I have the same experience when I plug my brush motor power tools into an arc fault outlet. My experience has been that any universal motor (brush-type) will trip an arc fault breaker because, well, the brushes arc under normal usage. When we built (2006), arc fault breakers were only required on bedroom circuits, so our central vac is on a conventional breaker. If you modify things, I would suggest keeping certain conveniently located outlets always on conventional breakers. Besides, one only HAS to upgrade the breakers if major upgrade/remodel work overlaps onto a wiring circuit.

We have arc fault breakers that often cut out when using a circular saw and occasionally when using a vacuum. I think many people give up if it's too much of a nuisance and replace the offending breaker with standard.

When I was wiring up my basement workshop and home theater, I had to add two circuits and I chose to use AFCI breakers, with no problems after 4 years of usage.

This has been the biggest frustration in our reno. We already replaced the fridge breaker back to standard (because it's within 6' of a sink - even in an enclosed cabinet and 4' off the floor - code required an AF/GFCI breaker - that just didn't stay on) and are doing the one for the dedicated microwave next. I also have to test out our vitamix to see of those need to be replaced. Almost half of what we spent in construction went to electrical and it has been so frustrating to feel like we have a WORSE situation than before. yes, we have more outlets and circuits and lighting, but it doesn't feel like it when they don't WORK! FWIW, ours are the GE dual function breakers with a purple test button.

And yes, we had the electricians come back TWICE and were basically told "appliances haven't caught up to code" and while they didn't switch the fridge breaker, as he left he said "there are plenty of standard breakers down there, homeowners can always change things out on their own" which felt like a big wink and nudge to just swap it out instead of buying and trying multiple refrigerators over the next few months.

We plan on being here a long time, so it might come up in a future home inspection when we sell but we have no plans to do that. We can just plan on "bringing it up to code" or maybe by then it will be more functional code, but I don't feel too wild reverting those breakers back to what worked fine for the last 20 years. I appreciate our electricians following code, I do, but even they said the code is frustrating because it is causing more unhappy customers. For the fridge, it is recommended that the fridge NOT be on a GFCI but because it was within 6' of the sink it had to be, so it's a catch 22. (and I have since been mentally measuring my friends sink-fridge distance, and very few are greater than 6' apart, especially in Maine where our housing stock is older - I'm sure in a subdivision of new builds it's easy to accommodate, but my established neighborhood of small 50s homes, not so much.) The microwave is on a dedicated circuit and opposite the sink but just under 6' so it's on a dual breaker (until this weekend) and for now we have it plugged in into the living room and sitting on the floor to be able to use it. If the Vitamix throws breakers we will swap duals out to a GFCI one (since those would be counter outlets, that makes sense!)

I've had a similar experience with shop vacs and arc fault breakers. They can be a bit sensitive. What's worked for me is using a vacuum cleaner from spairobot.com on a different circuit or using a power strip with surge protection. It's a workaround, but it gets the job done without those pesky trips!