Airflow does the work of moving particles through the hose. It is is affected by friction, so is measured at the housing inlet first.
Bosch VAC140A
Vac motor amps: 7.5 to 9.5
Connected tool amps: 5.5 to 7.5
Nominal canister volume: 14.5 gal.
Cord length: 13 feet 8 inches
Hose size: 10 feet 8 inches; 32mm i.d.; hose end 27mm i.d.
Weight (pounds): 40 pounds
Country of origin: Italy
Price: $763 ($663 tool + $100 for VF120H HEPA filter)
Includes: Standard filter, plastic liner bag (HEPA filter must be purchased separately)
Static lift (suction): 69* to 79 inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 71 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 6 gal.
* Suction can be further reduced to 48 with hose vent opened.
Performance
Pro Wide caster stance makes this tall unit more stable; the only unit with a drain tube for emptying wet contents without lifting or tilting the vac; Bosch L-Boxx tool boxes can click into the top of the vac for onboard tool storage and transport.
Con You have to remember to turn off the automatic-filter-cleaning-feature button every time you turn on the vac with a HEPA filter or filter bag installed.
Bottom line A nice vac overall, but the non-automatic-cleaning version (which also does not have a variable-speed motor) may be better suited for use as a HEPA vac. Both styles also available with smaller, 9-gallon canisters.
DeWalt DWV012
Vac motor amps: 7 to 11.6
Connected tool amps: 3.4 to 8
Nominal canister volume: 10 gal.
Cord length: 14 feet 10 inches (anti-static);
Hose size: 15 feet 6 inches; 32mm i.d.; adapter 30mm i.d. (anti-static)
Weight: 38 pounds
Country of origin: China
Price: $529
Includes: Paper dust bag
Static lift (suction): 27 to 54 inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 75 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 3.5 gal.
Performance
Pro Extending hand-truck handle and large rear wheels make this vac the easiest to roll around a jobsite; hose inlet plug is a nice touch for keeping dust contained securely in the canister when the hose is removed.
Con Proprietary twist-lock hose fittings prevent the vac from accepting a larger, after-market hose for cleanup work, and require an optional adapter to fit any common pick-up attachments.
Bottom line The current Type II unit proved to be a solid performer and well-suited to the jobsite. Owing to the dust-leakage problems I found with an earlier Type I unit, I recommend that you check the effectiveness of the filter seals and repair or replace parts as needed. An available conversion kit to the new filter type should make this an easy fix.
Fein Turbo IIS2106
Vac motor amps: 9
Connected tool amps: 6
Nominal canister volume: 8.45 gal.
Cord length: 17 feet 7 inches
Hose size: 13 feet 6 inches; 32mm i.d.; hose end 23mm i.d.
Weight: 26 pounds
Country of origin: Romania
Price: $499
Includes: Fleece filter bag
Static lift (suction): 82* inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 73 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 4 gal.
* Suction can be reduced to 52 with hose vent opened.
Performance
Pro Decent performance for its size and features; four swivel casters make it easy to roll in any direction.
Con The loose fit of the top motor section to the bottom canister section is worrisome; a tight fit along that main gasket would be preferred.
Bottom line This small vac lacks some of the features of the rest.
Festool “Cleantex” CT36E (HEPA)
Vac motor amps: 2.9 to 8.3
Connected tool amps: 3.7 to 9.1
Nominal canister volume: 9.5 gal.
Cord length: 24 feet 4 inches
Hose size: 12 feet 1 inch; 27mm i.d.; hose end 23mm i.d.; (anti-static)
Weight: 36 pounds
Country of origin: Germany
Price: $700
Includes: Fleece filter bag
Static lift (suction): 47 to 88 inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 70 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 7.5 gal.
Performance
Pro The only vac in the test with no trace of fine-dust leakage, a critical requirement for RRP work; onboard hose garage provides the most reliable hose storage; kickstand parking brake solidly holds vac in place; Festool Systainer tool boxes click into the vac’s top for onboard tool storage and transport.
Con Short body design is not the easiest to push around the jobsite.
Bottom line Definitely a premium vac with premium performance.
Makita VC4710 “Xtract Vac”
Vac motor amps: 7
Connected tool amps: 5
Nominal canister volume: 12 gal.
Cord length: 24 feet 4 inches
Hose size: 17 feet 3 inches; 36mm i.d.; hose ends 37mm, 39mm i.d.; (anti-static)
Weight: 34 pounds
Country of origin: Hungary
Price: $673 ($530 tool, $143 P79859 HEPA filter)
Includes: Standard filter set, crevice nozzle, spare hose end, plastic liner bag, fleece filter bag (HEPA filter set must be purchased separately)
Static lift (suction): 10 to 78 inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 67 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 5.25 gal.
Performance
Note that even though the Makita has variable speed settings, turning it down doesn’t increase the current allocated to a connected tool, because the vac returns to full speed for every filter-cleaning cycle.
Pro One of only two vacs in the test with no sign of fine-dust leakage past the filters; wider hose than most and hose ends that fit around on the outside of common small nozzles reduced chunky debris clogging; hose ends will fit mid-size, 1?7/8-inch nozzles.
Con Fine-dust leakage through rear gasket a real problem; being unable to turn down the vac power and keep it down for more than 10 seconds at a time is annoying and largely negates the usefulness of the variable-speed feature; a tall unit like this should have hand-truck handle to allow it to be leaned back and carted around on the rear wheels more easily instead of relying on the top handle; the too-long hose might be good for maintenance work, but for construction work filled up with dust and clogged at times.
Bottom line A few clunky features on this vac hold it back; the leaky gasket should be considered. Could be the specific unit I tested; I recommend a check of the rear gasket surfaces for flatness and a tight fit before using without a filter bag.
Metabo ASR35ACP (HEPA)
Vac motor amps: 5 to 11
Connected tool amps: 4 to 10
Nominal canister volume: 9.25 gal.
Cord length: 26 feet 2 inches
Hose size: 11 feet; 37mm i.d.; hose end 24.5mm i.d.
Weight: 37 pounds
Country of origin: Germany
Price: $715
Includes: Plastic liner bag
Static lift (suction): 28 to 73 inches of water
Noise at 8 feet away: 76 dBA
Filter-bag volume: 4.5 gal.
Performance
Pro Wider hose than most for debris pickup; when set on auto-filter-clean mode, built-in sensors cycle cleaning only when necessary. Body is low and stable.
Con Vigorous shaking of the filters and the flexing of their gaskets is an apparent weak spot for fine-dust leakage when using without a liner bag; the short body design is not the easiest to push around the jobsite (but is low and stable).
Bottom line A very sturdy and compact vac with high-performance results all around. Comes in a close second. For RRP work, it should be noted, having a small, easy-to-carry unit is a plus. All models are impossible to clean of lead dust, so you need to carry on and off the job in a plastic bag. For RRP work, a small package offers an advantage.
Michael Springer is the former executive editor of Tools of the Trade. Thanks to Sew-Vac of Boulder in Boulder, Colo., for its assistance with some of the technical testing. For a more complete description of the test results, plus recommended practices for using vacs for RRP work, visit us online at toolofthetrade.net.
