Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
Jack wrote in :


Not really. A Festool vacuum costs 5-6 times the Ridgid, and work
about the same.


I suspect it's because of 4 letters: HEPA. I noticed looking at vacs a few
years ago that those 4 letters double a Vac's price. Ridgid had two that
were almost identical, but one was HEPA and the other not. $200 price
difference, IIRC.

I can see paying extra for some of the features a Festool or Fein vac has,
but maybe not $400 extra. I sure do like the variable speed and automatic
on, but those features alone aren't worth quite that much.

FWIW variable speed is important if you use the vac attached to power tools
and especially if you attach sanders. For the Festool sanders whose pad
does not hang over the edge of the work high suction is a problem. With
high suction the sander is more difficult to maneuver. On the flip side
you need high suction for saws, routers, dominos, etc.
FWIW also with a quiet vac you are more likely to use the vac with all of
your tools that work with a vac. I own 5 Festool power tools, not counting
the Festool vac. I never operate any of them with out the vac except for
the drill. So when ever I operate any of my corded Festool tools, the vac
automatically comes on.
Typical Quiet HEPA certified vacs typically offer low noise so you are not
tortured with the loud sound, automatic switching so that you only have to
turn on the attached tool, variable speed to match sanding dust collection
or high volume suction, and clean air exhaust. Clean air exhaust is
important for your lungs and for your finishes. I have no second thoughts
about sanding in close proximity to freshly stained or varnished pieces.

To sum it up, if you want to buy a vac that you will probably use more
because of these features buy better quality. If none of the above is
important to you then there are the ones they you find cheaply priced.
You do have the option of having a better vac.





(FYI, my price information could be out of date... or just plain wrong.
I'm not checking figures for a Usenet post.)

Puckdropper