# DeWalt Dust Extracting Vacuum.....As good as Festool?



## PurpLev

congratulations.

This is very similar to my porter cable (same company) although with the dewalt version they included the suction amount knob control and from your review it seems like they shortened the power cord.

the vac performs great so far and I use it mainly for sanding and some odd jobs. while it is quieter than most shop vacs, I think it's nowhere comparable to the festool which is almost silent (haven't heard the feins), but this one is surely in a more affordable range.


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## Cory

Thanks for the reply, Sharon.

I had forgotten to mention the noise level, so thanks for the reminder. When I dial back the suction, the noise is extremely low. It's easy to carry on a conversation or hear low volume music playing. When the suction is turned all the way up, it's louder but still not as loud as my Craftsman. I think the DeWalt is rated for about 72dB and the Festool is rated for 62-71dB so it's comparable.


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## PurpLev

oh thats good to know… was thinking about getting a 2nd vac for a while… that's good input about the noise.


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## pintodeluxe

Is this the machine with an automatic filter shaker? I know some Dewalt and Bosch vacuums have automatic filter shakers, which is supposed to let you do away with the separators. 
Thanks for the review


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## Cory

I don't think this one has an automatic filter shaker. I love my dust deputy, though, so I doubt I'd get rid of it anyway.


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## lj61673

So let's see, the cord is too short, the vac runs too long after tool shuts off, it's much noisier than Festool or Fein, and the hose is garbage.
Other than that it's exactly like the Fein and Festool. 
Oh, and it doesn't have a HEPA filter. Oooppps that version is $400…Small detail.
Nice review.


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## Cory

lj61673: Well, I think you misread my review.

1. I didn't say the cord was too short, just shorter than my previous vac (relatively).
2. Yes. IMO it runs too long after turning off a tool, but that's personal preference.
3. It's absolutely NOT noisier than the Fein or Festool. In fact, 1dB is imperceptible.
4. Yes. I feel like the hose should have been better, but even with my aftermarket hose I'm considerably under the cost of a comparable Fein or Festool vac.

A few details weren't to my liking which is why I gave it 4 stars. But, on the whole I'm very impressed with this vac. Again: There are a few minor negatives, but my experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

For me, cost and value are critical components to a tool purchase. I hope my experience can be helpful to someone else considering a new dust extractor. If you didn't appreciate it, no worries. Have a great day.


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## lj61673

Just thought it was interesting how you didn't compare apples to apples in your review. Add the HEPA option(which the Festool has as standard) to the Dewalt and the cost is right up there with Festool.
At that point the decision becomes easy…


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## Cory

lj61673: I think I was comparing apples to apples. All three vacs have similar features. If I add the HEPA filter to the DeWalt for $98 it's still quite a bit cheaper than the Festool ($300 vs. $575 for a CT26). Clearly they're different, but isn't that the point of the review? To give people a barometer to make their own choice based on costs/features/impressions?


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## lj61673

The point of the review is to put a tool through its paces and report how well it performs with no regard to price, not how well it performs compared to a more expensive model. That's a COMPARISON, not a review.
A review is strictly a mechanical evaluation of function and ease of use. Does the vac have good suction? does it operate smoothly and quietly?, are the controls intuitive and easy to decipher?, are the components well made? is the finish high quality? can the tool stand up to everyday use? is the power cord the correct gauge and length? etc..
Those are the questions that make up an intelligent review IMHO.
Maybe this site needs a COMPARISON section….


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## Cory

Thanks for your input. Like most on this site, I'm not an engineer or professional product tester. Just a guy who is trying to buy a tool I can count on and get the most bang for my buck. This is the best vac for the money I've ever used, and I've used 'em all.


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## lj61673

Tell me, if you bought this vac for half the price on Craigslist would you give it a better review? would it be a better tool? of course not, its the same tool regardless of the cost. 
That's why I laugh at all these Harbor Freight reviews.."you know at $1.99 these clamps aren't so bad" blah blah blah…if they break after 1 use they are garbage NO MATTER what they cost.

This review section is filled with useless reviews like the example I cited. 
p.s. you don't have to be an engineer or a professional product tester to know if something is well made or if it can stand up to the type of use you require of it.


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## Cory

I was thinking that maybe I could have done a better job reviewing this vac, or that maybe I missed something or said something to upset you. After going back and reading your posts on several other reviews and other topics, I don' think that is the case at all. I didn't do a formal survey, but nearly EVERY post you make is negative, dismissive, arrogant, and/or sarcastic. Maybe you should save yourself and the rest of us and just stop reading the reviews.


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## lj61673

If they're all going to be as in depth as yours that's probably a good idea…enjoy the vac


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## Dusty56

"power cord is relatively short" 
How short is it , and compared to what other machine ?
What is wrong with the hose ?
I didn't know that DeWalt made vacuums , so I thank you for the review : )


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## Cory

Dusty: not sure on the length, maybe 18'. The cord on my craftsman vac was probably about 25'. The first time I used the DeWalt I noticed immediately because I couldn't get to an area I used to vacuum with my old set up.


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## PurpLev

I think this review is a good review. reading through the context I did not see it as a comparison (in which case one would expect to see something in the form of a comparison as in "model A is X, model B is Y".

This review stars the pros and cons of THIS UNIT regardless of its price which is what a review is. these pros and cons are in the perspective of the reviewer (Cory) which is what this should really be all about.

Cory. thank you for the input. I found it valuable. and yes I'm glad the price was mentioned, as based on the pros and cons, if the unit is in an affordable price bracket for some people that is a good peace of information to have.


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## Dusty56

Thank you : )


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## Kentuk55

Thnx for the review. I like hearing about these types of affordable tools, equipment, etc.


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## cutworm

Thanks for the post. Good info. Never mind the jerks.
I like the cart as well. I'm going to take a good look at this vac. Sounds like just what I need. I think we need a section for "Tool Snobs". They can get on there and try to one up each other.


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## ichbinpete

Interesting review, one day I may add an extractor type vac to my collection so I found this interesting from a value tool perspective.

as for lj, what a tool shed, gotta love getting trolled on the interwebz


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## MarkDavisson

Good review, Cory. Thanks!

I, too, have noticed lj's frequent posts under various reviews. He reminds me of me when I was in college. For entertainment, my roommate and I would, because we were always broke, go to the mall and go "dodging." Good, free entertainment. We would compete back and forth with each other in seeing how many times we could get a person walking toward us to step right, then left, then right, etc. in order to get around and walk past. The hardest part for me was making it look like it wasn't intentional, lest the other person would think me a dweeb.


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## mbs

Hey Cory,

Good review. Until recently I read a lot that others have written on LJ's but didn't contribute much. I started writing reviews recently and I struggled with the format. Should I provide "preference" type information, "just the facts, Jack", "comparisons" or "value proposition" information. I still don't know the right answer. There probably isn't a right or wrong answer because we have different needs and preferences as readers.

As a reader of reviews I'm happy with any format listed above but I like like facts the most (especially if testing or formal comparisons are done). I choose not to read threads from people who haven't used the tool (especially when they have a strong opinion about it - either positive or negative).

BTW, I've been reading up on dust collection and recently installed a system in my garage. People from another site I frequent have been measuring airborne dust around different pcs of equipment even after they stop producing chips. They report that there is harmful airborne dust up to 20 minutes after they've stopped producing the dust. Obviously, there are several factors that would impact the results. But, running the vac after you stop the tool is probably helping your lungs (as long as the vacuum has an appropriate filter in it. I've recently started the practice of leaving my dust collector on for roughly 10 minutes after I stop making chips. I don't LIKE the noise but I can live with it.


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## Sarit

I think all reviews have some sort of comparative element to it even if its not explicitly said.
Otherwise why would anyone buy a Festool over a cheaper vac? Whether this vac is better than another or better than a broom and a dust pan, a rating is based on how something performs in relation to something else.

If a vac claimed it could do 5 cfm and when measured did 20cfm would you say, whoa… 4x the claimed performance… 5 stars!!? No because 20 cfm is pathetic compared to the 100+ cfm vacs we have today.

So let's not get too excited when someone takes the time to review something and criticize him for not "reviewing correctly". As far as I'm concerned there is no right or wrong way to review something short of making a review w/o actually using the product. We all have our own priorities as to what are the important factors in a tool and Cory has articulated them well and rated the tool according to his criteria. So Cory, let me thank you for your fine review.

On a side note, I get this feeling like the simple utterance of the word "Festool" is like a sacred cow here on LJ. I think that's a bad thing since it galvanizes both detractors and zealots while at the same time shutting down any objective conversation about them.


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## PittsburghTim

Cory,

Thanks for the review. Don't let one person ruin your experience on this site. I made the mistake of rating a Bosch sander as five stars and was jumped on by another member. He complained that he had a mirka sander that was much better and $300 more than the one I reviewed. The fact is that I found it to be a joy to use. Even the magazines cannot review every product on the market. Why would a hobbyist or even pros be expected to do the same?

Remember what they say about opinions and one part of the human anotomy? Everybody has one. Some people are one.


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## patcollins

I like the review, didnt even know Dewalt was an option. On a side not I almost don't even consider Festool because the way the most vocal users of them act, reminds me of the Apple dweebs in the Samsung Galaxy S3 commercial….


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## cutworm

I have it. The truth is that their "other tool" is lacking so they buy the most expensive bigger tool to compensate. And they feel a need to flaunt their "new tool".


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## Cory

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and good advice.


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## Wdwerker

I have a Fein vac. Very quiet but the amount of foam sound baffles around the motor likes to catch a lot of dust and then the motor runs hot. So every few months we take it apart and blow all the dust out. Adding a dust deputy to any shop vac reduces the need to clean the filter.


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## Tedstor

Thanks for the review Cory. I see nothing wrong with using Festool as the gold standard and seeing how another tool stacks-up. Heck, I'd think the Festool fans should take it as a compliment rather than an attack.


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## mbs

I would be very excited to see other companies offer Festool's design, quality and cross compatibility. I like their tools but they put a threshold-of-death on my wallet.


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## RVroman

I am considering a new shop vac as my old/noisy one has seen better days. I was unaware of of this product and was only looking at what is offered at the big box stores. And, there is no way I am putting out the money for festool, etc. So thank you for the review.


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## MarkDavisson

Rockler is currently offering this vac *with* HEPA filter for $219.99.


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## SteveMI

I have the older PC version with a dust deputy between it and the dust. The auto on feature is really a time saver and the suction is way superior to any of the 3 shop vac I have.

Steve.


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## scarpenter002

Cory, Thanks for the great review.


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## runswithscissors

I'm thinking that cost vs. performance=value, and is a perfectly legitimate aspect of a review. In fact, I don't know of any reviews I've seen for all sorts of products that don't talk about value. Not all of us have warehouses stuffed with money.


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## shelly_b

Thanks for the review I thought it was good. Ppl that just go around bashing others posts need to get a life and find another way to make themselves feel good. And it's probably someone that only does it online b/c they don't have enough balls to tell someone face to face something other than what they want to hear. Anyways, comparison is part of the review process. If there is nothing to compare a product to, then how do we know if it is a good product? I would assume that every festool product would get 5 stars, but most of us can't afford that, so we base the price difference with the difference in quality and decide on our rating with that. I think we kind of look at festool as a standard and compare most things to that. Obviously a dewalt product won't be as good as festool, but are the differences able to be made up by the price difference? I have a skil RO sander, and wouldn't say that it works like a $500 sander, BUT, it spins in circles and sands the wood, so just b/c it vibrates me hand and sprays dust everywhere I still wouldn't give it a horrible star rating since it puts a nice finish on the wood. Isn't that what a RO sander is supposed to do? Anyway, that lj guy just irritated me. Thanks for the review! I learned alot from it and will def. look into this one next time I look for one


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