with the shop vac. Dropping the DC down to 2 inches just doesn't cut it.

I built a rolling cabinet out of plywood and lined it with carpet scraps, put some holes in it for the shopvac hose and some more for vent and exhaust, and it's only a bit noisier than the DC. It's a cheap Genie. Open the door and the noise wakes up the dog inside the neighbor's house but when it's inside the cabinet, it's not bad at all. Got the idea from Family Handyman, I think.

[dnoyeB]

I wouldnt expect so. DC dont have much sucking force I don't think. But you can drop it down to 2" and have multiple collection points for the station?

All I have is a ShopVac. Im not impresed with this brand either. I just bought it last year but my brother has a Craftsman and it seems much nicer than mine. Mine has a flaky switch already. I think drywall dust got into the switch and now its flaky...

[Joe T]

After putting up with the horrendous noise, short, inflexible hose that always pulls out of the vac on my 12 gal Crapsman shop vac all these years, I just ordered the Fein Turbo II PE. Don't really need the pneumatic feature of the PE but it was less expensive than the standard Turbo II on e-Bay. Am hoping it "sucks" as well as my old vac since I also use an inline collector trash can.

Joe T

[Brian Henderson]

I ended up mounting my DC and compressor side-by-side on the other side of the wall from the shop and initially just built a roof over them, plus two painted plywood side walls to keep the elements out, but as time has gone on, I've added a door and other niceties and you can hardly hear them when they're running.