Have you ever asked yourself what is the difference between a dust extractor and shop vac? If you have then you are in the right place. For most people that want to give the best cleaning touch to their homes, it is very important that you understand the tool that you are using.

With a clear understanding of any tool, you’ll find that operating the tool becomes very easy. Apart from that, you’ll also be able to take proper care of the tool. As such, you will enjoy better longevity and value for your money.

Difference Between a Dust Extractor and Shop Vac

Let’s take a look at the main differences between a dust extractor and a shop vac. Here is what you must know.

• Variety – Unlike a shop vac that comes in a single model-fit-all design, dust extractors offer two types to work with.  There is the single-stage dust extractor that’s ideal for the small shops and the 2 stage cyclone type dust collectors for heavy and powerful filtration capacity.
• Efficiency – A dust collector is the most effective way that heavy woodworkers use to clean their workspace to eliminate any dust particle no matter the size (fine sawdust). This is unlike the shop vac that’s used for light cleaning touch and for small to medium-sized wood chips or even sawdust.
• Range – While shop vacs can be used to clean a range of materials that are not wood-related such as broken pieces of glass and water, dust extractors cannot. Instead, dust extractors are limited to only cleaning the dust and wood related matters such as sawdust.
• Capacity – Dust extractors are also designed to clean up very small particles of dust and debris than the shop vac. They are able to quickly clean up large areas of dust faster than the shop vacuuming systems that have limited ability to work on a large space at once.
• Compartments – Unlike shop vacs that puts all its dirt in a single compartment, several dust extractors come with two compartments. These two compartments are used to separate and filter debris and dust and in doing so give you a better user experience with higher efficiency. You can clean for longer and better.
• Air Cleaning – Again, dust extractors are designed to also clean the air you breathe of dust or any other pollutant. This helps you to prevent any harm to your lungs and also to eliminate any harmful particulates which a shop vac cannot do.

Also Read – Can a Shop Vac Be Used For Dust Collection?

Which One Should You Choose?

The cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) metric will come in handy in helping you to decide the tool is right for the workshop. The higher the CFM the better the tool.

You can also use the overall lift to determine the right tool for your needs. Go for a higher lift count if you need a better tool.

Nonetheless, any seasoned woodworker will invest in both tools as they are ideal for different cleaning needs.

Video Credit – Start Building Your Dreams!

Conclusion

So now, let me ask you, what is the difference between a dust extractor and a shop vac? I guess you have the best answer to that. Thanks to this post that we just put down.

Nonetheless, understanding the difference between these two tools is one thing, while knowing their proper use is another. To get a great performance from these tools, make sure that you learn how to use these tools.

You should read through your user manual or get a loved one who understands how they work to teach you. Eventually, you will have a great experience with the shop vac or dust extractor.