Shop Vacuums

[Brad93]

Following on from the wet vacuum thread the other day which I am in the market for, are the numatic hoovers okay as a shop vacuum? Picking up swarf, metal dust, etc etc?

We have got a not cheap magnusson from B&Q (i think) at the minute and the bloody thing gets blocked in the end of the hose all the time, lid doesn't stay on.

This is what im looking at for the odd bit of wet vacuuming but will be awesome if it works okay in the workshop as £230 is a lot for an odd job machine.

https://www.numatic.co.uk/product-view.aspx?id=28

 

[DaveB]

I've got one of these.....

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cvac20ss-wet-dry-vacuum-cleaner/

Stainless can so it will not rust , takes bags so changing from dry to wet is just pull the bag out. You can also get a longer hose.

Not the biggest or most powerful but works well around the garage or car.

 

[Mart63]

I've got an Earlex vacuum in the workshop and it's been faultless. Not sure if they still make them but seen secondhand ones pretty cheap.

 

[Hood]

Never had one of those but I have a Metabo, older version of link below, and it has been amazing for cleaning the Chiron and the Lathes. Wet or dry and doesn't get choked up very often although I have had to take a hammer and chisel to it on occasion due to the wet cast iron I hoover up setting like concrete
https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product...-Dry-Vacuum-Cleaner-Extractor-With-Auto-Start

 

[armalites]

Following on from the wet vacuum thread the other day which I am in the market for, are the numatic hoovers okay as a shop vacuum? Picking up swarf, metal dust, etc etc?

We have got a not cheap magnusson from B&Q (i think) at the minute and the bloody thing gets blocked in the end of the hose all the time, lid doesn't stay on.

This is what im looking at for the odd bit of wet vacuuming but will be awesome if it works okay in the workshop as £230 is a lot for an odd job machine.

https://www.numatic.co.uk/product-view.aspx?id=28

I've got a George and it's very good. It's scary how much gravy come out of a car seat/carpet. The only issue I've ever had is when I hadn't used for probably over a year and the pump that sprays the water stopped working. Fix was dead easy, cover off, turn on and give the pump a tap and it freed up,

It will cope with workshop use no problem as it's only a Henry with a deeper container and a pump. Henry bags fit fine but they don't fill the chamber. If you buy the Henry bags in Costco they are so cheap you'd be mad not to use them

If you don't need the fabric/carpet function then you don't need a George, a Charles will do and they are £100 cheaper

All the bits are available for Numatic and the machines are made in the UK. They can cope with loads of abuse

 

[500e]

Go for a Bosch it has a big hose you use standard ends so it never gets blocked
https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/bo...MIy5ebwcS_3QIVhLTtCh1NpwKMEAQYBCABEgJwzfD_BwE

Not saying PTWorld but that style, had dems of others at the time all bunged up except the Bosh, not a fan of their stuff but it has been faultless not even brushes
We have an old version of the wet & dry 50 years old never missed a beat it is NOISY though, cant remember if it was when new
Have George & Henry's at home good machines but swarf will require a rod out with broom handle.
Have a look at their whole range inc new battery unit

 

[bigegg]

I've used a Henry for years as my regular dust extractor for the table saw, router (both fixed, and mounted) and mitre saw.
vacs up swarf off the drill press
works great.

not so good on the planer, and not used it for the lathe, but for 120 new, and half that (or less) second hand it's a bit of a no-brainer.

 

[brewdexta]

I bought a cheap cyclone, I think it was 12 quid. The barrel with the sealable lid cost about 12 quid too, then use any vac with decent suction as most of the dust ends up in the barrel and you can use almost any hose you want. I'm using this on a track saw at the moment and there is next to nowt in the vac. I only built it yesterday, took longer to find the jubilee clip than it did to assemble it. Once tested it is going downstairs into the barn where the larger Wadkin bandsaw is.

Cheers
Andy

 

[AndersK]

I use Kärcher, you should get a MV6 P for less money.

They do a good job cleaning everything. Of course they clog sometimes when trying to hose up long drilling swarf or big chunks of leafs but usually whacking and pulling the hose release them.
The newer ones have a filter cleaning feature, mine don't so every now and then the HEPA filter needs a shake down....

 

[tlovatt]

I have a couple of Karcher ones, a cheapo WD2 from their outlet store (was about £35) and a WD6 Premium - I have never come across another vacuum that sucks as much (in a good way), the WD2 gets a significant amount of abuse (if there is a blocked drain it is the first line of attack rather than rods) and also cleaning out gutters / rainwater drains twice a year and still keeps going.

The WD2 is small and too light - you need a chunk of steel in the bottom of it to weight it down

 

[addjunkie]

I have a sthil one, work fine wet or dry, but swarf I sweep the bulk first.

 

[sako243]

An old builder friend of mine swears by Henry's. His hugely expensive one gave up and popped out to a local store for something quick and cheap to finish the job. Came back with a Henry, runs it without the bag expecting it to last the job. 15 years later still going strong and that thing was abused.

 

[Shedendman]

I've got a very early VAX 1500w horrid orange looking thing,had it 20 yrs its held together in parts with gaffer tape,fallen out the van god knows how many times been booted kicked and what not,will still suck up half a brick no probs.
Wasn't there something a few years back that from our friends in brusels there be no new vacuums made over a certain wattage?

 

[Hood]

....
Wasn't there something a few years back that from our friends in brusels there be no new vacuums made over a certain wattage?

And with the full backing of the UKs MEPs.

 

[Shedendman]

And with the full backing of the UKs MEPs.

yer,they suck too

 

[Ruffian]

In argos book they have a Henry wet for about £160.
May be worth looking at.

 

[tlovatt]

An old builder friend of mine swears by Henry's. His hugely expensive one gave up and popped out to a local store for something quick and cheap to finish the job. Came back with a Henry, runs it without the bag expecting it to last the job. 15 years later still going strong and that thing was abused.

Sadly the modern Henry Hoovers are not the same standard - I go one just after they changed the design, they made them cheaper and worse. At full tilt they have a lot less suction than the older ones but also now (and for a few years) you have to turn it on and then hold down another button to put it into full power - and every time you turn it off it defaults back to half power. I can only assume their product designers hate their customers?

 

[keithski122]

My dad was a domestic engineer and used to really rate numatic stuff, less so dyson stuff.

 

[zx9]

Sadly the modern Henry Hoovers are not the same standard - I go one just after they changed the design, they made them cheaper and worse. At full tilt they have a lot less suction than the older ones but also now (and for a few years) you have to turn it on and then hold down another button to put it into full power - and every time you turn it off it defaults back to half power. I can only assume their product designers hate their customers?

My old Henry was nicked when the van was broken into, the replacement is one of the new Euro power limited ones but I did notice when buying it that there are several versions the one with the default to low power was sold in the likes of Comet / Argus whilst my one that stays on full power when you turn it off / on again came from CPC / Farnell so like power tools of all sorts check the fine details before buying.

 

[500e]

Friend bought one of those cyclone things works well he has 2 old cylinder cleaners in the roof space both sucking through the cyclone all plumbed in with a 75mm inlet pipe 5mtrs long to a standard vac pipe end fitting the cyclone is fitted to the top of a 25Ltr clear plastic container with a snap band closing clip, he does wood as well as metal not had a blockage yet the pipe reaches all his shop so the bin never needs to move.