Nilfisk Alto Attix 550-21 Dust Extractor Review

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Fecn

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Overview: A superb bit of kit with one big big problem.

Last November I spent quite a lot of time sitting next to my CNC machine whilst it was routing wood for hours at a time and it really isn't much fun. Its noisey and its dusty and its generally rather unpleasant. Spurred on by my desires for a quieter life, I went on something of a mission to reduce the noise levels in my workshop.

I was specifically looking for a extractor that would work well with a router so didn't need something with a 100mm (or bigger) inlet. I was feeling reasonably wealthy at the time so I hunted down the quietest ones that I could find. The DM-Tools catalog got me intersted in the Nilfisk Alto Attix extractors which seemed to be amongst the quietest around. I spent a while umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to go for one of the lesser-models with the Push 'n' Clean system or the top-notch one with it's 'manual' cleaning, but with the lowest working noise level of 57 dB(A). In then end I plumped for the quietest one which came with a 45 litre container - The Alto Attix 550-21.

Nilfisk Alto Attix 550-21 - 270 inc vat
Filter Bags - 20 quid for 5
Accessory Kit £50

Attix55021NEW_popup.jpg


I've waited for four months before posting this review because I wanted to be able to give an accurate picture of what it's like to live with. I think I've waited long enough now and tried enough different tasks to give a clear picture.

Firstly I'll start off with a correction to the DM-Tools catalog which lists the filter-cleaning as 'manual' - Where it says 'manual' in the catalog, they actually mean 'Fully Automaic every 30 seconds'. The extractor uses a big drum filter (like the record power ones do), but only uses half of the filter at any given time. Every 30 seconds a clever arrangement of bellows divert the airflow to the other half and gives a reverse-blast of air through the bit of the filter which was just used blasting it clean again. The system is silent in operation and doesn't make any noticable difference to the suction. In addition to the automatic system, there's a deep-clean filter cycle which you can activate by blocking the suction hose and then turning the unit on for 10 seconds.

Nilfisk have put up a couple of really neat Flash videos at
http://www.nilfisk-alto.co.uk/Products/ ... ction.aspx
which show how the filter cleaning system works.. and the sort of results it can achieve - Click on the links under the video-player window on the right hand side. The videos are quite enjoyable in their own right - Give them a click.

The extractor comes with a really really long 10M power cord which is coated in the really nice flexible silicon rubber rather than a vinyl coating. It's got large wheels at the back and a set of 50mm castors at the front. It's stable and it drags along happily by it's hose. It comes with a long (but very thin ~25mm I think) antistatic hose which has a ridged conical rubber connection on one end which seems to fit every power tool I own. Both ends of the hose have 360degree swivel fittings which stops the hose getting twisted. When you compare the diameter of the supplied hose with standard vacuum hoses, it's hard to believe it can shift enough air through it (3600 litres/min) ... until you try it. To put this into perspective, my Record Power RSDE2 can shift 3180 litres/min through a 100mm hose. The biggest problem with the thin hose is that it actually makes quite a lot of noise as the air whistles through it.

In addition to the standard hose, I also bought the accessories kit which comes with a wider hose (38mm I think) and a selection of more-normal vacuum cleaner heads such as a floor nozzle, crevice nozzle, etc. Using the wider hose makes everything a lot quieter. The dipped-tray on the top of the extractor makes a good place to store all the nozzles. The inlet to the extractor is actually 50mm so I'm on the lookout for some 50mm hose to try now.

Now onto the performance.... My goodness... I never realised that it could be like this. I just cannot praise this thing highly enough. It puts every vacuum cleaner and extractor I've ever tried before to shame. We have a Dyson DC01 and a 1800W Black and Decker vacuum in the house and it just makes them look like toys. When the RSDE2 has brand new filters and an empty tank it manages nearly the same amount of suction (with 10x the noise), but as soon as you've used the record power for a few minutes, the filters start to block and the suction reduces - Not so with this Nilfisk one. It sucks and it sucks and it sucks.. and better yet, it's quiet - You can hold a normal conversation when it's on full blast without having to raise your voice.

I mentioned in the overview that this extractor had one big big problem and here it is - It's too good - Really it is. It's so good that that SWMBO has realised and our household vacuum cleaners have been abandonned. It can clean our whole house in about a fifth of the time of any of the domestic cleaners. The power cable is so long that it can be plugged in the downstairs hallway and reach every part of the house (upstairs and down). It's quiet enough that you can watch telly or listen to the radio whilst hoovering and it just makes the whole job a pleasure to do.

I waited for four months of using it before posting this review, expecting the performance to drop, or some niggle to occur, but I really cannot find a single negative thing to say about this extractor. Even though it was expensive , it was worth every penny and although I have three other vacuum/extractor devices I'm seriously thinking about buying another one of these so that SWMBO doesn't keep making me bring it back from the workshop into the house.

It may have cost twice as much as my Record Power extractor, but it's way more than twice the machine.

I have no affiliation to Nilfisk whatsoever other than having bought one of their products.

Edit: Things I forgot to say - The unit has a soft-start on the motor and a socket where you can plug in power tools for auto-switch-on - Both work well - I just forgot to mention them.
 
Evenin' Fecn,

that was a really good review, couple of questions though, what level of filtration does it go down to? I work occasionaly with mdf (and hate every second of the time I spent with the evil stuff,) does it filter down to 0.5micron, and how difficult is it to change/clean /empty ?

Decklan
 
pipper, now I want one.

It's good to see someone thinking about how to keep suction without resorting to the Dyson approach, which as you rightly point out, does not work (I'm going to get an angry reply from 9-Fingers now as his vortex separator works great, I say it's the Devil's work...)

That video is mightly impressive too, yes modern CAD programmes make it far easier to do such things, but I can tell you there's a lot of work required to do that still, it must have taken weeks.

Good review too, thanks for that

Aidan
 
Sorry everyone, but I think I might have made a serious error in my review - SWMBO made me bring it in from the workshop again today so I took the opportunity to take some pictures. I wanted to get pictures of the cunning bellows system, but I can't find any sign of it at all. I think I've made a monumental cock-up here (the manual makes it sound like it's got it). Everything I said about the suction and noise levels still stands and the deep-clean cycle is the same, but I think that the pretty video on the Nilfisk website is for a different model. I guess DM-Tools are right about the 'manual' cleaning - Erm... pipper :(

(Perhaps this explains why the identical looking Makita version is around £1100)

whoops!":3vlegufw said:
Evenin' Fecn,

that was a really good review, couple of questions though, what level of filtration does it go down to? I work occasionaly with mdf (and hate every second of the time I spent with the evil stuff,) does it filter down to 0.5micron, and how difficult is it to change/clean /empty ?

Decklan

The change/clean/empty procedure is a doddle...

Unclip the two big plastic clips on the side...
24032008084.jpg


Lift the top section off with the handle - It has a flat bottom so it conveniently stands on the floor.
24032008085.jpg


If you have a bag installed (as I do because I'm using it on MDF) then it wraps around the central filter element like this..
24032008086.jpg


The bag push-fits around the inlet and has a shut-off thingy so that the dust doesn't escape when you throw the bag away.
24032008087.jpg


As for filtration levels - I'm not so sure anymore. The Attix 5 range features filtrations levels down to 0.1 micron (for asbestos dust), but I'm now having a hard time working out exactly what my particular model is doing. As such, I've sent an email to Nilfisk asking them what the filtration levels are with filter only, and with filter + bag. - I guess this can be my first test of their customer service. I'll let you know what they say as soon as I get an answer.
 
Thanks for the review Fecn. It is interesting to me as I am in the situation of looking for a new house vacuum cleaner but also considering something quieter for the workshop (I have a Record Power DX4000, which works well but is really loud - something quieter would be very useful for use with some of my tools). I never really considered one machine for both until I read your review, and now I am thinking that something that fits both needs might be a good compromise in terms of cost and storage space.

I have looked for specs of the Nilfisk, but one thing that I can't find is any information on the max power rating for a tool plugged into the extractor - do you know what the max power rating is?

Thanks.
 
pooka":1xlkrjf9 said:
I have looked for specs of the Nilfisk, but one thing that I can't find is any information on the max power rating for a tool plugged into the extractor - do you know what the max power rating is?

Thanks.

The extractor is fitted with a 16A cable, but in the UK it only has a 13A fuse in the plug... Max connected load for appliance socket : 1800W in the UK... 2400W in Europe where you can get 16A fuses in the plugs.
 
Thanks Fecn, I have been considering what to do about dust extraction so your review timed nicely. Having totally b******* a Dyson by trying to pick up huge amounts of plaster dust (SWMBO not impressed :roll: ) I need to find something better.

You mention the one big problem "It's too good - Really it is. It's so good that that SWMBO has realised and our household vacuum cleaners have been abandonned. It can clean our whole house in about a fifth of the time of any of the domestic cleaners" Now I see these comments as a positive marketing plan to present to SWMBO :)

Cheers :D
Tony
 
Hi,
My name is Rick Hollebon and I am the UK Product Manager for Nilfisk ALTO. I hope I can answer some of your questions regarding Dust Extractors.

The Attix range of Dust Extractors from Nilfisk ALTO have been one of our most successful products. The machines come in a variety of container volumes from 27 litre to 70 litre.
The 27 litre Attix 360-21 which has Push&Clean filter cleaning and a power take off socket for power tools enabling automatic operation of the duct extractor when the power tool is powered up.
With a dust extractor used with power tools the filter will tend to clog up with all the fine dust produced. However Push&Clean reverses the air through the wall of the filter knocking and dust off the filter surface and into the bottom of the container.
A larger 45 litre Attix 550-21 machines have the automatic power take off facility but no filter cleaning system built in. However the Attix 560-21XC (with a 45 litre container) and Attix 761-21XC (with a 70 litre container) are equipped with an even better system called Xtreme Clean which automatically cleans the filter cartridge by reversing the air flow through the filter wall in such a way that the filter is cleaned every 30 seconds. This means that continuous use with the finest of dusts is possible. A demonstration I do is to pick up a sack of cement dust with one of our Xtreme Clean machines. Please don't try this with a normal vacuum cleaner that hasn't got Nilfisk ALTO Xtreme Clean!! The vacuum just keeps working and working and working...amazing!

As far as filtration is concerned then there is a European Standard which Vacuum manufacturers should work to covers the requirements with regard to filtration standards in Vacuum cleaners. This is EN60335-2-69 and it is the only standard dedicated to professional vacuum cleaning.

For professional use an M class safety vacuum is required for wood dust and MDF. The M class safety vacuums have a filtration efficiency of 99.9% according to EN60335-2-69.

Some of you ask for the filtration performance in terms of micron size but in fact this is not actually specified in such terms in the European Standard. The reason for this is that the Standard recognises that dusts are not actually uniform in particle size anyway and that the pore size of the filter material is not the only factor affecting whether a dust particle will pass through the filter. Other more complicated forces come into effect.
Regarding wood dust and MDF, EN 60335-2-69 has clarified that vacuum cleaners of Dust Class M are suitable. The geometrical pore size is about 2 µm, but since wood dust has an irregular, fibrous shape, it clings very well to Dust Class M filter material.

M class versions of our dust extractors are as follows:

Attix 360-2M 27 litre container with Push&Clean filter cleaning.
Attix 550-2M 45 litre container
Attix 761-2MXC 70 litres with Xtreme Clean Automatic Filter Cleaning

Check out the Nilfisk ALTO website for our range of dust extractors:

http://www.nilfisk-alto.co.uk/Products/ ... aners.aspx





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Hi Guys,

The highest level of filtration comes from our H class vacuums which have a filtration efficieciency of 99.995%. This is the sort of machine used for asbestos dust. M class is the professional requirement for wood dusts and MDF(which are obviously not as dangerous as asbestos dust) and this has filtration efficiency requirement of 99.9%.
 
Thanks for your review, Fecn - you've got me interested too! :D

I was considering replacing the RSDE2-A with the Trend vacuum but, if I can find a few more pennies sometime, I think it will definitely be worth it. :)
 
Why would you replace the RSDE2 with a vacuum Olly? Out of interest.
 
Nilfisk ALTO":3jzz2ox9 said:
Hi,
My name is Rick Hollebon and I am the UK Product Manager for Nilfisk ALTO. I hope I can answer some of your questions regarding Dust Extractors.

Hi Rick - Thanks for taking the time to join the forum and respond to the queries here. It means a lot to me when suppliers take the time to respond to their customers like this.

Nilfisk ALTO":3jzz2ox9 said:
M class versions of our dust extractors are as follows:

Attix 360-2M 27 litre container with Push&Clean filter cleaning.
Attix 550-2M 45 litre container
Attix 761-2MXC 70 litres with Xtreme Clean Automatic Filter Cleaning


Does the above mean that the 550-21 I own is not suitable for MDF dust even when it's fitted with the filter bag? - If that's the case, is there a different type or finer grade of filter bag would make it suitable for MDF ?
 
WiZeR":c0hgzo9q said:
Why would you replace the RSDE2 with a vacuum Olly? Out of interest.

Well, I first bought the RSDE2-A for use the power tools and machinery (thinking of MDF dust). I have since bought a decent twin-bag extractor (Axminster ADE1200) which seems to work well with sawdust and I have found a cartridge filter (Record Power CX2600) that will fit and allow me to use it with MDF as well.

So, I'm currently using the RSDE2-A with power tools only, for which I find it to be quite bulky. I also find it pretty noisy. It still performs very well but, like with most things, I'm always wanting something I haven't bought or perhaps should've saved up for instead! :)
 
I agree about the noise, I have to wear ear defenders whenever I use it.

I sucks for England tho (in a good way)
 
Hello Fecn
I've used Alto-Wap vacs for 14 years and can probably shed some light for you.The bags are common to standard and M class,the filter cartridges can be the same too check the Alto website.A finer cartridge is available called either a typeH or BIA K1 microfilter which is very efficient. The bags can get expensive and sharp debris can tear them, an interceptor tank solves both of these issues. I found an Ash-clean type tin drum in france for £20, with some spare hose fittings it works well.The larger debris is dropped in the bin and finer dust entrained in the airstream continues to the vacuum bag so you aren't exposed to it when emptying.Thes and similar German vacs are vastly better than the dodgy UK offerings
Matt
 
Sorry - I've been away for a few days. - Firstly I should mention that I received a PM from Nilfisk explaining about the suitability of my extractor. It says pretty much the same as Shrubby's post above. Same bags, same filters.

The extractor I have doesn't qualify as M class because it doesn't have the low-air-flow warning required when the bag is full. Apparently this is needed to meet the EN60335-2-69 standard that Rick mentioned. Given that there is a Eurpoean standard, it seems rather surprising that every other manufacturer seems to claim their machines are suitable for MDF - My RSDE2 certainly doesn't have a low-air-flow warning.
 
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