Fein Turbo II/III vs dust collector

[Knotbob]

I have a 1hp dust collector that's rated at 650cfm. Will the Fein Turbo II or III which are rated at 116cfm and 126cfm respectively do a better job with dust collection on my power hand tools like a random orbit sander, hand held spindle sander, finish sander, biscuit joiner, jigsaw and router? Or, when I reduce the 4" dust collector hose to 2.5" and then again to 1" will it increase the suction and work better than the Fein vacs? I need to refinish a lot of wood surfaces in my house, mostly knotty cedar but some pine trim. Fein claims that the Turbo III vacuum in combination with their random orbit sander can collect 98% of the dust generated. I can't afford $1,000.00+- right now for the pair but I could manage the vacuum if I thought it would perform anywhere close to that good with my sander. The Fein sander has small channels around the outside of the pad that vacuum dust as it trys to escape to give it the

98% performance and I've even considered altering my sander to see if it would work like that. Thanks for your thoughts, Robert Smith

[toller]

I have been using a Hoover GUV with my PC333. It is darn near dustless.

BTW, I just love the GUV. It is quiet, powerful, and the filter never needs to be cleaned. Okay, maybe it is not a Fein, but at one third the price...

[Sam the Cat]

I use a PC333 and a RIDGID shopvac with a HEPA filter -- without scientific data to back it up I can't claim 98% pickup, but I'll bet its darn close. At ~$70 for the sander and

[David]

I've got a Fein (the middle size one) and I LOVE it. I use the micron filter and disposable bags (that cuts down the suction a bit, but it's worth it). It does a great job of giving me dustfree sanding sessions when hooked up to my ROS or pad sander. It even cleans the floor.

Best thing about it is it's so much quieter than a normal shop vac. It converts to liquid pick-up, too.

Dave

Knotbob wrote:

[David]

Mine is the "II"

David wrote:

[Robatoy]

No. We're looking for strength, not volume in this case.

So does the German made Ridgid R2610. It's a superb sander. I wish all Ridgid tools were of that standard.

I own the Turbo II and it runs as a vacuum for either the Festool Rotex or the Ridgid (Metabo) 2610. I also have CT 22 Festool on the truck, to do similar duty during installations, on-site seaming of the solid surface countertops which my company fabricates and installs. (

) My dust-free requirements far exceed those of most woodworking dust problems. The Turbo is not intended for high CFM but for high suction (measured in inches of water). (Current vs Voltage analogy) No hobbyist/semipro DC, to my knowledge, can pull up a column of water 100" high. The Ridgid 6" ROS works like a dream with the Turbo II, I couldn't be more pleased. Total investment is way lower than those outrageously priced Fein sanders. The Festool Rotex ROS is a better sander, but also a bit pricey. The Fein 6" sanders are superb, but not worth the money. So, having said all that, THE punch for the dollar---> Ridgid R2610 and a Fein Turbo II. And if you use Mirka Abranet sandpaper/screen, you're as dust-less as you're going to get. The Turbo III has a smidgen more CFM, because it uses a 2 1/2" hose and the capacity is a bit bigger. Not worth the extra money, again, IMHO.

Another point, the paper bags for the Turbo II take the whole system down to 1 micron and still at 57 dB sound level...very quiet (so is the CT 22 Festool, but that one is not built like a Fein and hasn't been around for as long. Fein vacuums are pretty much the standard for the solid surface industry.

Hope this helps.

0¿0

Rob

[LDR]

I was looking at installing 1500sf of hardwood and thought that if the Fein sander was used for boats, it would certainly do my floors, and in the end I would wind up with two useful tools. As for Fein's claims about picking up the dust, I dismissed them as hype and told myself I would settle for whatever it did.

Paying $l,000 really hurt, but it was worth it: The dust pickup is amazing and both the sander and the vacuum cleaner are just great. So is Fein support; it's a good company.

[LDR]

An idea occurred to me that is worth a postscript: If you don't have my hidden agenda (I WANTED the tools), you can for a lot less money rent an orbital floor sander. I never used on but know people who have and it is safe to use not leaving hills and dales on the floor. Not sure about the dust surpression but there are other ways to deal with that issue as in sealing the room, etc. I seem to remember articles on the subject in Fine Homebuilding magazine.

[Knotbob]

larry-