Fein 9-20-26 Turbo III 15-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum with Auto-Start

The new version of the Fein Turbo II has some improvements that answer criticisms of the previous model, and it's more expensive. Fein added two additional casters, metal clips to hold the top to the base, the ability to change suction power by changing motor speed, and a drain plug to make it easy to get liquid out. It still comes without any accessories except for a nice long 16' 1-1/4" hose and a rubber adapter to mate the hose with to a Fein power tool dust outlet. Fein wants far too much money for its accessory tool set, IMHO. But a 2-1/4" Sears or Shop Vac hose will fit the inlet, and/or you can buy 3rd party attachments for the 1-1/4" hose that comes with the vacuum. If you're going to attach it to a sander or other power tool for dust extraction, it's a good idea to buy the stepped hose adapter Fein sells. It's available at Amazon for a reasonable price.

Why would anyone pay Fein this much for a shop vacuum? Two reasons: quiet operation and the onboard power outlet that turns on the vacuum when you turn on a power tool plugged into the outlet.

Quieter operation may not seem important until you hear the difference. As another reviewer says, a big old Sears shop vacuum sounds like the deck of an aircraft carrier during takeoff operations. You need hearing protection if you're going to run it for more than a minute or two. The Fein sounds like quiet household vacuum, but it has enough suction and capacity for a workshop. The advantage of the auxiliary power outlet is obvious if you use a vacuum to extract dust when you're using a sander or a miter saw. The vacuum turns on just when you need it and shuts off on its own when you turn off the power tool.

The Fein comes with a cloth filter that will capture particles down to 5 microns, which is probably marginally OK for dust generated by a miter saw, but not for handling fine dust from orbital sanding or if you vacuum up after sanding wallboard seams. Fein will sell you a cartridge filter for 1 micron particles or a HEPA cartridge filter that gets down to 0.3 microns. You can buy a Gore Clearstream HEPA filter - the "Ridgid-Sears Red" version -- at Amazon or at a home center for less than a third what Fein charges for theirs. Gore does not list the Fein as one of the vacuums its filters will fit. But it does. Just buy a 2-1/2" x 3/8 fully threaded carriage bolt, a 3/8" wing nut and a 3/8" nylon washer and screw the filter down snugly. You don't need a bag if you use a cartridge filter unless ou're vacuuming hazardous materials.

Barely five stars considering that Fein ought to include vacuum tools in the box, but this thing really delivers on "quiet," on power and on convenience.

Well, I did, after burning out my last hardware store special. I was skeptical, even after getting the beasty out of the box, but I figured for once in my life I would get a really good shop vac.

And to find out why you pay $400 for a shop vac, all you need to do is turn it on. It's incredibly quiet, will not tip over and will suck a rock through a straw. Okay, I get it.

One thing I don't understand is the hose. I assume Fein did some field surveys, and that was the preferred length, but it's way too long for me. Why didn't they split it in two, put a joint in the middle? Seems like an obvious feature they could have added. Anyway, I'm using the hose from the burnt out jobby, and the Fein anaconda sleeps on a hook.

I does all Fein claims, and very well. The ability to choose the suction level between 5 settings allows me to keep the noise down if I don't need high power, but even at high power it's pretty quiet ( I measured 75db at 3 ft). European hose sizes are a little different from US so be prepared to get creative with hose adaptors.
To use the auto on/off feature you plug the tool into a power socket on the side of the vacuum, the socket is protected by a spring loaded cover which is hinged at the top, hence, with the cover open you cannot see the holes for the plug; not a big problem but I find it annoying.
Still, this is a huge improvement over my Shop Vac.