shop vac comparison

[cody michael]

i want a shopvac for the woodshop. i would like to be able to hook it up to the dust collection ports on tablesaw/bandswa/planer if possible. if not just for getting shavings off the floor.

i am looking at these 2

http://bfads.net/Ridgid-16Gallon-WetDry-Vac-at-Home-Depot

or

http://bfads.net/Shopvac-14Gallon-45HP-WetDry-Vac-with-Bonus-Microcleaning-Kit-at-Lowes

what do you guys think is better one? has anyone owned either?

[Bill Huber]

With any shop vac as a dust collector you will need something to separate the dust ahead of the vac.

I use a Ridgid 6.5 hp, that is what its called, and it works very well now that I have a Mini Cyclone in front of it. With out the cyclone in front the filter would fill so fast that I was spending more time cleaning the filter then doing the work.

With mine I went one step farther, I removed the filter and exhaust it out the back of my shop. This works very well as long as I don't let the bucket under the cyclone get to full. I did wrap fiberglass screen around the intake of the shop vac.

After using it for a year I took the shop vac apart and check it to see if there was any damage and there was none.

You can also get trash can type separaters but they do not get the dust as will as the cyclones do, but they do get the chips.

I have my little shop piped with the plastic pipe and have those little gate for the sander, table saw, drill press and one for just general clean up.

There are 2 go mini cyclones out there, the Mini CV06 which at this time is still not being sold and the Dust Deputy which you can buy for $60. Both are good units and get the dust out before it gets to the shop vac.

[Greg Peterson]

If you are going to use a shop vac for DC, as Bill suggested get a Dust Deputy type cyclone to separate the chips. Otherwise you will not only spend an unnatural amount of time cleaning your filter but your DC performance will diminish as your filter gets plugged.

I bought just the Deputy without all the accouterments for $59. A complete kit is around $100 if I recall. I also added a hepa filter.


I use a Ridgid vac with the Scroll Noise Reduction (SNR). I have used and owned several shop vacs over the years and the Ridgid is hands down the winner. I would not say the Ridgid is much quieter than the rest, but the tone is a lower register and nowhere near as fatiguing to the ears as the ones I have over the years. My last Sears unit was so annoying I would have to put on hearing protection. It produced a piercing and loud tone that would just wear your ears out if you ran the unit for any length of time.

[Joe Wiliams]

ClearVue is taking pre-orders for a redesigned version of their lid conversion that fits one of the Ridgid models.


Our New Design has several advantages over the old design. It is lower and will fit in spaces that the old mini wouldn't. It handles larger debris much better than the old design and still maintains the same great separation efficency of the old design.

www.clearvuecyclones.com/

[Jason Hallowell]

I've had a couple of the ridgids, and like them a lot. I run mine through a shop made Thien style pre-separator, and use it in conjunction with my DC for a lot of my tools.

[Greg Peterson]

I just read about the ClearVue system. I think they offer a great product too. If it were available at the time I would have considered them. Hopefully they can successfully navigate the legal landscape that is preventing them from providing consumers more choice.

[harry strasil]

I have the 12 gal 5 hp shopvac quiet series hooked to a clearvu mini and 2.5 inch clear piping and also a portable shopvac on a little roll around with the dust deputy for extra use and for floor clean up.

[Jeff Bratt]

+1 on some type of chip separator between the vac and the tool. Another possibility is building a Phil Thein baffle (http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm). Also, while I haven't used the ShopVac brand, the Ridgid (with SNR?) is significantly quieter than my old Sears vac. And those advertised special prices look great!

[Randal Stevenson]

ClearVue is taking pre-orders for a redesigned version of their lid conversion that fits one of the Ridgid models.



www.clearvuecyclones.com/ (http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/)


Are they adapting it to any other models? The numbers they show, are not shown as sold on HD's website?

[glenn bradley]

I have the Ridgid 6.5 as well. It is the one that Clearvue shows. The feature they are taking advantage of is that the vac is/was marketed with a detachable motorhead that could be used as a leaf blower.

I originally went with Ridgid as Shop-Vac hoses and attachments are very specific and pricey. Ridgid must have figured that out because they now too think a 2-1/14" piece of plastic 3" long is worth $5.

Whichever one you get, spend the $35 on a Clean Stream filter. I have one in both my vacs and will undoubtably add one to the HD black friday vac I intend to get for the other end of the shop. They're made of a material that releases the dust easier than others. You just toss them in the yard and hit them with the hose to clean them. Low dust and quick (except for waiting for them to dry for a few).

All that being said, I use a "Rockler" seperator ahead of the large vac that has a 25' hose for ROS, routers and general shop clean up. This is not near as nice as a cyclone pre-seperator but, only costs $20. I am hoping Santa brings me a Dust Deputy ;-)

The smaller vac is auto-switched for my DPs and the smaller bandsaw. These are more chip makers than dust makers and I can dump the vac half a dozen times or so before I have to clean the filter. I move my oscillating sander off of this vac so that should improve further now.

The black friday vac will remove my need to drag the large vac hose (and add still more hose) to reach the far corner by my shop around the cyclone and tablesaw-no-,man's-land areas which tend to snowdrift (with light sawdust) every so often; ergo, a 3rd vac.

P.s. Just to set your expectations correctly, even my 6.5 vac couldn't keep up with even mild planer use. It sure beat "nothing" though, that's for sure.

[Michael McDonald]

I have the new redesigned version of the ClearVue lid conversion that fits the Ridgid shop vacuum. It's an excellent design, combining the vac and cyclone into one compact unit, and it works great.

[Joe Scharle]

I put a Phil Thein baffle (http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm) in a 50 gal fiber can, in front of my Fein about a year ago or more, and haven't had to change the bag since. I used to change bags every month. I have dumped the can 4-5 times.
I do feed planner chips to another can.

[Joe Wiliams]

Are they adapting it to any other models? The numbers they show, are not shown as sold on HD's website?
The WD1670 is available in-store but not online...

www.clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm (http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm)
We are very please to announce a great addition to our product line. We have developed a conversion lid that easily converts a Blower Vac W/D Vac /w detachable blower (Model WD1670) available here (http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/WD1670-16G-Blower-Vac/) to our mini CV06 cyclone separator. In a matter of minutes you can have your Mini set up and ready to go. It saves the trouble of finding a suitable container to put the mini on, building a cart etc. and utilizes the 16 gallon capacity of the blower vac. Note: This model is available at local Home Depot Stores but they do not carry it online. I have a slightly different model number but it's a blower/vac so i'm gambling it will fit. I read the WD1670 is going to be a Black Friday sale item. Might pick one up.

I have the new redesigned version of the ClearVue lid conversion that fits the Ridgid shop vacuum. It's an excellent design, combining the vac and cyclone into one compact unit, and it works great.
Are they shipping the new version now? I read it as 4-6 weeks from 10-30-09. Maybe it's 4-6 weeks from order date?

[Jim O'Dell]

The WD1670 is available in-store but not online...
I have a slightly different model number but it's a blower/vac so i'm gambling it will fit. I read the WD1670 is going to be a Black Friday sale item. Might pick one up.

Are they shipping the new version now? I read it as 4-6 weeks from 10-30-09. Maybe it's 4-6 weeks from order date?

Joe, I think I have the same older unit. The motor head is black instead of gray. If that is what you have, let me know how it fits. I'm guessing it is the same. I'd love to have the CV mini on my shop vac. And the Clean Stream filters are wonderful. Just be careful with the water pressure when you clean them, as that seems to peel something off the filter material. :o:o Looks like teflon of some sort. Jim.

[george wilson]

If you want a quiet vac just as powerful as any,get the Fein 7 gallon. I have one,and though they cost money,I would be too spoiled to go back to a cheaper unit. Plus,my hearing isn't too good in 1 ear,and I'd like to keep it from getting worse.

[cody michael]

i couldn't find anything about a seperator for 20$ could you show link?


I have the Ridgid 6.5 as well. It is the one that Clearvue shows. The feature they are taking advantage of is that the vac is/was marketed with a detachable motorhead that could be used as a leaf blower.

I originally went with Ridgid as Shop-Vac hoses and attachments are very specific and pricey. Ridgid must have figured that out because they now too think a 2-1/14" piece of plastic 3" long is worth $5.

Whichever one you get, spend the $35 on a Clean Stream filter. I have one in both my vacs and will undoubtably add one to the HD black friday vac I intend to get for the other end of the shop. They're made of a material that releases the dust easier than others. You just toss them in the yard and hit them with the hose to clean them. Low dust and quick (except for waiting for them to dry for a few).

All that being said, I use a "Rockler" seperator ahead of the large vac that has a 25' hose for ROS, routers and general shop clean up. This is not near as nice as a cyclone pre-seperator but, only costs $20. I am hoping Santa brings me a Dust Deputy ;-)

The smaller vac is auto-switched for my DPs and the smaller bandsaw. These are more chip makers than dust makers and I can dump the vac half a dozen times or so before I have to clean the filter. I move my oscillating sander off of this vac so that should improve further now.

The black friday vac will remove my need to drag the large vac hose (and add still more hose) to reach the far corner by my shop around the cyclone and tablesaw-no-,man's-land areas which tend to snowdrift (with light sawdust) every so often; ergo, a 3rd vac.

P.s. Just to set your expectations correctly, even my 6.5 vac couldn't keep up with even mild planer use. It sure beat "nothing" though, that's for sure.

[cody michael]

would i work to make a "http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm" seperator and put a eletric blower on other end? blowing outside of shop for a cheap dust collector?

[Joe Wiliams]

Joe, I think I have the same older unit. The motor head is black instead of gray. If that is what you have, let me know how it fits. I'm guessing it is the same. I'd love to have the CV mini on my shop vac. And the Clean Stream filters are wonderful. Just be careful with the water pressure when you clean them, as that seems to peel something off the filter material. :o:o Looks like teflon of some sort. Jim.
Mine is actually fairly new, less than a year old maybe? Don't know off hand what the model # is, I wanna say 1671. HD had a couple different one's on sale with different accessory kits, I think that is the only difference.

I will let you know if it fits but you may want to remind me in a few weeks though:o

[glenn bradley]

i couldn't find anything about a seperator for 20$ could you show link?

Rockler doesn't show them online anymore although my local store still carries them. Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-W2049-2-Stage-Cyclone-Separator/dp/B0000223XZ

[Jeff Bratt]

Rockler doesn't show them online anymore although my local store still carries them. Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-W2049-2-Stage-Cyclone-Separator/dp/B0000223XZ

Don't waste your money - it's only $20, but a Thien baffle works much better...

[Wayne Cannon]

One advantage of the ShopVac is that there are more after-market products available to fit them, such as better filters, etc. The ShopVac is noisy, however.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on the Rigid and a Clean Stream. Cheap setup. The Cleanstream is awesome as mentioned before. Just hose it off, no giant dust cloud.
I works until it has an incredible amount of dust. I use it on my drum sander when I'm too lazy to get out my real DC. Nothing makes more fine dust than that. Can't afford a Dust Deputy yet.