This issue we speak to experienced tradesperson Chris of Lasercut London who purchased a new dust extractor in mid-April of this year. An avid fan of German high-end tools Chris was seeking out a second dust extractor to help with his own studio build, which started within that same month.

The studio build was to take place over 8 weeks and comprised of a complete custom fit out of his new show room design studio and fabrication space. As the walls were concrete block and brick he wanted to keep the dust down during the installation phase.

“I already have a pretty good extractor but I found the power was a bit lacking, and I wanted a 35mm hose on the machine to improve suction. Instead of forking out for just a hose upgrade, I opted for a FEIN one which had the hose diameter I wanted as standard, and following a demo, definitely had the power I needed.

During the build itself, I needed to use my SDS drill to deliver over 400+ holes into concrete block, and spent a lot of time cutting sheet material and using the router table. The extractor tip matched up to my existing nozzles and drill extractor I had available, and I used the FEIN one in conjunction with my existing one on the router table, it cleaning up much quicker than I expected. The building work lasted a little over two months, the extractor fitting with most alternative tools and accessories, although a few took a bit of fiddling to adapt them correctly.

I have some criticisms. The first is that the hose does not have anywhere to be fastened, but to be fair this was solved by wrapping it around the body of the machine. Also, there is no variable flow on the compact 25L machine. I never expected anything like the power from a machine this small; it sticks to everything, or sucks up anything within its path. I rarely had to sweep up at the end of each day. The thing I enjoyed the most was the extra time the extractor would run for after the tool trigger was released.

For me, I was well chuffed with the little price for the FEIN tool. Even with my criticisms, for £220-50 this is a bargain, and whilst variable speed is good, maybe it isn’t worth the extra £200. The machine is easily moved about using the handle and I really like the shape, as it pivots around very nicely, and over uneven floors easily without marking the floor either. Despite using it every day since April, I am also still using the first filter bag with space left for another month or two. For delicate wood work, this machine is not suitable, but if you need dependable and powerful extractor when SDS drilling, using woodworking tools or generally cleaning up the studio, then I recommend this to all construction or renovation businesses.

I have a little man at home, and having been hustled into building cabinets during my summer break, I will be taking this machine home, to ensure he is not eating dust during construction!”

The Dustex is available in 25-35L, L or M class from various FEIN dealers. For more information check out https://fein.com/en_uk/surface-processing/