Which small portable vacuum cleaner do you like?

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tx2step

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North Texas, DFW area
I need a better way to clean up drywall dust, concrete dust, clean out panel cans, etc.

Which small, portable vacuum cleaner do you think is the best?

I've been looking a Dewalt DCV581H wet/dry vacuum. I can get one for $110. It will work both corded (120V) or cordless, and you can use either 18V Nicad batteries or 20V Lithium batteries. It has a HEPA rated filter that's washable/reusable.

I need something that won't scatter the drywall dust!!!

Some reviews say it's underpowered, but others say it works great. Have any of you guys used one?

Are there any other brands/models or designs that you think are better?

If you didn't own a small portable vacuum to clean up with, what would you buy...and why?
 
I have the Dewalt unit. It works great. It is light and easy to carry around. Of course it does not have the same power as a corded 10 gallon shop vac, but it works great. I don't use my shop vac anymore.

It would be nice if it had a built in charger.
 
Unless you want to have to carry extra batteries/chargers you are kind of stuck with whatever works on the cordless tool batteries you currently are using - if they have a vacuum in that tool line, aren't you?
 
kwired said:
Unless you want to have to carry extra batteries/chargers you are kind of stuck with whatever works on the cordless tool batteries you currently are using - if they have a vacuum in that tool line, aren't you?
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Only if that vacuum works well...if it doesn't, there's no point in getting one. I'd be willing to use another brand if it works significantly better.

I haven't used any of the small, compact, light weight vacuums, either corded or cordless. I'm hoping to find out if some of the cordless models work well, and if so, which ones. If none of the cordless vacuums work very well, I'd like to find a small corded model that's fairly easy to carry & use and works well.

I also want to make sure that whatever I get will filter well enough to use it to clean up drywall dust, and still have enough suction to perform OK...and the cost of filters not break the bank!

I'm hoping to draw on other's experience and avoid trial-and-error...I do enough of that already! :slaphead:

What have you found works the best for you?
 
I have the Milwaukee M18 Wet/Dry vacuum 2790-20, as all my battery tools are Milwaukee M18. I use it for cleaning out control panels mostly. Since its easy to use, I use it a lot more. It has a short hose, not a big drawback.
About $99 w/o battery.
 
tx2step said:
Only if that vacuum works well...if it doesn't, there's no point in getting one. I'd be willing to use another brand if it works significantly better.

I haven't used any of the small, compact, light weight vacuums, either corded or cordless. I'm hoping to find out if some of the cordless models work well, and if so, which ones. If none of the cordless vacuums work very well, I'd like to find a small corded model that's fairly easy to carry & use and works well.

I also want to make sure that whatever I get will filter well enough to use it to clean up drywall dust, and still have enough suction to perform OK...and the cost of filters not break the bank!

I'm hoping to draw on other's experience and avoid trial-and-error...I do enough of that already! :slaphead:

What have you found works the best for you?
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Well to carry another tool (all the time) takes up space in truck/van or whatever you work out of, then if it also needs an additional battery and charger you are not already using...so I can't offer advice on what unit works better. The Milwaukee M18 line has a lot of impressive tools in it, but the vacuum is one I have not used yet, but am guessing if you already have M18 tools it wouldn't be too bad of an investment.

I don't have a cordless vacuum, and I don't bring the shop vac with me unless I expect to need it. But I also don't do a lot of residential work, and when I do it is usually more then just a small "cut in a single box or two type of application. I have used vacuum more for installing pull strings in raceways in recent years then for sucking up debris, but have found that a leaf blower works better yet - and even more so when no power on premises yet and blowing a pull line in for service raceways.
 
I have a Stihl SE61 that I use with bags for almost totally dust-free work. It also has a filter I can stick in there, but that cuts down the capacity of the bags so I leave it out most of the time.

They call it a "homeowner" model, but I've been using mine at work for at least four years now without problems. It takes up very little room in the truck (and my truck is really small...) but has suction like my 14 gallon Rigid shop vac with the main difference being the smaller diameter hose. The Rigid mostly stays in my garage until I need it on larger, dirtier jobs. I use bags with it as well, but the quality is nowhere near what you get from the Stihl bags. The Stihl blows anything else I've tried out of the water.
 
Where i use to work when the boss was talking to the customer he would ask them what kind of cleaning supplies we need to bring because at 125.00 an hour he wanted to ensure we did a thorough job of cleaning after we were done...I dont remember cleaning up much,,,,they would say its fine the maid needs something to do..
A wet rag was almost always the best way to get rid of sheet rock or other dust sweeping smears it and a vac blows it . Pick up every thing I can and wipe the rest.
 
PetrosA said:
I have a Stihl SE61 that I use with bags for almost totally dust-free work. It also has a filter I can stick in there, but that cuts down the capacity of the bags so I leave it out most of the time.

They call it a "homeowner" model, but I've been using mine at work for at least four years now without problems. It takes up very little room in the truck (and my truck is really small...) but has suction like my 14 gallon Rigid shop vac with the main difference being the smaller diameter hose. The Rigid mostly stays in my garage until I need it on larger, dirtier jobs. I use bags with it as well, but the quality is nowhere near what you get from the Stihl bags. The Stihl blows anything else I've tried out of the water.
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That looks like a pretty good vacuum! At around $170 it's a little higher than I'd hoped, but I expect to be using a vacuum quite a bit, so a quality one is pretty important.

It's supposed to be sound rated at 70 dba...so does it seem to be a lot quieter that other shop vac types?

How well do the bags work, how expensive are they & where do you get them?

Do you use the self-cleaning function? Does that work with bags?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

Does anyone else have any vacuums they really like & that work well with fine dust like drywall dust (from cutting holes in drywall)?

Thanks to all for your input!!!
 
tx2step said:
That looks like a pretty good vacuum! At around $170 it's a little higher than I'd hoped, but I expect to be using a vacuum quite a bit, so a quality one is pretty important.

It's supposed to be sound rated at 70 dba...so does it seem to be a lot quieter that other shop vac types?

How well do the bags work, how expensive are they & where do you get them?

Do you use the self-cleaning function? Does that work with bags?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

Does anyone else have any vacuums they really like & that work well with fine dust like drywall dust (from cutting holes in drywall)?

Thanks to all for your input!!!
Click to expand...

Hard to say about loudness, although I'd say it's quieter than some of the big shop vacs but it's louder than the Miele we have at home. My large Rigid is one of the low noise models, and it's probably quieter than the Stihl, but again, I only take that to larger jobs where I'm going to leave it on site. It's definitely not an "every day carry" vac.

There are two types of bags available for the Stihl. Both are extremely high quality and put the typical shop vac bags to shame. The difference is that the one style is designed for the smaller vac and is cheaper, maybe ~$20 for a pack of five, while the other style is for the larger "commercial" model and costs about $30 for a five-pack. The more expensive bags are slightly larger, so I use them most often. They are made with different materials and I get the impression the larger bags are also designed to be more puncture resistant, although I've never had either kind of bag puncture or rupture on me. They both clamp on in a very secure way and I've only ever had one bag slip off the retainer in the four years that I've owned the vac.

I don't use the self cleaning function. If the bag gets clogged, I open the canister and tap the bag a few times to loosen the fine dust and go back to work. The only time I've had it get clogged was when I used it for dust control while channeling out plaster on brick.

Good luck with whatever you choose!
 
I've got a DeWalt DC515 which works great for service calls and small installs. The customers really like seeing somebody take the effort to pull out a vacuum and clean up. It is a bit on the loud side but works great on sheetrock and concrete dust.
 
I use my 18v dewalt vacuum all the time. No more metal shavings in the bottom of enclosures I drill out. Cutting in boxes in sheetrock is easily cleaned up. Sucks strings in too.

I once sucked a kite string in a 2" conduit 1200' long! It was like watching paint dry towards the end of that run but the string did eventually make it!
 
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