# Forum Home Renovation Plastering  Best vacuum to buy for plaster dust

## jimc

I am sick of blowing up vacuum cleaners because of plaster dust. 
What do others use and how do they cope with super fine dust? 
Is it better to keep buying $80 vacuum cleaners and throwing them away when they break or spend $800 on a cleaner designed for fine plaster dust?

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## beejay1

Any decent brand of domestic cleaner with heppa filtrationshould cope with dust like that or if you have a cheap vac with paper bag filter try using two bags instead of one but only for a limited period. Both methods have worked for me without damaging the vacs. 
beejay1

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## SteveI

What about adding a sort of cyclone to take some of the dust out before it gets to the vacuum cleaner? 
Using a 20 litre bucket you can do quite well - do a search of the forums

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## Cliff Rogers

G'day.  
The Office Equipment industry us a thing called a 'Toner Vacuum' to clean out Photocopiers & Laser printers. You could try asking at a Vacuum shop. I suspect that they are not cheap but they should last longer so will be cheaper in the long run.

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## Wildman

http://svc010.bne011i.server-web.com....html?cache=no 
This vaccuum from Carba-tec is $499 and works a treat. I tried it when it came attached to a hired porta-cable drywall sander  and then used it as a normal vaccuum to clean the place up. It has a good size filter bag inside that then has a fine paper filter after it. Takes very fine plaster dust without leaks with enough suction for most jobs. Can also be configured for auto start when it powers tools but cant provide much power (800W). 
Cheers
Ben

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## nt900

I have a Festool CT33 Mobile Dust Extractor...aka vacuum cleaner, and it is excellent. It just finished vacuuming out the coal dust and broken lath plaster bits out of our ceiling using a 10 meter long 50mm hose. Apart from that I use it for power tools. No dust is ever expelled out of the units exhaust ports. In addition, the exhaust is so nicely distributed from many port locations at such a slow speed, low volume that it does not disturb any workshop dust about it. I did not appreciate this feature until I reverted back to my cheaper vacuum cleaner again. Which is now at the tip. But at a thousand dollars you should expect it to perform. Personally, I am very am very happy with it.  Other features: Comes with an anti-static hose, although made to fit Festool tools) is an excellent universal adaptor; 33 litre bag, with the addition of a dirt trap (large plastic bucket insert) it is also a wet vacuum cleaner, tool activated, can take 2400w tools, and my favourite. VERY QUIET!<O :Tongue:   They also have smaller and less expensive versions all incorporating the same design principals. Or if you wish to go up the range, alternative versions with M class certification (not that I actually know what this means), plus models that can even be used for asbestos cleanup. Big bucks here, but should meet your needs J<O :Tongue:

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## scooter

jimc, separating the plaster dust before it passes through the vac is definitelyy the way to go. 
Do some homework on these forums and the net on small cyclones, either Sturdee's type inside the Triton bucket, or a small (6" or so barrel) model to mount over a 20 litre paint bucket. Vac will not lose suction, much healthier for your vacuum and less vac bag expense.  
Cheers.............Sean

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## jaws

I have the Makita its been on the building site for all my jobs handles everything fine,
Powerful suction, able to hook up to tools with tool switching, wet & dry.
Only drawback is the bags are dear, tried cheap ones but they break open in machine.
Cheers,
John

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## markharrison

I have one of the Carbatec vacuam cleaners too. It has been extremely useful.  
There is a smaller version with a plastic bottom available now for a $100 less. Looks to be same power head but a smaller barrel. I'd probably go for the smaller version as it would be enough for my needs.

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## jimc

I thought I might post an update.... 
SHMBO bought a $74 Kambrook thing.....it lasted all of 15 minutes before blowing up. Needless to say my darling wife spent 1 full hour cleaning the stuufed vac so we can get our money back. 
Has anyone had experience with a SHOPVAC 925-13. I am finding conflicting reviews on the net.

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## Cliff Rogers

> ...Has anyone had experience with a SHOPVAC .....

  I had a SHOPVAC, can't remember the model, anyway, it was an upright wet&dry drum on wheels type with the motor up the top, VERY noisey.
I found that if I dragged it around to clean up & it caught on anything, it would tip over 'cos it was top heavy.
The tipping over bit was inconvienient but the real cruncher is that the motor didn't like the fall while it was running & I stuffed 2 motors & they are 2/3s the price of the whole unit.:mad:

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## Trent The Thief

Hi, 
I'm using a 5-gallon shop vac with a very-fine dust bag and an aftermarket  HEPA filter. The bag is specifically labelled for drywall dust. I used the very-fine dust bags alone with the standard cloth filter quite some time and didn't have a dust problem. the HEPA filter is nice for catching the finer wood dust when I have a regular bag in the shopvac. 
Keep in mind though, that Cliff wasn't kidding about shopvacs being noisy! When that thing is running, no one in the house can have a conversation without shouting. 
I looked into getting one of the Festool vacuums. I ended up making my car payment instead ;-)

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