Customer Reviews

Dustless Technologies 16006 16-Gallon Dustless Wet/Dry Vacuum with Hepa Filter, 12-Foot by 1-1/2-Inch Hose

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this machine based on the specs. Supposedly it is dustless. I used it for vacuuming drywall/mud sanding. I actually had the machine outside of the room so that the exhaust won't disturb the drywall all over the place. I looked outside to see that the machine was coated with a light layer of drywall that I sucked up. The filter was on securely by the manufacturer. I also used the pre-filter bag to help the life of the filter. You can see the drywall dust came from the exhausting ports of the machine. The machine is made with durable plastic. The attachments could have gaskets or something to help seal and secure the vacuum. I'd say this is one of the most powerful vacuums I have used, but it is also 2x the amount. It's light weight and moves easily. I was just disappointed that the dustless claim was not real. Also, there isn't a secondary layer when removing the pre-filter bag from the machine, so you might be getting some dust or debris floating around when discarding. The attachments don't secure firmly to the tool holders. Sometimes the tools would fall off when moving the vacuum around. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Yes the filters are $119, but by using the pre-filter bags and making sure only to use this vacuum when doing lead dust work, this vacuum, according to their website, is EPA certified to capture down to .3 microns, which is the EPA requirement.

They also sell drywall sanding attachments, grinder attachments, and paint scrapper attachments...

So this a basic EPA HEPA vacuum that is now the base level for any jobsite work pre-1978, but of course you will still need all the 6 mil plastic, LEAD signs, caution tape, etc...joys...

This vac has normal pickup power, all plastic with cheap hold down tank clips. For a vac that cost this much money I would expect a better over-all product. There is new approved EPA vac out, not as much money and maybe a better choice.

The vacuum is well built and Dustless provides the HEPA individually tested filters that the new EPA regs require. Power is about average for a HEPA vacuum at the start but the filter clog very fast. Plan to try out the new DeWalt which are supposed to have a way to vibrate the filter element to knock the drywall dust off. Some HEPA vacs do this automatically and this feature is going to be on the next vac we buy. This is not the vacuum to use with a drywall sander that is going to produce a lot of gypsum dust.

This 16-gallon wet/dry vac is a powerhouse with a 5 horsepower, 10.6 amp motor that can vacuum a sizable area without having to lug or drag the thing around. The 12 foot hose's thickness of 1 1/2 inches means this thing can suck up some pretty big items, including a few you might not want to vacuum (make sure your watch is firmly attached to your wrist, lest it get sucked into the hose). Of course, if it does get sucked in, you could just root around inside the canister for it, though I would recommend wearing a mask while doing that.

It contains a HEPA filter designed to capture particles as big as .3 microns. A micron, or micrometer is 1/1000 of a millimeter. In more standard terms, that's 0.0003 millimeters. In other words, very, very tiny, an item that most likely cannot be seen with the naked eye.

That's all well and good, as most people tend to aim the hose at items they can see such as dirt or sawdust, so it's good to find a workshop vacuum cleaner that can suck up things you can't see, but could still be breathed in and possibly cause lung problems later in life.

This is a "wet/dry" vacuum, meaning that it can vacuum things that are wet or dry, and can switch between the two without stopping. That's where I draw the line. I don't have anything wet I need to vacuum, and I wouldn't want to mix sawdust with something wet (I can't think of anything other than wet leaves, but why you'd want to vacuum those is beyond me). The other thing I don't like about that is I'd be afraid of not knowing the power cord has a small fray in it and getting it in water.

At the very least, the vacuum might be toast or the fuse box might get burned, but at the very worst, I'd be a crispy critter.

Of course, my personal fears are no fault of this vacuum cleaner's.

Above all though, this vacuum cleaner is quiet and can vacuum 40 pounds of dust and debris in its sixteen gallon canister. However, I never let it get that full before disposing it of its contents. The power cord itself is 15 feet long, add to that the 12 feet of its hose and it has an effective range of 27 feet and that's not even adding the extended range an extension cord would yield.

Price was the best I could find. This is the most powerful shop vac I have used. Get the separately sold bags with this item they make emptying a snap and prolong the filter life. I have used mine for 12 hours of run time.

I had to buy a HEPA vac for my job, and was expecting to pay hundreds more. I took a chance with this one and was very surprised at how good this vac is.

I purchased this vac for my business to do cleanup for RRP lead renovation projects. The vacuum cleaner performs well, has great suction and volume, and was reasonably priced for a HEPA vac. Delivery was on time.

The vacuum has decent power and the filtration is awesome. I had to buy a brush accessory for it, which I think should have come with it, and the hose attachments sometimes come undone if you dont press them firmly together, but besides that it works quite well. I'm using it for a lead abatement project, and when using it properly the work environment is practically devoid of dust. I would like to see a remote switch option at the end of the hose, but that might hike up the price. For $450 this ended up being a great buy so far. I've only been using it a month and it's met every expectation of mine.

I have used the vac with the turbo dustless drywall sander and I do not even need to cover coffee tables or anything. USED PROPERLY (take note previous reviewer) it produced NO dust what-so-ever. I have also recommended to another interior remodeler and he had one to and loves it also. A bit bulky to transport and move around, but worth the effort. MUCH better than the hand held circular sander for lighter applications. The CP is better for heavy work but also much more cleanup. My 2 cents worth.