Mark – It’s true there are only a few manufacturers making most of these vacs and re-labeling them. However, while I can’t be 100% certain, I think most are tweaked a bit based on specific manufacturer’s requests. You bring up a great point on the filter, we tried to chase that down and we couldn’t confirm or deny which filter was used that day.

It appears, as others have commented, that the Milwaukee dust extractor that was tested in this article is also a Nilfisk Attix 33. So I am guessing that the Makita VC4210 which is the same Nilfisk model would perform very similarly to the Milwaukee above, which is to say, not as good a performance as the old Makita.

Something to note, though, about the old Makita tested in this article is that it was tested without a HEPA filter installed (as mentioned below by Todd). I wonder how much of its impressive performance is due to not being bogged down by the filter?

I was wondering if their 40/1 Tact TE Hepa performed well they have the same size hepa filters for cheaper for the Hilti gen 1 VC 150-10 XE that was tested on here

Any new info on this? I’m definitely interested in the new Makita 11 gallon.

I know its an older thread, but such good info. However catching this guy with the same IP as the other pulse bac comment is a whole different level of awesome and detail, made me laugh. Nice catch.

It used to be that who made a product had a lot to do with its quality, but that is much less the case these days. Super cheap products and high-end products all get made in the same facilities and to different specs. Even the same brands have an entry level, mid level, and high-end line, and comparing them because they all have the same brand logo on them would be a mistake. In previous generations, you could say, “I buy [brand] because they make great products.” It would be reliable because all their products were made in 1 facility and to very similar standards. That would now be an oversimplified view of how products are made. You can only really compare the performance of specific models from specific brands, with some general brand reliability and warranty factored in. Just because two products are manufactured by one company, tells little of the story.

The Hilti and the Bosch are both made by Kärcher.
Hilti can charge more because of their superior customer service. Most of these dust extractors are made by two or three specialist companies that most people have never heard of. There isn’t a bad extractor amongst them. Some may fit your needs or budget better than others.

The Makita would be an excellent choice. It’s made by Nilfisk in Europe. They are the leading commercial/industrial vac manufacturer possibly in the world. The VC4210 is actually the Nilfisk Attix 33 in Makita colors with Makita specified attachments. It is sold under various labels (Milwaukee, Mirka, Flex and Nilfisk also). The bags and filters for each sub-brand are interchangeable, so shop around. Hose parts may not be as each company specifies their own preferences.

Warren – There are situations where fleece bags make sense even with drywall dust. The point of these tests is to have fair comparison side by side.