small vacuum extractor advice

[Noho12C]

Hello,

I'm in the market for a small vacuum extractor. I'm mostly using hand tools, but need to sand (by hand) from time to time, which create a bit of dust.
I would like to get a small vacuum that would reduce the dust and allow some small general cleaning in the "shop" (= one car garage). Those are the 2 I have been looking at : Fein 25L and Bosch GAS 18V.

Fein dustex 25L
Bosch GAS 18V

One thing that "bothers" me : they advise not to use it for hardwood dust as it is class L. But both have HEPA filters (or similar) so for hobby use, they should be alright, no ? my understanding is that class M has an alert if the suction drops, but if they have similar filters, filtration should be the same ..

Anyway, if someone has some review to share or other similar model he/she is happy with, I would be happy to hear about !

Chris.

 

[Sideways]

The previous generation Fein dustex had a great reputation. One of the quietest extractors around and a professional grade product.
The newer one in your link introduced a few years ago seems to get slightly less good reviews - a little more delicate and prone to tipping when dragged by the hose compared to the previous one, but still no doubt a quality choice.
The cordless Bosch is a totally different animal and no substitute. It's very portable for quick clean up by trademen doing small jobs in homes and offices. It is not powerful enough as a shop vac and I doubt it generates enough suction to be fully effective connected to power tools.
If I were choosing between these two, I would take the Fein without hesitation. You might also want to look at models by Numatic. They also make machines that are quiet (many, especially cheaper vacs are v loud), robust and easy to get spares for.
BUT: in my opinion variable suction is VERY useful for a vac to be connected to tools and only a machine intended for use with power tools is likely to have that feature.
If you don't know it already, look at the hand sanding block by Mirka which connects to a vac using a super flexible hose. Good value and very effective.

 

[Noho12C]

Thanks for the feedback !

The bosch specs are quite lower than the Fein, might be an issue if using some power tools at some point. I will check the Numatic range.

I bought the Mirka sanding pad (someone on the forum recommend it) and found it very good. I thought i could use my chip extractor with reducers, but didnt work at all...

 

[MikeJhn]

Have a look at the Karcher range a few of them have power outlets on them that allow them to switch on when you switch on your power tool, and stay on for a few seconds after you switch off the power tool to allow the hose to clear, there are probably others that do the same, but I can vouch for the Karcher as I use one, in fact two.