The art of extraction –
Quality suction, lightweight price
This issue we speak to experienced tradesperson Chris of Lasercut London
who purchased a new dust extractor in mid-April of this year. An avid fan
of German high-end tools Chris was seeking out a second dust extractor
to help with his own studio build, which started within that same month.
The studio build was to take place over
8 weeks and comprised of a complete
custom fit out of his new show room
design studio and fabrication space.
As the walls were concrete block and
brick he wanted to keep the dust down
during the installation phase.
“I already have a pretty good extractor
but I found the power was a bit lacking,
and I wanted a 35mm hose on the
machine to improve suction. Instead
of forking out for just a hose upgrade,
I opted for a FEIN one which had the
hose diameter I wanted as standard,
and following a demo, definitely had
the power I needed.
During the build itself, I needed to use
my SDS drill to deliver over 400+ holes
into concrete block, and spent a lot of
time cutting sheet material and using
the router table.
The extractor tip matched up to my
existing nozzles and drill extractor
I had available, and I used the FEIN
one in conjunction with my existing
one on the router table, it cleaning
up much quicker than I expected. The
building work lasted a little over two
months, the extractor fitting with
most alternative tools and accessories,
although a few took a bit of fiddling to
adapt them correctly.
I have some criticisms. The first is that
the hose does not have anywhere to be
fastened, but to be fair this was solved
by wrapping it around the body of the
machine. Also, there is no variable flow
on the compact 25L machine.
I never expected anything like the
power from a machine this small;
it sticks to everything, or sucks up
anything within its path. I rarely had to
sweep up at the end of each day.
The thing I enjoyed the most was the
extra time the extractor would run for
after the tool trigger was released.
For me, I was well chuffed with the
little price for the FEIN tool. Even with
my criticisms, for £220-50 this is a
bargain, and whilst variable speed is
good, maybe it isn’t worth the extra
£200. The machine is easily moved
about using the handle and I really
like the shape, as it pivots around very
nicely, and over uneven floors easily
without marking the floor either.
Despite using it every day since April,
I am also still using the first filter bag
with space left for another month or
two.
96
For delicate wood work, this machine
is not suitable, but if you need
dependable and powerful extractor
when SDS drilling, using woodworking
tools or generally cleaning up the
studio, then I recommend this to all
construction or renovation businesses.
I have a little man at home, and having
been hustled into building cabinets
during my summer break, I will be
taking this machine home, to ensure he
is not eating dust during construction!”
The Dustex is available in 25-35L, L or
M class from various FEIN dealers. For
more information check out www.fein.
com/en_uk/surface-processing/