$300 for a shop vac? Well yes, but it is worth it. I've heard my share of screaming shop vacs, and even home vacuums, but when you hear, or don't hear the sound of this machine it is well worth the expense. Fein claims 57.8 decibels at 3.5 feet which is quiet enough to talk over, or to use inside without ear protection. I used it today to pick fir needles off the living room floor and it was quieter than my 3 year-old who wanted to use it.
One of my favorite features is the autostart. Plug any tool into the 20 Amp outlet and the vac will start at the time you start the tool and continue for a few seconds after you finish. This is perfect for sanders, drills or anyother handtools with a dust port.
Suction is more than adequate. It is claimed to lift 99 inches of water, though a ten foot hose full of that much water would get rather heavy. Airflow is great too. When you really look at it, the differences that really matter between shop vacs are noise and reliability. Sucking power is generally about equal. Because of this choosing the Fein over the others (like the Milwaukee 8927, Porter-Cable 7814 or Ridgid WD1665) is an easy decision.
I should point out the one shortcoming of the Fein. It doesn't come with anything to put on the end of the hose except for a funnel shaped thing and a piece of rubber tube. There is an accessory pack, but just head down to your nearest home center and get some generic attachements.
The Turbo III ( 9-77-25) has two little brothers, the Turbo II (Model 9-55-13) and the Turbo (Model 9-11-55). They share the same auto-start capability, but use a hose which is half the diameter. This reduces airflow and may limit the size of the stuff you are picking up. But if size is a consideration, you may want to consider them.
