I hate shop-vacs

[JRC3]

How loud is this model, is it better than the 'shop vac' brand by chance?

I've used a lot of Craftmena vacs through the years belong to other people, man they all seemed noisy. All I can say is the Ridgid does not make me think it should be quieter. To me it's as loud as a shop vac should be and no more. Quite acceptable.

Made by RIDGID but fits Genie and Shop-Vac brands only?

It just says it fits them, doesn't say only fits them. I've lost count how many packs of bags I've used. They make other sizes, just pick the correct size and that's all. Not much special about a shop vac bag, it's just friction fits over the inlet and deflector. I think some vacs have slots, the bags seem made for both. I just changed my bag or I go out and change it to take pics.

 

[tonyciambrone]

Ridgid propak is the only one I've had that's worth a damn. no casters, but they all break anyway on all the others

 

[derosa]

Another one for Ridgid, I've had a 16g version with scroll noise reduction. I also toss in a hepa filter and whatever the cheapest bag is I can find. If the filter isn't clogged then the suction doesn't go down till the bag is really too full. I use mine for a lot of dust collecting in the wood shop running it a couple hours at a time. Noise level is fine and suction is great. It can tip over if the wheels snag on something and you yank on it anyways but I try not to do that. I've also sucked up a couple hundred gallons of water with it and had no trouble.

 

[The Cobbler]

My $15 or $20 Fein shop vac from the pawn shop is awesome

That was a steal. They're great vacs, expensive but worth the money. Best parts is how quiet and powerful they are. The 6 casters works well too.

I bought a Fein in '97. Still going strong. I use a bag and a canister filter in mine. I'm still using the original filter. I just blow it out once in a while.
I use it on my sanders to minimize airborne dust and also for general cleanup duties.

Yes, I got a deal on my fein, as soon as I walked in & saw it I grabbed it. it was missing the filter but I bought one for it. it had the wet filter in it tho

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Another vote for the Festool dust extractors. It’s probably the best thing the company makes.

 

[mikegt4]

I have a 1970's Craftsman with twin motors on top of a 40 or so gallon body. The thing will almost **** blood through your skin and my lights dim when I use it. The disadvantage is that it is heavy and a bit cumbersome but it does have some nice rubbery flexible yet lightweight hose that I can't seem to find anymore. I actually caught a mouse with it once, he made thumping noises as he traveled down the hose a dropped into the drum. About 10 years ago I bought a smaller (more portable) Craftsman for jobs such as car interior cleaning etc. We had some commercial level shop vacs at work (SS with Hepa filters) which were really nice but expensive. Ridgid seems to be the best bang for the buck for home use.

 

[rharman]

I bought my Craftsman in '79. It is 40 years old and has no issues cleaning up just about anything in the shop...
I have also learned to work with it's short comings as a broom and dust pan also have their own issues... Is every tool perfect? Nope, learning to use them and work with them is on the operator...
The OP does not get a "you ****" from me... But my shop vac does...
Mark

I have a '81 model Craftsman vac still going strong. Last time I bought a filter in the sore, the guy says "You sure you want that filter? It's for really old vacs". I said, "Yep".

 

[ClappedOutBport]

My dad picked up one of these for a song, and it made me fall in love with shop vacs. Very quiet, long industrial cord, rolls well, ***** like crazy, not much more you can ask for.

[^ Milwaukee heavy duty industry vacuum if the image link ever dies]

 

[tym]

Same here. I use a HEPA filter and a bag...Suction all day and easy to clean when it's time to empty. The new filters that come with it aren't bad, But like I said, run a bag. I can't stress enough to use a bag in a shop vac. The difference ia amazing.

My eyes have been opened! Just bought a pack of bags and a reusable HEPA filter.

I'm sure going to miss my 5 gal Shop Vac coughing dust every time I turn it on...NOT.

 

[bonneyman]

Shop vacs ****!

 

[tym]

Shop vacs ****!

Is that like Mega Maid going from **** to blow?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I am inches away from buying the Bosch Dust Extractor. Anybody know where it is made?

 

[anndel]

I have a 14 gallon Ridgid and a Milwaukee M18 tackle box vacuum and it's been a love-hate relationship. The Ridgid ***** well and the attachment sticks to the floor all the time. It gets caught on it's own cord and easily tips over. The thing I hate the most is the wheels always runs over my feet since it's sticking out rather than being directly under the unit which is probably due to the high center of gravity. The M18 is ok, it ***** well but drains batteries (both 5 and 9 ah) quickly and the hose is too short.

 

[CTyankee]

I bought a Fein in '97. Still going strong. I use a bag and a canister filter in mine. I'm still using the original filter. I just blow it out once in a while.
I use it on my sanders to minimize airborne dust and also for general cleanup duties.

Agree. Bite the bullet and get a Fein. And FWIW...whatever you buy, get one in a size that's manageable..Is a 16 gallon necessary for the average homeowner? Bigger isn't always better...when it comes to vacuums anyway. JMO

 

[DIY_Guy79]

View media item 92873
I picked this 6hp 8 gallon Stanley one from walmart a long while back. Thing has lots of suction, its actually really impressive. It has big back wheels on it and the front casters are not directly under the can like they are on a shop-vac to make it tipsy. It has a pull handle, you lean it over on the big back wheels to move it. So no its not a wonky drunken experience to move it at all. And the wheels are big enough they roll right over cords. It's usually $64, I got a bit lucky and found mine with the wrong price tag at $58 and they decided to honor it lol. Been a great vacuum and I'd highly recommend it, especially judging by your complaints of the shop-vac brand vacuums.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-...fH36WaRWyaNwXdYdEY1gDONG_YxwpRi4aAi8NEALw_wcB

 

[dthor68]

So funny! I was just thinking the other day that one of the most dependale tools I have ever owned is my Ridgid Shop Vac. I have left out in the rain several times in the past and it has never failed me since 2001.

 

[mv213]

View media item 92873
I picked this 6hp 8 gallon Stanley one from walmart a long while back. Thing has lots of suction, its actually really impressive. It has big back wheels on it and the front casters are not directly under the can like they are on a shop-vac to make it tipsy. It has a pull handle, you lean it over on the big back wheels to move it. So no its not a wonky drunken experience to move it at all. And the wheels are big enough they roll right over cords. It's usually $64, I got a bit lucky and found mine with the wrong price tag at $58 and they decided to honor it lol. Been a great vacuum and I'd highly recommend it, especially judging by your complaints of the shop-vac brand vacuums.

That actually looks like a really nice vacuum. But I have to shake my head at the HP ratings the manufacturers put on vacuums. 6HP? Wouldn’t that require 3-phase power, or at the least 240V? I also saw a “10,000” watt amplifier with 5amp fuses. LOL

 

[Newell33]

I've owned and thrown away a couple of actual Shop Vac branded vacuums. They always made a lot of noise, and the suction was horrible, even when new. We replaced those with a Craftsman about 15 years ago. It's still going strong, and works well. If you don't pay attention to the filter the performance will definitely drop in a hurry. As long as it's somewhat clean it has plenty of suction.

 

[mike93lx]

That actually looks like a really nice vacuum. But I have to shake my head at the HP ratings the manufacturers put on vacuums. 6HP? Wouldn’t that require 3-phase power, or at the least 240V? I also saw a “10,000” watt amplifier with 5amp fuses. LOL

That's the "when struck by lightning" rating on crappy amps.

 

[jd_1138]

I have a huge Craftsman one in the basement that I paid all of $2 for at a yard sale. If you use thinner nozzles, the suction is higher. It's tippy because the blower assembly is on top.

Also I have a small Craftsman one that I bought new for like $30 at the local Sears. It's great for vacuuming out the cars and for household messes. It can be carried in one hand by its handle.

 

[Davefr]

That actually looks like a really nice vacuum. But I have to shake my head at the HP ratings the manufacturers put on vacuums. 6HP? Wouldn’t that require 3-phase power, or at the least 240V? I also saw a “10,000” watt amplifier with 5amp fuses. LOL

Next time the 5HP/220VAC motor dies on my 60 gallon air compressor I'm going to replace it with a 6HP Shop Vac motor.

That's all thanks to our friends at Sear's that came up with this silly scheme intended to deceive the consumer. Then all the other manufacturers went along to where HP is an absolute meaningless electric motor criteria. ...and few of them publish the running amperage specs.

 

[upper_tanker]

I have had a Rigid from HD, along with the "detailing" kit for it, and I love it. I've had it for a year or two now, and use it a few times a week. I have zero issues. I glued the casters to it, because they would fall off when the vac was lifted up. Since then, I have no issues. The detail kit really comes in handy.

 

[mv213]

Next time the 5HP/220VAC motor dies on my 60 gallon air compressor I'm going to replace it with a 6HP Shop Vac motor.

That's all thanks to our friends at Sear's that came up with this silly scheme intended to deceive the consumer. Then all the other manufacturers went along to where HP is an absolute meaningless electric motor criteria. ...and few of them publish the running amperage specs.

Yes, it’s a joke. Let me know how that shop vac motor works out on your compressor...you could be on to something!

 

[DIY_Guy79]

That actually looks like a really nice vacuum. But I have to shake my head at the HP ratings the manufacturers put on vacuums. 6HP? Wouldn’t that require 3-phase power, or at the least 240V? I also saw a “10,000” watt amplifier with 5amp fuses. LOL

Lol I agree. I thought the exact same thing when I bought it. Considering I had 220 lines ran to my garage to run a compressor with 6hp or more when ever I get around to buying one lol HP numbers are pretty well meaningless on big box store import tools I suppose. None the less, it is a good vacuum.

 

[mv213]

Lol I agree. I thought the exact same thing when I bought it. Considering I had 220 lines ran to my garage to run a compressor with 6hp or more when ever I get around to buying one lol HP numbers are pretty well meaningless on big box store import tools I suppose. None the less, it is a good vacuum.

It does look super nice. I’d trade it for mine in a hearbeat!

 

[jdewitt]

My complaint is why does a shopvac have to be so loud!? It's like they engineered the pathway that the air takes and the electric motor to both be as loud as possible.

 

[tarbellb]

I am inches away from buying the Bosch Dust Extractor. Anybody know where it is made?

My Bosch just showed up today! Made in Italy. Gave it a once over, seems very well built.

A couple of notes after going over it.

_ quality construction, HEPA approved filters
_ really nice hose and connections, click-in style, flexible
_ big beefy cord SJOOW
_ rolling action is excellent
_ relatively quiet.... EXCEPT the auto clean feature sounds like 3 loud foot stomps

And mine showed up with a faulty on/off Auto Filter switch, wouldnt turn off. So back it goes for a fresh replacement.

 

[tym]

I wish Dyson made a Shop-Vac...although it would probably cost $900.

 

[mike93lx]

I wish Dyson made a Shop-Vac...although it would probably cost $900.

Dyson are junk. There are way better vacs for the money. Miele, riccar, etc

 

[Danglerb]

Whatever you get the Mr Nozzle hose kit ups the game. Sold under a variety of names, detail kit, 12ft ext, etc, all seem the same Mr Nozzle kit and cost about $35. I thought I lost an adapter for mine, eventually found it, but in the mean time searched all over to find a better cheaper or longer replacement and came up with nothing.

 

[1WickedEvo]

I’ve had my Rigid since 2012 - zero issues. It’s been out in the rain a few times...don’t ask. I do use my shop vac a lot. If it ever needs to be replaced, I’ll shop around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dffay]

Shop-Vac latches **** **** ****. They have never been a good design. Lift the device by the edges of the top I try to leave and the lower can separates 100% of the time. No matter how easily you hoist it by the formed plastic grip handles. Wish I hadn't bought the one I have now. I try to leave it in one place and do the work but that certainly detracts from its supposed portability.

 

[tym]

Dyson are junk. There are way better vacs for the money. Miele, riccar, etc

Disagree based on my experience with multiple Dyson products, but different strokes, I guess...

 

[DIY_Guy79]

Disagree based on my experience with multiple Dyson products, but different strokes, I guess...

Also gotta disagree. Had good experience with Dyson vacuums. However I do feel they are quite a bit over priced and not really worth the price tag... Kind of like Snap-On only not the same extreme.

 

[nelstomlinson]

I’ve had my Rigid since 2012 - zero issues. It’s been out in the rain a few times...don’t ask.

Funny that you mention rain. Two years ago I found an old Craftsman USA shop vac with a stainless steel cannister in the dumpster. I figured it would be great for dumping ashes, and brought it home where it sat in the weather for two years. Reading this thread last week, I remembered it, dumped the water out, plugged it in, and found that it works great, just needed a switch. So, a switch, a bag and a filter, and I have a shiny stainless shop vac.

 

[nelstomlinson]

Also gotta disagree. Had good experience with Dyson vacuums. However I do feel they are quite a bit over priced and not really worth the price tag... Kind of like Snap-On only not the same extreme.

They are a decent design, **** hard, easy to fieldstrip and clean, and light so the women will use them without whining.

Dysons are made cheaply of plastic, and won't last a year in commercial service.

An NSS M1 Pig costs three times as much, lasts decades, and ***** way harder. Easier to clean, too. It's solid metal, and heavy, so women will whine and fuss.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

They are a decent design, **** hard, easy to fieldstrip and clean, and light so the women will use them without whining.

Dysons are made cheaply of plastic, and won't last a year in commercial service.

An NSS M1 Pig costs three times as much, lasts decades, and ***** way harder. Easier to clean, too. It's solid metal, and heavy, so women will whine and fuss.

Yup, thats why I say they're over priced. For as much as you pay, you should see a bit more aluminum or stainless on them as well as making parts prone to fail serviceable.

 

[ModularMadman]

I've been leaving my Ridgid outside for years now hoping it will die. It looks like **** but still runs good.

This thread prompted me to buy a new hose and try those bags. Maybe get a new filter one day of it keeps running.

 

[mike93lx]

Disagree based on my experience with multiple Dyson products, but different strokes, I guess...

I thought so too after owning a couple, then had the chance to use something really nice. Kind of like everyone that loves their ahop vacs would probably throw them away after having the chance to use a real dust extractor

 

[nerraw117]

where does one fine a good brand/model of a "real dust extractor"?

I thought so too after owning a couple, then had the chance to use something really nice. Kind of like everyone that loves their ahop vacs would probably throw them away after having the chance to use a real dust extractor