Rockler’s new Dust Right shop vac is a very solid operator, with a handy tool-triggered mode. At 73 db, it’s a bit quieter than my Festool CT26 and about the same as my high-end Bosch, both relatively quiet shop vacs. Along with the other vacs in my shop, the Dust Right filters its exhaust to a HEPA standard, keeping the most dangerous wood dust out of your airways. But the Rockler vac is half the price of the others.

The Dust Right includes a filter-cleaning mechanism designed to eject fine dust that has packed the folds of the filter. Just like the filter-cleaning mechanisms I’ve tried on other HEPA vacs, however, this one doesn’t do very much.

Like its competitors, Rockler recommends using proprietary paper bags as a prefilter, and those do a great job capturing dust and keeping the filter clean, which in turn keeps the suction powerful.

The Dust Right has other nice touches, such as a 12-ft.-long hose and large, easy-rolling casters. And it comes with lots of vacuuming attachments, making it a bargain at $300.

—Roland Johnson is a contributing editor.