Paul, I'm not an expert on vacs, but I do have my dust collector hooked up to my scroll saw. I have it hooked up to a remote control. I turn it on when I start cutting and leave it on until I'm done cutting. A dust collector is a lot quieter than a vac, but it can still be loud. When I'm scrolling I either am listening to music or a NASCAR race or football game, so I always have headphones on.