Bags and accessories for Metabo/Starmix/Unitect iPulse vacs

[mrFinpgh]

I decided to pick up a Metabo ASR 35 HEPA vac so i am not blocked until I get around to putting my Fein back online.  It seems like a well built vacuum, and it included a bag.

What I didn't realize is that the bag included is a disposal bag, which apparently translates to 'an open topped polyethylene bag with a collar to wrap around the hose inlet'.  So all the filtering is happening from the HEPA filters, rather than only the finest stuff.

Instinctively, this seems less than ideal to me. I always run my Fein with some kind of bag in front of the HEPA filter, and the filter generally is only dealing with the things that are small enough to escape the bag itself.  I also have a cyclone hooked up about 98% of the time, with the exception of when I am using the vacuum outside of my shop space.

I see that there are fleece filter bags available, which look more like what I'm used to and prefer.  What other options are there for this style of vacuum that I should be considering?  For what it's worth, I rarely drill into concrete or metal, and only occasionally into something like plaster or drywall.

Are there other things that it would be a good idea to get my hands on for this vacuum?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

The open-topped poly bag is optimal for extracting heavy, cementitious dust. Wood dust or other "fluffy" debris has a hard time dislodging from the filter pleats.

The Starmix/Metabo/Mafell/..... vacs are available with open top poly bags, fleece bags, and paper bags. I don't remember if they're available with a re-usable bag or not. The bags are interchangeable between the bags since the vac itself is itself is identical... I'd recommend the fleece bags, as the paper bags can get a little delicate when really full.

 

[TinyShop]

I've had great luck with third party bags for this extractor. A web search using the various sub-brandings of this machine will produce multiple companies making high quality bags that are compatible. Also, religious use of a cyclone will allow you to vastly prolong the need to change bags. As for a reusable bag, simply add a zipper to one of the fabric bags. With a sewing machine this is a simple project and the end result doesn't need to be pretty since the zipper is sewn with the bag inside-out (the majority of your work will be hidden). There's a seller on eBay (in the UK I believe) who produces reusable bags using this technique (and they ship worldwide). They may be able to supply you should you be averse to tackling the job yourself.

 

[mrFinpgh]

I've had great luck with third party bags for this extractor. A web search using the various sub-brandings of this machine will produce multiple companies making high quality bags that are compatible. Also, religious use of a cyclone will allow you to vastly prolong the need to change bags. As for a reusable bag, simply add a zipper to one of the fabric bags. With a sewing machine this is a simple project and the end result doesn't need to be pretty since the zipper is sewn with the bag inside-out (the majority of your work will be hidden). There's a seller on eBay (in the UK I believe) who produces reusable bags using this technique (and they ship worldwide). They may be able to supply you should you be averse to tackling the job yourself.

I ordered some fleece ("microfiber") bags from DustDeal.com last night. I don't think they are originals, but it's not easy to tell from the photos they post. Have you used them before?

I haven't used a reusable bag before. My general sense is that I don't really want to expose myself to a cloud of dust from emptying a bag if I can avoid it.  I built a container for my dust deputy that can hold a 30 gallon bag because I really don't even want to be 'pouring' the dust out of the bucket that it was originally attached to.

At the same time, I'm also not going through a whole lot of bags these days. I know the economics might make a lot of sense for someone running through bags on a regular basis.