Q: I just purchased a 5 inch orbital sander model DW423k. I also purchased the dust extraction attachment. When connected to my shop vac it seems to be slowing down. The vac seems to be too great and seems to be putting a drag on the motor. Do you have an answer or recommendation?

A: It happens because the sander's dust collection system has been designed to be as airtight as possible in order to get the best dust collection efficiency when collecting w/o the help of a vacuum. Therefore, when an external suction device is added, the vacuum created within the sander's dust shroud is so great that it can noticeably stick the sander to the work surface. This could cause the perception of lost power to the unit by actually loading down the sander more than usual. The answer would be to relieve the vacuum system. It takes very little additional air flow through the DW423's dust collection system to create a near dust free environment. Most vacuums have a relief valve that can vary the airflow pulled through the nozzle of there collection tube. I recommend reducing the additional airflow introduced through the DW423's collection system by the vacuum to a minimum. This should not hurt its dust collection efficiency, nor will it cause the sander to unnecessarily bog down.

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