Thread: Heads-Up: $99 Aldi Auto-Start Power-Tool Dust Extractor

Originally Posted by *Kev

The, dare I say, Ozito on sale at Bunnings doesn't look to bad either for $89. Doesn't have the power outlet though.

Hi Kev,

The Ozito have had problems and at one stage Bunnings was clearing them all out... Do a search on the forum, I think there has been as post...

regards

Marios

Batpig,

Thanks for the heads up, I've been looking for a more powerful vac to supplement my little 8L GMC shop vac, can you supply some more details on the Aldi one as follows:

- as my shed is v.small, is it possible to take the wheels/base off the Aldi vac?
- also, will it operate lying on its side? (if so I could tuck it under the bench and connect it to my soon-to-be-completed Triton dust bucket)
- does it have a variable speed (is that the blue knob on the base?)
- does it have a blower function? My GMC has this and it's very useful for cleaning/redistributing dust in the shed

cheers

Acolyte

Dear Acolyte,

Originally Posted by Acolyte

- as my shed is v.small, is it possible to take the wheels/base off the Aldi vac?

Indeed it is. That is how the thing is actually shipped in the box.

Originally Posted by Acolyte

- also, will it operate lying on its side? (if so I could tuck it under the bench and connect it to my soon-to-be-completed Triton dust bucket)

Yes it will, but I think you'd find that the filter would clog up with matted sawdust a heck of a lot quicker if it was on it's side because the filter cartridge would be a whole lot closer to the final resting place for any sucked-up sawdust. Without wheels, the unit is under 600mm high. There is a cradle of sorts that the wheels go into that might be able to be removed as well if you needed another 20mm or so.

Originally Posted by Acolyte

- does it have a variable speed (is that the blue knob on the base?)

Unfortunately, no. That blue knob is the drain plug for when you've been using it to suck up water.

Originally Posted by Acolyte

- does it have a blower function? My GMC has this and it's very useful for cleaning/redistributing dust in the shed

Yes, it most certainly does. There's another threaded socket at the back of the lid which is the exhaust, and you can screw the hose onto it.

Good Luck,
Batpig.

Talking about the filter clogging up, I find that a lot of small bits of wood etc got sucked in to my ShopVac filter. I now strecth a pantyhose over the filter and this makes it a lot easier to clean.

Batpig,

Thanks for the quick reply. As I'll probably connect it to the modified Triton dust bucket / mini-cyclone, hopefully clogging won't be an issue and I might try lying it on it's side and see how it goes, even at 600mm high without the wheels it won't stand up under the bench and floor space is at an absolute premium. If it has twice the sucking power of my 8L GMC (which is only 500W) and it blows as well as doing wet suction it sounds like a good buy.

cheers

Acolyte

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Talking about the filter clogging up, I find that a lot of small bits of wood etc got sucked in to my ShopVac filter. I now strecth a pantyhose over the filter and this makes it a lot easier to clean.

That's a Pretty-Darned-Not-Too-Shabby idea Big Shed! Is your filter like mine in the photo?

Thanks,
Batpig.

P.S. the photo in my second post back near the start of the thread, that is...

Originally Posted by Batpig

That's a Pretty-Darned-Not-Too-Shabby idea Big Shed! Is your filter like mine in the photo?

Thanks,
Batpig.

P.S. the photo in my second post back near the start of the thread, that is...

Yes, looks identical, just take a pantyhose from SWMBO stocking drawer (or your own for that matter) and pull it over the filer. Tuck it in to the top and under the bottom cover and away you go.

Stops all those annoying bits and pies clogging up the pleats in the filter.

excelent idear big shed

km

Originally Posted by Big Shed

just take a pantyhose from SWMBO stocking drawer (or your own for that matter)

Thanks Big Shed. That is a Cracker of a tip...
Batpig.

Acolyte,

Have a look at the Shop-Vac Classic 20. It's 1300W, about 500mm tall without the wheels and is $89 or $99 at Bunnings and other places. As the old saying goes, it would suck a golf ball through 40 feet of garden hose! Well, maybe not, but it works great with my Triton dust bucket.

Fantastic idea, the pantyhose. I wonder if Aldi sells that as well

,

Thanks for the advice, I had a look at the ShopVac Classic 20 at Bunnings ($89) and it looks a great little unit. If I pull the wheels and handle off it should be <500mm high and it'll have 2.6 times the power of my 8L GMC vac so it should do the job with the Triton mini-cyclone. Do you know what the noise rating of your one is or can you advise how loud (compatively) it is? The noise info wasn't on the box or ShopVac's web site and it'd be good if it were quieter than the GMC...

cheers

Acolyte

Acolyte,

I have no facts, but when I first used it, it seemed much quieter than SWMBO's Volta that i had been using, much to her horror.

I've also built a 550 x 400mm MDF box to house it in and now it's probably no louder than normal conversation levels. I'm still going to add some soundproofing inside the box to try and reduce the level even further.

I'm in a small tin shed on a small block in the Inner West, so I try to keep all the noise down as much as possible. Can't do much about the screaming Triton saw, but at least it's only intermittent.

Acolyte, I picked one up too. I was using a smaller wet/dry unit from Karcher and it is quieter than that. I am not worried about the neighbours as much now.

EDIT: When I got home I dug out the box, there are no dB specs on it or the doco.