Looking for Recommendations on Shop Vacs for Woodworking
Asked by CuriousCarpenter42
I've recently gotten into serious woodworking and I'm using a mitre saw for my current project, which involves a lot of cross cutting and some joints. I've noticed it creates a ton of dust, so I tried using my home's central vacuum with an adapter I had. While it does pick up some dust, there's still plenty floating around in the air and I end up spending a lot of time cleaning up after each session. My shop space is quite small, and I'm not looking for a pricey extractor. I'm wondering if I really need a cyclone setup and what shop vacs others recommend for this kind of work?
Answers
I still use my old, pretty loud shop vac without a cyclone. It mostly handles circular saws and routers for me, since I don’t deal with big chunks. If I could, I’d pick the Rockler HEPA shop vac because it’s quieter and has a power pass-through feature, which is super handy. It’s worth noting that mitre saws are notoriously bad for dust collection, so it might be partly an issue with the saw itself.
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Definitely get a cyclone! I have the larger Dewalt model. It’s pricey, but worth it thanks to features like wheels and hose holders, which make everything easier. For the shop vac, you don’t necessarily need a high-end brand; I have a Karcher that’s been reliable and does the job well.
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A cyclone is a must for any setup! I picked up a plastic one from Temu and it works wonders. Do keep in mind that your mitre saw will still create a lot of dust; it's often notorious for that. I’ve had decent luck combining the vacuum with a dust collector hose positioned close to the cutting spot, but it can be a hassle to set up. You might also look into a dust hood to help catch more debris.
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