FREE - I want to give you 45+ Project Ideas That Sell & Show You How to Make Money Woodworking For FREE: www.skool.com/731woodworks Click "Read more" to see all of the tool links. Watch Next: Hater's Guide to Harbor Freight - th-cam.com/video/_WzDCxfJXAY/w-d-xo.html Tools in this Video: Harbor Freight Dust Extractor - bit.ly/herculesdustextractor Festool Hose (it will fit the Hercules Dust Extractor) amzn.to/3XN95iE Festool Dust Extractor - amzn.to/4gPtEnh DeWALT Dust Extractor - amzn.to/4eONmxv DeWALT Sander - amzn.to/4eIJcri Festool Sander - amzn.to/3XWGSps Dust Hose Adapter Kit - amzn.to/3zNl33I Phone TriPod I'm Using (expensive but worth every penny) - amzn.to/3NbM8kp Tri-Pod Adapter for Phone -amzn.to/4gTXQxp I get commissions for purchases made through some links in this post. It helps the channel and costs you nothing extra. Greatest Free Gift I've Ever Received: story4.us/731Woodworks Join the TUBAFOUR NATION to get exclusive access to member only behind the scenes videos, member only livestreams, exclusive discounts, and other cool member only perks! www.patreon.com/731woodworks See the full list of tools and supplies I recommend on my website: www.731woodworks.com/recommended-tools Some other useful links: Daily Tool Deals on my website: www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals Subscribe to our email Newsletter to get new content alerts, sales, and more! mailchi.mp/7e44c16eefdc/731-woodworks-email-newsletter Easy to Follow Build Plans - www.731woodworks.com/store Outlaw's Board Butter - So Good it Should be Outlawed: www.731woodworks.com/store/boardbutter
Wow, that's insane that you can buy *both* the Hercules & Dewalt dust extractors for less than the Festool ‼️ This just further solidifies my opinion that Festool is the "Gucci" of woodworking tools and has asinine prices not because they're actually worth that much; but instead as "marketing" for wood workers to show "look how expensive my tools are! I wouldn't buy tools this impractical if I wasn't highly skilled!" 😂 Lmao
Dude. Thank God for you. Every other TH-camr is like "Here's a dust extraction system for a small shop that's only 3500 dollars and only takes 8 hours to set up to get started." I appreciate you and your no nonsense honesty so much. This is exactly what I need.
Also, you can get the Dewalt for only about $50 more. That way you will be able to find replacement parts in the future. The lid thingy works great, btw.
Between the recent videos for Ryobi tools, now Hercules, and previously Skip and Wen, I love you’re showing quality budget options and offering less expensive ways for people to get into wood working and carpentry
That's a great deal. The fact that it was compared to the Festool unit and a detailed pro/con argument had to be made on behalf of the Festool means that the HF unit is a baller. Thanks for the great review.
I’d like to see him measure the particles near the exhaust. Are they both getting the filtration they claim. I’m fine spending the extra $700 it’s actually healthier for me. But if not, this looks like a great option.
Harbor freight offers an additional 2 year warranty for 69 dollars. I'm getting it. Worth it. I just bought a domino because it is unique but 1000 dollars for a vacuum, no thanks. The Bluetooth is not needed. Like you said if the budget allows fine. Overall the Hercules is a hell of a buy. HF also has a car detail kit with a better hose for about 25 bucks. Thank you for the review
Most Credit Cards add 1 or 2 YEARS to virtually ANY purchase - if you register the purchase with them... Chase Freedom adds 1 Year to any warranty as long as it it 3 years or less; and you register the purchase. However; if you pay for an extended warranty - the free CC warranty extension doesn't exist.
It's meant to clear dust still in the hose after the tool shuts off. We use a Ridgid shopvac with drywall sanders and an aftermarket relay, and there's always a ton of dust left in the hose after even 10 seconds of just running the vac
keep it on the tool to cut down on overheating. Those motors/controllers are still radiating a lot of built up heat and a 15 seconds of fast moving air might extend the life of your tool.
@@kenreynolds1000it's going to cool during use and motors don't really continue to heat up once it's turned off (considering the current is the source)
If the bluetooth control is really important, you can just get a wireless plug switch for $20 and just tape the remote to the end of the hose. It wont look nearly as nice, but it will work. I use those for my 2HP dust collector for my planer and jointer and it works great.
Super glue or epoxy would work too and probably look a bit nicer. If the remote takes replaceable batteries, just make sure to only glue the removable battery hatch, and not the whole remote to the hose so you can still take it on and off
Thermoplastic. If whoever is reading this isn't familiar it's a easily moldable plastic. Comes in little white beads, you put it in hot water and it melts and becomes like warm silly putty. Bend it and shape it into anything. Once it cools it's as hard as nylon. You can easily screw into it and attach stuff to it after the fact. Or paint it. Perfect for stuff like attaching a remote to the end of a hose
They’re coming up in the world for sure. I’m a field service mechanic and use several things I got from HF on a daily basis. Their new cordless monster half inch impact is competing with DeWalt and Milwaukee too, according to some TH-cam reviews I’ve seen.
@@jamesbynum3123not being a professional, just work around the house, I find the Hercules line and some of the HF tools worthwhile. You have to be a smart consumer though as sometimes their stuff is more expensive.
I will NEVER buy a Festool. Reason being...simply put....about 75% of the cost is paying for the BRAND NAME, not the tool itself. One could say...yeah but you also get a 3 year warranty with the tool. Ok, fair enough, so then you are ALSO "BUYING" a 3 year warranty without an option NOT to buy that warranty. They removed your ability to CHOOSE. If you go buy a tool at HF or Depot or Lowes or even Walmart....ALL will ask you, "would you like a warranty"? It costs "x" amount. But...THIS IS A SCAM!!! With or without a warranty, you bring that tool back to ANY of these places (along with a receipt usually), they'll GIVE you another tool no questions asked. If you "Participate" in the Warranty, such as Mr. 731 has done on various tools....NOW, all of sudden, you have to jump through hoops...Take the tool or ship it to this place....wait several week's etc etc etc. Sooo...What did you actually BUY with that warranty??? You bought a freaking headache is what you did. SCAM!!! Festool doesn't give you an option. Sure, it's a 3 year warranty but just how many hoops do you need to jump through, how many phone calls and emails do you have to go through in order to get something done? OR.... You can buy another tool besides Festool, does EXACTLY the same job for a 1/4th the price or less AND, if something goes wrong...all you have to do is bring it back to where you bought it and they'll exchange it. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. So...IMHO.....Festool and Woodpecker tools are bought by those people whom want to DISPLAY to others that they have these tools. It is a "Status" symbol amongst the Woodworking community. Notice that EVERY single YT video and content provider SHOWCASE their Woodpecker and Festool items in specialized, custom made DISPLAYS in the background of their videos. STOP contributing to MARKETING Scams. You are wasting your money when a simple Dewalt, Ryobi or Craftsman AND even a Harbor Freight tool would "get the job done". This rant goes for Sawstop too. STOP being a victim of MARKETING!!!!
I am so happy that i caught this video! I love when a shopvac comes with a long cord and a long hose - and the fact it's hepa is icing on the cake! Looks like i need to grab this
Thanks for a great review. Just running a drywall bag with a HEPA filter in my old big SHOPVAC has been a game changer for my very casual wood working- I went years without knowing bags for shopvacs was a thing, and now I always use one unless liquid is involved.
Same. I won’t even run any of my shop vacs without a bag. The filter clogs immediately without a bag. I also use the aqua/green color rigid filter which is hepa rated and between that and the bag, dust ain’t an issue. I use a full size laguna cyclone extractor for my woodworking machines but sanding, cleanup, small saws and routers, etc. the shop vac with a bag does excellent. ESPECIALLY with drywall.
@@unclepewter4161 I recently watched a DIY fella on YT building his own house up in Northern Idaho. I noted his Hercules compound miter saw getting some heavy action. I believe that’s a HF brand so I’ll give HF some respect for representing, the wise people of America if not just the poor like me. 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣 If the tools work, then they work. 🤙🏾👊🏽
@@jaimeroman2406 I have always gone there for inexpensive clamps and paint brushes for a single use project but I’ll have to look into that dust extractor. I have been on the fence about the wood working bench they sell because I think I would have to reinforce it. Maybe someone will do a video on that lol
@@jaimeroman2406 I have always gone there for inexpensive clamps and paint brushes for a single use project but I’ll have to look into that dust extractor. I have been on the fence about the wood working bench they sell because I think I would have to reinforce it. Maybe someone will do a video on that lol
Harbor Freight really is a godsend for us regular folk. The tools they are producing allows us to have access to tools that we normally wouldn't have access too.Tools like this, or their Nut Setter Tool for amateur fabrication or things like that. Love what they are doing.
Better buy now; once the tariffs kick in, EVERYTHING from Harbor Freight (which is almost 100% made in China) is going to skyrocket. You can thank MAGA for that.
With the narrower ( < 2 1/4”) hose does it clog up when using with a table saw with a 2 1/4” port ( where I previously have been using 2 1/4” hose to a rigid shop vac)
@@richmewes5686 I haven’t used it on my table saw yet, but do use it on my track saw and hasn’t clogged at all. Does a great job getting almost everything. I also use it on my CNC, it’s probably run about 30 hours on that in the last month, and a lot of deep v-carves, and has keeps it completely dust free. I use the floor vacuum attachment at the end of each day I’m in the shop too, that works great too. It’s honestly my go to in the shop, I also have a ct15 that I use on my sander and domino ,and regular rigid vac with a dust stopper for the table saw, jointer and planer. If either of those break I’d probably buy another Hercules to replace them.
@@nmurphy7281 Does the Festool hose fit into the Herc extractor? Also, I noticed that Matt _twisted_ the Herc hose in the video, but just waved the Festool hose around. I'm 100% sure that if you _twist_ the Festool hose, it'll wrap itself up too. Even if it has a swivel connection to the extractor, it'll twist. A swivel might make it easier to untwist, but stil...
Thank you SO very much for taking the time to evaluate and report on these three options. This video is just another reason why I have subscribed to your channel.
I actually like that the harbor freight extractor runs for a few seconds afterwards. It helps pull the heat out of the electric motor from running the tool, and like you said in the video, pulls out the extra dust in the hose
If you want an inexpensive upgrade for this dust extractor, you don't need to look any further than Harbor Freight. This dust extractor ships with one Hercules 12 gallon bag, but HF doesn't yet have replacements for it. They do have 5-10 gallon bags from Bauer that you showed in this video, which are too small, HOWEVER, Bauer also has a 12-16 gallon bag that meets, and exceeds, the 12 gallon capacity of this dust extractor. Not only do these Bauer bags fit perfectly into this dust extractor, but they also seem to be a stronger or heavier duty bag, than the included 12 gallon bag. I bought this to replace my Craftsman wet/dry vac, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the 2 1/2 inch diameter hose from the Craftsman, plugs very firmly into this dust extractor, but does not lock into place like the included hose. The 2 1/2 inch hose seems to improve airflow over the smaller diameter hose that was included, making that a free upgrade, if you are replacing a wet/dry vac that has a 2 1/2 inch hose. You mentioned that this only has a 90 day warranty, but you did not mention that HF offers a 1 year, and a 2 year warranty. I don't remember how much the 1 year warranty was, but I bought the 2 year warranty for 69.99, still a massive savings $$$$$ over the cost of the Festool. I watched this video before buying this dust extractor, and I compared it's features against the new Dust Right Dust Extractor from Rockler, which carries the same #299.99 price tag, and has a small diameter hose like the Hercules, but that's pretty much where the similarities end, the Hercules out-performs the Dust Right in every category, and IMHO, is a far better deal than the Rockler brand. One of the major differences between the Hercules and the Dust Right is in CFM's, the Hercules is 155 CFM, while the Dust Right is a mere 85 CFM, SERIOUSLY ROCKLER?????? I honestly thought they could do much better than that.
Hello Bro, I wanna know how many dust bags included in the product will be appropriate for long time use? We are developing a dust extractor now. Can you answer my question to help us optimize our product. Any response will be appreciated! Thank you very much.
For less than one Benjamin, I have an Oneida cyclonic dust collector with a 5 gallon bucket between my miter saw and my shop vac that works spectacularly at intercepting and removing at least 95% of the dust and chips BEFORE it gets to the shop vac with a hepa filter. It does not hinder the air flow either. I also have a cheap automatic vacuum switch that powers on the shop vac when the miter saw is on and which also has the same 10 second on delay when the saw is shut off. I only need to clean the hepa filter each time I empty the sawdust into a garbage bag. This is much, much cheaper any way you look at it.
What was the price point when you all purchased yours? Was it $300 $350 or under $300 I haven't seen it lower than $320 in my area but would love to catch it at close to the 3 mark.
@ need to keep your eyes out I see them listed for $299 often, just checked if you are insider member its $299 right now Nov 25. At the end of the day this is a $600 tool, $350 is a steal for it. Actually they are running black Friday sale for everyone, $299.
I’ve been looking at that dust extractor. As a small time wood worker, working out of my garage and not making a ton of money doing that. I love harbor freight for how affordable their stuff is and how easy it is to return or exchange things.
I’m just starting to set up my shop for when I retire. This Harbor Freight vacuum is what I have been looking for. My shop/large shed is small and having a vacuum that is quiet is important to me. Thanks for another great review.
I just bought this yesterday based on your recommendation. I like it. I did some sanding yesterday and today and it worked beautifully. Thank you for the review.
I got the new Rockler dust extractor for about the same price as the HF. I love it and it's super quiet. Many of my tools are battery so I don't need the auto start and stop feature too often, but it does stop quicker than the HF. I also use a Dust Topper to collect most of my dust prior to the vac.
I bought a Dewalt Stealthsonic 15Gal with a Oneida Dust Deputy Low Pro that fits right on the vacuum. It clicks right in between vacuum and the handle then I have it all piped with clear PVS pipe with 90deg, 45deg...elbows. Using the fleece bags and Hepa filter. Then bought a Festool 5M hose. Best of both worlds, affordable, great suction and quiet !
Bought mine a couple of weeks ago, got the HF credit card, and got 75 dollars off first purchase. Hooked it up to my miter saw, and what a difference from my shop vac. Gonna get another one for my sanding cart
After watching your reviews and seeing others' reviews I went to HF to buy this. Had to order and pay for it hoping that it comes in sometime in January. I am buying it to upgrade my dust collection in my garage workshop - especially for my CNC. I hope it is as good as you claim.
I just got one today and looking like it will be a fine addition to the shop. I did see one thing I wasn't expecting. It says on the port where you connect the tool not to pull more than 3.5 amps. I was planning on hooking it up my miter or table saws but they both pull way more than 3.5 amps. As shown, it would be fine to use with a router or sander or other small tools. I'm thinking about coming up with a remote switch to turn the dust extractor on and off but haven't had any ideas yet. I might just use a trouble light with an incandescent bulb with enough wattage (60 watts = about 1/2 amp and 100 watt almost 1 amp, etc.) until I come up with something better.
This is one of THE VERY BEST tool review channels. It has been so helpful to me that I pass it on to my friends and family. Thank you for creating these videos.
Yeah his channel is definitely a go to for tool reviews! He definitely thinks to review things with the consumer in mind. Especially the DYI woodworking.
Matt thanks so much for reviewing this budget dust extractor. Based on your review and assesment, I went and bought the unit. I was able to get a 15% discount as a Harbor Freight Inside Track Club member. So I got a really good deal. Love your podcasts and reviews!
I'm not brand loyal, mostly driven by budget, but not always. I'm an HF fan as well as other manufacturers. This review definitely earned you a follow from me. Thank you!
If you're really on a budget or tight on space, get a Ridgid shop vac with a bag and HEPA filter. That way you can do most of what the dust extractor does, but you also get one of the best shop vacs too.
If anyone can make a counter-argument to this logic I appreciate it. I use my Ridgid vac as dust collection and I would like to understand the benefit of this dust collection. Other than remote start and adjustable power, are we just talking about CFM here?
I use a Ridgid shop vac for my shop and while it does a decent job it certainly is not pulling all of the dust out of the air. However it certainly does a better job than nothing at all, and if your budget is tight a Ridgid shop vac is a hundred times better than buying nothing at all. The big difference between a shop vac and a dust extractor is the volume of air being sucked through the hose; shop vac is high speed, small zone of entry, the extractor is lower speed but higher volume.
Thank you, I just bought this, this past weekend. Harbor Freight sent me a 25% off coupon good for one single item in store only. When I saw your review, I jumped on it, especially for a final price of $240.74! I have to say, it's a nice dust extractor! The only thing I wish was the time of shutoff after the power was off from my miter saw. If you find a way to decrease the shut down time, please post it, otherwise that would be the only complaint, if you even want to call it that.
Thank you for doing these videos. I am so tired of people saying you have to buy this brand over that brand. Buy what works for you and what you can afford. I love my Ryobi tools and that Hercules is on my wish list now.
I’m a Ryobi tool fan, but lately the green tools suck. I’ll buy the old blue tools every chance I get at garage sales as they all seem to last longer. The quality has really dropped in the last few years. IMO.
Thank you for this! I'm a harbor freight fanboy (only when I can't get 1950's American cast iron) but this is the first I've heard of this. I have a very small shop (8x12) and use a Rigid vacuum hooked up to a harbor freight cyclone/bucket. This harbor freight extractor is definitely on my list now to replace that old Rigid! BTW, those 15 seconds are an advantage in my opinion. I prefer that over the 3 second festool.
This Hercules combined with a cyclonic dust separator would be killer. Dust Deputy and Bauer are both very nice and make your filters last almost forever.
Great review. Think I’m going to buy one of these and save instead for some other tools I like the one gentleman’s idea of getting this tool and ordering an upgraded hose from Amazon.
i just bought the harbor freight one a few days ago and i dont care for the hose so i went on amazon and ordered me a new festool hose im gonna pair with it.
I didn’t even know about this. I was considering getting the Rockler dust collector but I believe this changed my mind. I have a Hercules 12 inch miter saw and a Hercules router mounted in my Kreg router lift and love them both.
Harbor Freight offers a 2 year extended warranty plan for $70. They will absolutely replace the entire system FOR FREE when you pay the $70 at time of purchase. This extended service plan can be extended again and again so it is FAR less expensive that the $1000 Festool with it's 3 year warranty. GAME CHANGER!
Very interesting. The price point is hard to beat for a hobbyist shop. Going from a shop vac to the harbor freight unit would be a huge upgrade. Thanks for the detailed review.
When using any sander I always find myself turning down the suction as to not pull the sander into the work. At least with festool sanders. The exception being the ro 90 when Im removing finishes with 40 grit and such
Just wanted to say thanks for the video. Then say that I believe the hook on the handle is for the hose to rest, and the handle on the top of the vac is where the power cord goes. Thus, the cord goes with the head unit when you take it apart.
Thanx so much for this! When I can get my shop set back up, I will likely get one of these. After buying c-clamps from HF decades ago that broke on the first use, the only thing I'd buy there were $1 work gloves for yardwork. I was very impressed with your parallel clamp review. If Lowe's hadn't had a good sale on Jorgensen, I'd have bought Bremen.
I like it. As a beginner/hobbyist, this is perfect, and the price can't be beat. Looks like a trip to Harbor Freight is in my near future.... I love that place!...lol
Enjoyed you break down of the Hepa vac from Harbor Freight, I think I have come back and watched this video about three times, Very informative, Thanks.
I honestly think you should look into more Hercules tools, I've recently been buying them through their 2 for 99 sales and I'm really impressed by the quality and power they bring
Im sure im gonna get hate for this. But I love harbor freight lol. They have a lot of good deals and at least at the local one here they actually have things in stock most the time.
Thank you for a great product review. I am a parttime hobbyist (carving) with minimal workspace available. I have been looking at dust collecting system for a while but could never find one that was affordable, simple to use, has small footprint and is efficient. The HF Hercules HEPA dust extractor definitely fulfill all my needs. So glad I found your product review. BTW I loved your review of the Milescraft 1318 DrillMate. Just order one that will enhance my limited workshop space.
Good luck finding it. I ordered mine on 11/30/24 and was just informed that it's probably on a container ship in China and won't be here until 3/19/25.
This is basically the DeWalt dwv012 dust extractor. Same twin HEPA filters, same side latches, same casters and wheels, same handle etc etc etc. Even the specs are the exact same. Great value tbh.
With HF, you can return the product, no questions asked just before the warranty expires and get a new machine, renew the warranty and covered for another 2 years.
Glad somebody brought that up, I was going to say that. The Harbor Freight warranties will literally replace the item on the last day of the warranty(and if they no longer carry that model, you may even get an upgrade to a newer one!)
Why would you take a working tool and exchange it on the last day of a warranty just to get a new one for free. If the tool has worked to your expectations that's a pretty shitty thing to do. Falls under just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Super useful video. I am in the market for a new shop vac. The old one is fine, but too large and too loud. Not sure this is much smaller (12 gal vs 16), but being easier to roll around would be nice, and with 17 ft house, hardly need to move it anyway in my small shop. Over $1,000 for the Festool is a non-starter for me. $299 is more like it, though a simple shop vac with a good filter, while not hepa, is still pretty good and much cheaper. As my shop is in the basement, quiet is likely worth the money alone.
It looks like you can use the handle on top of the collector for cord management rather than the hook on the vertical handle if you wanted it to store more like the festool.
I think one of the biggest drawbacks with the Hercules vs the Festool, is the electrical capacity of the on board outlet. 3.5 amps is not a lot, like it can basically only power a sander. Whereas the Festool, I'm not sure what the capacity is, but we use ours like an extension cord for any 110V tool in the shop that needs to be hooked up to dust collection. I have an older dewalt that I ignored the rating on the onboard outlet and burned it up using it with my mitre saw. The dust extractor still works fine, but the outlet is dead. Anyway, thanks for the great video!
Matt, Thanks for the review. I was very excited to see Hercules come out with higher end stuff at a reasonable price. I gotta say, Festool is beautiful but ridiculously priced for us weekend warriors!!! This Hercules puts this in a price range that’s affordable, and starting to see HF become a force for selling and distributing quality tools. Gotta say, it doesn’t matter if it runs longer after shutoff and is probably timed for longer hose cleanout etc. beside you should be wearing your hearing protection, preferably some good music so should t be a problem, and for under $300, no issue. Agree with another comment, can get a Blutooth remote for under 25 bucks. Again Festool is great, but the price is over bloated. Just nice to see quality tools with great features for the hobbies without going broke. And as far as the warranty, you can buy the extra warranty and I’m sure for inside track members, there will be specials ran in the future.
Harbor Freight misses me so they sent a 25% off any single item coupon, no exceptions. Last time I bought the Hercules planer. I think I'll go down and pick up the dust extractor this week.
@@ryancannon4284 It works well. I've only used it a few times. I was going to use it in my "retirement" but wound up going back to work. Hopefully it will get more use next year.
Been a harbor freight addict for about 10-12 years. I like doing things DIY, and don’t have a huge budget, they have helped me reduce a lot of my maintenance expenses on my vehicles by tooling up and going thing myself, and also have helped me on my wood working and around the house handyman stuff too. Love seeing new products from them.
Same here! The harbor freight of 10 years ago looks nothing like it does today. Ever since they started sourcing a lot of their products from Taiwan their quality instantly sky rocketed
Thanks for posting the review. If warranty is a big concern, I'm pretty sure you can buy extended warranty at Harbor Freight for a reasonable amount. Usually full replacement, no questions.
731 Woodworks.. I think I will have to get one of those from Harbor Freight.. I agree with your likes and dislikes of it. Man getting into woodworking is expensive.. LOL
You are so lucky in the US, you get such a good variety of brands to choose from. I'd love one of these but Australia doesn't sell HF or half the good stuff you guys get. So jealous.
Thanks for spotlighting this. The company I’m with does drywall finishing and we use dust extractors in connection with our drywall sanders, to be as clean as we can reasonably be. This would be a great choice for us, it’s half the price compared to DEWALT.
How come none of these have an integrated cyclone separator? I use a Dust Deputy on a 5 gallon bucket, and 98% (I weighed it) ends up in the cyclone, and a tiny amount makes it through to the vacuum. No bags needed, other than big black garbage bags full of sawdust, chips, etc. The only issue is remembering to empty it as I demolish huge quantities of wood in search of my latest project.
Excellent product review video. I do have a small Festool dust extractor for my in-house CNC machine that works great. But this is now on my Christmas list for my garage power tools to replace my very old 6 gallon shop vac. I can buy it as a Christmas present for my wife, and maybe she'll let me use it. 🙂
As far as warranties, Harbor Freight has a pretty good, no questions asked, exchange extended warranty you can purchase and still save a ton of money. Something goes wrong you take it back and exchange for a new unit.
That doesn't apply to this unit. I'm sure you can purchase a protection plan which I believe you can extend it before it expires..... What's nice about that is if (or rather when!) they update it, you can exchange it for the newer model! GUARANTEED that isn't the same with the Festool
@@commonsenseisdeadin2024he said "purchase" I'm pretty sure he is talking about the extra purchasable warranty, not the replacement plan that comes with their hand tools.
@@commonsenseisdeadin2024 If memory serves, Festool's warranty also covers normal wear and tear, which is pretty uncommon, but naturally adds to the price.
I bought one of these and I really really like it. I think the power cord is a little too long as it quickly gets in the way of rolling it around the shop, but otherwise I am very pleased with this vacuum. PLUS I had a coupon for 15% off any one item, so, yea, I ran out and bought this.
The main filter for the festool, at $119.00 should be proof to anyone that their tools and accessories are overpriced by a factor of 4. Are they well made? Yes. But that kind of price discrepancy is outrageous. They are simply overpriced period. Longevity is the only reason they might be worth the price they charge. People buy them and they’re happy but they will never admit they paid a ridiculous price. They even get mad when having to justify the cost. Go ahead, get mad but you should be mad at Festool and yourself.
Just gotta wait for a 25% off coupon. I wonder what a good small corded device you could ziptie to the hose to create your own end of hose button like the Festool. I guess you could roll your own with a switch and some type of resistor.
Howdy Mr. 731... Honestly, I really never quite understood this relatively new fad of having "dust extractors".....not to be confused with just using a vac. I have a Rigid 12 gal (or 16 gallon, I don't recall) "Shop Vac" along with hepa filters, bag, dust buddy and 5 gallon bucket. This system I use, all parts included cost me around $130. Essentially, my system does the exact same thing for a fraction of the cost (a very large fraction actually). So, what's the point or benefit here of buying these "dust extractors" when they are doing the same job as what my "extractor" is doing? Perhaps a convenience of an "all in one" maybe?? Hmmm. But wait a minute here....I can maybe see this Vac being used for sanding and/or a track saw....But what about the Tablesaw and Miter saw? Big chunks that ain't "dust". Where is that going? Into the same compartment/bag? Well, that's not good, right? So....With all things considered. I need a Vac for "heavy" equipment, tablesaws, chop saws, sweeping the floor etc. Then I need a "Hepa" Vac for doing sanding n such. And THEN, I need an "Air Cleaner" in order to clean/filter the air of which the other 2 systems didn't catch. Using this Hercules, Dewalt or Festool alone isn't going to work. You will be dumping and changing out filters and bags left and right. So...according to the "mainstream" of "todays" Woodworking...You need 3 air filtration systems working....sometimes, all at once. This seems a little bit excessive IMHO. There was a time when all someone ever did was open a window, set a box fan in it and you was good to go. All that being said and done.... Let's discuss something you haven't talked about with ANY of these vacs.... HEAT EXHAUST!!! With each and every single one of these "vacs", there is an exit port of air. This Air has been heated and if not exhausted outside the shop area, fills that shop with HEAT as well as changing the air flow of circulation within the shop. Why is this aspect never discussed? I see people get these "vacs" and stick them inside a cabinet with NO exit of air. The cleaning and maintenance of these Vacs. Why is this not EVER discussed? The vac itself needs to breathe too. Containment of the air available to the vac is just as important as our lungs. If the capacity and quality of the air cleaner you use is diminished because of lack of exhaust, then the tool/vac itself becomes a hindrance to the circulation of "clean air" for you to breathe, which in turn, negates the purpose of the "cleaner" . Let's take your shop as an example. Last time I saw your shop, you have an air cleaner sitting on top of a metal storage unit. This cleaner has an intake and exhaust. The exhaust is pointed out the rear. That rear location happens to be where you've installed your AC/Heater. This unit itself has temp gauges in order to control your shops temperature. But, you are shooting heated air directly towards it. That being said...and I may be mistaking here....but your miter station of which you have that Festool located....I do not recall you installing a way of exhausting the heated air within it??? Anyways.... Still using your shop as an example.....Where you have your air cleaner located vs where you have your ac/heat supply located adversely effects everything within your shop...as does anything else of which you use a vac for.... Technically speaking here...because of your location of ac/heat....Your air cleaner should be located on the opposite side of the shop, because this is where stagnant air/dust will accumulate. I'm willing to bet, the opposite end of your shop has more dust. I know I'm getting into wayyy more detail than a simple tool review video goes....But, understand my point here. We are speaking of a having a "Cleaner" environment, air quality while we work. Yes? These tools/Vacs only work properly ONLY if the circulation of air within "ones" shop is understood. Otherwise, we'll, you're just wasting money. A fun Science experiment would be to go buy a Fog machine. Since it is near Halloween, these tools are plentiful and cheap, maybe $25 bucks. Fog up your shop and then start turning on various tools and WATCH the FOG/air flow. In fact.... This, I think/believe would make for a GREAT video for you Mr. Buttons. Think about that a moment. Have you EVER seen another Content Provider (Woodworking) video where that person filled their shop with FOG, then turned on their air filtration systems to see how Well and quickly it got rid of that Fog? Nope!!! You'd be the FIRST!!! I did enjoy the Tool review Mr. 731.....Keep on Rockin Sir!!! 😊
This seems like it was modeled after the bigger dewalt dust extractor. Looks nearly identical, has the two air filters that seem to be cleared the same way. Dewalt also stays on quite long after you shut the tool off!
In a few comments below I saw that a 2 year extended warranty is available for $70 indicated by the HF web site. So, by buying two, one for the first two years, and a second for a subsequent two you could still get two over time and still save your self half while, in effect, giving yourself an additional year warranty. This is all assuming, of course, that the machine craps out within the two year warranty. Every day beyond the original the initial two year warranty period simply means you need not put out any outlay for a second extractor. Unless you use the extractor very hard, I see no reason to put out the additional cash.
I use a 1.25" hose that fits my Festool TS-55, PC-890 router, PC 50 sander, Ryobi and Makita Palm router as well. Granted, I had to cut off the outside ring onmy Porter Cable tools, but it's been well worth it. For larger clean ups, I have a 2" hose that fits on the end of my home made boom arm.
I just bought this. I like it; I can clean the shop with it, and my wife can also vacuum the first floor of our home. She used it and liked the power and the HEPA capabilities! Vertically not something she can take up a flight of stairs, but it seems like a solid unit. We were thinking of getting the rocker unit, which is much quieter, but the length of the hose and cord and power sold us on it-thinking of getting the extended warranty. BTW, at full blast, it is running around 85 dB. I currently have the large Festool in the shop and a Dewalt and Home Depot shop vacuum which IMO has contributed to lots of dust in the shop, I'll be selling one of the shop vacs, keeping the Festool, and using this unit as a second unit in the shop and on the first floor.
@@williamsmith9026no, he’s saying that he likes these features over the other ones and that even if it was more expensive he still likes this more. And given my experience with my hercules circular saw vs the dewalt and Milwaukee ones I’ve used, I gotta say the hercules cuts a lot nicer with its stock blade than those do even with new Diablo blades
Another just FYI, for all harbor freight tools. If you buy the extended service plan, at the end of the plan,( the day of or day before) you can take it back to harbor freight, and exchange it at full value for a newer model vacuum or upgraded version.
Dude, you're doing amazing tool reviews. Followed your test and got Milwaukee Orbital Sander - love the frkn thing! But. I do miss your woodworking projects. One more great video - thank you.
This is great news 😮 … I don’t have the budget for high end tools (my highest end tool is a Delta 10” contractors table saw). I do have Hercules tools. Don’t so much like the other Harbor Freight lines. This dust extractor will be in my garage shop … soon … very soon … thanks for your review
I just got a Hercules dust extractor. Like your review but, am having a hard time finding hose adapter that can attach my tools to. I live just south of Kansas City and have called, and went to many stores but haven’t had any help. I thought you might have an idea on where to look also is the measurements on adapter inside or outside. Enjoy your TH-cam programs. I used to do woodworking back in the. 70s then moved and had no place to work, now I am 83 and getting back to it. All I can say it’s new world 1:00
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I like your videos, great
What wrong with the CCP? its really real... with your trees
The Karcher NT 30 was 250 and was better then both but I believe it's discontinued now
@@MIKEC2000 my good comrade, where is it made?
Wow, that's insane that you can buy *both* the Hercules & Dewalt dust extractors for less than the Festool ‼️
This just further solidifies my opinion that Festool is the "Gucci" of woodworking tools and has asinine prices not because they're actually worth that much; but instead as "marketing" for wood workers to show "look how expensive my tools are! I wouldn't buy tools this impractical if I wasn't highly skilled!" 😂 Lmao
Dude. Thank God for you. Every other TH-camr is like "Here's a dust extraction system for a small shop that's only 3500 dollars and only takes 8 hours to set up to get started." I appreciate you and your no nonsense honesty so much. This is exactly what I need.
shopvac isnt expensive
@@mewmew32 They also have a lid thing that turns a 5-gallon bucket into a cyclonic dust extractor when attached to a shop vac.
Also, you can get the Dewalt for only about $50 more. That way you will be able to find replacement parts in the future. The lid thingy works great, btw.
Between the recent videos for Ryobi tools, now Hercules, and previously Skip and Wen, I love you’re showing quality budget options and offering less expensive ways for people to get into wood working and carpentry
That's a great deal. The fact that it was compared to the Festool unit and a detailed pro/con argument had to be made on behalf of the Festool means that the HF unit is a baller. Thanks for the great review.
I’d like to see him measure the particles near the exhaust. Are they both getting the filtration they claim.
I’m fine spending the extra $700 it’s actually healthier for me. But if not, this looks like a great option.
@@JacqueCRISCOsdWhat size calipers would he use
@@SeamlessFab🤣 Thank you for the giggle!
Harbor freight offers an additional 2 year warranty for 69 dollars. I'm getting it. Worth it. I just bought a domino because it is unique but 1000 dollars for a vacuum, no thanks. The Bluetooth is not needed. Like you said if the budget allows fine. Overall the Hercules is a hell of a buy. HF also has a car detail kit with a better hose for about 25 bucks.
Thank you for the review
Most Credit Cards add 1 or 2 YEARS to virtually ANY purchase - if you register the purchase with them... Chase Freedom adds 1 Year to any warranty as long as it it 3 years or less; and you register the purchase. However; if you pay for an extended warranty - the free CC warranty extension doesn't exist.
Thats what I did was buy the additional 2 year warranty.. I am extremely happy with the purchase.
One thing to note is with that 15-20 seconds shut off time you can disconnect the hose from the tool and clean up left over saw dust in the area.
Very good point thanks
It's meant to clear dust still in the hose after the tool shuts off.
We use a Ridgid shopvac with drywall sanders and an aftermarket relay, and there's always a ton of dust left in the hose after even 10 seconds of just running the vac
keep it on the tool to cut down on overheating. Those motors/controllers are still radiating a lot of built up heat and a 15 seconds of fast moving air might extend the life of your tool.
@@kenreynolds1000it's going to cool during use and motors don't really continue to heat up once it's turned off (considering the current is the source)
some peoples complaints are others opportunities
If the bluetooth control is really important, you can just get a wireless plug switch for $20 and just tape the remote to the end of the hose. It wont look nearly as nice, but it will work. I use those for my 2HP dust collector for my planer and jointer and it works great.
I love the Bluetooth controls. Beats walking back and forth to turn things on and off
Super glue or epoxy would work too and probably look a bit nicer. If the remote takes replaceable batteries, just make sure to only glue the removable battery hatch, and not the whole remote to the hose so you can still take it on and off
As someone who is on a budget, I have several harbor freight tools and they've never let me down. I'm a fan
Thermoplastic. If whoever is reading this isn't familiar it's a easily moldable plastic. Comes in little white beads, you put it in hot water and it melts and becomes like warm silly putty. Bend it and shape it into anything. Once it cools it's as hard as nylon. You can easily screw into it and attach stuff to it after the fact. Or paint it. Perfect for stuff like attaching a remote to the end of a hose
I'm sure you could 3D print a mounting adapter thing that attaches to the hose to make it look nice, if you care about aesthetics in the shop 😜
Can we pause for a second to realize that you're comparing a Harbor Freight tool to a Festool tool?!? Harbor Freight is stepping it up IMO.
exactly the point! It's a solid option!
They’re coming up in the world for sure. I’m a field service mechanic and use several things I got from HF on a daily basis. Their new cordless monster half inch impact is competing with DeWalt and Milwaukee too, according to some TH-cam reviews I’ve seen.
Perhaps it's more about how ridiculously overpriced the Festool actually is.
@@jamesbynum3123not being a professional, just work around the house, I find the Hercules line and some of the HF tools worthwhile. You have to be a smart consumer though as sometimes their stuff is more expensive.
I will NEVER buy a Festool. Reason being...simply put....about 75% of the cost is paying for the BRAND NAME, not the tool itself.
One could say...yeah but you also get a 3 year warranty with the tool. Ok, fair enough, so then you are ALSO "BUYING" a 3 year warranty without an option NOT to buy that warranty. They removed your ability to CHOOSE.
If you go buy a tool at HF or Depot or Lowes or even Walmart....ALL will ask you, "would you like a warranty"? It costs "x" amount.
But...THIS IS A SCAM!!!
With or without a warranty, you bring that tool back to ANY of these places (along with a receipt usually), they'll GIVE you another tool no questions asked.
If you "Participate" in the Warranty, such as Mr. 731 has done on various tools....NOW, all of sudden, you have to jump through hoops...Take the tool or ship it to this place....wait several week's etc etc etc.
Sooo...What did you actually BUY with that warranty??? You bought a freaking headache is what you did. SCAM!!!
Festool doesn't give you an option. Sure, it's a 3 year warranty but just how many hoops do you need to jump through, how many phone calls and emails do you have to go through in order to get something done?
OR....
You can buy another tool besides Festool, does EXACTLY the same job for a 1/4th the price or less AND, if something goes wrong...all you have to do is bring it back to where you bought it and they'll exchange it. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
So...IMHO.....Festool and Woodpecker tools are bought by those people whom want to DISPLAY to others that they have these tools.
It is a "Status" symbol amongst the Woodworking community.
Notice that EVERY single YT video and content provider SHOWCASE their Woodpecker and Festool items in specialized, custom made DISPLAYS in the background of their videos.
STOP contributing to MARKETING Scams. You are wasting your money when a simple Dewalt, Ryobi or Craftsman AND even a Harbor Freight tool would "get the job done".
This rant goes for Sawstop too. STOP being a victim of MARKETING!!!!
I like that 15 to 20 second delay it insures the dust in the machine and hose gets in the tank and does not fly around after shuting it off.
I am so happy that i caught this video! I love when a shopvac comes with a long cord and a long hose - and the fact it's hepa is icing on the cake! Looks like i need to grab this
Thanks for a great review. Just running a drywall bag with a HEPA filter in my old big SHOPVAC has been a game changer for my very casual wood working- I went years without knowing bags for shopvacs was a thing, and now I always use one unless liquid is involved.
Same. I won’t even run any of my shop vacs without a bag. The filter clogs immediately without a bag. I also use the aqua/green color rigid filter which is hepa rated and between that and the bag, dust ain’t an issue. I use a full size laguna cyclone extractor for my woodworking machines but sanding, cleanup, small saws and routers, etc. the shop vac with a bag does excellent. ESPECIALLY with drywall.
I have to admit that harbor freight is upping their game
agreed!
Well, China *did* buy Shop-Vac and vacuumed up all their patents and copyrights.
@@unclepewter4161 I recently watched a DIY fella on YT building his own house up in Northern Idaho. I noted his Hercules compound miter saw getting some heavy action. I believe that’s a HF brand so I’ll give HF some respect for representing, the wise people of America if not just the poor like me. 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣 If the tools work, then they work. 🤙🏾👊🏽
@@jaimeroman2406 I have always gone there for inexpensive clamps and paint brushes for a single use project but I’ll have to look into that dust extractor. I have been on the fence about the wood working bench they sell because I think I would have to reinforce it. Maybe someone will do a video on that lol
@@jaimeroman2406 I have always gone there for inexpensive clamps and paint brushes for a single use project but I’ll have to look into that dust extractor. I have been on the fence about the wood working bench they sell because I think I would have to reinforce it. Maybe someone will do a video on that lol
Harbor Freight really is a godsend for us regular folk. The tools they are producing allows us to have access to tools that we normally wouldn't have access too.Tools like this, or their Nut Setter Tool for amateur fabrication or things like that. Love what they are doing.
Better buy now; once the tariffs kick in, EVERYTHING from Harbor Freight (which is almost 100% made in China) is going to skyrocket. You can thank MAGA for that.
Been using this extensively for about a month now and super impressed with it!
Great to hear!
With the narrower ( < 2 1/4”) hose does it clog up when using with a table saw with a 2 1/4” port ( where I previously have been using 2 1/4” hose to a rigid shop vac)
@@richmewes5686 I haven’t used it on my table saw yet, but do use it on my track saw and hasn’t clogged at all. Does a great job getting almost everything. I also use it on my CNC, it’s probably run about 30 hours on that in the last month, and a lot of deep v-carves, and has keeps it completely dust free. I use the floor vacuum attachment at the end of each day I’m in the shop too, that works great too. It’s honestly my go to in the shop, I also have a ct15 that I use on my sander and domino ,and regular rigid vac with a dust stopper for the table saw, jointer and planer. If either of those break I’d probably buy another Hercules to replace them.
@@nmurphy7281 Does the Festool hose fit into the Herc extractor?
Also, I noticed that Matt _twisted_ the Herc hose in the video, but just waved the Festool hose around. I'm 100% sure that if you _twist_ the Festool hose, it'll wrap itself up too. Even if it has a swivel connection to the extractor, it'll twist. A swivel might make it easier to untwist, but stil...
@@bretts4343there’s a big difference between the fabric hoses vs the plastic ones.
Thank you SO very much for taking the time to evaluate and report on these three options. This video is just another reason why I have subscribed to your channel.
I actually like that the harbor freight extractor runs for a few seconds afterwards. It helps pull the heat out of the electric motor from running the tool, and like you said in the video, pulls out the extra dust in the hose
Also, for those of us that have paddle control sanders, it allows small breaks without the machine coming on and off all the time.
Festool + Harbor Freight = Historic Moment! Thanks for the video!
If you want an inexpensive upgrade for this dust extractor, you don't need to look any further than Harbor Freight. This dust extractor ships with one Hercules 12 gallon bag, but HF doesn't yet have replacements for it. They do have 5-10 gallon bags from Bauer that you showed in this video, which are too small, HOWEVER, Bauer also has a 12-16 gallon bag that meets, and exceeds, the 12 gallon capacity of this dust extractor. Not only do these Bauer bags fit perfectly into this dust extractor, but they also seem to be a stronger or heavier duty bag, than the included 12 gallon bag. I bought this to replace my Craftsman wet/dry vac, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the 2 1/2 inch diameter hose from the Craftsman, plugs very firmly into this dust extractor, but does not lock into place like the included hose. The 2 1/2 inch hose seems to improve airflow over the smaller diameter hose that was included, making that a free upgrade, if you are replacing a wet/dry vac that has a 2 1/2 inch hose. You mentioned that this only has a 90 day warranty, but you did not mention that HF offers a 1 year, and a 2 year warranty. I don't remember how much the 1 year warranty was, but I bought the 2 year warranty for 69.99, still a massive savings $$$$$ over the cost of the Festool. I watched this video before buying this dust extractor, and I compared it's features against the new Dust Right Dust Extractor from Rockler, which carries the same #299.99 price tag, and has a small diameter hose like the Hercules, but that's pretty much where the similarities end, the Hercules out-performs the Dust Right in every category, and IMHO, is a far better deal than the Rockler brand. One of the major differences between the Hercules and the Dust Right is in CFM's, the Hercules is 155 CFM, while the Dust Right is a mere 85 CFM, SERIOUSLY ROCKLER?????? I honestly thought they could do much better than that.
Hello Bro, I wanna know how many dust bags included in the product will be appropriate for long time use? We are developing a dust extractor now. Can you answer my question to help us optimize our product. Any response will be appreciated! Thank you very much.
For less than one Benjamin, I have an Oneida cyclonic dust collector with a 5 gallon bucket between my miter saw and my shop vac that works spectacularly at intercepting and removing at least 95% of the dust and chips BEFORE it gets to the shop vac with a hepa filter. It does not hinder the air flow either. I also have a cheap automatic vacuum switch that powers on the shop vac when the miter saw is on and which also has the same 10 second on delay when the saw is shut off. I only need to clean the hepa filter each time I empty the sawdust into a garbage bag. This is much, much cheaper any way you look at it.
I want to say, "THANK YOU!" You understand that not every woodworker can drop 4 digits on tools and create content for the everyday woodworker.
Glad to see you are expanding out to Harbor Freight. I have the Hercules 12" miter saw. Best saw I have ever had.
Yup that saw is amazing, was going to buy the DeWalt 780 but bought this for nearly 1/2 the cost and couldn’t be happier with my decision.
Me too. I love mine. Got the Hercules stand for it too.
What was the price point when you all purchased yours? Was it $300 $350 or under $300 I haven't seen it lower than $320 in my area but would love to catch it at close to the 3 mark.
@ need to keep your eyes out I see them listed for $299 often, just checked if you are insider member its $299 right now Nov 25. At the end of the day this is a $600 tool, $350 is a steal for it. Actually they are running black Friday sale for everyone, $299.
I’ve been looking at that dust extractor. As a small time wood worker, working out of my garage and not making a ton of money doing that. I love harbor freight for how affordable their stuff is and how easy it is to return or exchange things.
I'D bet if you got a dust deputy for it you could save quite a bit of money on bags
I’m just starting to set up my shop for when I retire. This Harbor Freight vacuum is what I have been looking for. My shop/large shed is small and having a vacuum that is quiet is important to me. Thanks for another great review.
I just bought this yesterday based on your recommendation. I like it. I did some sanding yesterday and today and it worked beautifully. Thank you for the review.
I got the new Rockler dust extractor for about the same price as the HF. I love it and it's super quiet. Many of my tools are battery so I don't need the auto start and stop feature too often, but it does stop quicker than the HF. I also use a Dust Topper to collect most of my dust prior to the vac.
I bought a Dewalt Stealthsonic 15Gal with a Oneida Dust Deputy Low Pro that fits right on the vacuum. It clicks right in between vacuum and the handle then I have it all piped with clear PVS pipe with 90deg, 45deg...elbows. Using the fleece bags and Hepa filter. Then bought a Festool 5M hose. Best of both worlds, affordable, great suction and quiet !
Bought mine a couple of weeks ago, got the HF credit card, and got 75 dollars off first purchase. Hooked it up to my miter saw, and what a difference from my shop vac. Gonna get another one for my sanding cart
Smart man! 🧐
Oh man I’m glad I coauthor your comment, didn’t even think of this. You’re a genius.
After watching your reviews and seeing others' reviews I went to HF to buy this. Had to order and pay for it hoping that it comes in sometime in January. I am buying it to upgrade my dust collection in my garage workshop - especially for my CNC. I hope it is as good as you claim.
I’m so glad you came out with this review. Been waiting for weeks for someone to review it. Been eye balling it for awhile now..
I just got one today and looking like it will be a fine addition to the shop. I did see one thing I wasn't expecting. It says on the port where you connect the tool not to pull more than 3.5 amps. I was planning on hooking it up my miter or table saws but they both pull way more than 3.5 amps. As shown, it would be fine to use with a router or sander or other small tools. I'm thinking about coming up with a remote switch to turn the dust extractor on and off but haven't had any ideas yet. I might just use a trouble light with an incandescent bulb with enough wattage (60 watts = about 1/2 amp and 100 watt almost 1 amp, etc.) until I come up with something better.
This is one of THE VERY BEST tool review channels. It has been so helpful to me that I pass it on to my friends and family. Thank you for creating these videos.
Wow, thanks!
Yeah his channel is definitely a go to for tool reviews! He definitely thinks to review things with the consumer in mind. Especially the DYI woodworking.
Matt thanks so much for reviewing this budget dust extractor. Based on your review and assesment, I went and bought the unit. I was able to get a 15% discount as a Harbor Freight Inside Track Club member. So I got a really good deal. Love your podcasts and reviews!
I'm super excited for this.. HF has really stepped up their game
Agreed, this is a nice tool!
I'm not brand loyal, mostly driven by budget, but not always. I'm an HF fan as well as other manufacturers. This review definitely earned you a follow from me. Thank you!
If you're really on a budget or tight on space, get a Ridgid shop vac with a bag and HEPA filter. That way you can do most of what the dust extractor does, but you also get one of the best shop vacs too.
If anyone can make a counter-argument to this logic I appreciate it. I use my Ridgid vac as dust collection and I would like to understand the benefit of this dust collection. Other than remote start and adjustable power, are we just talking about CFM here?
I use a Ridgid shop vac for my shop and while it does a decent job it certainly is not pulling all of the dust out of the air. However it certainly does a better job than nothing at all, and if your budget is tight a Ridgid shop vac is a hundred times better than buying nothing at all.
The big difference between a shop vac and a dust extractor is the volume of air being sucked through the hose; shop vac is high speed, small zone of entry, the extractor is lower speed but higher volume.
@jmkeuning OSHA mandates this style of vac for commercial work. If the vacuum doesn't have two self cleaning hepa filters they can issue a fine.
Thank you, I just bought this, this past weekend. Harbor Freight sent me a 25% off coupon good for one single item in store only. When I saw your review, I jumped on it, especially for a final price of $240.74!
I have to say, it's a nice dust extractor! The only thing I wish was the time of shutoff after the power was off from my miter saw. If you find a way to decrease the shut down time, please post it, otherwise that would be the only complaint, if you even want to call it that.
Thank you for doing these videos. I am so tired of people saying you have to buy this brand over that brand. Buy what works for you and what you can afford. I love my Ryobi tools and that Hercules is on my wish list now.
I’m a Ryobi tool fan, but lately the green tools suck. I’ll buy the old blue tools every chance I get at garage sales as they all seem to last longer. The quality has really dropped in the last few years. IMO.
Thank you for this! I'm a harbor freight fanboy (only when I can't get 1950's American cast iron) but this is the first I've heard of this. I have a very small shop (8x12) and use a Rigid vacuum hooked up to a harbor freight cyclone/bucket. This harbor freight extractor is definitely on my list now to replace that old Rigid!
BTW, those 15 seconds are an advantage in my opinion. I prefer that over the 3 second festool.
This Hercules combined with a cyclonic dust separator would be killer. Dust Deputy and Bauer are both very nice and make your filters last almost forever.
That's EXACTLY what I'm using....works great.
Harbor Freight sells a cyclone for a 5 gallon bucket that works great for like $40.
Finally the first review on this collection system. I have been checking every day for one.
Bought this a couple weeks ago. So far very pleased...
Great review. Think I’m going to buy one of these and save instead for some other tools I like the one gentleman’s idea of getting this tool and ordering an upgraded hose from Amazon.
i just bought the harbor freight one a few days ago and i dont care for the hose so i went on amazon and ordered me a new festool hose im gonna pair with it.
So you paid as much for the hose as you did the machine?
@@michaelmaas5544 nope hose is 130
Yeah, me too. The hose is garbage...
Harbor freight sells the upgraded hose that's exactly like the festool! Pretty sure it's $59, 17 feet
@@Mr.Thermistor7228 Thanks. I checked the HF site. All I can find is a 10' hose with a detail kit for $30...
I didn’t even know about this. I was considering getting the Rockler dust collector but I believe this changed my mind. I have a Hercules 12 inch miter saw and a Hercules router mounted in my Kreg router lift and love them both.
I was looking at both of these but haven't made a decision yet
@@DjLooN The Rockler one is much quieter.
Rocker is quieter.
@@LarryShipley thanks for the input I usually get Rockler gift cards so that might be the biggest factor for me
Harbor Freight offers a 2 year extended warranty plan for $70. They will absolutely replace the entire system FOR FREE when you pay the $70 at time of purchase. This extended service plan can be extended again and again so it is FAR less expensive that the $1000 Festool with it's 3 year warranty. GAME CHANGER!
Good to know! That was going to be the next question I needed answered...Thank you!
Very interesting. The price point is hard to beat for a hobbyist shop. Going from a shop vac to the harbor freight unit would be a huge upgrade. Thanks for the detailed review.
Would be interesting to use an anemometer on all 3 to see how well they actually suck, versus what they claim
When using any sander I always find myself turning down the suction as to not pull the sander into the work. At least with festool sanders.
The exception being the ro 90 when Im removing finishes with 40 grit and such
A suckyometer
@@BeefNEggs057Ask your local politicians where they bought theirs at. I'm sure they can lend it out.😂😂😂
Just wanted to say thanks for the video. Then say that I believe the hook on the handle is for the hose to rest, and the handle on the top of the vac is where the power cord goes. Thus, the cord goes with the head unit when you take it apart.
Yes! I have been waiting for someone to review this!
Thanx so much for this! When I can get my shop set back up, I will likely get one of these. After buying c-clamps from HF decades ago that broke on the first use, the only thing I'd buy there were $1 work gloves for yardwork. I was very impressed with your parallel clamp review. If Lowe's hadn't had a good sale on Jorgensen, I'd have bought Bremen.
I like it. As a beginner/hobbyist, this is perfect, and the price can't be beat. Looks like a trip to Harbor Freight is in my near future.... I love that place!...lol
Enjoyed you break down of the Hepa vac from Harbor Freight, I think I have come back and watched this video about three times, Very informative, Thanks.
I honestly think you should look into more Hercules tools, I've recently been buying them through their 2 for 99 sales and I'm really impressed by the quality and power they bring
Im sure im gonna get hate for this. But I love harbor freight lol. They have a lot of good deals and at least at the local one here they actually have things in stock most the time.
@@Brando_000 the fact that most stores have a hard time staying in stock is a testament to how good some of their products are.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Oneida has come out with a low profile Dust Deputy for use with dust extractors. This should reduce the need for expensive bags and filters.
Thank you for a great product review. I am a parttime hobbyist (carving) with minimal workspace available. I have been looking at dust collecting system for a while but could never find one that was affordable, simple to use, has small footprint and is efficient. The HF Hercules HEPA dust extractor definitely fulfill all my needs. So glad I found your product review.
BTW I loved your review of the Milescraft 1318 DrillMate. Just order one that will enhance my limited workshop space.
Good luck finding it. I ordered mine on 11/30/24 and was just informed that it's probably on a container ship in China and won't be here until 3/19/25.
This is basically the DeWalt dwv012 dust extractor. Same twin HEPA filters, same side latches, same casters and wheels, same handle etc etc etc. Even the specs are the exact same. Great value tbh.
Good video! I am not a Harbor freight fan.....BUT I am going to buy this vac! Many thanks!
There's 2 extended warranty options for this. 1 year $60, and 2 year $70. You'll see the options in the cart online, or ask them at the store.
Thanks for that valuable information.
With HF, you can return the product, no questions asked just before the warranty expires and get a new machine, renew the warranty and covered for another 2 years.
Glad somebody brought that up, I was going to say that. The Harbor Freight warranties will literally replace the item on the last day of the warranty(and if they no longer carry that model, you may even get an upgrade to a newer one!)
Why would you take a working tool and exchange it on the last day of a warranty just to get a new one for free. If the tool has worked to your expectations that's a pretty shitty thing to do. Falls under just because you can doesn't mean you should.
@@jonsaircond8520 And is the kind of thing that might make them reconsider the policy.
Super useful video. I am in the market for a new shop vac. The old one is fine, but too large and too loud. Not sure this is much smaller (12 gal vs 16), but being easier to roll around would be nice, and with 17 ft house, hardly need to move it anyway in my small shop. Over $1,000 for the Festool is a non-starter for me. $299 is more like it, though a simple shop vac with a good filter, while not hepa, is still pretty good and much cheaper. As my shop is in the basement, quiet is likely worth the money alone.
It looks like you can use the handle on top of the collector for cord management rather than the hook on the vertical handle if you wanted it to store more like the festool.
I think one of the biggest drawbacks with the Hercules vs the Festool, is the electrical capacity of the on board outlet. 3.5 amps is not a lot, like it can basically only power a sander. Whereas the Festool, I'm not sure what the capacity is, but we use ours like an extension cord for any 110V tool in the shop that needs to be hooked up to dust collection. I have an older dewalt that I ignored the rating on the onboard outlet and burned it up using it with my mitre saw. The dust extractor still works fine, but the outlet is dead. Anyway, thanks for the great video!
Ive been ising this dust extractor for a couple weeks now. It works great!
Matt,
Thanks for the review. I was very excited to see Hercules come out with higher end stuff at a reasonable price. I gotta say, Festool is beautiful but ridiculously priced for us weekend warriors!!! This Hercules puts this in a price range that’s affordable, and starting to see HF become a force for selling and distributing quality tools.
Gotta say, it doesn’t matter if it runs longer after shutoff and is probably timed for longer hose cleanout etc. beside you should be wearing your hearing protection, preferably some good music so should t be a problem, and for under $300, no issue. Agree with another comment, can get a Blutooth remote for under 25 bucks.
Again Festool is great, but the price is over bloated. Just nice to see quality tools with great features for the hobbies without going broke. And as far as the warranty, you can buy the extra warranty and I’m sure for inside track members, there will be specials ran in the future.
I picked this up a few weeks back with a coupon. This is a game changer for me on my small tools.
Harbor Freight misses me so they sent a 25% off any single item coupon, no exceptions. Last time I bought the Hercules planer. I think I'll go down and pick up the dust extractor this week.
Sent you a coupon? Like in the mailbox?
@@1puppetbike No, I'm on their email list. They keep track of when you make a purchase at the store.
@@peteporpora1630 Sorry.. I keep having flashbacks of the physical 20% off coupons.. 😫
How do you like the planer
@@ryancannon4284 It works well. I've only used it a few times. I was going to use it in my "retirement" but wound up going back to work. Hopefully it will get more use next year.
Been a harbor freight addict for about 10-12 years. I like doing things DIY, and don’t have a huge budget, they have helped me reduce a lot of my maintenance expenses on my vehicles by tooling up and going thing myself, and also have helped me on my wood working and around the house handyman stuff too. Love seeing new products from them.
Same here! The harbor freight of 10 years ago looks nothing like it does today. Ever since they started sourcing a lot of their products from Taiwan their quality instantly sky rocketed
Nice job with your tutorial, very educational. ❤
thanks
Thanks for posting the review. If warranty is a big concern, I'm pretty sure you can buy extended warranty at Harbor Freight for a reasonable amount. Usually full replacement, no questions.
731 Woodworks.. I think I will have to get one of those from Harbor Freight.. I agree with your likes and dislikes of it. Man getting into woodworking is expensive.. LOL
You are so lucky in the US, you get such a good variety of brands to choose from. I'd love one of these but Australia doesn't sell HF or half the good stuff you guys get. So jealous.
I bought one a few weeks ago. So far a very solid unit. I use it for sanding almost daily.
I don’t think I’ve ever paid sticker price for a HF tool. There will be a sale or coupon if you’re not in a hurry.
Thanks for spotlighting this. The company I’m with does drywall finishing and we use dust extractors in connection with our drywall sanders, to be as clean as we can reasonably be. This would be a great choice for us, it’s half the price compared to DEWALT.
How come none of these have an integrated cyclone separator? I use a Dust Deputy on a 5 gallon bucket, and 98% (I weighed it) ends up in the cyclone, and a tiny amount makes it through to the vacuum. No bags needed, other than big black garbage bags full of sawdust, chips, etc. The only issue is remembering to empty it as I demolish huge quantities of wood in search of my latest project.
I posted the same, been using one on a 20 gallon barrel for years
Excellent product review video. I do have a small Festool dust extractor for my in-house CNC machine that works great. But this is now on my Christmas list for my garage power tools to replace my very old 6 gallon shop vac. I can buy it as a Christmas present for my wife, and maybe she'll let me use it. 🙂
As far as warranties, Harbor Freight has a pretty good, no questions asked, exchange extended warranty you can purchase and still save a ton of money. Something goes wrong you take it back and exchange for a new unit.
Good point!
That doesn't apply to this unit. I'm sure you can purchase a protection plan which I believe you can extend it before it expires..... What's nice about that is if (or rather when!) they update it, you can exchange it for the newer model!
GUARANTEED that isn't the same with the Festool
@@commonsenseisdeadin2024he said "purchase" I'm pretty sure he is talking about the extra purchasable warranty, not the replacement plan that comes with their hand tools.
@@warpedfusion yeah I got ahead of myself on that one 😂 well CONFIRMED 🤣
@@commonsenseisdeadin2024 If memory serves, Festool's warranty also covers normal wear and tear, which is pretty uncommon, but naturally adds to the price.
I bought one of these and I really really like it. I think the power cord is a little too long as it quickly gets in the way of rolling it around the shop, but otherwise I am very pleased with this vacuum. PLUS I had a coupon for 15% off any one item, so, yea, I ran out and bought this.
Hercules has a really good value
I’m a HF fan. Their products are really stepping up. That shirt you have on is absolutely awesome!
Izzy Swan did a video some time ago about harbor freightgetting ready to explode on the market with higher quality tools.
The main filter for the festool, at $119.00 should be proof to anyone that their tools and accessories are overpriced by a factor of 4. Are they well made? Yes. But that kind of price discrepancy is outrageous. They are simply overpriced period. Longevity is the only reason they might be worth the price they charge. People buy them and they’re happy but they will never admit they paid a ridiculous price. They even get mad when having to justify the cost. Go ahead, get mad but you should be mad at Festool and yourself.
Just gotta wait for a 25% off coupon. I wonder what a good small corded device you could ziptie to the hose to create your own end of hose button like the Festool. I guess you could roll your own with a switch and some type of resistor.
Howdy Mr. 731...
Honestly, I really never quite understood this relatively new fad of having "dust extractors".....not to be confused with just using a vac.
I have a Rigid 12 gal (or 16 gallon, I don't recall) "Shop Vac" along with hepa filters, bag, dust buddy and 5 gallon bucket.
This system I use, all parts included cost me around $130.
Essentially, my system does the exact same thing for a fraction of the cost (a very large fraction actually).
So, what's the point or benefit here of buying these "dust extractors" when they are doing the same job as what my "extractor" is doing?
Perhaps a convenience of an "all in one" maybe??
Hmmm. But wait a minute here....I can maybe see this Vac being used for sanding and/or a track saw....But what about the Tablesaw and Miter saw? Big chunks that ain't "dust". Where is that going? Into the same compartment/bag? Well, that's not good, right?
So....With all things considered.
I need a Vac for "heavy" equipment, tablesaws, chop saws, sweeping the floor etc.
Then I need a "Hepa" Vac for doing sanding n such.
And THEN, I need an "Air Cleaner" in order to clean/filter the air of which the other 2 systems didn't catch.
Using this Hercules, Dewalt or Festool alone isn't going to work. You will be dumping and changing out filters and bags left and right.
So...according to the "mainstream" of "todays" Woodworking...You need 3 air filtration systems working....sometimes, all at once.
This seems a little bit excessive IMHO.
There was a time when all someone ever did was open a window, set a box fan in it and you was good to go.
All that being said and done....
Let's discuss something you haven't talked about with ANY of these vacs....
HEAT EXHAUST!!!
With each and every single one of these "vacs", there is an exit port of air. This Air has been heated and if not exhausted outside the shop area, fills that shop with HEAT as well as changing the air flow of circulation within the shop.
Why is this aspect never discussed?
I see people get these "vacs" and stick them inside a cabinet with NO exit of air.
The cleaning and maintenance of these Vacs. Why is this not EVER discussed? The vac itself needs to breathe too. Containment of the air available to the vac is just as important as our lungs. If the capacity and quality of the air cleaner you use is diminished because of lack of exhaust, then the tool/vac itself becomes a hindrance to the circulation of "clean air" for you to breathe, which in turn, negates the purpose of the "cleaner" .
Let's take your shop as an example.
Last time I saw your shop, you have an air cleaner sitting on top of a metal storage unit.
This cleaner has an intake and exhaust. The exhaust is pointed out the rear. That rear location happens to be where you've installed your AC/Heater. This unit itself has temp gauges in order to control your shops temperature. But, you are shooting heated air directly towards it.
That being said...and I may be mistaking here....but your miter station of which you have that Festool located....I do not recall you installing a way of exhausting the heated air within it???
Anyways....
Still using your shop as an example.....Where you have your air cleaner located vs where you have your ac/heat supply located adversely effects everything within your shop...as does anything else of which you use a vac for....
Technically speaking here...because of your location of ac/heat....Your air cleaner should be located on the opposite side of the shop, because this is where stagnant air/dust will accumulate.
I'm willing to bet, the opposite end of your shop has more dust.
I know I'm getting into wayyy more detail than a simple tool review video goes....But, understand my point here.
We are speaking of a having a "Cleaner" environment, air quality while we work. Yes?
These tools/Vacs only work properly ONLY if the circulation of air within "ones" shop is understood. Otherwise, we'll, you're just wasting money.
A fun Science experiment would be to go buy a Fog machine. Since it is near Halloween, these tools are plentiful and cheap, maybe $25 bucks.
Fog up your shop and then start turning on various tools and WATCH the FOG/air flow.
In fact....
This, I think/believe would make for a GREAT video for you Mr. Buttons.
Think about that a moment. Have you EVER seen another Content Provider (Woodworking) video where that person filled their shop with FOG, then turned on their air filtration systems to see how Well and quickly it got rid of that Fog?
Nope!!!
You'd be the FIRST!!!
I did enjoy the Tool review Mr. 731.....Keep on Rockin Sir!!! 😊
This is a long read but worth it. I genuinely would love to see that video. 🫡
The content of this comment is probably worth considering, if you can put on your adult pants and grimace through the smarmy condescension.
This seems like it was modeled after the bigger dewalt dust extractor. Looks nearly identical, has the two air filters that seem to be cleared the same way. Dewalt also stays on quite long after you shut the tool off!
Who cares about the warranty at that price point!? You could buy four before you get close to the festool option!
In a few comments below I saw that a 2 year extended warranty is available for $70 indicated by the HF web site. So, by buying two, one for the first two years, and a second for a subsequent two you could still get two over time and still save your self half while, in effect, giving yourself an additional year warranty. This is all assuming, of course, that the machine craps out within the two year warranty. Every day beyond the original the initial two year warranty period simply means you need not put out any outlay for a second extractor. Unless you use the extractor very hard, I see no reason to put out the additional cash.
I use a 1.25" hose that fits my Festool TS-55, PC-890 router, PC 50 sander, Ryobi and Makita Palm router as well. Granted, I had to cut off the outside ring onmy Porter Cable tools, but it's been well worth it. For larger clean ups, I have a 2" hose that fits on the end of my home made boom arm.
12:50 HF with sell you an extended warranty for $60 (1yr) or $70 (2yr).
I just bought this. I like it; I can clean the shop with it, and my wife can also vacuum the first floor of our home. She used it and liked the power and the HEPA capabilities! Vertically not something she can take up a flight of stairs, but it seems like a solid unit. We were thinking of getting the rocker unit, which is much quieter, but the length of the hose and cord and power sold us on it-thinking of getting the extended warranty. BTW, at full blast, it is running around 85 dB. I currently have the large Festool in the shop and a Dewalt and Home Depot shop vacuum which IMO has contributed to lots of dust in the shop, I'll be selling one of the shop vacs, keeping the Festool, and using this unit as a second unit in the shop and on the first floor.
I like the Harbor Freight features better than the other brand's - at any price.
Thats kinda like vote blue no matter who...
Short sighted
I DID understand the features of all. Based on THAT, my preference is the Harbor freight offering.
@@williamsmith9026no, he’s saying that he likes these features over the other ones and that even if it was more expensive he still likes this more.
And given my experience with my hercules circular saw vs the dewalt and Milwaukee ones I’ve used, I gotta say the hercules cuts a lot nicer with its stock blade than those do even with new Diablo blades
It's compared to the dewalt DEWALT DWV015, not the festool. Very impressed waiting on it to show up on deal.
BlueTooth is nice, I'm not sure if it's 600 bucks extra nicer.
Metabo makes a cordless control that works quite well for much less.
@@williamstead6354 I’ve been trying to purchase this accessory here in America with no success.
Good review! The Rockler kit should be definite upgrade to the hose.
@williamstead6354 do you have a link
@@hhvidz I’ve seen it sold only in Europe. Can’t find in the states.
I would love to see a compare / co trast between the Harbor Freight and the new Rockler extractors.
I figured it out once and for all. Extract the dust to "outside" of your shop. The noise goes outside also.
Another just FYI, for all harbor freight tools. If you buy the extended service plan, at the end of the plan,( the day of or day before) you can take it back to harbor freight, and exchange it at full value for a newer model vacuum or upgraded version.
Excellent review and comparison video. I appreciate how thorough and honest you were.
Awesome review video! I’m 80% sure I’m gonna get this Hercules. Lungs are important!
Just picked this up to grind concrete and sand drywall. Im loving it so far
Dude, you're doing amazing tool reviews. Followed your test and got Milwaukee Orbital Sander - love the frkn thing!
But.
I do miss your woodworking projects.
One more great video - thank you.
This is great news 😮 … I don’t have the budget for high end tools (my highest end tool is a Delta 10” contractors table saw). I do have Hercules tools. Don’t so much like the other Harbor Freight lines. This dust extractor will be in my garage shop … soon … very soon … thanks for your review
I just got a Hercules dust extractor. Like your review but, am having a hard time finding hose adapter that can attach my tools to. I live just south of Kansas City and have called, and went to many stores but haven’t had any help. I thought you might have an idea on where to look also is the measurements on adapter inside or outside. Enjoy your TH-cam programs. I used to do woodworking back in the. 70s then moved and had no place to work, now I am 83 and getting back to it. All I can say it’s new world 1:00