Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Can't recall model # but my Ridgid purchased on Craigslist is great - $30-50 gets most shop vacs in this area on CL. Mine is not the largest model, but large enough for me, has wheels, plenty of power and decent hose. I have the model that can detach as a blower, which is not a particularly useful feature for, as I have other blowers; if I didn' t have other blowers that might be a useful feature.

Henry

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

John in NM

I bought one of the bigger Rigid's a few years ago and I like it. Only complaint is that it's easy to tear the bag on the place where the nozzle enters the bag, but I would imagine all are like that. Bags are readily available at Home Despot, vacuum has good power. Haven't tried the warranty on any Rigid stuff, but then I'm not a warranty person - I just go buy a new starter for my horrible old truck rather than trying to get a free one from the near-universal "lifetime" warranty.

I prefer bags to cartridge filters myself. Most of what I vacuum up I never want to see again Emptying the vac was always a messy pain in the neck when I used a cartridge filter.

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

Jerry Nicholson

I bought a DeWalt shop vacuum for the LOML to give me for Christmas. I have to say - DeWalt vacuums really suck!

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

kneale brownson

I have a couple Ridgid models, a smaller one and one that holds quite a few gallons and uses the readily-available bag system that's a lot cleaner to empty. I've had them for quite a few years and have had no issues with either.

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

Barry Irby

I also have one of the larger Rigids and I have the drywall dust bag in it. I like it well enough that when it's predecessor failed after quite a few years, I bought another. I really like the bag. Much easier to throw it away than to clean the pleated filter. I am cheap, so I cut the end off one of the bags and resealed it again with a couple of stick and a small clamp. Not really worth it.

Another thing I did was buy one of the switches you plug into an outlet and plug the vac and tool into it. Trigger the tool and the vac comes on and stays on for about ten seconds after the tool is off. Really like it.

I also have a Festool vac I bought at a tool auction. I like it too, but it's not worth 8 times as much as the Rigid.

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

JL

I have two different models of Ridgid.

One was a Black Friday special.

I like Ridgid - and when these go - I would buy another.

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

David Weaver

Single stage - ridgid WD1450 and 1650 were both nice. Not sure if they still make the same vacs (mine is 12-14 years old and has done a lot of duty pulling air through a garbage can separator setup). I'd buy another if it quit.

Not sure what the less expensive two stage vacs are -also have the middle size fein and it moves less air (two stage vs. one) but is certainly much stronger when conditions are less than ideal. The single stage vacs are just air movers but they don't like to have to move air through anything.

Re: Shop vac replacement - Thank you

Martin

Thank you all for the responses.

noise?

Howard Pollack

Are any of these vacuums relatively quiet? Thanks. -Howard

Re: noise?

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

My Fein Turbo II is very quiet compared to most shop vacs (volume of 67 dB (A)). The ridgid even with the muffler is 78 DB(A), 90 with out. The price is higher, but it comes with variable speed, wheels, wet dray capability, replaceable filters, a built in autostart outlet and a variety of tools and extensions. You can actually talk to people right next to mine when it is operating.

Re: noise?

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

The ad-on muffler for the exhaust helps.

Anything with noise reduction..

David Weaver

I've had three shop vacs - first was an older shop vac brand (no noise reduction - too much noise when there are other cheap options).

The other two are the mid size fein and the older ridgid WD1450. I believe that the WD 1450 is mid 70s in terms of noised (decibels) and it's never been a noise issue for me (I'm intolerant of loud noise, don't know why - can't stand the louder shop vacs).

The fein is quieter but cost more than 3 times as much as is less good for bulk air movement at low static pressure.

I'd make sure whatever anyone gets at this point, noise reduction is part of the equation.

Re: Anything with noise reduction..

Bill White

I have the Ridgid 16 gal. w/ detachable blower and added the muffler. Been goin' for 10+ years. I would buy it again.

DUST

Buck Nall

See lots concerning dust * vacuums.

I live in country. House behind my shop is prolly 100 yds. away. Back window my shop is 4'x8' ply hung sideways with hinges, propped open. 36'' attic fan attached to/in that opening. It sucks air thru entrance door or overhead door.

UNDERNEATH TS, there is a 5 hoss vacuum & barrel to suck EVERYTHING THE TS MAKES/PRODUCES.

THAT BIG FAN only runs when I'm creating dust.

This is my dust collector/disposer.

IS THERE SOMETHING I'M OVERLOOKING?

Re: DUST

David Weaver

As i recall, in the strange wile-e-coyote thing that happened 15 years ago when we were all going to get lung disease so we all needed 30 amps of dust collection and other contraptions (don't forget to buy certain brands, that was important, too), missing in that was often the fact that just opening the shop whenever possible was a better mitigator of dust than many other (much more expensive) things.

I'm glad that absurdity is over to some extent (talk of tracking dust in the house on shoes and making it airborne again, etc - often from people who work in the shop twice a month).

To use a fan like that and work in January in some parts of the states might be difficult, though, but otherwise, why worry about trying to scrub the air 14 times if you can just send it out of the shop?

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

frank morgan

I got a Rigid Shop Vac...works great for me. Came with a good assortment of hoses and vacuum tubes, and nozzles. I use it for my pocket hole jig and that works great. I use it to clean the shop floor.

Re: noise?

Steve Elliott

The shop I work at has both Fein and Rigid shop vacs. Whenever possible I use the Fein partly because it's quiet but also because the smaller, more flexible hose works well connected to orbital sanders and other hand-held power tools like the Festool Domino and track saws.

Re: noise?

Barry Irby

When I got my first Festool stuff, I did not get a Festool vac. I put the small hose from a long abandoned crappy ShopVac into the end of my Rigid hose and them connected the smaller hose to the tools. And I used the Auto switch. In other words, I cobbled it together. It worked remarkable well. I still can't figure out why I bought the Festool vac. I justified it by saying it would fit under my workbench, but the Rigid would not. Later realized there was a location under the end of my lathe that would have worked perfectly well for the Rigid. I must have drunk the Festool Kool Aid and "NEEDED" it.

Re: DUST

Buck Nall

THANKS DAVID.

Missed the Memo

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

that said wood dust won't cause lung diseases anymore. Has anyone called California?

Cross ventilation is nice. Except when it's 10 F outside or the black flies are swarming.

Not-for-nuthin, boys, but I'll take my 30 amp DC, air cleaners, and shop vac over a gentle West Wind any day (or night).

DeWalt Noise

Jerry Nicholson

My new DeWalt vac is more powerful and less noisy than the Shop Vac I have had for several years and FAR less noisy than the 55+ year old Craftsman that is hooked up to my shop vacuum lines (not used much anymore).

I noticed that when I am using the small nozzle, the air noise into the nozzle completely drowns out the sound of the DeWalt vacuum itself.

Re: Shop vac replacement - recommendations?

Jay Lombardo

Emerson Tool still makes the Ridgid shop vacs for Home Depot and they are the same Emerson tool that made your 25 year old Craftsman. I too am going to have to replace my old craftsman soon and will probably get a Ridgid, this old one has been great, noisy but great.

Re: Shop vac replacement - update

Martin

As I suspected I went with a Rigid. 1401 model as it came with the car cleaning kit for free.

The part I wanted the most was the flexible hose. The HD1401 are online order only and I had

it delivered to the local HD for pickup.

My neighbor asked, why? Free delivery to the home was an option and no driving to the HD.

My counter: What if it arrived damaged, missing parts or the wrong order? That can be a real hassle

resolving the problem. The HD is close, I can inspect onsite and refuse delivery if anything is wrong.

Nothing was wrong. It is in the garage waiting for assembly.

Thanks to all the replied.