vpd66
Well-known member
Can anyone recommend a small wet/dry vacuum for cleaning car interiors? I see plenty of them on the market but don't trust online reviews. Anyone with any real world experiences or recommendations?
Small vacuum for cars
- Thread starter vpd66
- Start date
Ridgid makes a nice 4 gallon vac that's powerful and fairly quiet. I have it and like it alot.
RIDGID 4 Gallon 5.0 Peak HP Portable Shop Vacuum Wet Dry Vac with Fine Dust Filter, Locking Hose and Accessory Attachments WD4070 - The Home Depot
Offer powerful performance necessary to tackle even the messiest projects with this RIDGID Portable Wet Dry Vac. Lightweight design and very portable.
www.homedepot.com
rsanter
Well-known member
I like my Dewalt
bwringer
Well-known member
Agreed -- the cordless version of whatever cordless tool battery religion you subscribe to. Red, yellow, snot, blue... they all have a decent offering.
Not having to run an extension cord means you'll keep things twice as clean.
Not having to run an extension cord means you'll keep things twice as clean.
I have the dewalt 20v cordless/corded and the Milwaukee 12v cordless. I basically committed my big corded shop vac to dust collector duty for my blast cabinet because I so rarely used it after getting the little cordless vacs. I recommend getting a cordless of whichever battery flavor you have.
komalakustoms
Well-known member
I second this recommendation.Ridgid makes a nice 4 gallon vac that's powerful and fairly quiet. I have it and like it alot.
RIDGID 4 Gallon 5.0 Peak HP Portable Shop Vacuum Wet Dry Vac with Fine Dust Filter, Locking Hose and Accessory Attachments WD4070 - The Home Depot
Offer powerful performance necessary to tackle even the messiest projects with this RIDGID Portable Wet Dry Vac. Lightweight design and very portable.www.homedepot.com
Also, if youre considering a handheld, I like this one:
Amazon.com - BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Handheld Vacuum, Cordless, 16V (CHV1410L), 21oz, Blue - Household Handheld Vacuums
Shop for the BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Handheld Vacuum, Cordless, 16V (CHV1410L), 21oz, Blue at the Amazon Home & Kitchen Store. Find products from BLACK+DECKER with the lowest prices.
www.amazon.com
bassJAM
Well-known member
I have this little Armor All brand vacuum I've been using for 10 years. It actually impresses me, it has as much suction as larger shop vacs I've owned, and it's picked up more than it's share of dry and wet messes. I grab it for a lot of home spills now because it's so easy to move around.
Armor All, AA255, 2.5 Gallon 2 Peak HP Wet/Dry Utility Shop Vacuum - Shop Wet Dry Vacuums - Amazon.com
Armor All, AA255, 2.5 Gallon 2 Peak HP Wet/Dry Utility Shop Vacuum - Shop Wet Dry Vacuums - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Formerjeeper
Well-known member
I have the small Ridgid mentioned above and got rid of my full size Ridgid shop vac, this one has equal power and way easier to use and store. Unless you found yourself filling a 16 gallon bin regularly this is all the shop vac I will ever need.
I've got a 16g gallon Rigid that I bought 6-7 years ago when I was doing a bunch of remodeling in our home. I'm thinking now that one of the smaller one's would be much more convenient. But as soon as I get rid of the big one, a project where it's needed will surely come up. . .
Odd-job
Well-known member
Out of a flex vacuum, craftsman big shopvac, m18 gen 1 box vac and m18 blowers I would probably reach for the blowers and box vac first. To use the flex and big shopvac they literally have to be plugged in right next to the car for me to use. Cordless must be making me lazy.
Catfishdan
Well-known member
I third this recommendation. i love mine.
Do NOT get the Black & Decker DustBuster from the 80's or 90's. I would say they **** but they actually do NOT **** very good... They don't work very good is what I'm trying to say.
And the plastic/rubber flapper that is designed to keep dirt inside the vacuum (once it's been sucked in) usually doesn't seal very tight.... So if you're lucky enough to **** up any dirt to begin with, it just falls right back out of the vacuum. lol.
Rarified27
Well-known member
The 4gal 5.0hp Ridgid everyone's recommending is outstanding for cars, particularly if you get it with the orange hose car kit, which is much better than the standard one.
Absolutely get the car hose kit. I got mine on a "Black Friday" sale for $20 and it is perfect for detailing.
RIDGID 1-1/4 in. VT2534 Premium Car Cleaning Kit Accessory Shop Vacuum Attachments for RIDGID Wet Dry Vacs VT2534 - The Home Depot
Effortlessly clean various surfaces of your car by using this extra ordinary RIDGID Premium Car Cleaning Accessory Kit for RIDGID Wet and Dry Shop Vacuums.
www.homedepot.com
ThatSickRip
Well-known member
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- May 23, 2017
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+1
seber
Well-known member
I have a Hang Up mini that I inherited from my father. Very small and powerful. My wife got her hands on it and I had to buy another. for the shop. She wouldn't give it back. Far more powerful than her upright.
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
We had one of these when I was a kid. It was useless. I think we also had a similar rechargeable flashlight that was also junk. It lasted maybe 10 minutes before needing to be charged. I think it was also B&D. My Dad had some B&D power tools (back when they were good), but these pieces of junk really soiled the name for me, even as a kid.Do NOT get the Black & Decker DustBuster from the 80's or 90's. I would say they **** but they actually do NOT **** very good... They don't work very good is what I'm trying to say.
The 4 gallon Ridgid shop vac for car detailing is on sale this week at HD for $50. Definitely a good deal:
And the exceptional detailing hose kit is also 1/2 price ($25):
RIDGID 4 Gal. 5.0-Peak HP Portable Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Filter, Dust Bag, Locking Hose and Car Nozzle WD4051
This RIDGID 4 Gal. Wet Dry Vacuum has a 5.0 peak horsepower motor that offers the powerful performance necessary to tackle even the messiest projects. The 20 ft. cord provides an extensive reach and the
www.homedepot.com
And the exceptional detailing hose kit is also 1/2 price ($25):
RIDGID 1-1/4 in. VT2534 Premium Car Cleaning Kit Accessory Shop Vacuum Attachments for RIDGID Wet Dry Vacs VT2534 - The Home Depot
Effortlessly clean various surfaces of your car by using this extra ordinary RIDGID Premium Car Cleaning Accessory Kit for RIDGID Wet and Dry Shop Vacuums.
www.homedepot.com
vavet
Well-known member
Project Farm on YouTube did a video on the battery powered vacs from the major manufacturers. Ridgid performed very well. His biggest diss on the Ridgid was the short battery life - which makes sense. It has a lot of suction, but it pulls a battery down pretty fast.
I have these units for both home and my work. It's less than 4 minutes with a 1.5 AH battery. The 4AH battery is much better.
I have these units for both home and my work. It's less than 4 minutes with a 1.5 AH battery. The 4AH battery is much better.
I 15th the small rigid and car detailed attachment kit. Small, light, and powerful enough to hook up to sawdust creating tools making it very versatile!
If there was a battery powered option that used milwaukee batteries, my pants would be uncomfortably tight in the front
If there was a battery powered option that used milwaukee batteries, my pants would be uncomfortably tight in the front
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Unfortunately, it looks like that Ridgid model is not currently available. My wife was asking for a battery powered shop vac for Christmas for her car and was hoping to buy this model after watching the PF video.
That PF test is good. The DeWalt was pretty pathetic, especially for the $; and I'm a DeWalt fan. Yeah, it lasted forever on run time but picked up almost nothing. Terrible decision in the design. If it takes more than 5 minutes to vacuum your car you drag out the AC powered vac. I would rather have only ~5 minutes run time but also to actually pick up something. How long does it take to vacuum 4 floor mats?
merkyworks
Well-known member
Couple months back HD was running a special on a wall mounted Ridgid 5HP 5Gal unit. Been used for cleaning car to dust collection on a table saw and it’s been great. Floor space is at a premium for me so the square wall mount design is great.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...-Filter-Hose-and-Accessories-WD5500/100377372
RIDGID 5 Gal. 5.0-Peak HP Portable Wall-Mountable Wet/Dry Shop Vac
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...-Filter-Hose-and-Accessories-WD5500/100377372
RIDGID 5 Gal. 5.0-Peak HP Portable Wall-Mountable Wet/Dry Shop Vac
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Kept my Milwaukee V28 batteries and charger just so I could use the toolbox vac. I like the Milwaukee in this category.
Same.
Badgerstate
Well-known member
Ive got a 3-gallon Craftsman that I really like and I only paid like $25 for it. Ridgid also makes some nice ones and Menards has some small Masterforce vacs that are nice and really affordable.
RAS61
Well-known member
5 Gallon Stor-N-Go Wet/Dry Vac | RIDGID Tools
The RIDGID 5-gal. Stor-N-Go is a unique and innovative vacuum design. It mounts directly onto the wall, which saves floor space and alleviates clutter in your work area or garage.
www.ridgid.com
I highly recommend this one, has an extra long hose for cars, and mine even came with an LED lighted nozzle for working in dark areas. I also like that it can be mounted on the wall, I really prefer that in the garage over being on the floor. Suction/HP is excellent too
I bought the M18 2 gallon vac a few years ago. Love it. The 4 gallon RIDGID without wheels is on sale for $50, so I bought it and the car kit since I figured it'd be nice to have a larger vac just in case.
The RIDGID is noticeably more powerful than the M18 but otherwise feels pretty chintzy. Milwaukee uses little nubs on the hose to retain it on the vacuum side, RIDGID uses stiff bendy clips. Lots of flashing on the RIGID, the power switch has a fairly stiff gummy action, the latches that hold it on to the base feel like they're going to rub through or break the base (compare to the Milwaukee latches). Milwaukee has hose storage and enclosed tool storage. RIDGID has a hole for the one attachment at the top and no provision for cord or hose storage – my old tiny Craftsman vac had way better cord/hose management. The Milwaukee has a gasket between the base and the motor, the RIDGID does not.
For $50 ($75 with attachment kit) it's hard to go wrong with the RIDGID, it does the main thing a vacuum should do. But I don't think it's particularly well made or thought out. The version of the 5 HP / 4 gal with wheels and some vestigial tool storage is currently $100. If Milwaukee made a corded version of the M18 unit with a more powerful motor I'd be all over that.
The RIDGID is noticeably more powerful than the M18 but otherwise feels pretty chintzy. Milwaukee uses little nubs on the hose to retain it on the vacuum side, RIDGID uses stiff bendy clips. Lots of flashing on the RIGID, the power switch has a fairly stiff gummy action, the latches that hold it on to the base feel like they're going to rub through or break the base (compare to the Milwaukee latches). Milwaukee has hose storage and enclosed tool storage. RIDGID has a hole for the one attachment at the top and no provision for cord or hose storage – my old tiny Craftsman vac had way better cord/hose management. The Milwaukee has a gasket between the base and the motor, the RIDGID does not.
For $50 ($75 with attachment kit) it's hard to go wrong with the RIDGID, it does the main thing a vacuum should do. But I don't think it's particularly well made or thought out. The version of the 5 HP / 4 gal with wheels and some vestigial tool storage is currently $100. If Milwaukee made a corded version of the M18 unit with a more powerful motor I'd be all over that.
RIDGID 4 Gal. 5.0-Peak HP Portable Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Filter, Dust Bag, Locking Hose and Car Nozzle WD4051
This RIDGID 4 Gal. Wet Dry Vacuum has a 5.0 peak horsepower motor that offers the powerful performance necessary to tackle even the messiest projects. The 20 ft. cord provides an extensive reach and the
www.homedepot.com
RIDGID 1-1/4 in. VT2534 Premium Car Cleaning Kit Accessory Shop Vacuum Attachments for RIDGID Wet Dry Vacs VT2534 - The Home Depot
Effortlessly clean various surfaces of your car by using this extra ordinary RIDGID Premium Car Cleaning Accessory Kit for RIDGID Wet and Dry Shop Vacuums.
www.homedepot.com
Milwaukee M18 18-Volt 2 Gal. Lithium-Ion Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum (Vacuum-Only) 0880-20 - The Home Depot
Make your daily cleaning an easy task with this wonderful Milwaukee M18 Lithium-Ion Cordless Wet or Dry Vacuum. Reusable wet and dry HEPA filter.
www.homedepot.com