i have a small workshop and can't afford a good shop vac system. i get tired of buying expensive shop vac bags - i sweep up the larger wood matarial the old fashioned way. i was wondering if there is any harm in using the shop vac without the bag and just dumping it as it fills.
Does you vac have a large filter, mine has no bag just a large paper filter. Without either the dust will just blow back out
I've never used a bag. I did buy one of the paper filters for about $20 and it catches the fine stuff the old filter would miss.
Depending on the type of shop and tools you have. look into a good dust collector. If you get one, the 100 cfm is about the best for a small shop, the portables are just not powerful enough, IMO.
I feel like I am feeding a Troll but just in case you are for real.
The only bag you need on a shop vac is the filter bag to keep the fine particles from being blown back into the air. This is attached with a band and covers the motor. A better system uses a pleated filter.
Frankly I have never seen any other bag used on a shop vac. I infer from your message that yours uses some kind of liner that collects the sweepings.
Or is it just that that little bag fills up so fast?
Colbyt
My Sears has a large horseshoe shaped bag. Holds a lot of stuff and well worth using.
ive used the drywall ones with great success.
randy
If I understand correctly, you're talking about the bag that goes inside the container, and not the filter that attaches to the bottom of the motor. The filter has to be there, or you'll just blow the dust back into the air. I don't use a bag at all, just the pleated filter. It works fine without the bag. The filters can be cleaned with a soft brush when they clog.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dave Starr, Senior Shop Rat Emeritus: 14,647 days in a GM plant.
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My 20 year old shop vac went t*ts up yesterday; slowed to a stop in the middle of some sawdust, spit sparks from the motor housing and died in a cloud of electrical smoke as I yanked the plug from the wall. After a chorus of "Taps", I decided to retire it permanently.
Anyone have a recommendation for a new one? The dead one was a "Shop Vac" brand. It gave me long and faithful service but was *extremely* noisy and had one of those annoying hoses that pulled out of the vac anytime you reached for something with the hose. Looking for something quieter with a positive latch of some kind for the hose.
John
Just bought one after my Rigid died. New one is a Shop Vac. Don't recall the model but they now have "silent" ones. They aren't but are *much* quiter than vacs used to be. Hose locks too.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
W.W. Grainger has replacement units for them but they are as expensive as a new unit.
Al
"dadiOH" wrote in news:O7oHf.1640$7C3.1629@trnddc08:
IIRC,they are called "QSP" ShopVacs. some really expensive brands (Fein?) are much quieter.
Wood Magazine ran a test on shop vacs awhile back.Their web site ought to turn up the article.
New ones are much quieter and overall better. You can safely stick with the Shop Vac brand. Sears has some decent ones too and if you catch a sale, a good deal.
That's why I bought a new one. Seems to me manufacturer's should make parts available at realistic prices. One thing sure...Ridgid is now on my list. Sucker's can't even spell their name correctly :)
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
you kidding me!! it worked hard for 20 years and you wont buy another shop vac where is your loyalty to the brand?? nothing works for 20 years anymore.. BUY A NEW SHOP VAC
I have a Ridgid wet/dry and have been most pleased with its performance.
No, I'm not kidding you. My original post is above. Can you point out where I said I would never buy another "Shop Vac"?
John
I bought a Sears with a U shaped bag. Those suck up the most without losing suction. It was just a $100. And it has the ability to pump water uphill without priming which apparently others cannot do. I've never used that feature. Nice unit.
My shop vac (hoover) did that after 25 years; I just bought new brushes and installed them plus a drop of grease on the hidden bearing and am still using it, noise and all.
And somebody can't write "suckers" correctly :)
Parts are a profit center. There is no incentive to sell parts at a low price. There is a cost to maintaining a spare parts inventory and it is passed on to the consumer. Don't want to ay my high price for parts? I'll sell you a brand new unit.
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