Vacuum, extractor and collector
A dust collector moves hundreds or thousands of cubic feet of air a minute through 4 in and larger ducts at low pressure. A shop vacuum moves far less air, through a hose an inch or two across, at much higher suction. The two suit different work: a vacuum's narrow hose fits hand tools, small ports and clean-up, while planer and jointer makers ask for a collector's volume of air to carry chips from a big cutterhead. A dust extractor is a vacuum designed for power tools — Bosch's VAC090 and VAC140 have a tool outlet, filter cleaning and 35 mm or 22 mm hoses, some of them anti-static.
OSHA prefers capture at the point where dust is made, and a vacuum on a hand tool is that. NIOSH tested an exhaust system on a random orbital sander, with a slotted pad connected to extraction, and measured about 90% less dust emitted than from the sander it was compared with.
How makers rate a vacuum
| Vacuum | Power | Airflow | Suction as stated | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee 0885-20 backpack | 18 V battery | 55 CFM | 76 in H2O sealed suction | HEPA filter part listed |
| Milwaukee 0970-20, 2.5 gal | 18 V battery | 50 CFM | 47 in H2O suction | Washable HEPA filter |
| Milwaukee 0910-20, 6 gal | 18 V battery | 87 CFM | 60 in H2O suction | As supplied |
| Bosch VAC090, 9 gal | 120 V, 9.5 A | 150 CFM (max setting) | 97 in water lift; 242 mbar | Standard or HEPA |
Figures as each manual states them. Sealed suction, suction, water lift and suction pressure are each maker's measure; they are not converted or compared across makers. Milwaukee notes its gallon figures are drum volume, not necessarily what the vacuum collects.
- Airflow and suction are separate figures. CFM is a volume of air per minute; sealed suction and water lift are pressures. Neither alone says what reaches the tool at the end of a hose.
- Units. Milwaukee states suction in inches of water; Bosch states water lift in inches and suction pressure in millibars. Read each in the maker's unit.
- Capacity. A gallon figure is the drum's size, not how much dust the vacuum holds before its filter clogs.
Equipment notePaid link
9-gal dust extractor with HEPA filter and automatic filter cleaning
Bosch VAC090AH
Bosch's VAC090AH, a 9 gal VAC090 extractor sold with a HEPA filter and automatic filter cleaning; Bosch rates the line at 150 CFM and 97 in of static water lift.
Paid link — BenchRoot may earn a commission if you buy through this link.
Where a vacuum fits — and where it does not
| Machine | What its maker says | What suits it |
|---|---|---|
| Random orbital and other hand sanders | Dust ports or boxes; NIOSH's tested extraction | A vacuum or extractor |
| Miter saw | DEWALT's DWS779 takes its bag or a shop vacuum hose on the port | A vacuum, or the bag |
| Cabinet table saw | SawStop's PCS31230: a 4 in port with at least 350 CFM | A collector sized to that figure |
| Thickness planer | DEWALT's DW735: a dust collector, not a shop vacuum | A collector |
From the machines' manuals; check yours. Planers and jointers make chips in volume; DEWALT warns most shop vacuums cannot keep up and the hose clogs.
A dust collection system built around a shop vac is therefore a system for hand tools and small ports: a vacuum, the right hose and adapters, and a separator in front of it where the maker offers one. Grizzly's G0863 cyclone separator is built for collectors of 1.5–3 HP moving 750–2300 CFM, not for a vacuum; use one made and rated for vacuums. For a table saw, a vacuum alone does not meet a figure like SawStop's 350 CFM at the 4 in port — that is a collector's job, explained in the dust collector guide.
Tool-triggered outlets
An extractor with a power tool outlet starts when the tool does. The outlet has a limit. Bosch gives a maximum tool draw of 7.5 A on its automatic-filter-cleaning models and 5.5 A on the others, and says the extractor and tool together must not exceed 15 A: beyond that the extractor and the branch circuit can overheat and present a fire risk. Its Power Broker dial is set from the tool's dataplate amps. Check the tool's rating against the outlet's before plugging in; do not modify the outlet, the cord or the circuit.
Filters
A HEPA filter, as the EPA uses the term, is one meeting the U.S. Department of Energy's definition: it can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns. A vacuum's filter is only part of what reaches the air, though; Bosch says neither its standard filter nor its optional HEPA filter can capture all hazardous particles. Fit the filter the manual specifies, keep it seated and clean it as the manual says, and wear a respirator where dust remains — Milwaukee calls for a dust mask or OSHA-compliant dust extraction when work is dusty.
Safety— What not to vacuum
Bosch and Milwaukee both forbid use in explosive atmospheres and on explosive dusts, flammable liquids or vapors; Bosch adds burning or smoking material, and warns that the motor can make sparks and that static can build up in the hose and give a shock. Milwaukee warns that dust from coatings can self-ignite in a sander's dust box; empty dust containers often and away from ignition.
Before using a shop vacuum on a tool
- The tool's port and the hose or adapter that fits it
- Filter fitted, seated and clean; HEPA where the work calls for it
- Tool amps within the outlet's limit, and the total within 15 A on a Bosch
- No burning material, flammable liquids or explosive dusts in the canister
- Canister emptied before it is full
- A respirator for dust the hose does not catch
Choosing one is covered in how to choose a shop vacuum; fine dust in the room in shop air filters. A small dust pickup for a vacuum hose is built in dust collection projects, and sanding with extraction in how to use a random orbital sander.
Sources
Every airflow, suction and amperage figure is the named maker's for its own vacuum, in its own terms; CFM, sealed suction, water lift and suction pressure are not converted into each other or compared across makers. HEPA is used only as the EPA defines it. No vacuum was tested.
- 1.
M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum, Cat. No. 0885-20, operator's manual. Milwaukee Electric Tool.
Used for: An 18 V backpack vacuum at 55 CFM and 76 in H2O sealed suction, with a HEPA filter and a dust extraction adapter among its parts; no use in the presence of explosive dust, liquids or vapors; a dust mask or OSHA-compliant dust extraction in dusty work.
- 2.
M18 FUEL 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum, Cat. No. 0910-20 / 0911-20, operator's manual. Milwaukee Electric Tool.
Used for: An 18 V 6 gal wet/dry vacuum at 87 CFM and 60 in H2O suction; gallons given as drum volume, not necessarily collection capacity.
- 3.
M18 FUEL PACKOUT 2.5 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum, Cat. No. 0970-20, operator's manual. Milwaukee Electric Tool.
Used for: An 18 V 2.5 gal wet/dry vacuum at 50 CFM and 47 in H2O suction, with a washable HEPA filter.
- 4.
VAC090S / VAC090A / VAC140S / VAC140A Dust Extractors, Operating/Safety Instructions. Robert Bosch Tool Corporation.
Used for: 120 V, 9.5 A dust extractors at 150 CFM, 97 in static water lift and 242 mbar suction pressure, 70 dB, 9 and 14.5 gal canisters, 35 mm and 22 mm hoses including anti-static versions; a power tool outlet with a 7.5 A or 5.5 A maximum tool draw and a 15 A limit for extractor and tool together, beyond which the extractor and circuit can overheat; neither the standard nor the HEPA filter capturing all hazardous particles; no burning material, flammable liquids or explosive dusts; no use in explosive atmospheres; static shock from the hose.
- 5.
VAC090AH 9-Gallon Dust Extractor with Auto Filter Clean and HEPA Filter (product page). Robert Bosch Tool Corporation.
Used for: A 9 gal extractor sold with a HEPA filter and automatic filter cleaning.
- 6.
What is a HEPA filter?. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Used for: HEPA as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy: at least 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles.
- 7.
Control of Dust Exposure for Random Orbital Hand Sanders (Engineering Controls Database). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Used for: A NIOSH-designed exhaust system on a random orbital sander that reduced dust emissions by about 90% compared with the sander it was tested against.
- 8.
M18 Random Orbit Sander 2648-20, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: Dust from coatings able to self-ignite in a sander's dust box.
- 9.
Used for: A planer's fan-assisted 4 in port and DEWALT's advice to use a dust collector, not a shop vacuum.
- 10.
Used for: A miter saw's dust port taking its bag or a shop vacuum hose.
- 11.
Owner's Manual, 10" Professional Cabinet Saw, Model PCS31230. SawStop.
Used for: A cabinet saw's 4 in port with at least 350 CFM.
- 12.
Model G0863 Grizzly Growler Cyclone Separator instructions (for models manufactured since 6/21). Grizzly Industrial, 2022.
Used for: A cyclone separator built for collectors of 1.5–3 HP and 750–2300 CFM.
- 13.
Wood Dust: Possible Solutions. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Used for: Capture at the points where dust is produced as the preferred control.
About this guide
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