Shop vacuum recommendations

[Steve Sawyer]

Okay, I know the Festool CT-22 or one of the Fein dust collectors are my first choice.

The reality is that I've spent a LOT of money on my shop in the last six months, and would like to find something less expensive. My current ShopVac(r) wet/dry vacuum is about ten years old, and I think it's starting to give up the ghost. It's gotten very noisy (like bearings or something) and doesn't suck worth a darn, even with the filter removed (which I did just to make sure that there wasn't something clogging the filter cartridge that wasn't visible or that wasn't coming off when knocked on the driveway). It's also configured as a pump (we bought it originally to drain our hot tub), and has a relatively huge footprint.

Can anyone recommend any of the mass-market vacs over any of the others?

Thanks.

[Jim McCarty]

I'm looking at a used Wap. Does anyone have any experience with these? How's the suction, noise, etc. Any complaints? Thanks.

[Jim Nardi]

Turbo 2 is a awesome machine. Very quiet and very simple to use. I also use a big sears model with the hepa filter on it. Cheap vacuum on the messy jobs and water leaks etc and expensive vac for sanding and chop saw inside a house. Maybe it's me but the older I get the quieter things are the happier I am.

[David Parker]

I'm also in the market for a reasonably priced vacuum. After researching them here and elsewhere, I've decided on the Ridgid WD1850 from Home Depot. Reasonably quiet, you can get 1 micron filters for it, and well reviewed by those who have it. Now if it would only go on sale :)

Dave

[J. Z. Guest]

Of the ones out there now in the mass market, the ones I see the most comments on are the Ridgid ones that claim to be quieter than usual.

IMO, unless you have a dust collector, a shop vac is no place to cut corners.

[Cary Falk]

I have the Ridgid 12 gallon one that goes on sale after Thanksgiving for $25. I couldn't be happier with it.

[Joe Jensen]

I'm looking at a used Wap. Does anyone have any experience with these? How's the suction, noise, etc. Any complaints? Thanks.

I have a WAP. IMHO they are the best vac (now Alto) that you can buy. More CFM, more inches of lift, and only 56 db. It's the most powerful, and quietest vac for workshops that's available. I spent nearly $1k for mine like 15 years ago. Mine is Drywaller version with auto start, and a built in filter cleaning brush. Alto bought WAP and used their technology for the current Alto line. I believe parts are available from Alto, but you should check for the specific model you are considering.

Also, a good feature set auto start Alto sells for around $700 online new. How much for the used WAP?

[Steve Sawyer]

IMO, unless you have a dust collector, a shop vac is no place to cut corners.

I do have a dust collector and fixed ducting, but the shop-vac gets hooked to the ROS, the router and is used for general shop clean-up as well as "spot" dust and chip collection on the drill press.

[Steve Sawyer]

I've decided on the Ridgid WD1850 from Home Depot.

Even not on sale, at $150 the price isn't too bad, and the reviews speak well of it.

[Matt Meiser]

I have one of these Ridgid 4 gal vacs in my garage which I really like. I've never used it in the shop, but its easily portable and it doesn't take up much space.

http://www.ridgid.com/assets/thumbnail.asp?path=/ASSETS/BB4097617F874D5784056A70726E2EC5/WD4050_4_Gallon_Vac_3C.jpg&key=%7B7A0CA2E6-9A77-4748-9C6E-D9C500C38370%7D

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/4-Gallon-Vac/EN/index.htm

[Tom Godley]

I had to buy a second VAC about a month ago - I wanted something a little smaller than the 16 gal Sears unit that I have owned for about two years. This unit has a motor that can come off and become a blower -- I actually use this feature plus the unit is very light without the motor (the top stays on)

I ended up with, I think the 12 gal unit from Sears - with the fixed motor. It is very nice -- and powerful -- it also uses the same Gore replacement filter as my other unit. The Gore filters are fantastic and a must have for me.


All said, last weekend my sister bought a Ridged unit for a little over $100.00 on sale. I was impressed. I always like the squat stance of the Sears units for stability but this Rigid unit was both tall and slim and stable! It also was very quiet -- also a better tone of noise. It may not have had as much power as my Sears units but was every bit as effective.

The one thing I hate about all of the regular units from all the manufactures is the hose -- they all have that plastic hose that is just too stiff - and gets difficult to work with as it ages.

I did not check the filter on the Ridged -- but I think I would get that over the Sears next time

[J. Z. Guest]

I do have a dust collector and fixed ducting, but the shop-vac gets hooked to the ROS, the router and is used for general shop clean-up as well as "spot" dust and chip collection on the drill press.

Well, in that case cut away. If you're using it with your router and ROS, the noise probably won't be much of an issue, as you'll probably be wearing ear protection anyhow.

[Steve Sawyer]

Well, in that case cut away.

Well, I am looking for good dust and chip collection, so I don't want to COMPLETELY cheap out! :) And yeah, as to the noise, with machinery use it isn't much of an issue, but I hate to have to put on hearing protectors to vacuum off the workbenches and floors. :rolleyes:

[Matt Meiser]

It seems like the newer vacs are quieter than ones from 5-10 years ago (I can't believe I'm old enough to talk about stuff I bought 10 years ago) but the Borg vacs seem significantly louder than the high-end vacs. I run that little Ridgid in the house and in the garage without hearing protection. Not say I should, but it doesn't seem bad. Not like my old big Ridgid. It came with a muffler built in, so that might be a difference.

[Ken Garlock]

Here is another vote for the Ridgid 14 gal vac. It has a noise level of less than 80 db, my rusty memory want to say around 76 db, and a person can easily talk over it without yelling. I also like the long power cord; it lets me get around nearly all of the shop from one outlet. The best thing I can say about it is IT SUCKS.;)

[Steve Sawyer]

Two of you have mentioned the Ridgid 12-gallon model, but I can't find anything that size - 6, 14, 16 gallon but no 12.

Anyone have a model number?

[Wayne Cannon]

After using Shop-Vac and Fein in my shop and trying the large Festool, I prefer my big 18 gal Shop-Vac. It's among the noisiest, but nothing I've tried has the moxie of the big Shop-Vac. I also have a large Fein Turbo III fixed to my miter saw. The Fein is nice and quiet with respectable suction, but I wouldn't pay that much again. I have ear protectors hanging conveniently all around my shop and prefer to wear them than spend $750 to $1200 on a vacuum that I'd prefer to invest elsewhere.

The Shop-Vac also has the widest variety of filter/bag options -- inexpensive and available everywhere. I typically use 0.3 micron HEPA pleated canister filters combined with drywall bags.

Shop-Vacs are not world-class quality, but the only repairs I've had to make in almost fifteen years are replacing the plastic on/off rocker and a plastic peg that prevented the motor from rotating under startup torque.

The I-Socket is a nice addition for automatic turn-on and delayed off. This feature is built into the Fein and several other brands.

[Steve Sawyer]

I prefer my big 18 gal Shop-Vac.

Do you mean this one? (http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Vac-18-Gallon-6-25-Vacuum-925-43-10/dp/B00004RHKJ/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1209226959&sr=1-22) If so, wow, that's in the same price range as a Festool.

[Ken Garlock]

Two of you have mentioned the Ridgid 12-gallon model, but I can't find anything that size - 6, 14, 16 gallon but no 12.

Anyone have a model number?

MY mistake, it is a 14 Gal. The model is WD1450.

I'll correct my post above.:o

[John Callahan]

I'm partial to Shop Vac, I had three (till one walked off a jobsite:mad:) in different sizes. Set up with a HEPA filter and the appropiate bag, they'll clean as well as anything. As Wayne mentioned, the bags are widely available. Good tech support too. All three vacs cost less than a Fein or Festool. They work well for me.

[Joel Goodman]

I've had the smaller (cheaper) Fein for several years and it's excellent. It's more than a Shop Vac with less capacity but it's a lot quieter.

[Vernon Taylor]

I am in the process of putting my old Craftsman in a cabinetI have lined with styrofoam insulation which I had left over from a long ago basement remodeling project the foam is 3/4 and was in panels meant to go between furring strips, I am using a dust collection kit by shopvac which is on clearance for 39.95 on their website "]WWW.shopvac ,com[/comes with clear tubing, blast gate and assorted fittings,might want to check it out. The foam has effectivly cut the noise by at least 50percent. and I plan on using it like a central vac, and dust collection for brnchtop tools. I have a cyclone DC for the larger machines and a Fein Turbe 3 which I use with the ROS.

[Steve Sawyer]

Very interesting.

Since the Ridgid models seem to be getting some good recommendations I went onto the HD website and compared three models.

What is amazing is that of the three models, the cheapest one - the 12-gallon WD1246 - had the best specs.

All three pulled 53 inches of static vacuum, but the CFM ratings look like this:

WD1850 - $150 - 203 CFM - 12 Amps
WD1450 - $100 - 178 CFM - 11 Amps
WD1246 - $70 - 289 CFM - 10 Amps

[Peter Quadarella]

Strange, makes you wonder how that could be possible. Typo?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Re: the Ridgid/ WD1246/1247

Strange, makes you wonder how that could be possible. Typo?
No, it's not a typo or "black magic". The 1246/47 (the 1247 designates the free filter model) runs flat out and flat out runs and moves a remarkable amount of air.
It also has a fairly short lifespan/eats filters/depends on clean filters for all that air movement and suction.
I have three of them - I cant pass up a bargain ;)- I bought from HD on Black Friday over the last three years.
1 is for dry use, 1 is for wet use and the third I bought simply because it came with a free filter. Filters are $15.00 ea. and the vac w/free filter was $29.00. I saved a buck.

Did I mention it does scream? Both in performance (w/clean filters) and in relative noise level. It also sucks down a lot of juice (no pun intended).
Last spring when I redid the floors at a rental, I had to (try to) use the vac with a set of 500W halogen lights. As long as the filter was clean, I was OK. As soon as the filter clogged a little, you could hear the motor start to strain,,and WHAM! It would trip the breaker. I got to where I could hear by the pitch of the motor when it was getting close, shut it down and took the filter outside and shook it off.

Bottom line - is it a good $70.00 vac?
No.
Is it a great $29.00 vac?
Absolutely!

[Rob Will]

I have owned about 8 shop vacs. Looking back over the years, the ones that had the longest service life (and still going) were the commercial models with a metal tank. IMHO, the extra weight and larger wheels are a positive thing. The stainless steel model at Lowes is worth looking at.

Rob

[Thomas Williams]

Just to throw in my 2 cents, I recently purchased the Ridgid WD1450 and feel that this was well worth the price. The noise is very tolerable and it provides plenty of suction for my needs.
I would have liked to had one of the top end models but I just could not justify the expense for a shop vac. I can use the difference in price to put toward updating my dust collector.

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

I'm about to try the WD1450, as I've read the noise reduction on that one should make it quiter than my 10 year old crapman screamer. I have having to wear hearing protection to vacuum out a car. Not to mention that I can't have the kids outside while I'm doing it unless they're wearing hearing protection too. Damn inconvenient. I keep forgetting to bring a db meter home from work to see just how loud that thing is, but I'd like to compare the two. Does anybody have a sound level rating for the 1450?

[Thomas Williams]

I can't tell you in decibels, but the WD1450 can be used without ear protection, I can hear the phone ring when I am using it and can even carry on a conversation. My old vac was an early Ridgid that was so loud I could not hear a router when the vac was running.

[Keith Pitman]

I bought the 12 gallon Porter Cable recently to replace a very old Sears model. It's a big improvement over the old Sears: Much quieter, has an outlet for a tool and auto-start, long cord and hose. Only negative is that it uses a nonstandard tools, so you have to buy Porter Cable attachments.

[Wayne Cannon]

The Festool 6- and 9-gal Festool CT-22 and CT-33 are $490 and $530, respectively, everywhere I've looked. The 2.5-gal Festool "Mini" is $330. My 18-gal Shop-Vac 962-18-00 is $125 at my local Ace Hardware.

It's hard to compare spec's since they only spec max suction and volume and not a suction at a particular CFM. The Shop-Vac is spec'd at 65 inches of suction and 185 CFM, while the Festool is spec'd at 90 inches of suction and 134 CFM.

I would guess that the Festools would be quieter (72 dba ain't bad) while the Shop-Vac spec simply says "Quiet" (which I would consider a screamer).

[Steven Hardy]

I have owned about 8 shop vacs. Looking back over the years, the ones that had the longest service life (and still going) were the commercial models with a metal tank. IMHO, the extra weight and larger wheels are a positive thing. The stainless steel model at Lowes is worth looking at.

Rob

Yep ...I agree. I splurged and got the wd19500 last year with the stainless tank ( I have been known to procrastinate dumping the water after using as a water sucker) For its strength, (12amp) It is reasonably quiet. The tool holder bag is actually useful,the primary hose is 10 feet long and more flexible than most. The water drain is conveniant .The accessory collection is actually pretty complete.The line cord is plenty long..and it works with the large "Shop-Vac" bags . It even has an exhaust port. For a closer look,see the manual here. http://www.ridgidparts.com/pdf/WD19500.pdf