My new garage vacuum setup

[bushmechanic]

Edited to include a picture attachment

It's been a while since the great wall mounted vacuum threads that first notified me of this forum some time ago. It's probably about time various products are considered again. Regardless, I bought one recently.

I picked up a Vacuumaid Garage Vac. I bought it in blue, which is a very nice candy powder finish. Not everyone can pull off candy powder properly, but whoever is coating these things sure got it right.

It's made in the USA, and from the looks of things, quite a bit of it is done by hand. They've been very logical about things, actually, using the simplest solutions where possible.

I haven't used it enough to come to any real conclusion, but I can say so far that it's performance is surprisingly good and it's well made.

Now, that said, it came with a fifty foot hose... Fifty feet? How can it possibly work like that? Well it does, so I figured I'd keep all fifty until I determine just how much I need.

The problem was this:

If I'm going to mount a **** vacuum on the wall of the garage, why the heck would I want fifty feet of hose hanging all over the place? I mean, that defeats part of the purpose of hanging the thing on the wall, right?

It will just look sloppy, and we can't have that.

So, I came up with a solution. It's not particularly clever, but at least give me credit for trying.

I recently ordered four 30X30 Gladiator Premier cabinets as a result of a sale a nice member posted here. I've used these things before, and knew they were good.

When the vacuum arrived, I had an idea. Why can't I just hide the hose?

So, I went to Sears and bought one more cabinet.

Using a 2" hole saw, I drilled into the side of the cabinet. After filing the edges of the hole clean, I trimmed it with the same U channel rubber I use in parts of custom computer cases. Pictured are all the tools I used to accomplish the task. Very easy:

Next, I mounted the Gladiator track. I used this instead of mounting the cabinet directly to the wall for a few reasons. Perhaps the most important was ease of adjustment. Also, it allows me to run the cord for the vacuum behind the cabinet to a discreetly recessed outlet that isn't present yet.

As you can see, I mounted the hanger included with the vacuum inside the cabinet, and all fifty feet of hose coils very nicely inside with room to spare:

Closed, you'd never know it was there. No mess of hose clutters up the wall, inviting cobwebs and dust, and generally spoiling appearances and being in the way. It's all hidden away in a cabinet that will match all the others on the adjacent wall.

Tomorrow, I will use the steel peg board panels fitted inside the doors to install clips and hooks for all the vacuum's accessories. Everything will be in one place, and very easy to get to.

Yes... I know I need to cover the floor in some manner, replace the cove base with a matching green product, and I need to paint the door and extend the wall upwards, but one thing at a time.

Don't worry about that clock. I just hung it there to get it out of my way. It's gone tomorrow, I assure you.

 

[bushmechanic]

I know I botched the rubber trim for the hole. I cut it about a millimeter too short. I did fix it after the shot.

Can't have you thinking I'm careless, now. LOL

 

[67carl]

Looks good, now that you've got the hose squared away what are you going to do about that power cord dangling all willy nilly?! My OCD is outa control!

 

[bushmechanic]

Oh, I'm not leaving it like that long. It will be sorted within a few days at most.

I've got a few options. I have that cord hiding stuff, and could run it straight down with the angle pieces at either end, but I think that solution is a bit played out.

I could run it behind the cabinet into a recessed receptacle, or one just above the light switch to the right of the cabinet.

I could also run it through the wall itself, and allow it to exit adjacent to the receptacle. That's pretty easy.

One way or another, I want it plugged in, so it's easily removable.

 

[bushmechanic]

I should note that I've used enough hose outside the cabinet to be sure no stress is applied to the fitting on the vacuum. I can also disconnect it and retract the end back into the cabinet. I made the hole big enough to keep that easy.

It also just dawned on me that the vacuum came with a bag to hold the accessories, with handles meant to hang on the reel... I think I'll just hang that in there rather than screwing around with peg mounts.

Don't know why I didn't think of that sooner.

 

[autonaut]

Maybe a stupid question but what will you be using it for?

 

[bushmechanic]

Maybe a stupid question but what will you be using it for?

That's not a stupid question. A stupid, though amusing answer would be:

Vacuuming.

I live in a warehouse. My "garage" used to be a loading bay. As you might imagine, dust is a constant problem. I also have a tiny crushed gravel-stuff driveway, and one of my cars is fitted with either AT or MT tires depending upon what I've been up to. It's always dragging this tiny crushed gravel-stuff inside. I've no idea what that **** is called, but I hate it.

Some of that free-flow Racedeck in the vehicle track line might really help out, but I'm not ready to pay for it yet. I want to do the whole floor, and I'm not starting until I can.

Most of my vacuuming will involve gravel, dust, cobwebs, and dried mud. After that, there's the various shavings and dust from cutting and drilling various materials. I cut a lot of acrylic and aluminum with fine blades building custom PCs, and both of those make quite a mess.

Of course, I'll be using it to detail cars, as well.

From what they told me, the vacuum will be more than up to these reasonably light tasks. After screwing around with it a bit, I'd say the only reason it's not for everyone is the narrow hose, but all wall mounted vacuums have narrow hoses.

The only reason you need an increased diameter is for larger debris, and I don't think there are too many idiots who would try to dispose of a pile of leaves with a machine like this. The idiots are out there, but they won't be paying the entry fee.

This thing can really pull one hell of a vacuum. It really did surprise me. I was a bit worried about the purchase and it's relatively high price until I pulled it out of the box and examined the quality, and the worries were completely dispelled when I plugged it in.

They were very honest when answering my questions, of which I had more than a few. They were even happy to relate the expected longevity of the motor in this consumer model versus the "pro" model, which features a motor that's a bit larger, including better bearings and the like. It's also a bit more effective, as a result, and includes certain metal accessories.

The plastic accessories included with this model are very high quality, though, and thoughtfully designed.

They didn't even consider trying to up-sell me. They honestly sold me what they thought would be best for my purposes.

I'd heard these guys had good customer service, but I wouldn't have thought it was as good as it actually is. I grilled one of them for a long time, and he happily answered every question I had.

 

[matty d]

Cool. if you have a facebook page, you should submit your photos on the Gladiator facebook page. I have, and its fun to see people 'like' your idea.

Im sure they like the different ways their products are used...

 

[autonaut]

Now i understand. It's for cleaning. At my shop we use vacuum for testing and diagnosing c3 corvettes, but we just use a small mobile unit from an old refrigerator. Thats why i asked. I though it was a bit overkill if you would be using the vacuum for testing/diagnosing.

 

[48RON54]

Well, that sure beats tripping over the shop vac while it's dark, now doesn't it? Ever notice how it only rolls far enough forward for you to trip over it twice in a row? lol

 

[supersaiyan93]

That's not a stupid question. A stupid, though amusing answer would be:

I'm stealing this.

 

[lightn95]

i will be doing this in my garage. where did you get a 50ft hose?

 

[35chevy.com]

It comes with the Vac.

Gary

 

[84944Redline]

I'm a huge fan of putting things in cabinets so a garage looks neat and uncluttered. What about mounting a reel inside the cabinet so the hose could be unwound/wound? You could drill a hole at the bottom of the cabinet for the hose to exit.

I've thought about even mounting the vac inside the cabinet! And it looks like the OP's cabinet and vac size may even allow for it.

That's a sharp looking vac and looks great mounted as-is.

 

[jeepinjz]

Great Ideal I'm stealing the ideal for my garage

 

[Strouty]

I love that setup. Thank you for posting.

This message was brought to you by your local undertaker.

 

[bushmechanic]

What model is that, the Garage Vac or the Garage Vac PRO?

Were you planning on piping that exhaust port to the outside?

No self-respecting OCD'er would leave that cord hanging out there like that. What's your plan for hiding that cord?

Of course I'd like the red one.

It's the Garage Vac.

Right now, I've got the cord draped over the vacuum when I'm not using it while I decide what to do about it.

Since I used the Geartrack to hang the cabinet, I've thought about mounting an outlet behind it, and passing the cable through the side like the hose, and then out a similar hole in the back for access to power.

I can also simply run it through the wall to the outlet that's already there.

I also thought about using one of those rectangular dryer hose insets to get an outlet inside the wall without it actually being inside the wall, and simply making a little tread plate door to cover it. That way the cord could go into the wall and disappear.

I want it "plugged in", as the unit can be removed from it's mount and carried about. The hose comes out of that cabinet quickly if needed, and I want the vacuum just as easily moved.

I've got four outlets on that wall. Two are in idiotic places (about a foot away from each other and almost right at the top of the wall), and the other two are of the type you use on occasion. Because of their position, you can't just leave something plugged in.

No other outlets exist in that shop. I'll have an electrician over soon to add them on at least one more wall, and I can discuss with him what I can, within reason, put where.

 

[bushmechanic]

I'm a huge fan of putting things in cabinets so a garage looks neat and uncluttered. What about mounting a reel inside the cabinet so the hose could be unwound/wound? You could drill a hole at the bottom of the cabinet for the hose to exit.

I've thought about even mounting the vac inside the cabinet! And it looks like the OP's cabinet and vac size may even allow for it.

That's a sharp looking vac and looks great mounted as-is.

That vacuum gets pretty darn hot. I'd ask them before putting it in a cabinet, even though a vacuum is really it's own active cooling system. It's not hard to evacuate heat from an enclosed space, but warranties are warranties.

As for a hose reel, it might work, but you'd certainly have to have it exit out the other side. This is one of those hoses that rolls up a certain way regardless of your intention, and if you attempt to defy it, you'll be surrounded, *******, beaten, and overthrown.

It's a great quality hose, though, and once you get the hang of wrapping it up, it goes very quickly.

I'll put it this way: When doing a lot of vacuuming, wrapping that hose up is a hell of a lot less irritating than dragging a Shop Vac around a garage.

You can also cut it to length, as mentioned, and they even offer a union to put it back together for only a few dollars.

I don't intend to leave all 50' in there, but I haven't used it enough to know where I want to cut it yet. It's looking like 30' may be a good place.

 

[bushmechanic]

Here, you can see how much of a difference removing a clock and installing a $1.99 switch plate can make.

I know they aren't exactly high-brow, but I'll be using those tread plate covers throughout the shop to keep things visually similar. They are also slightly larger than standard units, and help cover up the ragged holes that some unknown idiot cut for the boxes.

 

[bushmechanic]

According to the manufacturer's website, this unit is sold in two different models:

1. Garage Vac - 12 amp. max / 120 volt 5.1" Ametek Lamb motor
2. Garage Vac Pro - 15 amp max / 120 volt 5.7" Ametek Lamb motor

The Pro version cost $30 more.

I was asking which one you got.

I know that. I got the Garage Vac, not the Garage Vac Pro.

I probably should have sprung for the Pro, as it's not much more, but I couldn't be bothered.

 

[boomer12831]

I am wondering where you purchased the vacuum and what the cost is? That is a great set up with alot of thought involved. Thanks, Ed.

 

[bushmechanic]

I am wondering where you purchased the vacuum and what the cost is? That is a great set up with alot of thought involved. Thanks, Ed.

I called the manufacturer directly. I don't remember the exact price, but I think it was around $260 or so. They didn't charge for shipping, and it came in a very well-packed and rather large box.

It was a very good purchase experience.

 

[cdestuck]

Bushmechanic, I'm interested in putting the hose connection on the rt side if I get this and they will sell me another inlet. Can you tell me if there is anything inside the canister that would prevent me from rotating the bag 90* counterclockwise and then attaching the bag to it. I'm going to build a cabinet for the vac and hose hanger and to keep the depth of it reduced I want the hookup on the side of the vac. Tks.

 

[bushmechanic]

I don't see why it couldn't be done. The canister is really just a can with a bag support and a little mesh screen over the motor intake. It's elegant in it's simplicity.

Don't go voiding a warranty on my account, though.

I'll caution you that the unit itself will not fit in that particular cabinet without modification. It's about 1.5" too deep, which would require frenching it into either one of the front doors (that would be pretty ****, though tread plate would require bezel), or recessing it into the rear panel (a little more boring, but clean and only requires edging).

Also, the cabinet would need to be ventilated top and bottom.

That's all easy stuff, but like I said, check with the manufacturer.

 

[autonaut]

How is the suction power when the hose is that long?

Is it easy to maintain the vacuum machine? And what do you do if the hose get's plugged?

it's a nice setup so i'd like to know

 

[bushmechanic]

The performance is very impressive even at the end of that long hose. That's something about which I was concerned before the purchase, but no longer. It's not outclassed by a Shop Vac, so far as pulling vacuum in the practical world is concerned.

You have to remember that it's a small hose with less airflow, though, so there are limits to what you should do, regardless of how much vacuum it can generate. **** as much chrome off trailer hitches as you want, sooner or later you'll run into a pintle and choke.

They've been pretty clever with the attachments, to minimize the chances of obstructing the hose, and even designed them in such a manner that it's impossible to cause them to become stuck to things like upholstery.

It's also a very nice hose that, while spiral wound out of necessity, is as smooth as possible internally, and refuses to kink.

If you do get a clog, the hose can be connected to the outlet as a blower, which should remove most obstructions, and prevent the rest. Use the blower to handle leaves and things, and the vacuum for normal stuff.

Beyond that, just cut it open. The union to put it back together only costs a few dollars. You'll end up with one anyway as soon as you decide how much hose you want to keep on the reel.

 

[HIVOLTJ]

wait, did you say you live in a warehouse?


We are going to need pics. You sir, are living the dream

 

[autonaut]

The performance is very impressive even at the end of that long hose. That's something about which I was concerned before the purchase, but no longer. It's not outclassed by a Shop Vac, so far as pulling vacuum in the practical world is concerned.

You have to remember that it's a small hose with less airflow, though, so there are limits to what you should do, regardless of how much vacuum it can generate. **** as much chrome off trailer hitches as you want, sooner or later you'll run into a pintle and choke.

They've been pretty clever with the attachments, to minimize the chances of obstructing the hose, and even designed them in such a manner that it's impossible to cause them to become stuck to things like upholstery.

It's also a very nice hose that, while spiral wound out of necessity, is as smooth as possible internally, and refuses to kink.

If you do get a clog, the hose can be connected to the outlet as a blower, which should remove most obstructions, and prevent the rest. Use the blower to handle leaves and things, and the vacuum for normal stuff.

Beyond that, just cut it open. The union to put it back together only costs a few dollars. You'll end up with one anyway as soon as you decide how much hose you want to keep on the reel.

Ok. Im hooked I will definitely upgrade the shop with that vacuum cleaner at some point. I can use the blowing function also for blowing out thhe leaves that fly into the shop when cars arrive, and will even free up floor space. It's a win win.

Thanks

 

[cdestuck]

Thanks for answering the PM Bushm. I'll get the vac and then design the cabinet deep enough for it. I was also thinking the I could mount the vac inside the cabinet on the left side and deal with making my own on/off switch design. That way the hose would face the hose rack to coil it up. Just didn't want to have to make the cabinet any deeper than I had to for the hose on the front of the machine. Prob make it 30'' high and 42'' wide with two 21'' hinged doors. Prob place a piano hinge to allow the top to be lifted for bag change or just lift the vac out of the cabinet to do the filter. Thanks again.

 

[911mike]

Oh, I'm not leaving it like that long. It will be sorted within a few days at most.

I've got a few options. I have that cord hiding stuff, and could run it straight down with the angle pieces at either end, but I think that solution is a bit played out.

I could run it behind the cabinet into a recessed receptacle, or one just above the light switch to the right of the cabinet.

I could also run it through the wall itself, and allow it to exit adjacent to the receptacle. That's pretty easy.

One way or another, I want it plugged in, so it's easily removable.

Why not just install a new outlet between the Vac and the cabinet? You should be able to fish a line straight up the wall and tie it in to the lower plug? Its a easy job to do.

 

[DirtRoad]

I got the hoover GUV prograde L2310

Priced well at $150 and free shipping.

Only two complaints so far, wish the hose was more than 30ft and the filter needs cleaning often. When i start to lose suction i know its time for a filter cleaning.

Pics in sig.

 

[cdestuck]

Got my GVPRO50 ordered today. Anxious to get it, design the cabinet dimensions and making some saw dust.

 

[bushmechanic]

Got my GVPRO50 ordered today. Anxious to get it, design the cabinet dimensions and making some saw dust.

I think you're going to like it.

You'll also get to use it while making the cabinet, and that will be fun.

Nice bunch of people over there at Lindsay Manufacturing when you have a chance to chat about the products. They are pretty enthusiastic.

 

[bushmechanic]

I've edited my first post to include a better picture. Photobucket bandwidth limits were exceeded, anyway.

 

[cdestuck]

Got the vac about a week ago and it really has a lot of suction. Working one the wall cabinet now, have the case made and now working on the raised panel doors. I made the inside of the case 39'' wide, 39'' tall and 17 1/2'' deep. Made a mock up and would have liked to made it a bit narrower but didn't want to crowd it at all. Will be mounting the vac on the side wall instead of the back wall so the inlet will not interfere with the doors and will face the hose rack.

There is a outlet above the cabinet location so I will drop a 12ga wire down through the inside of the wall and put a outlet inside the cabinet. Bought a Lone Ranger 110v hand held remote so I can control it even when out in front of my garage with the hose. Got my eye on two old open end wrenches that I think I'll fab up to use them as door handles.
Finish will be golden oak and poly top coat.

You cost me some loot and a ton of work Bushman!! Thanks

Just looking at your new pics there, with a metal cabinet I would cement some rare earth magnets on each of the attachments and just stick them to the inside of the doors or inside the hose loop.

 

[bushmechanic]

Yeah, I'll do something about the attachments. For now, I just took those better pictures to send to the manufacturer, as they liked the installation.

I'm sure you noticed that those guys are incredibly nice and helpful, as well as enthusiastic about their products. When you're done with your cabinets, I'm sure they would like to see them. I know I'm looking forward to seeing them.

I've been wondering how many of these things they sell. It's a great product, highly functional, made in the USA, and backed by a stellar company.

I love the simple elegance of it's construction. You can tell they've been building systems like this for years.

Now you know what I'm on about regarding the suction. It's surprisingly powerful.

 

[PowerDubs]

I've got the Garage Vac Pro in the same blue. Larger more powerful motor, 50 foot hose and metal vacuum attachments. Love it. Very quiet.