A GOOD Shop Vac?

Can you recommend a good shop vac for an at-home puttering type not a pro............price a consideration too!

Reply to
fxmalone
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What do you consider good? Powerful, quiet, portable, versatile, large, small, etc.? Fein is supposed to be about the best, but they're very expensive. If noise isn't an issue (if you're wearing hearing protection regardless), the Ridgid 9gal with HEPA filter I have works fine. Just noisy, but it does suck like it's supposed to. Not too expensive. The 12gal is supposedly quieter. I'm not sure Ridgid is any better than any of the others; I think Craftsman is made in the same factory. "Shop Vac" brand is a different manufacturer, and they might be quieter, but of the consumer-grade ones, I don't think there's much difference in performance (once you get a HEPA filter). A bag might be nice to facilitate cleaning and add another layer of filtration - my Ridgid doesn't have that option. Good luck, Andy

Reply to
Andy

I have two of the craftsman jobs, a 3.5 and 5 horsepower (don't ask how they come up with those figures) and they both have super suction, but are horrendously loud. Most vacs like this are loud. Ridgid is the same as Sears (emerson electric I belive) but I'd look for the one with best warranty, accessories, wheeled base and most importantly, hose retention. Can't count the times my hose has come loose at the vac and I've had to stop to reattach it.

I have beaten the living daylights out of these things doing a home renovation where I was removing a house full of plaster, lath, etc. and they keep going and going. I had a beam fall on one unit and it is now crippled as one wheel is broken off, so that one looks a bit injured. The impressive thing about these units how they can suck up nearly anything - insulation from Romex, cat poop, gravel, nails, bolts, shop rags, etc (watch where you point it). You quickly learn that they are far superior to any broom or such.

One time our house keeper flushed a rag down the tolit and stopped it up. I scratched my head for a while but then got out the shop vac and wrapped a towel around the end for a good seal, then stuck it down in there and it got the water and then removed the rag - saving a big plumber bill and time.

Good luck

Reply to
scott

I currently have two RIDGID vacs A large and a small. Quite happy with both.

Reply to
Joe Bemier

If by good you mean good suction and longevity, I've had my 3 HP? 16 gal Craftsman for about 15 years or so now. I was the most powerful they sold then, so I suspect the only thing that's changed is the bogus way they compute horsepower. When the filter is reasonably clean it'll suck the curtains off the walls (well, it would if I had curtains in my shop). But the shreik it puts out has an annoyance factor second only to a cheap router mounted in an aluminum table. I expect you'll have to do some research and spend some dollars to get a quiet vac that will equal its performance though.

DonkeyHody "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

Reply to
DonkeyHody

Yes -- the ShopVac brand, Contractor Series. I bought the 12-gallon, "5.5 peak HP" (yeah, right -- with a 120V 15A cord??) model at Lowe's this spring for about $75 or $80.

Strong suction, lots of hose, long cord (maybe 20'), QUIET.

Reply to
Doug Miller

As others have mentioned, in the consumer grade there isn't going to be an enormous difference in quality among the bigger names (ShopVac, Rigid, Craftsman (sears), etc.) I would be more concerned with features based on your needs. I have a sears vac that I have been happy with. It has an exhaust outlet on top for the hose that turns it into a wheel based blower. Some units don't have that capability. Others are designed to allow you to take the motor off and turn it into a "portable" blower. If you expect to use the wet capability, look for a drain c*ck in the body (mine does not have one but I have never used the wet feature anyhow). Unless you spend big bucks, your vac WILL be loud.

Dave Hall

Reply to
Dave Hall

I've got a Craftsman that as long as I don't clog up the filter with drywall dust and remember to empty it once in a while works a treat. When I got it I noticed that Home Depot was selling what appeared to be an identical unit (and the design is funky enough that that's not likely to be a coincidence) under the "Ridgid" label.

Reply to
J. Clarke

I agree with Doug Miller that the ShopVac Contractor series is an excellent choice. I spent the extra on the stainless one but that may be over-kill for a putterer. I like that vac as much as a couple of 'pro' vacs I own, which I use for specific sanding applications. (HEPA down to 0.3 micron) ShopVacs are cool because you can get bags and stuff for them everywhere and they're almost all upgradable to HEPA standards.

I don't know what's up with these new-fangled combo units with leaf-blowers, water-pumps, hairdryers, lawn-ornaments, surround sound, 'tastes-like-butter' attachments.

r
Reply to
Robatoy

The last time I bought a shop vac, I went to Sears (gasp!) and chose a Craftsman 6hp (!) model. They were also selling Shop Vac brand and I compared noise levels. IMO, the Craftsman was quieter. In the store display.

I also picked up a Cleanstream filter for it while I was at it.

My previous shop vac, also a Craftsman is now out in the garage. Still working.

But that's what's worked for me. What do you really need to do with yours? Buy accord>Can you recommend a good shop vac for an at-home puttering type not a

Reply to
George Max

I'll tell you what I don't like about Ridgid: the way the hose attaches to the vac. ShopVac has a very nice screw-on hose, whereas Ridgid has this little piece of plastic that holds onto a lip...something that's bound to break off or wear out.

Mike

Reply to
upand_at_them

Having worn out a couple of different brand shop vacuum cleaners I can honestly say that a dust collector kicks butt for not too much more money and offers a lot more capacity and much less noise.

Reply to
Leon

IIRC both brands are/were manufactured by Emerson.

Reply to
Leon

I have a 1.5hp dust collector, but I'm considering using a shop vac also. The reason is that the volume and air velocity differences between the two are different enough that I think a shop vac might be better suited to certain jobs while a DC might be better for others. For example, the jointer and planer definitly need a DC. But for hand-held tools, I would opt for the shop vac.

I tried to attach my DC to a reducer, then to a hose, then to the leigh dust collection router attachment thingy. I wasn't too happy with the results. It just didn't seem to suck hard enough to get all the chips. I think the difference is the amount of dust created vs the size of the area where the dust is being collected. On a planer, the cutter head area is sort of large compared to the bit area of a router or the space under a ROS. I'm sure someone can chime in with the science behind volume vs velocity.

I also like the idea of attaching the DC to the cabinet of my router table, but attaching a shopvac to the router fence. I need to experiment more. Or maybe I just need a bigger dust collector. :-)

brian

Reply to
brianlanning

Does anyone have that Hoover GUV? Amazon has good reviews for it. I'm sort of leaning toward that paired with the oneida dust deputy together in an enclosed roll-around cabinet with a built in extension cord.

Is there any way to tell which ones pull harder? A chart or something?

brian

Reply to
brianlanning

If you have a Farm & Fleet nearby, I recommend this one:

It's an awful lot of utility vac for the price, and I couldn't f> Can you recommend a good shop vac for an at-home puttering type not a

Reply to
M Berger

Well on my jointer the shavings just fall down the chute into a box, I don't see the point in hooking anything up to it. But then I generally just edge joint with it, maybe face jointing produces chips too fast to fall out on their own.

The impeller will have a relationship between CFM, how much volume of air it moves, and static pressure, how much resistance from the size and amount of ducting/hose it has to move the air through. A dust collector is designed to move a high CFM at relatively low static pressure. A vacuum is designed to move a lower CFM at relatively high static pressure. If you choke down a dust collector to a small hose it will move hardly any air.

-Leuf

Reply to
Leuf

I have an older 16 gal Shopvac (30+ yrs). still works great. The wife just bought me a new 2 gal Craftsman Wet/Dry for $15 (sale ends today) that I can use on our boat as the bigger one was a little awkward. Jim

Reply to
James

I tried that too with less favorable results. Eleminate the small hose and keep the hose large until it attaches to the tool if possible. I have my DC attached to my router fence and if the collection of debris is possable no chips get away. Not all situations permit collection regardless of what vac or collector you use. The fence has a 2.5 to 4" adapter.

Reply to
Leon

I have had a 12 gal. 3hp Shopvac brand for over 10 years now and not a drop of trouble. The filters are available everywhere and when I remember to clean it, it can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. I bought it on sale at Lowe's for $49

Allen

Reply to
Allen Roy

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