shop vac dust separator reviews

[Keye]

I have watched way to many videos about shop vac dust separators. The ones which they claim catch all the dust which clog the vac filters and the dust which is harmful to your lungs. One guy uses flour in his tests. Flour is not sawdust. This test is so dumb I can not even figure out what he is trying to prove.

Talking about dust just using the size of the particle (microns.....) is OK when it concerns keeping your shop visually clean. If you are talking about the health of your body this is a whole different subject I guess what I am trying to say is visually clean and healthy clean are not necessarily the same thing. A lot of these videos would have you believe they are one and the same.

Out of all the videos I watched I did not see one which addressed the discharge out of the shop vac. I searched and could not find a single HEPA filter for a shop vac. I found one which had HEPA like filter. All of these devices seemed to do one thing which is reduce the number of times you have to clean the filter, not saying this is a bad thing.

Am I going to use one of these devices, yes. I do not like to clean filters either. Do I think it will reduce the amount of dust I have to clean up, some.

 

[tri4sale]

I have watched way to many videos about shop vac dust separators. The ones which they claim catch all the dust which clog the vac filters and the dust which is harmful to your lungs. One guy uses flour in his tests. Flour is not sawdust. This test is so dumb I can not even figure out what he is trying to prove.

Talking about dust just using the size of the particle (microns.....) is OK when it concerns keeping your shop visually clean. If you are talking about the health of your body this is a whole different subject I guess what I am trying to say is visually clean and healthy clean are not necessarily the same thing. A lot of these videos would have you believe they are one and the same.

Out of all the videos I watched I did not see one which addressed the discharge out of the shop vac. I searched and could not find a single HEPA filter for a shop vac. I found one which had HEPA like filter. All of these devices seemed to do one thing which is reduce the number of times you have to clean the filter, not saying this is a bad thing.

Am I going to use one of these devices, yes. I do not like to clean filters either. Do I think it will reduce the amount of dust I have to clean up, some.

The only HEPA filter's I've seen are on the higher end shop vacs like Festool. The separators keep you from having to replace bags / filters as often. They are not designed to clean the air, and shop vacs can actually blow what is being sucked in back out. I made the mistake of using a Ridgid vacuum one day when sanding sheet rock and forgot to put the sheetrock bag in, and all I did was suck the sheet rock into the vacuum and out the exhaust port, sheetrock dust ended up everywhere!

If you are concerned with clean air for healthy body, then you'll need to invest in higher end vacs and air purifiers.

 

[SteveHall]

...visually clean and healthy clean are not necessarily the same thing.

Yes, if you read the Bill Pentz dust collection website (he had a lung injury), you'll find that despite all his dust collection recommendations, he still suggests wearing a mask to keep your lungs clean. For example, a double-seal full face shield upgraded to 3M P100 + VOC filters. (Amazon links, but non-sales, non-affiliate.)

One advantage to dust collection is a clean shop. Another is to reduce your heating/cooling costs, as the conditioned air can then be recirculated. But the only way to get the operating room clean is to design your shop HVAC like an operating room... 100% exhaust, HEPA filtered supplies, low returns, and fresh air at 20 air changes an hour. So maybe $50k of equipment plus $100/day to run and maintain?

 

[Oka]

A Filter box is easy to make. The Filters cost a fair amount and the in-line fans can get pricey, just depend on your needs.

This is the basic configuration. The outer filter is the primary and it should be replaced 4 times to the internal filters(HEPAS). This way, the expensive filters last longer. In a average shop maybe one year or so.

If you want to conform to SMACNA standard, you have to build frames to receive the internal filters with a foam sealer in them. But for a shop, this will work and will keep the box footprint smaller.

 

[Southern_Canuk]

Rigid Shopvacs have a Hepa filter for them available: RIDGID 5-Layer HEPA Material Pleated Paper Filter for Most 5 Gal. and Larger Wet/Dry Shop Vacuums-VF6000 - The Home Depot

 

[tvrgeek]

A shop vac can do a great job on a portable tool and is invaluable for cleaning up the shop. Love my Fein. ( Hepa)
A full size DC has the flow for big tools to collect chips and some dust. Still have a ambient HEPA filter and still use a respirator when doing MDF. DC does pretty good on my BS, but the TS is still a big problem. I wish I could do a comparison with other saws with better ducting. My DC has a HEPA filter can on it, but it is not perfect.

Every so often, I put on my respirator and use my leaf blower to get all the dust out of the shop. Takes about 3 cycles.

 

[tvrgeek]

A Filter box is easy to make. The Filters cost a fair amount and the in-line fans can get pricey, just depend on your needs.

This is the basic configuration. The outer filter is the primary and it should be replaced 4 times to the internal filters(HEPAS). This way, the expensive filters last longer. In a average shop maybe one year or so.

If you want to conform to SMACNA standard, you have to build frames to receive the internal filters with a foam sealer in them. But for a shop, this will work and will keep the box footprint smaller.

View attachment 198703

Check on-line filter suppliers. I found a couple that are well less than half typical retail. I run MERV 13 in front of my HVAC split system as well as HEPA on my ambient.

 

[Rwe2156]

A shop vac can do a great job on a portable tool and is invaluable for cleaning up the shop. Love my Fein. ( Hepa)

I'm thinking about getting a Fein as a dedicated vac to collect a 6 x 10 belt/disc sander, and a benchtop spindle sander (Triton). I believe they have the auto on/off feature.

In your opinion will this be a good application?

 

[Canuck]

I have an older (maybe 10 yo) Fein Turbo 2 and use it on my bandsaw and RIDGID belt/spindle sander and it does pretty well. Really like the auto on/off when the power tool is connected to the vac. You can't beat the quietness of the Fein when compared to a conventional shop vac!

Wayne

 

[Pop Golden]

I'm in the process of bring a DC system on line in my shop. I'll be using a Harbor Fright DC with a Dust Deputy in front. This system will not collect small paritals. I plan to get a Stratus for the ambient air with the small stuff. My shop vac. is an odd ball. I have a General International.

Pop