Whether you\u2019re a tradesperson, a DIY enthusiast or a metal working or woodworking hobbyist there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll agree with us when we say dust is one of the worst parts of the job.<\/p>\n
As you\u2019ll already know, dust is exceedingly harmful to your health depending on what you\u2019re cutting, sanding or creating and it\u2019s vitally important to make sure you\u2019re correctly capturing and dispersing dust in a safe way.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, it\u2019s imperative to invest in the best extractor to get the job done and to make sure you\u2019re not working in a space that\u2019s slowly filling up with toxic dust or fumes, and in this article we\u2019ll help you out.<\/p>\n
Below we\u2019ll take a look at everything you need to know about dust extractors, what you should consider and which models are the best on the market for you today.<\/p>\n
All that said, let\u2019s get into our selection of the best dust extractors for 2021.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s How We Picked<\/p>\n
When it comes to choosing a dust extractor, there are a few essential features or technologies you\u2019ll want to look into. To ensure we were offering up the very best, we took a good look at the following categories and made sure all of the best dust extractors excelled well in these.<\/p>\n
The Air Suction Test – Water<\/strong><\/p>\n
Off the top, one of the first things we took a look into was how powerful the suction on a dust extractor was. This gave us a good indication of the motor\u2019s power and the product\u2019s ability to extract dust effectively.<\/p>\n
When it came to testing, the suction test was undertaken with a clear filter set, and then a dirty one. This was used to determine whether the suction and extraction process remained similar even if the filter was a little full.<\/p>\n
Ideally, whether a full filter or a clean one, we would want to see plenty of extraction still happening.<\/p>\n
The CFM or Air Volume<\/strong><\/p>\n
Often this information is provided by the manufacturer, however it\u2019s still good to undertake some assessment and analysis of your own. The air volume and suction test gave us a good look at how powerful and how much cubic metres of air could be drawn through the extractor over the course of a minute.<\/p>\n
Again, you\u2019ll want to choose an extractor with a higher number here to make sure you\u2019re getting the best chance of all the air in your space being drawn out and replaced with fresh as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
The Air-Watts<\/strong><\/p>\n
As for the power use, and the extraction ability, it\u2019s always good to invest in a model that\u2019s going to offer as much power and suction with as little power used as possible.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good to keep in mind that not only is this good for the environment, but also if you\u2019re in a location or a shop\/worksite that has a lower power output. If there\u2019s an odd generator issue or you\u2019re finding that your wiring and power set up doesn\u2019t support more power-hungry tools, you\u2019ll want a lower air-watt model here.<\/p>\n
The testing was completed here, again, with dirty and clean filters.<\/p>\n
The Noise Level<\/strong><\/p>\n
Another key consideration for us was how loud the extractor was. Of course, this shouldn\u2019t affect the product\u2019s ability to extract air, though in most cases a quieter machine is better.<\/p>\n
That in mind, we tested and noted the products that were loudest and quietist when under load and went from there.<\/p>\n
Affordability<\/strong><\/p>\n
One of our final considerations was the cost of the dust extractors. You\u2019ll always want to make sure you\u2019re getting a good deal on your extractor, though sometimes affordability does impact performance.<\/p>\n
That in mind, the cost of the machines did fall a little lower on our considerations list, though we still remained wary of the cost to feature ratio. A dust extractor that\u2019s expensive for seemingly no reason did get bad marks from us and some didn\u2019t make our list at all.<\/p>\n
Features and Usability<\/strong><\/p>\n
To end, the final deciding factor for us was the added features and the usability of the extractors.<\/p>\n
As we\u2019re sure you\u2019ll agree, what the dust extractor offers in terms of ease of use is incredibly important and so we took a look over a few things. These included how the hose and cord were stored, the length of the hoses, whether there were auto-clean features and power breaker switches. On top of this, the wheels, handles and other features and design perks came into consideration for us too.<\/p>\n
In all, the machines that were the easiest to use, simple to pack up and store got top marks from us.<\/p>\n
After all, you\u2019re going to want a dust extractor that encourages you to use it, rather than simply putting it away and never touch it again.<\/p>\n
With all of these things considered, we\u2019re confident that there\u2019s a good chance we\u2019ll find the best dust extractor for your workplace. Rather than simply going off manufacturer claims, we dug deeper and really took a gander in understanding how each of these dust extractors worked and why they\u2019re something good to consider for your workplace.<\/p>\n
That said, let\u2019s take a look at the types of bags you\u2019ll want to consider and why.<\/p>\n
Understanding Fleece Bag Filters<\/p>\n
As we mentioned above, in a lot of our testing review processes, we undertook these with a fleece bag as our filter, and we have some things to note about why you might want to consider this for your own dust extractor.<\/p>\n
Off the top, the suction, air-watt and volume and suction tests were undertaken with out-of-the-box extractors. This meant that they were all perfectly clean and in their best shape, which means that this was our baseline. Given that there\u2019s a good chance these extractors won\u2019t <\/em>stay like this for much longer, this test isn\u2019t exactly accurate or conducive to how they will perform in years to come.<\/p>\n
That in mind, we then moved to using fleece bags.<\/p>\n
One thing to note here is that when you are at a worksite or making heavy use of your dust extractor, you\u2019re going to want to rely on a fleece bag filter. Without these, or without a bag, you\u2019re going to find your extractor clogging really quickly and essentially failing to operate properly.<\/p>\n
For the main testing process, we undertook a simple drywall test which required the extractors to extractor or suck up 9 kilograms of plasterboard powder \u2014 which might be something you\u2019ll do on a routine basis if you\u2019re cutting and preparing plasterboard for homes.<\/p>\n
These tests then allowed us to see how all of the above features worked and whether we could rely on these extractors to capture a tonne of dust without clogging.<\/p>\n
Of course, the results will, and did, vary based on the extractor, though these tests did give us some good insight into which models could handle this process with ease and which models couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
A Bit About Filters<\/strong><\/p>\n
Before we move on to our next comparison segment, there are a few things to note about filters and fleece bags.<\/p>\n
These are the types of filters you\u2019re going to want to make use of as your primary filter for your extractor. There are the pleated filters which are cheaper and sometimes included with your extractor, though these are far thinner and going to clog a lot sooner than fleece versions.<\/p>\n
That in mind, you\u2019ll be extending your extractor\u2019s lifespan by going with a fleece filter too, given that it\u2019s not going to ask too much of your motor, as clogging isn\u2019t often an issue.<\/p>\n
We\u2019d also like to note that the fleece filter bags are drastically better at holding on to in-vacuum contents. This will mean that compounds such as lead paint and even silica are trapped inside <\/em>the vacuum and not making their way out into the air for you to breathe in.<\/p>\n
In all, the fleece products are the way to go and you should always do your best to work with these and these alone.<\/p>\n
Testing Measurements for Dust Extractors<\/p>\n
Getting into the nitty gritty now, and we\u2019re going to take a look at how the performance is measured and what factors go into understanding the power of an extractor.<\/p>\n
As we\u2019re sure you\u2019ll agree, these products can be quite costly and they are a bit of an investment for a hobbyist or even the manager of a workshop. However, they are still an essential piece of equipment to have, so it\u2019s better off understanding the suction measurements to make sure you\u2019re getting the right model for you.<\/p>\n
Mentioned above, we worked with the air watt measurement or metric to give us a lot of information as it\u2019s the standard measurement for most brands, and it\u2019s used across the industry to set somewhat of a \u2018baseline\u2019 standard for understanding how your extractor works.<\/p>\n
This air watt measurement essentially works by giving us some information on the suction power of an extractor by providing data on the amount of water or airflow in a column and how much of this material or substance can be sucked up within a minute.<\/p>\n
The Airwatt or air watt is what gives us some much-needed insight into exactly what you\u2019re going to get out of your extractor. With this noted, you\u2019re going to be better able to understand how well a dust extractor will remove impurities from the air in your workspace and whether you\u2019re going to need to invest in a bigger model.<\/p>\n
For those who need some in-depth measurements, the standard for calculating this metric is Power or P = 0.117354 x (F) x (S).<\/p>\n
To conclude, a range of tests were undertaken to calculate an accurate CFM measurement which would enable us to know a little more about how much volume an extractor could suck up within a minute.<\/p>\n
As we continue further in our review, you\u2019ll want to look for the CFM number and work to find the highest number here.<\/p>\n
Noise Measurement for Dust Extractors<\/p>\n
To add to our data collection, there were also tests of noise going into our considerations as we\u2019re sure you\u2019re not going to want to deal with an extractor that deeply roars by your head all day.<\/p>\n
That in mind, there was a simple decibel test undertaken during the CFM test, which meant that accurate noise measurements were taken when extra extractor was working at its absolute hardest. This is essentially what gave us some insight into the extractor\u2019s noise output whilst under load.<\/p>\n
To add, this will mean that you\u2019re getting an extractor that won\u2019t get any louder than this in your workshop, which may be a big consideration for some of our readers.<\/p>\n
Lastly, the decibel tests were also providing information on the noise output of the extractors when clean and dirty \u2014 further giving us some information on whether these were a good fit for your workshop.<\/p>\n
A Few Airflow Comparisons<\/p>\n
Before we delve into our list of all the winning dust extractors for Aussies in 2021, we have some metrics coming from the airflow and suction tests.<\/p>\n
As we mentioned, these tests were the result of filling these extractors with a 9kg base of plasterboard compound, which would essentially work to test how powerful an extractor remained after being filled with a substance.<\/p>\n
Below are the CFM measurements per-extractor when they were empty:<\/p>\n
These were the results when each extractor was full:<\/p>\n
With that out of the way, it\u2019s quite clear to see that some models do offer a tonne of suction, though only when they\u2019re entirely empty and operating under ideal circumstances. You\u2019re able to see that the DeWalt model here entirely fell off the ladder and offered little to no suction power when compared to a lot of the other models.<\/p>\n
That in mind, it\u2019s always best to take a look at extractors that offer up information on how well they perform in un-ideal circumstances. You don\u2019t want to be stuck at a site or halfway through a task without the ability to clean your extractor only to find it failing to work properly.<\/p>\n
A Few Water Column Suction Results<\/p>\n
To gain a little more insight into the suction power behind each of the extractors, the water column tests measured the amount of suction in inches drawn up through the extractor. Again, the same 9kg plasterboard measurement was used here, and both a full and empty filter.<\/p>\n
This gave an overall good look into how these extractors performed and again, more insight into how they operated or failed to operate under a full filter.<\/p>\n
The first test with a clean extractor was as follows:<\/p>\n
When the plasterboard compound was entirely sucked up, the test was run again with the following results:<\/p>\n
The good news here is that the results did essentially remain the same, meaning that these extractors do generally work great under a full filter and won\u2019t reduce their suction power or effectivity any time soon.<\/p>\n
A Few Air Watt Suction Results<\/p>\n
On to the air watt testing now, and this test was undertaken in the same way with the plasterboard and empty or full filter combination to gather an insight into which models did perform the best.<\/p>\n
Off the top, the starting results with a clean filter were as follows:<\/p>\n
When the filter was full and the extractor was operating under un-ideal circumstances, the following metrics were produced:<\/p>\n
Although there was a minor drop here, we are still going to stand by these as top performing extractors given that the fall wasn\u2019t too severe and you\u2019re still able to get a great result and operable suction level here.<\/p>\n
A Few Noise Output Results<\/p>\n
When it comes to operating noise, we\u2019re happy to say that most of these models were quiet at all times. There wasn\u2019t too much change in the clean and dirty models and you\u2019re able to rely on just a slight hum here.<\/p>\n
To add, a lot of older models are a lot louder than the more modern products of today and that means if it\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve invested in an extractor, you may be pleasantly surprised by just how toned down and quiet these models are.<\/p>\n
The noise results were as follows:<\/p>\n
With that out of the way we are quite happy to say that these models don\u2019t change volumes too much, however, when you do reach a 90db maximum things to get a lot louder, so keep this in mind for the Metabo model.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll certainly always want to wear hearing protection when working with any of these dust extractors.<\/p>\n
Affordability<\/p>\n
With all of the testing and data above out of the way, we\u2019re going to delve into the cost and affordability of all these extractors.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good to note that none of the models which were tested were unaffordable and the most expensive remains just $949 \u2014 the Hilti.<\/p>\n
That in mind, it\u2019s good to note that you\u2019ll be able to find a reliable and robust dust extractor with a price point of around $600 to $800 and not need to worry about how long these are going to last or operate for.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t too much pricing discrepancy with these products, and if you do find something that seems outlandishly priced, at around $2,500 for a simple hobbyist extractor, for example, we ask that you look the other way.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that the higher end pricing of $949 does offer great warranties and you\u2019re able to be able to count on 3 to 5 years from most manufacturers here. That said, you\u2019re going to be in good hands should anything go wrong down the line.<\/p>\n
Design and Ergonomics<\/p>\n
To end all of our considerations, design and ergonomics were considered here, and that meant things from handles, wheels, shape and more.<\/p>\n
On top of this, accessories, compactness, hose attachments and even the auto-clean switches were considered here and this would ensure you\u2019re able to rely on our list below to keep these things in mind.<\/p>\n
All of our top choice dust extractors come with great designs as well as ergonomics that make it easy to move them around your workshop, place them in a car as well as keep them clean \u2014 so you\u2019re always on top of your health and extractor maintenance tasks.<\/p>\n
For a sneak peek, our overall winner for the ergonomics category was the Fien model given that its well-thought-out design was optimal for just about all users and generally the best out there so far.<\/p>\n
Our List of the Best Dust Extractors in Australia for 2021<\/p>\n
When all of the above factors were considered, compiling a list of the winners was quite difficult, however, we remain confident in our list and the ranking system used.<\/p>\n
All of the extractors on our list below are great options for most users, and we\u2019re going to say that all <\/em>of these options are above average when it comes to usability, feature set as well as longevity and power.<\/p>\n
That in mind, be sure to consider your own requirements for a dust extractor too, and you\u2019ll be on the right track to getting an excellent model this year.<\/p>\n
Our Winner \u2014 the Hilti<\/strong><\/p>\n
Taking out the top spot for all of the categories we mentioned is the Hilti.<\/p>\n
This model is our favourite even considering that it is the more expensive option, though we\u2019re willing to say that it is quite expensive for a reason. It offers up a fantastic 2-year unconditional period for warranty which means you\u2019re covering basically everything \u2014 even if you cut the cable on accident!<\/p>\n
Add to these the 20-year limited warranty that covers parts and manufacture defects and you\u2019re right as rain when it comes to being taken care of by Hilti.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a high powered motor in here as well as the assurance that the extraction power isn\u2019t going to drop with a full filter.<\/p>\n
To end, we\u2019re happy to say that it\u2019s design and ergonomics are a winner for us too given that it\u2019s one of the easiest to move around and keep clean.<\/p>\n
Our Runner-up \u2014 the Makita<\/strong><\/p>\n
On offer by the experts at Makita, their VC4710 model is taking out the second place for us and we\u2019re glad to say that this one is the most affordable.<\/p>\n
When you keep in mind that the VC4710 is packed with features, offers a great design and also a powerful motor that, again, doesn\u2019t fail under load or with a full filter, you\u2019re on to a winner.<\/p>\n
As we mentioned it\u2019s the most affordable on our list, and that means it\u2019s an excellent model for the hobbyist or contractor on a budget.<\/p>\n
We\u2019d also like to point out that this model is one of the quietest out there too, in fact, it\u2019s the more silent model that was tested, making it the winner for those who need something that will operate in a small space without too much of a rumble.<\/p>\n
Final Choice \u2014 the Festool<\/strong><\/p>\n
To end our list, the third option we highly suggest you consider is the Festool 584014 given that it\u2019s one of the more powerful out there.<\/p>\n
As you\u2019ll have noticed, all the models that dropped in suction power have been cut from the list, and the Festool did do a great job of remaining quite powerful at all times, even when circumstances weren\u2019t ideal.<\/p>\n
Something to note is that the Festool is a little costly, though, when quality and longevity are concerned we\u2019re going to say that this model is going to have you covered for years to come.<\/p>\n
The suction here was consistent and the durability and ergonomics also took out top points for us.<\/p>\n
With all of our testing processes and our winning dust extractors out of the way, we\u2019re sure you have everything you need to get your hands on a winning model this year. That in mind, be sure to take into consideration all of your own requirements and use cases.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that working with dust and other impurities in your workshop can be, and often is highly dangerous. You should always make use of a dust extractor where you can, and all of the models we\u2019ve chosen above are designed to make this process easy.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll find that all of these products are so simple and easy to use that they encourage you to make use of them and keep yourself safe while you\u2019re at work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whether you\u2019re a tradesperson, a DIY enthusiast or a metal working or woodworking hobbyist there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll agree with us when we say dust is one of the worst parts of the job. As you\u2019ll already know, dust is exceedingly harmful to your health depending on what you\u2019re cutting, sanding or creating and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1292,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tools"],"yoast_head":"\n