Shop Vac

[Paul Douglass]

Well my 18 year old Craftsman shop vac is giving out. I need to replace it. I went to Sears this weekend to look at the new ones (one was on sale) and I just can't do it! What happened? They are so cheaply make I don't think they would last long. I looked at the Rigid today, more expensive but didn't look bad. Anyone have on and how is it?

[mark page]

I have the 6.0 peak hp 14 gallon with SNR. I use a liner bag made for drywall dust, and also installed the optional muffler for it. It's very quiet and I love it. A lot better than the screaming banshee craftsman I still have. I bought it at the orange borg.

[Jim Dunn]

I have the 6.5 16gallon stainless steel unit and love it. I use it to vacuum the truck floors, sometimes the shop tools/floor and clean inside grease traps. It delivers in both respects, wet and dry.

[Dick Strauss]

Paul,
Our local HD had the 12gal 3.5hp ridgid shopvacs on sale for $49 for Father's day. The deal may still be available. One nice thing though...All ridgid products are guaranteed for life (filters and attachments excluded). At this price it beats anything on the market and does one heck of a job. I bought one for myself last year and one for a friend earlier this year because I liked it so much.

Good luck,
Dick

[Dave MacArthur]

I was looking at these both, and I can't really figure out WHICH of the Rigids at HD are these "super quiet" ones I keep reading about? I looked for "SNR" on the boxes, but didn't see anything on the stainless? I'd like to get the stainless, but with all the very positive reviews I have read here on the quietness, I want to be sure I get that also...

Paul, I have recently read probably 5 posts here that specifically stated their SNR equipped Rigid shop vacs were quieter than their Fein or Festool vacuums, and people seemed to like the Rigid greatly for a VACUUM. My impression was that most still recommend Fein/Festool if the main purpose was dust collection from hand tools though.

[glenn bradley]

I've been pounding on my 6.5 for quite awhile. I added a CleanStream filter, quite a difference especially at filter cleaning time. I use it for my sanders, CMS and for the floor. I picked up a little version that I keep by the DP.

[Phil Thien]

I don't think the stainless offers SNR. You want the SNR. One of the orange, plastic ones.

Mine is great, lots of suck and quiet, too.

[John Revilla]

SNR 6HP 16gal owner here. Quiet, powerful and efficient. For vacuuming dust, I use the blue filter. Comes with free tool bag by mail. Godspeed.

[Matt Benton]

I bought the shop vac brand from Lowe's. Got it home, took it out of the box, put it back in the box, and returned it. Went directly to HD and bought the Rigid.

My dad has a Rigid, and I could tell immediately that the shopvac brand wasn't half as well-built.

[Bill White]

O.K. I'll bite. I have the Ridgid w/ muffler. Had it for 6/7 yrs. Been pleased with it 'cause it works well, but what the H*&^ is SNR?
Bill

[John Huber]

I bought a shopvac from Lowes. It quit within three months. Took it back and got another one. It also quit witin three months. Took it back. Got a Ridgid from Home Depot, still going strong after 18 months. Only problem is that the bags tend to burst before they are half full.

[Tom Veatch]

O.K. I'll bite. I have the Ridgid w/ muffler. Had it for 6/7 yrs. Been pleased with it 'cause it works well, but what the H*&^ is SNR?
Bill

SNR - "Scroll Noise Reduction"

Why it's called that, I have no idea. But mine is much quieter that a smaller (and much older) Sears model.

And at least some (http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/WD1950-Steel-Tank-Vac/EN/index.htm) of the steel tank versions do have the SNR design.

[Bill White]

Thanks. I bought the muffler that was available at the time I bought mine. It made a big diff. Had not heard about the "new tech" vacs.
Bill

[Randal Stevenson]

Well my 18 year old Craftsman shop vac is giving out. I need to replace it. I went to Sears this weekend to look at the new ones (one was on sale) and I just can't do it! What happened? They are so cheaply make I don't think they would last long. I looked at the Rigid today, more expensive but didn't look bad. Anyone have on and how is it?

Paul, from when you bought yours, Emerson made them. Around the RAS fiasco (lawsuit), Emerson and Sears seperated. Now they and Lowe's are Shop vac.
Ridgid is made by Emerson (don't know what country), has the SNR on the LARGER PLASTIC vac's, and has some sound deadning material and a different pitch. They are a lifetime warranty (although I haven't had to try it, our 8 year old one at work still works like a champ).
I went with the Fein, as the SNR ones weren't out when I bought mine (locally not nationally). And since HD has a decent return policy, I'd say see how one sounds to you (although Please DON'T return it dirty).

[Paul Douglass]

Well thanks for all the input and based on it all I went a picked up a 16 gal. 6.5 hp (peak) pro one.I just couldn't talk myself into $20 more for the stainless one. Everyone I look at had the SNR thingy. Don't know what it really is but this baby sure is a whole lot quieter than the old Sears or my son's newer Sears with a muffler. I LIKE IT! Sure is a ugly orange though, oh well goes with my ugly orange jointer. Man oh man the on/off switch is right there in front and it is big enough to use. I LIKE IT!:D ;)