Which welding fume extractor do you need?
How to choose welding fume extraction: portable filter or fixed arm, filter or fan, one welder or several, and what to use for grinding and sanding at a bench.
Updated 2 November 2026
Start with how you work
The right extractor depends less on the welding than on the workshop. Four questions settle most of it: how many people weld at once, whether they move around or work at one bay, whether the fume can be sent outside, and whether some of the work is grinding or sanding at a bench.
Whatever you choose, the principle is the same: take the fume away at the weld, before it reaches the welder. Extraction falls away quickly with distance, so the capture nozzle or cowl has to sit close to the work.
One welder who moves around: a portable filter
A portable fume extractor goes wherever the job is. The MT800nc moves 195 m³ an hour through a 45mm hose; the MT900nc has two motors and moves 390 m³ an hour through a 65mm hose. Both filter the fume and return clean air to the room, so there is nothing to duct. The MT900ni ST is the twin motor machine on large wheels, for moving round a site.
A welder at a fixed bay: an arm
Where someone welds in the same place every day, a self supporting arm does the job better than a hose: the welder sets the cowl once and it stays there. Mount it on the wall with a fan that exhausts outside, or choose a mobile filter unit with the arm already fitted.
Two welders: a double operator machine
The MT900nc double operator splits one portable filter between two hoses and two nozzles. The EM20 mobile filter unit has two arms on one cabinet, and the P2 wall systems run two arms from one fan.
Several bays: one fan, many arms
For a fabrication shop with several welding bays, one fan can serve several arms through ducting: the P4n up to four, the P6n up to six and the P8n up to eight. Where the extraction points move, a Sitemaster mobile filter unit takes up to four hoses on one cabinet.
Grinding and sanding at a bench: a downdraught bench
Grinding and sanding throw dust about, often towards the operator. A down draught bench draws it down through the worktop, away from the operator's breathing zone. The FB600 is for grinding and sanding only; the FB1000, FB1200 and FB1800 take welding as well and carry an H14 HEPA main filter.
Filter or fan?
A filter cleans the air and returns it to the room. A fan moves the fume away through an exhaust hose or duct. A fan is simpler, but it needs somewhere to send the fume and it takes warm air out of the building with it. A filter needs nowhere to send anything, and its filters need changing.
Still not sure?
Tell us what you weld, how many people weld at once and what the workshop is like, and we will recommend a system. Electac have been solving fume control problems for over 45 years.
Questions? Call 01635 581 535 or email sales@electac.com.