Recommendations for a New Shop Vac

[John in OH]

Need a new shop vac so I'm probing the deep wisdom of you all. I've done some searches on this site, but have not found any recent posts that are relevant. Here's the criteria:

Wet/dry floor type (ie., not a wall mount)
14 to 20 gal tank
5hp or more
Quiet!!
Easy to clean (removable filter bag would really be cool)
Decent hose length & accessory package
For general shop use ... dirt & crud, sawdust, wood chips, engine lathe swarf, etc.
Cost ... $150 plus or minus (minus is always good)

I suspect that the last criteria limits me to the Lowe's Shop-Vac or Home Depot Ridgid brands, but not sure. Suggestions and recommendations based on your experience would be appreciated!

 

[charlie_nj]

I have a 10 year old Craftsman that's still running strong, so I have no first hand experience with the newer ones. However the woodworking magazines rate both the Craftsman 17066 and the Ridgid WD1450 as the top performers in that $100 to $150 price range. Those top of the line vacs like Festool and Fein are probably awesome, but I couldnt justify the $400 or so that they cost.

 

[John in OH]

Yeah, spending $400 for a Fein, or vac of similar ilk, for a non-business shop makes about as much sense to me as spending $50 for a broom. A $2 broom from the Dollar Store will probably do the same job! Hey, it's for cleaning up dirt and I don't clean up dirt for a living!!

 

[Jay H 237]

We have two 16 gallon Ridgids at work that get abused some and are still going after a few years. Not bad vacs at all.

I have a Shop-Vac brand one at home that I bought back in 1995 or 1996 that I still use.

 

[boiler7904]

I've had a Ridgid WD1450 for about 3 years with zero problems or complaints. It ***** in a good way. I also bought a CleanStream filter for it about a year ago. Seems to do a better job of filtering than the paper elements that Ridgid sells and it's reusable. So a $30 filter ends up costing less than the $20 and $25 Ridgid pieces.

 

[terabyte]

another vote for rigid 1450

 

[WheelsNT]

Get one of the ShopVac models that has a built-in pump. You don't need it often, but when you do, it's priceless. Saves carrying 20 gallons of water someplace (up the stairs?) to empty it. Water is 8 lbs per gallon...

WheelsNT

 

[buening]

I have the Contractor version of the 14gal Shop Vac from Lowes. They are a heck of a lot quieter than the standard red Shop Vacs. Mine is blue and gray.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Another vote for the blue and grey Shop Vac models at Lowes. Also, I won't use any filter except a CleanStream by W.L. Gore (the GoreTex people). I just keep washing it and re-using it.

 

[CycloneISU]

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=126801-20097-9341211&lpage=none

This is what I use and I'm very happy with it.

 

[John in OH]

Boiler7904 and Terabyte .... how would you rate the noise level of the Ridgid 1450? Does it have a dirt collection bag or only a filter?

CycloneISU .... same questions regarding the Shop-Vac 14 gal Contractor model?

 

[boiler7904]

It's not all that loud for being a big vac. They do offer an accessory exhaust muffler that is supposed to quiet the vac but I don't have it so no personal comment. I'd like to get it just to see if it really works.

The vac comes with Ridgid's mid-grade filter. There is a basic down and dirty filter that I've never used and a HEPA filter that is about the same or more expensive than the CleanStream but is not reusable. I bought a CleanStream last year and haven't looked back. Reminds me that I need to take it out and clean it.

Filter bags are available as an accessory. I want to say that a two pack is 10 or 12 bucks. I use them when doing a lot of dusty work. Just make sure not to get them wet.

I'm very happy with the WD1450 and would buy it (or a larger unit) again in a heartbeat. It has plenty of power to use as a small dust collected when hooked to sanders or other portable power tools but I wouldn't try to hook it up to a table saw or other stationary tool. My only complaint about the vac is that the stock hose is only 7 feet long. One of the Mr Nozzle kits that Merk linked to is on my shopping list at some point.

 

[T56 Impala]

I have a ShopVac brand for the big jobs. I forget the size. I usually have a "dry wall" bag in it as well as the filter. It is used mostly as a cheap mans version of a dust collector. I have several lengths of long hose that I run to (or used to run to) my woodworking equipment. I park it outside and turn it on. It works great.

For general car cleaning and dust in the garage, I have a wall mounted version. Not real sure of the brand. Yes, it too is "customized".

I am going to replace the hose holder with this as soon as I find two Porsche rotors to bolt together for an air hose reel.

 

[milkovich]

962-13-10

I bought this one to replace a 20 year old shop-vac and I like it. AFAIK everything Shopvac makes is still made in the U.S.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I was going to recommend a Fein, until the price. I would look at the larger Ridgid vac's as they have SNR (serial noise reduction). Otherwise, whatever you buy, google shop vac enclosure and build a soundproofing box.

 

[GDA]

I have the 12 gallon Ridgid that I got on sale a couple years ago. Very solid unit that seem to go on sale every once in a while for real reasonable price. I did upgrade after a couple uses to the more expensive green filter and it does a much better job than the standard filter.

 

[Vinko]

I have the 12 gallon Ridgid that I got on sale a couple years ago. Very solid unit that seem to go on sale every once in a while for real reasonable price. I did upgrade after a couple uses to the more expensive green filter and it does a much better job than the standard filter.

Got I think the 12 gallon Ridgid and a 12 gallon Craftsman. Both work great.

I'm waiting for a sale on a 12 gallon Ridgid or Crafty for my garage. But no sales for the past couple of months or so. that I could find....

 

[Lhorn]

They do offer an accessory exhaust muffler that is supposed to quiet the vac but I don't have it so no personal comment. I'd like to get it just to see if it really works.

I think I have what you are talking about. I've seen it at HomeDepot, but essentially the exact same item was for sale by the Craftsman vacs at the local OSH hardware store. It's essentially a short plastic tube that has a little filter on the end. It actually looks a lot like a tiny K&N cone style air filter, but the filtering media is simply thin piece of foam. IMO, it's not worth the $12 it cost. Noise difference IMO is about 15% less. If you want a real noticable decrease in noise, this won't make you happy.

 

[Senorpablo]

I bought a lower end Shop-Vac brand model a few years back and was pleasantly amazed at how quiet the new ones are compared to older model shop vacuums. I'd say it's 1/3rd as loud as older vac's I've used of similar size. I don't know if the other brands have made similar strides in quieting their vac's, but I'm extremely happy with my Shop Vac brand vacuum.

 

[Major Ramifications]

For what it is worth, the last time I checked, the Ridgid models at HD were made by Emerson, as were almost all of the Craftsman models. There were a couple of the Craftsmans made by Shop Vac, however.