Dust management systems have grown over the years and for good reason. First, it’s important to keep your work space clean which can help prevent trips and accidents. Second and most important, a dust management system keeps the air clean. So with that said let’s jump into the Makita VC4710 Dust Extraction Vacuum Review.
Makita Dust Extraction Vacuum Review Overview
One important item to consider is the air quality. In the past, we never thought about air quality on the job site. As time has passed we understand how harmful bad air quality can be. In fact, OSHA even passed a regulation to protect the workers. The Makita vacuum has been on the market for a long time so this isn’t a recent addition to their line up. The vacuum has a ton of features and benefits to help keep your area clean and your air safe, so let’s check out the benefits.
Makita VC4710 Dust Extraction Vacuum Review
The vacuum is built around a powerful 12 amp motor that generates 135 CFM of suction, plus it’s extremely quiet. When running, it puts out a sound level of only 59 dB.
The vacuum can operate in two modes: Manual or automatic. With each mode, you can dial your suction to the desired position.
When you use automatic mode, you can plug your tool directly into the vacuum. Once you start the tool, the vacuum will sense the power and automatically start the vacuum. When you turn off the power tool, the vacuum will run for another 10 seconds to clean out the line.
The hose is very easy to take on and off. When you have the hose attached, you can be assured it will stay in place and not come out.
The front casters are free moving and the rear wheels are stationary. I did notice the wheels roll extremely nice, even over my rough concrete driveway. One cool feature I wish the casters had would be locking casters.
The handle on top makes carrying the vacuum from place to place a breeze.
There is plenty of onboard storage for your hose, attachments and power cord.
The 12-gallon system is perfect for wet or dry pick up. A huge plus is the hose size. The vacuum comes with a 16’ Anti-Static hose and 24′ power cord.
The filter system on this vacuum is awesome. The vacuum has an automatic filter cleaning system with blow back. So as you are using vacuums, the filter will naturally get debris around them and lose suction. With the Makita, it will automatically blow air backward through the filter and release debris around it so you don’t lose suction and the filters will last longer. The vacuum comes with an efficient nano filter which captures 99.95% particles 2 microns or larger.
Makita Dust Extraction Vacuum Review Performance
We used this vacuum for a couple different projects and it worked great.
We were reinforcing an attic and brought a miter saw upstairs to cut some wood. Since it was a closed space we hooked it up to keep the air clean. I was extremely happy with the results and thought the vacuum did a great job.
We also tested a couple of rotary hammers and grinders with the vacuum. During these tests, we hooked up the dust system and it did an awesome job at collecting the concrete dust. In the end, we were extremely happy with the results of the vacuum and feel it performed as advertised.
Makita VC4710 Dust Extraction Vacuum Review Value
The vacuum runs for about $530. Most vacuums of this caliber are priced in this range so Makita isn’t asking a ridiculous price. Considering that this vacuum keeps the air around you clean and can protect your lungs, I don’t think the price tag is unreasonable.
Makita VC4710 Dust Extraction Vacuum Final Thoughts
We have reviewed a bunch of dust collection systems over the years and the Makita is one of the top performers. The vacuum is strong and screams quality. The casters make it easy to roll around and I love how you can select the power on either auto or manual. We all know how important it is to keep our workspace clean and prevent accidents, but now we are learning about air quality. It’s a must to keep the dust to a minimal and your air quality clear to protect your lungs from permanent damage. Even if you don’t own any Makita tools, I would suggest this vacuum.
I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on one of these to compare it to the Fein I currently own. I know of no stores in my area that would have this in stock though. It’s a bit of a conundrum with the online sales model that has taken over these days. It is almost impossible to find the high dollar items locally to put hands on anymore.
The Fein turbo2 I have is more than a decade old and still going strong, but it is beginning to show it’s age. The one amazing thing about it has been that I have never had a problem finding replacement dust bags for it, but I am concerned that replacement parts may become an issue if it starts needing them.
Are you able to give any comparison between the Fein and Makita offerings?
That would be a good one. We will see if we can get our hands on the Fein.