Fein Vacuums: Adapting to 2.5" Hoses?

My 8 gallon ShopVac just died. My biggest complaint (other than cheap motor bearings) is that even the "Quiet Suction Power" version is still too loud to run without ear protection for more than a few seconds.

I can blow $67 and get another one, or I could spend some serious $$ and get a much quieter vac like a Fein. Aside from the money, one concern I have is that I have one machine plumbed with ShopVac 2.5" diameter hose, including Loc-Line fittings:

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haven't been able to find any adapters that specifically allow one to plug a 2.5" diameter hose into a Fein vacuum. I'm looking at the Fein Turbo II as the best compromise on sound, capacity & money. It comes with a long 1 1/4" hose, but it looks like the fitting on the front is a good bit larger.

Does anyone have any experience in connecting 2.5" hose to a Fein Turbo I or II (they use the same size hose). Lots of places (like Rockler, Woodcraft, etc.) sell 2.5" hose & fittings, so it's a pretty common size in the US. Bosch seems to have some adapters, but nothing (surprise) that anyone says will fit a Fein.

Other comments on Feins would be welcome. It will actually mostly be used in my metal shop, so it will be dealing with chips rather than dust, so I'm planning on using the coarsest filters for added efficiency. I assume I'll still need a bag, but I won't need a HEPA filter.

Thanks!

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White
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A 2.5 hose fits in the hole. I am not aware of any locking connections other than the one which locks the 1 1/4" hose. The big deal about the Fein is that it has two air systems, one to cool the motor, one for suction. I have nothing but good things to say about Fein. I have had the CT 22 Festool to compare and came down on the side of the Fein again and again. One time, I put a Veritas (Lee Valley) cyclone dust collection lid on a metal garbage can just to watch the can crumple like a used bag of chips. True story. Did you know that a lot of cnc router guys use the Fein as a vacuum hold-down for their routers?

Reply to
Robatoy

Robatoy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@y11g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

Do you mean that the hard plastic male collar on a 2 1/2" Shop Vac hose will just plug into the Fein?! That is amazing. I gotta get to a store & check this out. What on earth possesed the Germans to do that..?

Thanks!

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

snipped-for-privacy@y11g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

Also, the regular step-down reducer from 2 1/2 dow to 1 1/4 sits snugly in the vacuum.

Reply to
Robatoy

Have you checked the Fein online manuals?

Fein Part # 921005AK13 1 1/4 - 2 1/4" adapter price $8.00

See:

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Reply to
Nova

Nova wrote in news:4ca138fd$0$10173$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

That's 2 1/4", not 2 1/2". I think the Turbo III uses a 2 1/4" hose, so the adapter is presumably to allow swapping accessories between the two machines.

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

Robatoy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@t3g2000vbb.googlegroups.com:

Sounds perfect. I had put a query in to Woodcraft, but hadn't gotten a response before I thought of posting here. I just got a reply, and they claim I need an adapter:

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any event, it sounds like the Fein is a winner.

The one other thing I've noticed is there seems to be a little price- fixing going on. They are supposedly already marked down a huge amount from list price, but everyone reputable I could find wants exactly the same price for the Turbo II: $399.99. I suspect they don't go on sale very often either.

Anyone know anyplace trustworthy that carries them for less? I can drive to either Rockler or Woodcraft & save on shipping, but then I'm also stuck with sales tax.

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

Doug White wrote in news:Xns9E3DC381B9728gwhitealummitedu@69.16.186.7:

I've got a Fein Turbo II, and a standard large hose fits right in. My table saw has a Ridgid vac hose connected to it and I use the Fein with the saw.

I found emptying the tank to cause an unnecessary mess, so I bought a cartridge filter and vacuum bag. The cartridge filter should have been included with the vacuum.

When I bought my Fein, Woodcraft had a $40 gift card offer on its purchase. No guarantees they'll do it again...

FWIW, my Fein is actually sitting at one of their authorized repair centers. A switch went out and it was going to take 6 weeks to get the part. I sent it in right about 6 weeks ago, so hopefully I'll get it back soon.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

I'd suggest you examine the Festool vacuums before running out to buy the Fein. I have a Festool CT22. It has high capacity, variable suction control and even at the highest suction capability it's still pretty quiet in my opinion. The current comparable model in the Festool line is the CT26. I don't pretend to have the same usage needs or experience that Robatoy has with a portable dust collectors, but I'm still really happy with the operation and sound level of my CT22. Especially so, since I mostly use my Festool in my apartment where noise *can* be an issue.

Reply to
Upscale

Sears has the 2.5" - 1.5" adaper. It all depends on which hose is being adapter to which port. I believe Grizzly Tolls sells them as well. Fein should also sell them.

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Reply to
Nova

I had the CT22 and the Fein at the same time for a couple of years. CT on the truck, Fein in the shop. There isn't any real difference in sound or power. Bags for the CT22 are a PITA to get around here and don't hold as much as the Fein, although there are Festool dealers near me now. But the difference is such that they are both great vacuums...although I have yet to use the variable suction control. Solid surface dust is murder on justabout any equipment and both the Fein and the CT22 are dealing with it reliably. But it's all cherry chaff now. so the Ridgid 1450 will have to do. That thing's got a lot of suck.

Reply to
Robatoy

Yes, that part has changed recently. For a year or two in Canada, Festool was only available from Hafele located in Quebec which was a real pain. And with Festool's dealer rules preventing the ordering of Festool products from the US, doubly so. Now, that there's Festool dealers all over Canada, the landscape has changed. Although, I consider it mercenary marketing for Festool ensuring that everybody sell their products for the same price. It eliminates competition and lower prices.

For anyone interested in Toronto, I bought my Festool stuff from Atlas Machinery. When I first went down there, I couldn't get my wheelchair past the inside of the Front door. Two weeks later, they had reorganized the whole store. I'm sure they were planning to do so anyway, but now they've also opened up a huge part of the rear of the store and displaying their heavy iron in that section. They have yet to install a ramp for a two foot height change, but they're planning to do so.

Atlas Machinery is a veritable gold mine of tools and I can get there in under thirty minutes. Greedy buggers are going to put me into bankruptsy.

Reply to
Upscale

Ah yes, good old Atlas.... I visited that outfit way too often when I, along with a couple of partners, deconstructed and renovated half a dozen store fronts on Queen Street West (Between Portland and Augusta) back in the late 70's. Between the asbestos, lead water pipes, dead rodents and sanitation sewers going into storm sewers we actually got it all done and made some honest money. My most vivid memories are a combination of a heatwave, Hells Bells on the boombox and Boodles Gin mixed with Schweppes tonic in the job-site water cooler. Fun times, fun times.

Reply to
Robatoy

Doug:

I *think* the hose size is actually 2.25". I've got the Turbo III (when it was about 2/3 current price). I bought all sorts of attachments at Home Depot including 1.25 to 2.25 adapters. Seems the Ridgid vacuum tools fit the Fein well. Good luck.

~Mark.

Reply to
Woody

The ends on 2-1/2" vacuum hose measure 2-1/4"OD.

Reply to
keithw86

One thing I forgot to mention, that if you're playing with staticky stuff like plastics, the Festool hose has better conductivity and the grounding works better.

Reply to
Robatoy

A fellow I talk to on line has 2 Turbo III's and uses them to vacuum form plastic. Those are some serious suckers. Noticeably more powerful than the Turbo II or the CT 22 Festool.... but quite a bit more money too. They make an all metal version of that too...*drool* stainless no less.... The drawback of the TurboIII is total wattage when you plug in a Festool Rotex. 15 am breakers will pop due to the higher power demand from the vac. It is also a lot bigger so less desirable for use on- site in domestic installation.

Reply to
Robatoy

I get discount coupons all the time from Wood Craft and Rockler. Always they rule out power tools and Festool. Those coupons might work on the Fein vac

Reply to
Leon

Puckdropper wrote in news:4ca15f54$0$16670 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

I'm assuming I can use the paper bags with the standard cloth filter. I'm not dealing with fine dust, so I don't think the cartridge filter will be necessary.

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

Robatoy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@d17g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

The Fein hose isn't anti-static at all (hopefully Woodcraft updated their website... it was months ago I told them that.) If static is a consideration, you'll need to run a wire next to the hose and ground it somewhere.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

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