Vacuum suggestions

[jusfloatin]

I looking to purchase a good vacuum for cleanup of everything from fiberglass dust to rotten wood scrapings.
I have been using donated household and small wet dry units but it don't take long before I am taking it out to the garbage.
I would even consider a nice wall mount if possible.

Any suggestions

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

I have 2, a small wet-dry about 1 to 1.5 gals and a 16 gal wet-dry.
I found for most uses inside the boat the small one was the best choice, it does fill fast, but I just moved the garbage can right beside the boat and dumped the vac without having to get out.
The large one took up alot space inside the boat when trying to work and was a pain to get in and out many times, I also bought an extension hose kit, but found that it would plug up a lot as the hose had many turns in it when I left the vac on the ground.

FYI, I converted my 1.5 to the larger diameter hose also. It lost some power but plugs a lot less than the small hose when sucking sticks and rotted wood.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

Get as big a vac as you can, pay the money to get a big, powerful one.

Sorry, but there's just no substitute for a good shop-vac. I got my big one by repairing (with a piece of sheet metal and a new filter) a neighbor's old one. I've also seen some nice ones at auctions.

There just aren't any good substitutes.

Erik

 

[drewpster]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

I bought a cheap one at the home center and it is still kicking. I bought it to try out on my sander. I bought it exclusively for using with my sander because I did not want to gum up my good one. The trick I have found is to use vacuum bags inside the vac. I also use the filter that goes around the inlet on the motor. I burned another good vac up by letting fiberglass dust clogg the inlet filter. The bags work fine. I paid $30 bucks for my sander vac and it is still works fine. I think I went through four/ five bags to sand out the whole boat, prep to paint. They are expensive ($15 for four I think) but it sure has saved buying vacuums. And it still sucks good.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

If your budget permits, go with the Festool CT-22. They make a smaller one also and they both work great. They use a bag and filtration system that is second to none. They are wet/dry vacs. Wet without the bag, Dry with it.

I've had mine for at least 5 years now. I even hook it up to my Glass Blasting cabinet. They are the best system you can buy and the only close comparison is the Fein vaccums.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

I've had a few somewhat expensive shop vacs (not the two mentioned above) and they didn't work very well, they sucked...or should I say they didn't suck. The higher HP models from Sears or the box stores work OK, but the biggest improvement is buying a pool vacuum hose to extend the reach. I use a 25' (or longer) hose so I can leave the vac itself outside the boat, or even outside the shop. The pool hoses are much more durable than the OEM hose and when the shop vac is left outside the shop you don't have all the dust that got through the filter being blown around and settling on everything. I have the vac plugged into a cord that I keep in the boat so I can plug it in, or unplug it as needed.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Vacuum suggestions

Pool hoses...hmmmm..

Great suggestion one of the best ones I've heard in a LONG time

Though we use the fein dustless system ( with the long hose but not 25' ) I use the Depots .. There really Ridgid .

YD.

*Darts off to the local pool dealership*