The two tools have different purposes based on different physical principles:

• Vacuum: works with high vacuum pressure (suction force) and lower airflow. It is designed to lift and transport materials (solids, liquids, dust) from a surface through a hose. It is primarily a cleaning and collection tool.

• Dust collector: works with high airflow and lower vacuum pressure. Its purpose is to capture large volumes of fine and light dust suspended in the air, typically extracting directly from a machine (e.g., a sander) to purify the workplace air.