Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I

*Est. $230

The Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I replaces the Fein 9-11-20 Mini, a shop vac that reviewers praise for portability and mobility as well as price. Five castors make the Turbo 1 shop vac easy to pull around without tipping over. It also has rubber bumpers and packs up compactly, so it's ideal for taking to jobsites. Owners and reviewers also praise this portable shop vac for its supple hose, quiet power, solid design and three-year warranty.

Reviews say that like the other Fein shop vacs, the Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I is not as convenient to clean as competing pro-level models by Bosch, Festool, and Porter-Cable and Bosch. The Fein shop-vac accessories are also relatively expensive. Some reviews also say that this shop vac's sound level can rise with extended use.

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The six-gallon Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I is the smallest and least expensive wet-dry vacuum in the Fein shop-vac lineup, similar to the Fein Turbo Mini but with an auto-start for collecting dust from small power tools like portable sanders. The Fein 9-11-55 Turbo 1 has no drain, and reviewers say its small capacity and hose make it better for light-duty dust collection than for all-around workshop use. Even though it's small, the Fein Turbo I is about five decibels noisier than the larger Fein shop vacs. But the Fein 9-11-55 is still among the quietest shop vacs available, especially in its price range.

The Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I shop vacuum replaces the Fein Turbo Mini, which is included in two excellent roundups that test the Fein Mini against several other shop vacs. American Woodworker's review is geared toward woodworking use, while Tools of the Trade evaluates shop vacs with an eye to jobsite use as well, taking both portability and performance into consideration.

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Our Sources

1. American Woodworker Details/Subscribe

This excellent comparison review covers six shop vacuums, subjecting each to a battery of workshop tests. Editors give the Best Buy award to the Fein 9-11-20 Mini, forerunner to the newer Fein 9-11-55 Turbo I, praising its quiet performance, flexible hose, and bypass design that cools the motor even when the hose is clogged. Indeed, clogs are the only drawback; the 1.25-inch hose doesn't pick up wood chunks well, but for dust and smaller debris it's fine. The review also finds the price low for the features.

Review: Fein Mini-Turbo Review -- Shop Vacuums for Portable Power Tools, George Vondriska

2. Tools of the Trade

This older roundup evaluates shop vacs costing less than $200, including the Turbo I's predecessor, the Fein 9-11-20 Mini. Shop vacs are evaluated on performance, noise, design, convenience and durability. Practical issues like cord storage and mobility are also covered. Reviewer Todd Maynard likes the small Fein shop vac for its powerful but quiet motor, stable design, dual hose sizes, and rubber bumpers. (He's a contractor, so the rubber bumpers let him tug the shop vac around without damaging a client's furniture.) This shop vac is also compact enough to haul to jobsites, with a good design for wrapping the cord and hose.

Review: Tool Test: Wet/Dry Vacs (under $200), Todd Maynard, Mar./Apr. 2001

3. The Woodshop

Woodworker Jack Loganbill compares the Fein Mini Turbo, now replaced by the Fein Turbo I, with the Festool CT Mini. The author tests both shop vacs for both suction and capacity, especially for collecting dust from power tools. He judges the Fein shop vac better for general shop use because it's quieter, with a bit more suction and twice the capacity. This is a good review to check for more details about both shop vacs.

Review: Dust Extractor Review, Jack Loganbill

4. Amazon.com

Only a handful of owners have reviewed the Fein shop vac at Amazon.com, giving it near-perfect ratings. The main drawback noted is the cost of accessories, but two owners recommend using less expensive third-party filters that capture tiny particles well. This shop vac's predecessor, the Fein 9-11-20 Mini, has been reviewed by about 20 owners, with similar complaints about the cost of accessories.

Review: Fein 9-11-55 Turbo 8 Amp 6 Gallon 1.11 Horsepower Wet/Dry Vacuum with Auto-Start, Contributors to Amazon.com

5. Epinions.com

Two owners review the predecessor to the current Fein Turbo I, saying it's well worth the price. No readers have yet rated the newer version of this small Fein shop vac.

Review: Fein Mini Turbo Dust Extractor Review, Contributors to Epinions

6. Taunton's 2008 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe

This review doesn't cover the Fein Turbo I, instead comparing the larger Fein Turbo II with other midsized tool-triggered shop vacs. Both editors and owners rank the Fein shop vac second, favoring the Festool CT 33 but calling the Fein a good value. The comparison tests are based on an earlier review in Fine Homebuilding. This is an excellent review; we rank it toward the bottom only because it covers a similar but different Fein shop vac.

Review: Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs, Rob Wotzak and Taunton Press Editors, Sept. 2007

7. Taunton's 2005 and 2004 Tool GuidesDetails/Subscribe

This comparison test doesn't include the Fein Turbo Mini, but it does include the larger Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III, which has some features lacking in the Fein Mini. We rank this review last not because it's the least credible, but because it's not clear how much of the information applies to the smaller Fein Turbo I.

Review: Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III Review -- Shop Vacuums, Roland Johnson, plus editors and readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding