GD Thomas (formerly Rietschle Thomas) is the leading manufacturer of commercial vacuum pumps. This heavy duty double piston vacuum pump is ideal for vacuum bags and bending/laminating veneer over odd shaped forms. These are also superb for vacuum clamping bench work and vacuuming chucking lathe pieces. The same pumps sell new for $349.95 or more!
Special Pump Option - Save $10!
Option 1: These are relatively clean and free of tarnish. In most cases, these pumps look almost new. The model number indicates that they are one of the most recent pump designs that Thomas Pumps has manufactured. Each pump has been rebuilt, runs like new, and meets full factory specifications.
Option 2: Save $10! These pumps have a bit of tarnish on them. Each of these pumps has been rebuilt, runs like new, and meets full factory specifications but doesn't look quite as good as the Option 1 version.
Please Note
Features
Review by Rick D.
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I just received the Thomas 3.15 cfm pump with the continuous run kit. I will be using this for guitar making. The same idea is sold at well known luthier supply houses, but this system takes the cake! At 3.15 cfm, we aren't messing around, and the pump runs real smooth and quiet!
If you want serious vacuum for guitar making, but you would rather put your hard earned dollars toward some really great tonewood, this is the system for you. You won't find a better pump at this price anywhere else.
Review by Butch D.
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Easily exceeded all my expectations. So far pump has been ON for 40 hours (5 continuous 8 hour runs) and vacuum is consistently better than 25" of Hg. Also pump is tiny, lightweight, quiet and very low vibration.
Review by Gerry Whelan
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My pump came in last week from Joe and I was absolutely amazed that a pump this nice could be had for a hundred bucks. These are easily worth $160 or more. My pump looks like it just came off the assembly line and to be honest, if it didnt say it was rebuilt, I would have thought it was brand new.
I wanted to build a vacuum press a few months ago and when I tried to buy this pump, I found it was not in stock. Joe quickly replied to my inquiry and said that more pumps were on the way and that he was lowering the price of them this time. Where else do you find this kind of customer service and prices? No where. I dont know what else to write about this pump and Joe's website. I think it speaks for itself in many ways. You'll have no problems with this company.
Review by N. Culpepper
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I'm retired and on a fixed income so I have to be careful with my funds and I dont always get the best or newest tools. My friend recommended this pump since he owns one. The reviews shown here are all good one and mine is not much different. The vacuum pump is made by Thomas Vacuum Pumps and the rebuild sticker on it indicated a date of just a few weeks ago. The product information for this pump says they are a little dirty but mine looks almost new. For $120 bucks, I dont think I could have found a better and more reliable pump.
Review by Nicolas S.
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I've been looking for a pump like this for a year. Everywhere its $300 or more. Even salvage companies are asking $160 to $180 for this pump (same specs!). I ordered one from Veneersupplies and built it into my pressing system and then I took it to my local woodworking club. Before I knew it, everyone was asking about my system and I told everyone how great of an experience I had with this website. I live in Oregon so I thought the shipping costs were going to be high but I found the rates here to be excellent. My pump shipped on the same day that I ordered it.
Review by Robert Edney
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I initially built one of the compressor run pumps (venturi type) from Joe's plans, using parts I ordered here. Worked exactly as advertised. My compressor, however, is noisy and draws fairly high amperage. I decided to try one of these rebuilt pumps and it was a great move. Quiet, uses a lot less power than the compressor, easy to set-up, etc. Joe's plans are great, his prices are fair and I've no idea how he ships so quickly! It may sound like I'm his brother-in-law, but I'm not, just a very satisfied customer impressed with a genuinely well-run business.
Review by John Makar
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Consider carefully before you buy. I live at an altitude of 6,000 ft in Colorado. Max rated Hg pull on this pump is 24"Hg. Subtract an inch for each 1,000 ft of altitude and you are down to around 18"Hg pull. If you use this pump in the EVS design in that situation, your low vacuum pressure is going to be in the range of 14"Hg - on the low side of the pressure you may want for veneering.
I have found that this pump actually performs better than that, depending on some things. In cold air, such as my unheated shop in winter, I have to run this thing in continuous mode to get the vacuum I need. In that situation I am getting 17"Hg to 19"Hg consistently. I tend to avoid that situation, because in that temperature range almost all glues start doing funky things.
In warmer air, I can get up to +20"Hg pull, and in that situation I can run fairly reliably in auto-cycling mode with some very long intervals between on/off - much better than the 30 minutes JWW cites as normal. Above 70degrees F, this pump has pulled better than 21"Hg, which in theory probably shouldn't happen.
Same pump, same system. The pump is rated for continuous run, and probably has many 100s of hours on the life in that mode. If you plan to use this pump above 5,000 ft elevation, plan on using it at least part-time in continuous mode. I did not do a dual wiring setup. I calibrated the vacuum controller in warm air for a +19"Hg pull, and when it doesn't achieve it, it simply runs continuously.
Review by Jack Himmelman
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Being a budding woodworker means I'm on a budget so I needed to be cautious about the total price of my vacuum system. This pump worked out great because its not too expensive and it pulls a fast vacuum. The pump includes the muffler and the capacitor so you just need the EvS kit with it to get your press going. I received my order promptly and Joe was very helpful with my questions before and after ordering. I will buy from here again.
Review by Brad Strong
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I purchased this pump to use with the Project CRS Continuous Run Pump Vacuum Press Kit. Everything went together great. It pulls down my 2' x 6' bag very quickly. It seems to be an excellent quality pump and it saved me some money.
Review by Rick Lowell
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This pump is so sweet, I came back for a second one to run a dula pump vacuum press system. As always, Joe's customer service, shipping, and prices are impeccable. If you are looking to save a few bucks, this pump is perfect. It runs quietly and without much vibration.
Review by Mike Lowthrop
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I bought this pump to go with the vacuum press kit. With Joe's instructions, the kit assembled easily and the pump runs perfectly. I thought about buying a brand new pump but I decided to save some money and go with this one. I'm very happy with my choice. The pump runs cool and pulls a very fast vacuum. Overall, I doubt this could get any better.
Review by Dave Skowron
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I rely on a vacuum system for my livelyhood. I had one and it worked out ok, but it was a little weak. I use it exclusively as a clamping system, not a veneering system. I had decided to get a new one and did a little searching on the web. I was about to bid on a pump on eBay until I read the information here on Joe's site. I decided to get his rebuilt Thomas pump and one of the kits he offers. I couldn't be happier with that decision. After spending an additional 20 bucks or so at a hardware store to get the things I needed to make it work in my specific application, this system has perfomred so much better than I ever expected. It's a great performer and has added a little boost to my productivity. Those of you in business for yourself will agree that every minute saved is a few more pennies in the paycheck. Thanks Joe, for a great product. It's well thought out and priced at half what I paid for a smaller 1/8" system.
Dave Skowron
Red Bear Trading Company
RedBearTrading.com
Review by Steve Rozmiarek
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Excellent value! I bought the works from Joe, and couldn't be happier! The pump is quiet and fast, the bags quality is awsome and the parts kit made it all easy to put together. I was pressing veneer in one weekend, for a fraction of what the others charge, plus I think my system is much better quality then most of the pre assembled systems on the market. Thanks Joe!
Review by Fred Jensen
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I purchased one of these rebuilt pumps thinking it was a good deal. WRONG!!! It was a fantastic deal. The pump ordered along with a builder's kit arrived on schedule and was packed very carefully. All items were there. I was able to build the initial model up to the point of testing for leaks and adjusting the vacuum controller in about four hours. The unit is really quiet and very reliable. I will be spending more time refining the platform and support structure and doing some other modifications to suit several different applications. The point is though, that for around 350.00 and a few hours time invested, I have a working useable vacuum system that would rival almost any professionally built vacuum press system on the market and at an unbelievably affordable price.
Review by Richard Meyer
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Joe, Service is wonderful, ordered on Thursday and received on next Monday. Assembled pump using details from several pumps shown on web site and some of my own ideas. Works GREAT! Thanks for your quick service. Will be placing more orders soon. Dick