If you’ve ever been around power tools, then already know the struggles of keeping a clean workstation. All the dust and debris produced at the job site can be frustrating to clean up without the proper equipment. And for your information, a regular upright or stick vacuum cleaner is not the “proper” tool to keep your workshop floors spotless. For larger, more challenging particles like sawdust and cement dust, you’ll need a heavy-duty shop vac.
What is a Shop Vac?
Shop vacs are similar to vacuum cleaners but much more adept at suctioning and retaining both small and big particles in large quantities. Professional workshops, construction sites, and car cleaners all use shop vacs for their awesome ability at capturing all sorts of debris and preventing them from going airborne – something that is a definite health risk.
Shop vacs connect directly to the dust port on power tools. As the tools are activated, the shop vac suctions up any dust that is produced, keeping your work area and floors relatively clean. Essentially, it prevents potential slipping and fire hazards by preventing sawdust from accumulating under large power tools that could ignite when by heat or flying sparks.
They also come with fine filters that capture any residue before it goes flying into the air and getting in your lungs. Of course, a shop vac is NOT an excuse not to use a respirator or mask while working at a construction site or woodshop.
Stationary vs. Portable Shop Vacs
Shop vacs can either be stationary units set up in the corner of a workshop or portable models that glide on caster wheels. Deciding which of the two systems depends entirely on your budget and how much suction power you need.
Stationary shop vacs supply more suction power than portable models. They’re also better suited for handing dust and debris of all sizes with their larger. For professional woodshops, stationary shop vacs are basically the norm. There are limitations of stationary shop vacs, namely the hose’s length which reduces suction power significantly with each additional inch.
Portable shop vacs are great if you’re working in a large area where each workstation has its own set of power tools. Certain portable models feature beefy motors that supply enough suction power for almost any power tool imaginable. However, they have smaller dust compartments which require more frequent emptying out – something that’s more of an annoyance than anything else – but it’s all relative to how much dust and debris you produce.
For the remainder of this article, we’ll focus mainly on portable shop vacs, also known as dust extractors, since they’re the more DIY-friendly solution. They don’t take much space, they move around rather easily, and they’re great for all sorts of jobs.
Shop Vac Buying Guide
Shop vacs come in all shapes and sizes and with different capabilities. We’d like to say that there’s a one-unit solution for every job, but we’re afraid that the opposite is true.
Shop vacs are commonly used at construction sites, woodshops, and even for car maintenance. If you’re looking for something that’s more capable of cleaning your car’s carpets, seats, and cleaning up messes after modifying the body, then a shop vac is definitely the tool for you.
The following buying guides will be split into three sections: the best shop vacs for dust collection, for woodworking, and for car detailing.
Shop Vac for Dust Collection Buying Guide
Dust is a pretty vague term so adequate “dust collection” can be done with a general-purpose shop vac. However, if you’re more into heavy-duty projects like replacing drywall or even laying cement, then you’ll need something a little more specific in terms of power and dust retention. Let’s take a look at what you need in a shop vac if you’re planning a construction or renovation project in the near future.
Wet and Dry Compatibility
The first thing you need to consider is the location in which you’re conducting the renovation or construction project. Shop vacs are capable of picking up moist cement and slushy messes in basements or garages. However, not all shop vacs are able to suction moist debris, so if your project is done in a wet environment, make sure that the shop vac is rated safe to pick up wet messes.
Built-In Drain Port
If it’s not already obvious, a shop vac used in wet conditions will pick up wet messes and spills, but they require frequent emptying out in order to keep the unit in tip-top shape. If you’re getting a dry/wet shop vac, we’d recommend finding a model that comes with a built-in drain port.
This eases the task of having to dump out soaking debris from the vac’s storage tank by reducing the wet weight of its contents. An auto-stop feature would also be a good idea to look out for since it’ll prevent water-logged contents from spilling over and frying the tool’s electrical components.
HEPA-Grade Filters
Working with cement or drywall can be dangerous to your health. We don’t just mean that cement blocks or drywall sheets will fall on your unprotected head (use proper PPE at all times), but inhaling cement dust and drywall dust can cause silicosis, a lung condition that can potentially be fatal.
Shop vacs can come with HEPA-grade filters which retain up to 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in diameter. Whatever particles enter the vac’s suction hose will get trapped in the HEPA filters, preventing them from going airborne and wreaking havoc on your airways.
CFM
CFM, or cubic feet per minute, is the variable used to measure the volume of air that a shop vac moves. A higher CFM rating means the shop vac is compatible with larger dust-producing power tools as well as concentrated, slushier messes. You can typically gauge the CFM rating of a tool by how large a motor it comes with (measured in horsepower or amps). An all-around good CFM rating for dust control would be no less than 150 CFM.
Shop Vac for Woodshops Buying Guide
Woodworking power tools create different types of dust and debris. There are fine sawdust particles from drilling, thin shavings from planing and jointing, and even large chips from chopping. Basically, a shop vac for woodworking purposes needs to suction up most if not all types of wood debris. In this brief guide, we’ll describe the various specs that make a shop vac fit for such a demanding task.
CFM
Since woodworking power tools produce several types of wood debris, your workshop’s shop vac should deliver enough power to handle the largest woodchips. Of course, the appropriate CFM rating really depends on what sort of debris you’re working with. To pick up dust, a simple 2- or 3-HP model with less at least 100-CFM delivery would suffice. For large woodchips, you’ll need at least 150 CFM of airflow.
Dry and Wet Optional
A wet/dry shop vac may not be the ideal solution for woodworking projects if you’re working indoors or in dry places. The natural moisture content of virgin wood has a very low risk of seeping out and ruining the vac’s electrical motor. However, if you want to play it safe, there are plenty of wet/dry shop vacs and dust extractors out there for woodshops.
HEPA-Grade Filters
Sawdust, like cement dust and drywall particles, is a huge health hazard that any DIY-er should eliminate as soon it’s produced. Not only can be become a slipping hazard, but it’s also a known carcinogen. Once again, it’s mandatory that you wear the proper PPE at all times since a shop vac is not a guaranteed way of eliminating airborne sawdust. However, to prevent dust from shooting out of the vac, try and find a model that comes with or is compatible with HEPA-grade filters (99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns).
Maneuverability
Having a portable and/or easily maneuvered shop vac is important for workshops of any size. The last thing you’d ever want while getting into the calm rhythm of woodworking is having to lug around a huge shop vac between worktables and tools only to have woodchips trapped in the casters. Take a close look at the casters and/or plastic wheels in order to determine whether it’ll glide seamlessly across your shop’s floor.
Cyclone Separator
Cyclone separators are exclusive to stationary shop vacs. When the vac is activated, it’ll suction up any debris that comes flying out of your power tools, small and large, and separate them by sending them in a localized cyclone within the system’s collection bag or tank. It effectively keeps large chips and shavings away from the filter in order to prevent clogging which in turn extends the life of the filter significantly. If you were to opt for a stationary shop vac, then we’d recommend considering one that uses cyclone technology.
Shop Vac for Car Detailing Buying Guide
Shop vacs aren’t just handy for managing dust and woodshops and construction sites. One of the filthiest places you could ever place your behind in is on the seat of your car. If you eat in there, have children who spill drinks, or drive through dusty, dirty roads with the windows rolled down, you’ll definitely want to consider investing in a shop vac for car detailing and cleaning purposes. It definitely beats the exorbitant costs of getting it “professionally” cleaned at the car wash. This section will go over the most crucial aspects of shop vacs for car detailing purposes.
CFM
The volume of airflow for car cleaning and detailing isn’t as important a factor as it is for dust management and woodworking projects. Car detailing usually produces minute particles which a blow or a cough can send flying around your garage. Basically, any shop vac with any sized motor would work fine, but if you’d like to be able to pick up french fries from your car’s carpet and seats, then the tool needs to provide at least 150 CFM.
Included Attachments
To give your car a thorough cleaning, you’ll want to proper attachments to connect to the end of the suction hose. The most commonly used attachments for car detailing include upholstery brushes and crevice tools. These may not be included in the box, but thankfully they’re quite inexpensive.
Filter Type
There may be situations where HEPA-grade filters would be best such as when grinding the paint off the body of your vehicle. However, for most car detailing jobs, HEPA filters may be overkill. Standard filters that retain more than 90% of particles will be sufficient, especially if your car is littered with grains of sand, dried mud, and bits and pieces of dried, crusty food.
Dry and Wet Optional
If you want to give the interior of your car a revitalized look and smell, then you may want to consider shampooing the seats and carpets regularly. The shop vac can be used to remove dirt, sand, and whatever other debris is lying on the surface of seats and carpet prior to lathering an upholstery shampoo. If you’d like to remove suds and bubbles easily, then get a wet/dry shop vac that sucks up any hidden soap bubbles that have formed beneath the seats’ fabric.
Detachable Motor
One of the handiest features that a shop vac for car maintenance can have is a detachable motor. This turns the bucket-style vacuum into a handheld unit that delivers the same high CFM suction power in a portable tool. You can also use different attachments while on handheld mode, making cleaning the seats, carpets, and ceiling of your car super-easy to do.
Final Remarks
Shop vacs also referred to as dust extractors, are handy tools to keep the floors of your workshop or construction site as clean as possible. They suction up particles – both large and small – and prevent them from going airborne and entering our lungs. If you use power tools regularly and need to keep sawdust, cement dust, and drywall dust from littering your floors and destroying your lungs, then a shop vac, either stationary or portable, is one of the best ways to do it.
In this guide, we’ve talked about how different jobs require different specs and features from a shop vac. For general construction and renovation projects, we’d highly recommend getting a dry/wet shop vac which handles wet, slushy messes as well as it suctions dry dust. You’ll also want to check whether the shop vac delivers enough airflow (CFM) to pick up both wet and dry messes.
For woodworking, the ability to suction up wet debris isn’t nearly as important as it is in construction or renovation, especially if you’re working out of a relatively dry garage or workshop. But what is important is whether the shop vac can produce enough airflow to suck up fine sawdust particles and large woodchips. Having HEPA-grade filters is also a good idea if your power tools produce piles and piles of sawdust in a short amount of time.
Finally, shop vacs for car detailing purposes need to generate a ton of CFM in order to pick up crusted pieces of food. We’d also recommend getting a dry/wet shop vac if you plan on shampooing your car’s upholstery on your own since it’ll remove most of the water from the seats’ cushions, preventing mold growth later on. Finally, make sure that you have the right attachments and brushes to assist in cleaning your car (more often than not sold separately).
