Shop vac vs dust extractor vs chip extractor

Retail names are a starting point, not a compatibility standard. “Shop vac”, “dust extractor” and “chip extractor” cover different designs, and the exact model's documentation matters more than the category heading.

Compare the job, then the machine

Do not choose using motor watts alone. Input power is not a measure of the airflow delivered through your machine's hood. Likewise, maximum vacuum and volume flow are different quantities; neither should be silently substituted for the other.

A sourced comparison, with limits

Festool lists a maximum volume flow of 3,700 litres per minute for the CTM MIDI I 230V. That converts to 222 cubic metres per hour. Makita lists an air volume of 4.5 cubic metres per minute for the VC4210MX/2, equivalent to 270 cubic metres per hour. These are manufacturer figures, not measurements from our workshop, and their published labels do not establish identical test conditions.

For a different sort of requirement, Axminster's AC216TS manual specifies minimum extraction airflow of 850 cubic metres per hour. This illustrates why a compact extractor should not be assumed suitable for every machine. It is not a direct performance test of either extractor on that saw.

Build a useful shortlist

Write down the exact saw, planer, router or sander model first. Put the machine's required airflow beside the extractor's available performance information. If one describes maximum flow and another requires flow at a working connection, ask the supplier to resolve the difference. Leave the result unconfirmed until they do.

Then compare dust classification, emptying arrangements, consumables, electrical requirements and connector compatibility. A low purchase price tells you little about the cost of obtaining the correct complete system.

The extraction planner keeps unknown information visible. For the physical connection, continue to hose and port sizes.