$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.
Comments (1)
Im on my second Fein vac and it's currently the loudest vacuum on the market....louder than a 1960's McCullough chain saw..oh yeah and about that "self cooling" motor that supposedly cools itself if too much dust gets through the filters.....does'nt work..... anyways, too many plastic on plastic connections causes these units to vibrate profusely if exposed to the slightest ma...quiet at first but one tip on its side and it will shatter your windows.......I noticed they discontinued a couple of models...thank you...three more to go.
At first I bought the Fein two....was told to use just a filter...well it would eventually clog and although it worked good for a while it became annoyingly loud after accidently dropping it down only three steps ...bump t bump and that was it $200 plus down the drain....my 1965 Oreck(43 years old that is) went flying off my pick up truck once at 45 mph..landed right o n the motor...dented yeah...still run???yes no vibration and still the same decibel level and have sucked up everything with it including drywall dust...
So , I figured it was my fault went out and bought the next best in Fine engineering..the Turbo three...(lets be stupid twice)..was told to use just a bag this time...you have to constantly keep an eye on the bag because as it weighs down it starts to tear by the inlet. so thats a pain to have to keep on checking or even if its half full and just movement from job to job or house to house or just movement in general will cause the bag to tear....so that it did and dust got into the filters and motor as it did with other less expenses(cheap) vacs I ve used(and are still running) in the past...and kaboom that same vibration...$350 plus gone.....so I call the guy at the store where I bought it and he says you have to use a bag and a filter..which means that dust will eventually get around your bag and through the filter and back into the motor..
moral of the story?? German engineering.....precisely the problem with these units..oh sure their all quiet and that manufactured by people with rubber gloves..but one push to the side with your foot....just might throw the motor.
Posted by chris smith | November 2, 2008 9:22 PM
Posted on November 2, 2008 21:22