Anyone know of a reasonably priced, tool triggered shop vac? I'm looking for a 10 gal. or so rolling vac, but the ones I've seen are $280 and up. Is that the base price range I should expect?
[OP]
Member
Anyone know of a reasonably priced, tool triggered shop vac? I'm looking for a 10 gal. or so rolling vac, but the ones I've seen are $280 and up. Is that the base price range I should expect?
Moderator
Most of the vacs that have built in tool triggering are more to the upper end of the spectrum. Fein and Festool are typically the best known, but there are probably some other options out there. You do likely have the ability to buy an external device that will start the vac when you trigger the tool and that will give you more flexiblity. That choice, however, may not feature the delay that helps clear the tool before shutting off the vac when you lay off the trigger.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
Kyle, at the beginning of the year I asked a similar question because I was doing a lot of dry wall sanding and wanted something that would come on with the sander. You can expect to pay around $300 for a QUALITY vacuum with tool start capability.
I ended up with the Porter Cable 7812 (10 gallon 1 1/2 HP) - it lists for $290 on Amazon. I got mine a little cheaper (about $250) and it's an awesome tool. Excellent suction and I love the 15 second delay which keeps it running to clear the hose. It's fairly quite too. With two fixed wheels and two casters it is not the easiest unit to have follow you as you move. I like the fact that I can add a paper bag to the inside and turn it into a two-stage filtering/collection system. The main filter is also convenient as it can use a standard auto air filter.
Be well,
Doc
Member
You can go to sears and they have an add on that makes any shop vac tool actuated. It cost 20$ I have one and have used it for the last couple of years. It works fineOriginally Posted by Kyle Jorgensen
William
http://woodworkers.us
I never lost money on a job I didn't get
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Your going to have to look at your needs and budget. If your wearing ear protection, and are using a loud tool with the vac, your not going to be too concerned with a quiet vac like the Fein.
Then look at the Craftsman auto switch #24031. It stays on for a few seconds after the initial tool shuts off (I think three).
Member
This might be an option for you... if you don't want to buy an expensive shop vac...
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5855
Member
I've used that one for about a year and a half now and it works great. On the other hand the adapters for the bosch hand sanders leave a little to be desired.
[OP]
Member
Those last 2 replies seem the best for me. They are the cheapest ($20- $30) and they let me tool start the old vac I already have. Now I can focus on other important features in a new vac like noise level and suction w/o needing a tool-start built in. (maybe another postAlso the i-Socket at Woodcraft is rated at 15 amps which is higher than the few vacs I had been looking at. Thanks to you all for your help!
-Kyle
Contributor
If your tool is drawing 15 amps, and the vacuum is drawing more than 5 amps, a 20A breaker will trip. So maybe the 15A rating on the switch is nice but not particularly usable.
Member
I didn't know this one was quiet nor was I aware of the paper bag feature. Thanks for sharing
Dewey
"Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"
I also use the i-Socket. It goes on sale pretty often for $25 to $30 at Woodcraft, Rockler and the like. Many folks have posted about the Craftsman version and have used it for years with success. My i-Socket is probably about 3 years old and gets used quite a bit. No complaints at all.Those last 2 replies seem the best for me. They are the cheapest ($20- $30) and they let me tool start the old vac I already have. Now I can focus on other important features in a new vac like noise level and suction w/o needing a tool-start built in. (maybe another post
-Kyle
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Member
As someone suggested, you need to look at your current shop vac and the tools you will be using with it....it wouldnt work for me because my vac is rated at 13 Amps and my sanders/biscuit jointer are all 3-7 amps, not to mention the circ saw I use with my ez smart....
That which does not kill you will likely raise your insurance premiums.
Member
Dewey, I've not taken my sound meter to it, but I've used it with both my ROS and my miter saw and you can't hear the vac over the tool.I didn't know this one was quiet nor was I aware of the paper bag feature. Thanks for sharing
The vac works like a standard shop-vac for normal use (and wet use). For double filtration and easy clean-up (like drywall dust) you simply attach the paper bag to the suction port inside the container. It's a large bag and holds a lot. The nice thing is, no drywall dust anywhere and easy to dispose of. As the bag fills, suction diminishes significantly (at least with drywall dust). This unit was designed to work with the drywall sanding pole/disc that Porter Cable makes (I just used my ROS).
Be well,
Doc
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