I'll echo the other responses. A vacuum is really not adequate as a dust collector for anything more than very light use due to the way they separate particles from the airflow. A true wood shop dust collector is designed to separate most particles out of the airstream before it reaches the blower/filter, saving you from having to clean a filter often and dumping the collected particles into a receptacle that's large and easy to clean out. With a shop vac, you'll end up with clogged filters often (especially when sanding) due to their design (no vortex separator, even relatively large particles get trapped on/in the filter) and with the smaller hose typical of a shop vac, you'll spend a lot of time clearing the larger bits of material that get stuck.

: Setting up a new shop. Deciding between a "shop vac" that is
: tool-activated to use for dust collection, vs. a "dust
: collector". Then again, I need to install a central vac for the
: house, and the central unit will be in the workshop area anyway, so the
: question is: Is there any reason NOT to use a household central vac unit
: as a workshop dust collector--i.e., with hose that connects directly to
: tools? Are there units that work particularly well for such dual purpose?

: Roger Turgeon
: Orr's Island, ME