I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I take the chance and ask again.
What brand/model shop vacuum do you guys prefer for general carpentry/jobsite clean-up?
I need one mobile enough to pull out of the tool trailer and haul into a house, yet strong enough to actually pick up everything I’m after.
I tried the Rigid Pro-vac 5hp 2 gallon carry-around deal, but took it back cause the filter clogged with dust fairly quick and then the suction went to less than I can create on the end of the hose with my mouth. The hose also stopped up one-way repeatedly with finish nails. I say one way cause when I’d turn it off they all can spilling back out the end and I’d have to reclean what I just sucked up.
I thought about getting a Fein with the toolswitch, but just don’t know if it’s worth it, especially considering you apparently have to pay extra to actually get any nozzles.
Replies
I have the Fien vac and use it a lot but the small hose diameter makes it a lousy machine for general cleanup , for that I have an ancient sears vac that just wont die, with an after market filter from leevalley that the dust just falls off of with a good boot to the side of the vac.
The rigid vacs that every contractor throws out after each project keeps me in hoses and wands and such. The after market filter doesnt seem to mind the occasional dunking when wet vaccing also.
I use the fien on my miter saw and sanders when I have to setup inside and I use it for final cleanup if the finished floors are in but the screamer gets emptied 5 times for every time I fill up the fien.
my three cents.........cheers .............Rik
I use an 8 gallon craftsmen shop vaccum, works well. Small enough to carry around, yet large enough that I don't have to empty to often.
mike
Anyone familiar with the SopVac Brand? They carry the big silver "contractor" model at one of the big stores here, and I wondered if they suck?
Get it? I kill myself.
I've got a ShopVac "Contractor" model I picked at Sam's about 3 years ago for $80; I'm not sure this particular model is still available. I won't claim it's a Fein but for the money, it's hard to beat. 20 gal tank, 2" hose and it's definitely not silent. With optional and somewhat pricey (2 for $14+) drywall bags it does a great job with drywall and plaster dust. No filter to shake out- once the bag is filled, toss it. The stock filter isn't much and isn't really effective with fine dust. A Hepa filter is available. I run it with my PC 347 saw and PC 333 sander on inside work. PC has a hose that fits the outlets on the 347 and 333 and the inlet on the Shop Vac. Works well and really cuts down on the cleanup. Does a good job with water pickup too and it's even still made in the USA. http://www.shopvac.com/
"Anyone familiar with the SopVac Brand? They carry the big silver "contractor" model at one of the big stores here, and I wondered if they suck?"
I have one of those, and really like it. Been using it for about 5 years.
I like the fact that is has an upright handle. Seems like whomever dreamed up the first shop vacs figured the users were 36" tall or so. I don't like to bend over to mess with the switches or move the thing.
It's REASONABLY quiet, and has a long hose and decent attachments with it.If the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags," and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee Titans?
I'm with artacoma, the filter is really what counts. If you are not prepared to keep it clean, then forget about suction. I have a sears 5 gallon and i'm happy with it.
Alma
This has been discussed numerous times but I'll repeat what I have said to others. I have owned several shop vacs over the years. Primarily Shop-vac and Sears due to their cost but also Doyles and Rockwell. Once I bought my Fein turbo III, my use of the vac changed. It is hooked up to most of the tools I use daily, chop saw, sanders, routers, router table, biscuit machine as well as an auxiliary for stationary equipment. The Fein is so quiet compared to the ordinary screamers I was used to. I don't even know when it is full because it keeps working. Nice cord, waterproof switch, covered 15 amp receptacle, stable and light. The Turbo III, ($289) comes with a 2 1/4" x 10" hose only. All your old shop vac tools fit the hose. I bought a 1 1/4" Genie hose at HD for $15 and it fits the vac and most of my small tools. It came with a cone shaped washable felt filter that I'm still using 3 yrs. later. I added a polyester bag ($25-35), they are available from commercial vacuum distributors. This is a great addition to any shop vac, just shake it out, stuff does not stick and it is super for drywall dust.
If you are vacuuming construction debris, plane shavings, nails and bits of sheetrock, you need a 2 1/4" hose. I don't know if the smaller Feins will take the larger hose. This is an expensive tool but it performs in the same class with WAP, Aero and Festool for hundreds less. If you need a professional level vac you won't be disappointed. I don't work for Fein, but when I find a tool that goes to work day after day and performs flawlessly I don't mind recommending it. I have other Fein tools and I think they are first class.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Thanks for the excellant review Hammer.
Been looking at the Fein Multimaster also, do you happen to have one of those?
MikeVB
Yes I have the multimaster. It is definitely a special purpose tool and I only use it for a few things. The saw works well for cutting off shim shingles after hanging doors. I'm not one for breaking them with a hammer. When doing wood clapboard repair it can cut a piece on the wall. It also will get into some pretty tight places for small trimming, places that you normally have to cut with a chisel. It's not a heavy cutter, 3/4" stock takes a while. The sanding capability is also for small, hard to reach areas. I haven't used any of the grout or tile tools. Again, nice cord, good switch and speed control, lots of attachments, dust collection. A pro quality tool.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I've used my multimaster to cut plaster/rock lathe and to cut a 2x4 in a tite place.
threr's a thread about someone who has less expensive E blades
the blades are expensive
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bobl Volo, non valeo
I say Craftsman still makes one good tool ...
their shop vac's are the best.
I have the Fein with the auto on/off that get's hooked up to the tools pr carried thru the customers house when I want something smaller and quieter ...
but for all around remodeling clean uo ... the Sears Vac does the heavy lifting.
years ago I got the better filter ...
if looking at the Sears stuff ... test drive them in the store ...
the one I have isn't too bad, noise-wise ... but a buddy has one of their biggest models ... short and fat ... and it's actually too loud to stand next to.
I had that one for one night .. took it home ... plugged it in ... my ears bled.
went back and got the next size smaller ... ears healed up just fine.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I say Craftsman still makes one good tool ..."
their shop vac's are the best"
A second (third?) on the Craftsman. Loud as heck, but inexpensive for the amount of suction. For a cheap piece of plastic, they take a beating.
Jon
I ve got me a Shop-vac brand called the QSP . It's a 6 horse 16 gal vac with wheels . the q stands for quiet and they are not kidding I can vac out a kitchen cab install no problem w/o hearing pro. the second thing I did was ditch the stock filter for a Clean-stream gortex filter-handels drywall dust and water without missing a beat. third I got a Mr. Nozzle 12' hose-soft , flezible. tough and long enough to reach the top of the uppers with out holding the vac off the floor. Only thing the Nozzle doesn't do is handle big debris beacause of its smaller ID.
Hope this helps , MIke
re - Â I ve got me a Shop-vac brand called the QSP .
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I've been using the same setup you mention for general cleaning around the house as well as the occasional construction cleanup.
In addition to the CleanStream filters, I also use the pre-filter bags.
And for additional length of hoses, I have eight 6' sections of the shop vac hoses with the connectors.
I can keep the cannister far away from the cleanup area with plenty of suction power available.
re - I ve got me a Shop-vac brand called the QSP .
me too, I used to use the gortex filter, but got tired of having to stop to clean the filter. switched to shopvac bags....yellow ones. However, lately i guess the dw dust has taken a toll, starting to blow dust. I like the quiet. Wondering about a 2 stage unit, anybody use one?
re - owever, lately i guess the dw dust has taken a toll, starting to blow dust. I like the quiet.
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I also use either the yellow or white bags, which can last up to 5-6 months because it isn't used for large debris pickup.
For any vac, I think the pre-filter bags are a must and worth the extra cost.
Drywall or fine dust that gets past the yellow bag will be stopped by the CleanStream and should not blow out the exhaust but will require knocking off or rinsing the filter.
If the exhaust is blowing dust, the CleanStream may not be seated firmly.
It's part of my routine to simply unlatch and lift up the motor housing to take a quick look to make sure the bag isn't ripped, etc.
The motor will start running with a strained higher pitch when it's time to take a look at the filter and also change the bag.
The bag paper can get clogged, so to speak, and strain the motor.
They will never last until it is stuffed full - I usually toss them when the motor is straining even with a fresh CleanStream.
I keep three CleanStreams around and picked up a HEPA version of the ShopVac branded filters that were less expensive then the CleanStreams but are not claimed to be washable.
The older bags were designed to be laid in the cannister vertically, which didn't utilize the shape of the cannister.
It was also very tricky to firmly attach to the inside nozzle for a leak-free fit.
Oftentimes the bag material would tear from the cardboard piece that's' suppose to mount onto the nozzle.
The newer ones are easier to attach (but not much better) and the bag is laid in the cannister sideways to encircle the motor/filter assembly.
As for bypass cooling, many of the German vacs have always offered this feature and is now trickling into the 'U.S' brands.
I also own a Festo CT-22, which is very quiet but does not offer the force of the large 2" hose QSP ShopVacs.
It excells in dust pickup from the dedicated tools through the much smaller diameter hoses and pickup nozzles built into the tools.
Bypass cooling does work when I completely block off the hose nozzle - the motor noise picks just a little bit but you can tell air is flowing through the unit for cooling the motor.
The ShopVac QSP models that use the 2" hoses are a good value, most definitely.
Same thing with the large Craftsmans, some which come with a control for varying the suction.
As is the case with most power tools, vacs can also be purchased for dedicated tasks instead of getting one for doing everything.
seems I finally found a thread I'm almost an expert in ...
aside from the before mentioned Craftsman and Fein ...
we also have the "wife's shop vac" for th house ... a Shop Vac QSP ...
the previous comments stand ...
the QSP isn't as powerful as the Craftsman ...
or as "refined" as the Fein.
if I had to rely on one ...
sears craftsman.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
For interior remodeling, the best machine I have used is the WAP vacuum cleaner. It uses bags that take quite a volume of material. It doesn't have the strongest suction amongst the competition but I have noticed that it keeps an effective suction even when the bag is being maxed out. My Goretex filtered wet/vac does fine for a while but drops off quickly when the filter gets clogged.
I also like the Wap because it has the tool outlet for direct dust pickup like the Fein models (but without that special Fein price. It also "follows" you nicely with it's casters that don't fall off when you yank the machine over obstacles.
It doesn't do wet pickup but I have another beast for that job.
Shop-Vac QSP 6.5G works great for me,and does not take up much room in the work van. Much more quiet than the Sears - I returned it as soon as I first turned it on. That Sears actually hurt the ears.
The paper filter over open-cell foam and paper bag combo does well with drywall dust, and are not too expensive. Handles debris well, even though the hose is 2" or so. Take the paper filters out and it will suck up a toilet tank and trap in no time.
My QSP is 7 years old now at it howls like a banshee as the motor bearing seizes intermittently. I took it apart and lubed it twice, once with 'white lithium lube' and once with furnace fan oil. This keeps it quiet for maybe 20 minutes' use. Time to get another of those QSP models.
Fein Turbo 2 here. Was tired of the jet engines and the streams of dust coming out of the vac. I love the Fein. I can run it when I work in a space being used by others, read, Office of the Dean. Worth the cash, haas good suction, dog likes to be vac'd with it. He is a hairy beast. Go orange!
CurlyHand Hewn Restorations Inc.
Restoring the past for the future.
I have the larger tank model of the QSP and I have had sucker for a long time and had the same problem--not from a defect or anthing just age- In any case I called them direct and told them of my love of their vacuum and what my problem was. Since everything was fine except the motor I asked if I could by just that to get it up and running.
Short story was that they couldn't sell me just the motor but they would sell me the top end for something like 40 or 50 bucks-Its been a couple of years so i don't recall exactlly-- but it has been back in the game ever since and going strong. Give it a try they might still sell just the top ends. Mike
I will give you a vote for the rigid shop vac mine has 6.5 hp and came with a lifetime warranty. I upgraded the hose with some that I had leftover from a central vac project that I had done in the past. The hose is around 25' long and has a swivel in the middle that actually works all of the time. I also recommend that you get one of those mufflers that go onto the exhaust, they help. I have got a aftermarket filter for it but have not installed it yet.
If I bought a Fein I would worry about it getting feet and walking away. On my vac I have painted my name on it with a stencil. Don't know of I would take a can of spray paint to a Fien?
I seem to remember that the Craftsman - Rigid got high ratings in a test in either Fine Homebuilding or Woodworking for both capacity of picking things up and making noise.
Another vote for the big Sears for general cleanup. Hard to kill. Add a Gore Cleanstream filter, and wear ear protection.
Though I have heard good things about the Loveless. Might try that one next.
Shop Vac 5.5 hp 14 gallon. Good vac, a little cumbersome but it takes either bags or filter. I prefer the bags, more $$ but less hassle. Plus it's a pump, like a bilge pump.. I leave it in one location on the job and just get extra hose. Sears is good. I think mine was around $90.
I have a Sears 3 gallon with a shoulder strap that I just love, 1.5" hose. had that for 10 years now.
I got the Fein Turbo II, haven't regretted it. Got the 2" hose for demo cleanup, less suction than the 1" hose so I'll go back over with the latter once the former has picked up the big pieces. Using the HEPA filter+bags sparingly (when hooking up drywall sander) because of cost, the bladder has worked okay although starting to show some wear. But after many hours vacuuming I'm glad I went with it.....
I don't know how loud the alternatives are, but for comparison I have the PC pancake compressor and dread turning it on. Even though I have good ear muffs, I'm the only one in the house with them. So I would treat the noise issue seriously.
Oh I assume you know that a HEPA filter does not a HEPA vacuum make....