Best shop vac ?

[Whitworth]

For up to $300 budget.

Criteria: quiet, HEPA, small - medium size.

For general shop and home use and occasional use with drywall sander. What are your experiences?

 

[6768rogues]

I buy a cheap one at Lowes and pick the filter I want, HEPA are on the shelf. The only thing I watch for is the length of the cord, some have short cords. Then when it dies the tank becomes a container for draining antifreeze. If you buy a more expensive one, filters and parts cost more and you have a lot in it, so you will want to fix it.
At the school where I worked, we had Powerflite, Nacecare, Clarke, Proteam and others. They all work the same if you want a commercial unit.

 

[BruceMc]

I've been very happy with a large Ridgid I bought a few years ago, and wouldn't hesitate to buy one of the smaller units if I needed something more portable.

 

[Lopott]

Rigid as well

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

Whatever model you choose I highly recommend getting one that accepts filter bags. I will never use a shop vac without one again

I have a large six HP rigid shop vac that I love and it was inexpensive

I wouldn’t worry about getting a hepa Vac under $300 because they probably just have a HEPA filter on it which does not meet hepa standards. A true hepa vac is a lot more than 300


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[crf731]

I have two Ridgid ones that work great.
Also have a small cheapo Walmart special that also works fine.

 

[MarkG]

I've got 2 of the Rigids------a large and small. Powerful and loud (like all shop vacs, I suppose). They do a great job at what they are supposed to do! In fact, I think they would **** up anything that will fit through the hose! Sometimes that's the challenge----to keep from vac'ing up small children, etc.

I have a small Fein for dust collection duties on small power tools.

 

[ahazi]

Use a Dust Deputy (link) in from of the shop vac and you will wonder how you ever did without it. Great to make the dust/debris disposal painless and your filter (HEPA) always stays clean. No need for dustbags. Rigid medium size are very good and priced right (about $100) and also relatively quiet.

Good luck!

Ariel

 

[ToolmanGary]

I bought a Stihl, what a nice vacuum, it was just a little over $300 tho

 

[PelicanPines]

I have a proteam... that I have learned is similar to ridgid.

Agree tho... buy cheap... then use good hepa filters...

 

[PT Doc]

I have 2 ridgid. One 16g with detachable blower from 2001. They honor the lifetime service agreement on these. These sent out a replacement impeller that sheared off. Still running. I bought a 9 gallon one when house was being built to remove water from tremendous rain before the roof was on. I ran that had. No issues. I wouldn't buy another brand.

 

[James-W]

I have a Hoover and a Stanley, both work reasonably well. I sweep the garage floor first then I use the shop vac to get all the small stuff I may have missed when I used the push broom.

 

[ahazi]

Use a Dust Deputy (link) in from of the shop vac and you will wonder how you ever did without it. Great to make the dust/debris disposal painless and your filter (HEPA) always stays clean. No need for dustbags. Rigid medium size are very good and priced right (about $100) and also relatively quiet.

Good luck!

Ariel

Some more notes...

I also have a medium size Fein vacuum (link) which is a VERY quite and probably best in class vacuum but much more expensive.

These Rigid models are very good value
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...Dry-Vac-with-Auto-Detail-Kit-WD1451/203820088
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-16-Gal-6-5-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-WD1851/100638360

Make sure you go with a model with 2-1/2" hose as the smaller hoses have too much resistance and lose suction power. Also the units with smaller hose are typically more noisy.

Ariel

 

[Outlander]

Then when it dies the tank becomes a container for draining antifreeze..

Wheeled garbage can for strategic shop locations.

We may need a 'show me your repurposed shop vac" thread.

I tend to mistreat shop vacs, so I buy them on sale at Canadian Tire. Last one was their house brand. Does what I need, I don't cry when I mistreat it.

 

[IMStuner]

I'm not going to say it's the best but it works for me. They have larger ones and comes with a lifetime service agreement once you register it within 60 days of purchase.

https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/14-gallon-hepa-certified-wet-dry-vac#

14 Gallon HEPA certified Wet/Dry Vac

 

[sqznby]

Rigid 5hp 12 gallon here, have had it for many years and paid only $29.00 new at Home Depot.
Love it and use it all the time.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I tend to mistreat shop vacs, so I buy them on sale at Canadian Tire. Last one was their house brand. Does what I need, I don't cry when I mistreat it.

Even though my CMan is about 14 years old I bought it with the mentality of it being a consumable tool. I'm going to use it to **** up and clean whatever.

I also bought a small 2.5 gallon Cman that sits on a shelf collecting dust out of the blast cabinet....still surprised it's working.

 

[PelicanPines]

On a side note... I use a twenty year old dyson upright to keep my garage floor clean and to vacuum spider webs when they get too big. It has great **** and is indefinitely repairable.

 

[poncho62]

I got a Stanley as a gift, I guess it was under $80....it *****......I mean, it doesn't **** worth sh!t

 

[Showkey]

Besides cost, power, size , filter quality and type of hose 1.25” vs 2”............

The other wild card in shop vacs ...........how much noise are you willing or able to tolerate??? Or in the case of a basement wood shop how much are other people willing to tolerate.

I have a several vacs.........30 year old cman still really ***** ......but....... it it is incredibly loud !!! Have a small Rigid on the blasting cabinet and it never moves..........it too ***** and makes way way too much noise ...........and anything but a very short exposure demands ear protection.
Shop VAC brand stainless looks like a short RTD2.........reasonable noise, not expensive, over we years old, upgraded washable filter........but that filter tends to clog quickly which I guess means it working.

Have yet to cross over to the FEIN category.

 

[rustyjames]

I have a Fien Turbo HEPA that's great, expensive but worth it just for how quiet it is.

 

[Milton Shaw]

The industrial/commercial units are quieter in operation than a shop vac. They still are loud but at least they don't hurt your ears like a shop vac does. Years ago I was at a IWF show in Atlanta and in the large machine room with 6 football fields of machinery running I heard something start running on the other side. Went over to see what it was. The janitors upright vacuum was making all that noise, bad bearings and rotor with blades broken off. Kirby type can make a lot of noise. Everyone in the building would have to have OSHA approved hearing for that to have been operating.

 

[combat infidel]

I have not tried them but stihl has come out with shopvacs stihl has a good reputation may be worth checking them out


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[Firebrick43]

The industrial/commercial units are quieter in operation than a shop vac. They still are loud but at least they don't hurt your ears like a shop vac does. Years ago I was at a IWF show in Atlanta and in the large machine room with 6 football fields of machinery running I heard something start running on the other side. Went over to see what it was. The janitors upright vacuum was making all that noise, bad bearings and rotor with blades broken off. Kirby type can make a lot of noise. Everyone in the building would have to have OSHA approved hearing for that to have been operating.

The ridgid I have with its SNR scroll noise reduction is much quieter than most shop vacs. It's the same noise as the 6000$ ruwacs we have at work, comparable suction, and only 120$

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

The ridgid I have with its SNR scroll noise reduction is much quieter than most shop vacs. It's the same noise as the 6000$ ruwacs we have at work, comparable suction, and only 120$

Must be the same ridgid that I have and I will agree that for a cheap shop vac the noise is not bad at all


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[BearsFan315]

RIDGID 14 Gal 6.0 Peak HP Wet-Dry-Vac WD1450

Love this thing and use the Health out of it !! it literally *****, and that what I want it to do. I bought most of the attachments for it. i use it inside, outside all the time.

 

[scissorman]

When you want a vacuum to **** buy a Rigid. I've had my Rigid shop vac for a bunch of years now with no issues and it's pretty quiet.

 

[Jon_E]

Have a 20+ year-old Shop Vac QSP series, a 10-year-old Ridgid 12 gallon that was bought on Black Friday for $25, and a small Vacmaster that we use for pet stuff and cleaning out the cars. The Ridgid is the quietest and I use Cleanstream filters in both the Ridgid and the Shopvac. The Vacmaster has a proprietary cloth bag filter.

I would probably buy another Ridgid if I needed a new shop vac.

 

[getbent4x4]

To me any shop vac will work; I usually get black friday deals. Only reason you would need one with a large hose is for cleaning home renovations.

 

[biggziff]

ShopVac brand with a GoreTex filter.

 

[peter2772000]

Craftsman 2" hosed, had it for +25 yrs. It *****, and I mean that in a good way

Rigid 1.25" for the sandblaster. Happy with both....

 

[zcar751]

I have a 12 gal Stainless steel Shop Vac from Lowes. I got it on sale for $49 last year to replace my 20+year old Shop Vac. The 6 hp motor does a good job and is a little quieter than the old 3.5 hp vac.

 

[Jeepster04]

wait... Do vacuums pull the air in or is it pushed in?

Anyway, Ive had the craftsman vacuum that hangs on the wall for several years now. Its fairly quiet, Ive found that the wireless remote is actually fairly nice, but the hose it came with was way too short. I bought an extra hose that appears is no longer made but it works great.

And I agree, get a vacuum that uses the bag! I keep the filter in mine even with the bag as the bag doesnt catch the fine dust at all. You'll notice the inside of the vacuum still gets coated in dust. If you need to sweep something wet just take the bag out.

 

[biggziff]

wait... Do vacuums pull the air in or is it pushed in?

Vacuums create a black hole inside the can which draws everything into it. It's physics.

 

[SMKS]

For up to $300 budget.

Criteria: quiet, HEPA, small - medium size.

For general shop and home use and occasional use with drywall sander. What are your experiences?

Why do you want HEPA? Do you want a true sealed HEPA system for EPA RRP projects involving lead paint? If so, you’ll need to look at something certified for that, like one of these. A lot of true HEPA vacs will bust your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00Q...chnologies&dpPl=1&dpID=51yyLwOjrxL&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007...=6WVZ4ST1G427N8GYSN0X&dpPl=1&dpID=61ntPGME4TL
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008QC05WM/ref=psdcmw_553022_t3_B007ULBA4W

If you’re saying you want HEPA just because you want something that filters well, then I would say don’t worry about a HEPA designation. The good quality vacs filter quite well. You can add a bag for extra filtering when needed.

I really like the Ridgid WD1450. It has good power and low noise, althoug the hose is too short, IMO.

 

[Slkay944]

I have the stihl, metabo and the fein. Have had craftsman and shopvac vacuums in the past. The stihl vac is much better than an ordinary shop vac. Metabo also a great vacuum, has a plug for tools like the fein.

 

[blueplate]

The other wild card in shop vacs ...........how much noise are you willing or able to tolerate??? Or in the case of a basement wood shop how much are other people willing to tolerate.
I have a several vacs.........30 year old cman still ... it it is incredibly loud !!! ...
Have yet to cross over to the FEIN category.

Last time out, I went for a BOSCH Airsweep for this exact reason. Noticeably quieter than the craftsman I'd been using. Bought a reconditioned unit to save a few dullards. Will NEVER go back to a loud vac.

Might try a FEIN next time.



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[BrendanBehan]

I've had a Ridgid WD1450 for 2 years now. Good cheap vac. Not too loud but the hose is a bit short imho.

I see now the WD1451 at HD is $120 and adds a smaller hose with their own attachments too. Nice.

 

[bedn0009]

I was sick of the ridgid being so loud, and how often do you really need to **** up 13 gallons?

I bought this last year and love it

https://www.amazon.com/Vacmaster-Gallon-2-Stage-Industrial-VF408/dp/B0023EY002/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_bs_t_1/138-0452703-2534245?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MYY9RTWSWYWJ7V1P9JES

 

[OCD]

Shop Vac Ftw!!