Keep in mind that a shop vac IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE a real dust collection system, and trying to use a shop vac as such is dangerous healthwise.
There have been many detailed threads on the subject in this group, Google and learn.
-Zz
Last year, Home depot put their 16 gal "6.5 hp" model on sale and threw in their little portable stinger vacuum for a package price of $69. Rather than get a Fein, I put the savings toward a PC biscuit joiner. I was pretty surprised at how well the Ridgid worked. I recall it comes with a lifetime warranty. The little stinger turned out to be a real workhorse. I use it with the biscuit joiner. The hoses on both vacuums are too short and stiff. I bought some really good hoses that were long and supple for each vacuum. That made all the difference in the world in their utility.
The Ridgid is not quiet like the Fein but its nowhere near as noisy as my former craftsman. It doesn't have that shreeking type sound. I would buy one again.
Bob
Doug Kanter wrote:
[tamped, and sucked into the disposable bag]You can't do better than Fein for plain old sucking and doing it quietly... reminds me of a girl I once dated, but let's not go there just now. I'll line up with the rest of the Ridgid boyz on this one. I have the new version of their 16 gallon model WD1850. The pleated filter, in combination with the disposable filter bag was just the ticket. I bent over and bought the extra HEPA filter as well, on account of some godawful allergies, but so far in one massive weekend of sucking broken plaster, termite dung, sawdust, nails, tacks, staples and anything smaller than an Alaskan Husky, this device has served well.
The first thing I noticed, other than the impressive sucking, was the noise (or lack thereof). I have had some unbearable screamers in my day (had loud vacuum cleaners as well), but this beast is no noisier than your regular house vacuum. No, it's not nearly as quiet as a Fein (I believe those purr at around 58/59dB, which is quieter than the ghetto-mom next door when she screams at her kids or tries to sing along to her old Madonna CDs), but then nothing is... unless it's a Miele White Star house vacuum cleaner. I have one of those, and I'm glad to be retiring it from shop/car cleanup duty.
I like the "homeless lady cart" set-up and the large rear wheels on the WD1850. The long cord is handy too. In the course of vacuuming-up two weeks' worth of demolition, framing and plastering detritus (remodeling the nursery^H^H^H^H^H^H^H front bedroom), it also did a fine job of clearing the room of airborne dust. They don't advertise it that way, it just happened.
The 16 gallon model is a bit bulky (well duh, it's 16 gallons and I could see by the size of the box that it wasn't the size of a Dustbuster (TM B&D)), but it followed me around the room without wanting to tip over. It's mostly plastic, so it's pretty lightweight. For dry use, I wouldn't consider using it without the big filter bag. The pleated filters are supposedly washable.
My only real gripe concerns the "utility" attachment, which is not really a floor sweep. The "mouth" seems a bit big, and so the suction is diffused. I hate it when the opening's too damned big and you feel like you're tossing a hotdog down a hallway. I couldn't suck nails and plaster chips offa the floor the way I was when sucking 'em out of cracks and crevices like with the crevice tool or car attachment. I didn't get the floor sweep attachment yet, and that will be the first thing I get next time I visit the BORG. The tool bag that hangs on the handle is useful for holding stuff you're not using, but the sleeves (intended to hold the wand extentions) are a bit snug and make it difficult getting the wands in/out of there. I mean snug is good, but I felt like I was gonna have to part with the price of two margaritas and dinner, before I could fiddle those tubes in their respective slots. No big deal. The hose stowage thingies work fine, as does wrapping the cord around the top handle (I actually just wind it up and dump it into the tool bag). It's nice to be able to roll it into a corner and have everything stay put, unlike the typical situation with cannister-style vacuums, where your wand/floor-sweep ends up leaning against a wall and then sliding down it later in the middle of the night, with that unmistakable "screeeeeeeeeeeeee... thump!" sound, causing your slightly incontinent old Westie to get spooked and have an accident on your 80-year old oak strip flooring. DAMHIKT.
Anyways, hope this review helped. I normally don't trust these 'lectrical devices, and this one seems to be working as advertised. Imagine that.
O'Deen
Dude, that was so bonerific a testimonial dat I almost wanted to run to the Borg and buy two.
Y'all should really get a gig on QVC.
"The Galoot Hour.
The Power of the Powerless.
Brought To You By Deltoid.
Hosted by that ol' galootasaurus, O'Deen"
Hell yes - and I'd be watchin' fo' sho'.
Tom Watson - WoodDorker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)
[snipped for brevity, but saved due to an abundance of hilarity, thanks for that... I needed a few good laughs]
I need an additional big ugly sucker, I'll give it a look.
I ended up with the 9 gallon Ridgid. My only beef with the thing is that the swivel for the hose is at the end where it attaches to the vacuum. That's dumb. My old Sears unit had it the other way around. But, for $30 (on sale), I'll live with it.
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