Looked through the new Toolcrib catalog and saw a Fein shopvac. The Turbo III seems to be there top of the line. But it is expensive, $279. The only advantage i see to these vacs is they are very quiet, its says only 57 dB.
Anybody ever used a Fein shopvac? and how did you like it??
thansk
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Replies
Sorry, I buy the screaming $30.00 vacs. Maybe the quiet one is worth the money.
My brother has had one in his furniture and cabinet shop for about 5 or 6 years now. He's had no problems with it and wouldn't use anything else now. It runs long hours every day.
I'm a Fein owner for a couple of years. I wouldn't own a loud vac. Yes the Fein's are well made and work well.
joe d
Bought a Turbo III the beginning of this year after retiring an old Craftsman. Simply put, worth every penny of the price. I wish I'd gotten it years ago.
Al
The Fein is FINE! Quiet, well built, filters well, portable.
only drawbacks are Have to buy a tool kit and a cleanstream filter for DW dust and no tool storage.
The cloth filter that comes w/ it works well for dw dust for a short time but will eventually "loosens"up. Get a clean stream or similar 1 micron filter, but make sure you get one small enough so the bag will still fit over it. Thiss makes filter cleaning easier.
I have resigned myself to carrying the tools & hose in a deep mud-type bucket.
Whatis really nice is the cord and hos are both 12 feet long and the hose has a swivel on both ends, so when you pull for more hose you get it instead of simply tipping over the vac.
Wheels could be a little bigger tho
Mr TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Good advice on the filters, T. Nothing's tougher on them than d/w dust. As far as tool storage, I just keep a bicycle inner tube around my vac & put the tools behind it. It works well around the shop but wouldn't do in a truck. I keep my hose attached & just loop it around the vac into a knot. I had a customer give me a $200 gift certificate for Christmas last year to Woodcraft, which I used toward the vac purchase. Sure made the price more appealing!
Al
Ok thanks guys, What does Fein do different?? why are there vacs quieter that the other brands??
I've looked my over and I can't find an exhaust outlet anywhere. Maybe I've missed something obvious, but when it's running there is absolutely no air disturbance around it. I believe they talk about two stage cooling of the motor but I don't know if that's a factor. Curiously, if you close the intake with your palm while it's running, the sides of the vac swell outward rather than shrinking inward. Don't know what they're doing on the thing, just know that it works.
Al
Thanks,
but i must know what is Feins secret? where does the air go?? If they have no exhaust they the air must go somewhere.
You've inspired me! I really don't like not knowing how something works either, so I think I'm going to dissect this baby! I'll let you know.
Al
The air goes into the motor to keep the smoke inside. That's the secret of the longevity of the Fein, pure and simple.
The fein is excellent, have had it about two years, I would not go back either.
The air exhausts aroung the motor housing, probably a contributing factor in the noise reduction.Tom
I'm new to this site and I'm not a contractor. just a weekend end dust maker. I was reading all the advise about the Fien vacs (having been interested since a previous Fine Wood Working article) and not to appear stupid but... what is "DW" dust.
Thanks!
dan
Dan, in this case it's not dearwife dust. It would be drywall dust. None finer.__________________________________________
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Thanks! calvin
I haven't messed with dry wall yet. I have heard about the pervasive dust though.
The guy at Carlisle Restoration Lumber specifically mentioned this vacuum as the one to use when you create dust with there products.
Thought you might like to know.Tom
It would be drywall dust
Also known as divorce dust, for if it flies around too long in my house it's divorce time.
None finer
I have yet to see a vaccuum filter that will stop it all! After using your vaccuum clean the filter very well or the dust will destroy the bearings of the motor.
I have one of the older (10years) crapsman 5hp, 16 gal vacs that will still suck the paint off walls, now how does the Fein compare in "raw suck power" to mine? I like the huge hose on mine, almost nothing will clog it, and I don't feel bad when it rains on it in the back of the truck.....I could replace it with change that's under my seat, and in my door slots...at $99.00. I would however consider the Fein if it performs as well.
i dont know about the fein but i just got my festool vac in the post and i am in love, quiet, has storage for all the implements via a systainer that you can attach to the top, dual filter with brush cleaner element, and a bag for about the same price. oh did i mention that it also has an outlet like the fein for dust extraction and while i am at it festool makes a whole line of tools that all are ported to use the vac... and its super quiet and you can adjust the suction if you dont need it wide open.
i dont work for festool but everything of theirs i have i absolutely love and i want it all. all of it, even if i dont need it.
just have a look http://www.festool-usa.com/portando/index.cfm
Edited 9/13/2002 11:27:35 PM ET by james
Know what you mean, I even have a StreamCLean HEPA filter for my 200+ CFM Craftsman. And a double-length hose. We call it R2D2. On the other hand, when it's running, two doors away you couldn't hear a Fein running beside you..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
How good is the Stream Clean? .......considering one for my Shop Vac. Using the stock filter and one of the paper bags now.
Expensive, but very effective.
By-the-bye, I went over to Lee Valley to buy one of their regular filters for the Craftsman (much better than the Sear's model, and a buck cheaper) and they don't have them anymore - only the HEPA filter. What's up with that ?.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
re - How good is the Stream Clean? .......considering one for my Shop Vac. Using the stock filter and one of the paper bags now.
------
I've been using the CleanStream and ShopVac pre-filter bags.
The CleanStream I have is a hair below HEPA rating.
Recently they introduced a HEPA model that costs about $10 more.
However, ShopVac now offers their own HEPA filter that is considerably less expensive then the CleanStream filters.
I saw these at Lowes if anybody is interested.
I've been wanting a Fein vac or a Festo.
In the meantime, the present setup does a great job.
Alan
Thanks, Alan
So I'm taking it by the silence that nobody wants to compare the "suck" of this one to the crapsman 5hp?
I can understand it will pull the light dust from a sander up, but what about the big chunks from the floor, or the router shavings, or the planer shavings?
Keith, just to make you happy! your craftsman vac really sucks!! And, just like my 2.75hp model, Its a great unit. If you can find the jet stream large filters ($30) they work great for much longer than the sears filter. The ridgid filter from HD fits and is a buck or so less than sears too.
Sorry Keith. The Fein vac I have does a great job sucking up sawdust, chips, crumbs, anything that'll fit up the hose. I have an old sears shop vac (avacado green), must be 25 yrs old maybe. The Fein replaces it fine. Maybe a little more suck with the sears but not worth the bulk, the noise, nor the falling over design. And the auto switch used with a table or mitre saw is a nice feature.__________________________________________
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
if you think that 5hp craftsman is really 5hp, i have a ocean front property in Kansas im trying to get rid of....
How much you selling the property for? I heard the Kansas ocean is really nice.
Can't I go 1 day without spilling my coffee?
I saw this sander in action. The corian installer swore by it . He used it in combo with the fein random orbital sander. Since 50%+of his work was retail, noise and the filter were major factors in his work. Me I just duct taped my Rigid vac. to my PorterCable sander and wore ear plugs. Some customers equate noise with production anyway.
My 2 cents
I love my Fein Turbo II. Nice, powerful, efficient, and doesn't scare the dog nearly as much because it's quieter. I bought it because FH recommended it in one of their articles. I particularly like it for when I set up my chopsaw to do crown, for instance and use the tool-on feature. It is quite expensive, though. If you've already blown out your hearing or if you wear ear protection all the time, you can go lots cheaper.
I recently got a Fein Turbo II, on sale for $199. I also got the HEPA filter for $80, 1 micron filter for $35, the toolkit on sale for $65, the fittings to put on the filter for $15, plus some of the bags that you can put into it. So my credit card is obviously reeling from this abuse. But my god I love this vacuum!
As everyone says, it is supremely quiet; the other weekend my girlfriend and I cleaned out our rental apartment and we could hold a conversation with the vacuum on. I also seem to feel less tired without being exposed to all that noise all the time. And I don't feel bad about using it late at night.
Also, the dust collector function is excellent; I expect to be doing a lot of renovation type jobs on my place and being able to keep dust down from the work is key. The tube fits right into the back of my dewalt CMS. Had to use an adapter to connect to my PC 743K circ saw though.
I also love the bags, since you don't have to be exposed to the filth when it is time to empty the sucker out. You might think this is not a big deal but with a sack full of drywall dust or lead paint debris it is pretty nice.
Anyway, I love my new Fein, though the price is quite painful and there are a few design issues that could have been done better; i.e. lack of tool storage, uncomfortable bottom side of top handle, etc.
-Holly