Shop Vac worth a darn?

[Djstorm100]

I picked up a 5hp 6 gallon at Walmart and it *****...literally. There's hardly any power behind it. The ones I use to have could **** a golf ball through a garden hose.

It does have a 1-1/4" hose. I liked that it had a metal tank.

 

[Crossfire05]

I picked up a 5hp 6 gallon at Walmart and it *****...literally. There's hardly any power behind it. The ones I use to have could **** a golf ball through a garden hose.

It does have a 1-1/4" hose. I liked that it had a metal tank.

Does it have to be a wet/dry? I think Adams used to have a nice wall mounted unit with a long hose. I think it was made by Hoover. I had a friend that had one and liked it. It probably would not be good for anything like a wood shop but for vacuuming cars etc.

 

[Jon_E]

Top rated shop vac on a budget is the Ridgid WD1450. You can spend an awful lot more but that one seems to be the best bang for the buck. Personally I have never spent more than $25 for a shop vac, I have three of them and they all work OK. One 'Shop-Vac' brand (older than dirt), one Ridgid (Black Friday deal) and one Vacmaster (K-mart clearance).

 

[isb cornbinder]

My shop vac came with a screw in restrictor plug. I took it out and the vacuum worked like it should.

 

[firebirdparts]

FIVE horsepower? something's wrong.

 

[Djstorm100]

My shop vac came with a screw in restrictor plug. I took it out and the vacuum worked like it should.

Where was this screw in plug at? I took the filter of mine.

Top rated shop vac on a budget is the Ridgid WD1450. You can spend an awful lot more but that one seems to be the best bang for the buck. Personally I have never spent more than $25 for a shop vac, I have three of them and they all work OK. One 'Shop-Vac' brand (older than dirt), one Ridgid (Black Friday deal) and one Vacmaster (K-mart clearance).

FIVE horsepower? something's wrong.

4.5 Peak. Just saw the package

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Shop-Vac...35&wl11=local&wl12=55042495&wl13=1321&veh=sem






****I'll be using this to **** up small metal chips out of a milling machine. I don't use a air gun*****

 

[isb cornbinder]

There is information on the Internet that explains the trickery used to get the big horsepower numbers.
CFM ratings on automotive radiator cooling fans also use trickery and BS to get their advertised big numbers.
Caveat Emptor

 

[JimNC]

Years ago my wife gave me a Fein shop vac, pricey but you can run it without hearing protection.

 

[c4cruiser]

I bought a 12 gallon Shop-Vac a couple years ago. Stainless tank and pretty quiet. Worked great until the On/Off switch became loose and too a number of tries to get it to work. Then the switch quit altogether. Checked out the Shop-Vac website for parts and the switch was not available.

Turned out that they didn't want the poor unwashed (unvacuumed?) people trying to fix their products. So the only way to get a replacement S-V switch was to buy the entire motor. Now it turns out that the motor is no longer available...

I'll never buy a Shop-Vac product again.

 

[isb cornbinder]

The restrictor plug is in the top section, opposite the hose inlet, on my shop Vac.
I have not looked at the internal bits and pieces that make a one of these vacuums operate. I would like to think I could hard-wire over the OEM switch and add my own toggle switch somewhere.
I have had ten years of service from my yellow and black topped Shop Vac. It still works as well as the day I bought it home.
Rather than getting angry, try this. Send Shop Vac an email detailing your difficulties. Ask for suggestions from them. Mention that you got this information, to contact them, on the Garage Journal Forum after you mentioned having your problem, on that forum. It might help your situation to mention that Garage Journal has over one million members who may see and read your post.
I have used this to get help from several companies. On more than a few occasions I was sent a replacement directly from the factory.
" Offering" to post a video of your failed product on You Tube should be the last option. I went on You Tube and found a factory representative demonstrating the product that failed for me. In the comments section I told my story and I had a response in less than 10 minutes. I was sent a replacement and the parts to repair my failed product.
Don't get angry and stop thinking. Refocus and get even.
I am 72 and this has worked for me many times.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Top rated shop vac on a budget is the Ridgid WD1450. You can spend an awful lot more but that one seems to be the best bang for the buck. Personally I have never spent more than $25 for a shop vac, I have three of them and they all work OK. One 'Shop-Vac' brand (older than dirt), one Ridgid (Black Friday deal) and one Vacmaster (K-mart clearance).

I second Ridgid. I'm not sure what model I've had, I bought 10 years ago, but I've used it for pellet stove cleaning, pet hair, cleaning the cars, cleaning the garage, wet vacuuming water out of the garage and basement, and I use it all the time for sawdust from the table saw and bandsaw. Never had an issue. Still using the original filter too, I just take it out back and smack it on the wood pile a few times to clean it out.

 

[BillK]

I have two Shop Vac brand ones here at the shop and they have been great. The oldest one is at least 10 years old, maybe more. They get abused to death sucking mostly metal shavings and grinding dust. The motor finally gave it up on one of them and I had to get a replacement but that was no big deal.

Unless the newer ones have really gone to **** I would certainly buy another one.

 

[jimgood]

I have two Ridgid shop vacs. One is twenty years old. The older one is better but the newer one (about 7 years old maybe) is pretty good. Way better than a Shop Vac brand that I had before these, which was about what you described. Crappy suction.

 

[fowldarr]

Add me to the club that is not happy with their shop vac brand. Mine has never had the suction that I felt it should (except when it was brand brand new). I am going to go look for this screw in restrictor when I get home though, see if that helps. If not, I'm in the market for a new one.

 

[zmotorsports]

Stihl SE122. Hands down the best shop vac I have ever owned.

 

[850xpeps]

Rigid wins

 

[Djstorm100]

Add me to the club that is not happy with their shop vac brand. Mine has never had the suction that I felt it should (except when it was brand brand new). I am going to go look for this screw in restrictor when I get home though, see if that helps. If not, I'm in the market for a new one.

Let me know if you find it please. I'm going to pick up a the Ridgid

 

[PhysicsDude]

Ridgid should be your go-to brand for wet/dry vacs unless you have a special need for something really fancy.

Every year for Black Friday Home Depot has a great sale on a basic 12 or 16 gallon vac, usually its a $60-$80 normally price vac that they mark down to $40-50.

 

[PelicanPines]

Ridgid should be your go-to brand for wet/dry vacs unless you have a special need for something really fancy.

Every year for Black Friday Home Depot has a great sale on a basic 12 or 16 gallon vac, usually its a $60-$80 normally price vac that they mark down to $40-50.

Rigid wins

What they said...

 

[AmherstAndy]

The restrictor plug is in the top section, opposite the hose inlet, on my shop Vac.
I have not looked at the internal bits and pieces that make a one of these vacuums operate. I would like to think I could hard-wire over the OEM switch and add my own toggle switch somewhere.
I have had ten years of service from my yellow and black topped Shop Vac. It still works as well as the day I bought it home.
Rather than getting angry, try this. Send Shop Vac an email detailing your difficulties. Ask for suggestions from them. Mention that you got this information, to contact them, on the Garage Journal Forum after you mentioned having your problem, on that forum. It might help your situation to mention that Garage Journal has over one million members who may see and read your post.
I have used this to get help from several companies. On more than a few occasions I was sent a replacement directly from the factory.
" Offering" to post a video of your failed product on You Tube should be the last option. I went on You Tube and found a factory representative demonstrating the product that failed for me. In the comments section I told my story and I had a response in less than 10 minutes. I was sent a replacement and the parts to repair my failed product.
Don't get angry and stop thinking. Refocus and get even.
I am 72 and this has worked for me many times.

I think this is great advice...make a reasonable request for help. That said, I don't think we should hold companies hostage with social media, especially if you got acceptable service life out of their product. The flip side of this is that if a company stands up and does the right thing, they probably deserve some praise on social media.

 

[tinmanwpk]

I've been through quite a few vacs over the last 20 years at my commercial metal fabrication shop. We have gone exclusively to Ridgid. ShopVac never delivered. I have purchased Ridgid for my home use now as well and am satisfied.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I have a Shop Vac with the big hose. It works well. You can get liner bags for it, yellow drywall liner bags, and that thing will just keep sucking until the bag is full, no filter clog to worry about.

Worth the money to me.

 

[Tractorsellr]

Stihl SE122. Hands down the best shop vac I have ever owned.

I second this, best shop vac I have used so far. Purchased 2 a few weeks ago. In think they could **** the chrome off a trailer ball.

 

[mikegt4]

I have a 1970's era Craftsman vac, 2 motors on top of a large container of at least 35 gallons. It will **** growing grass out of the ground. I also have a newer Craftsman, something like 5hp/15gal. Both work great although the old one isn't all that portable. I wouldn't consider any vac with a 1-1/4" hose as much of a shop vac, 2-1/2" is a must have. Ridgid or Shop Vac (the brand) would be my first choices.

 

[850xpeps]

I second this, best shop vac I have used so far. Purchased 2 a few weeks ago. In think they could **** the chrome off a trailer ball.

You make a strong point but I’ve known woman who could **** the chrome off a trailer ball and they were dirty.

 

[zmotorsports]

I second this, best shop vac I have used so far. Purchased 2 a few weeks ago. In think they could **** the chrome off a trailer ball.

Yep, I actually sold my Rigid and gave my Commercial duty NAPA one to my son after purchasing my Stihl last year.

 

[Shiftless]

I too like my FEIN. Quiet, and has a 20 foot long hose.
But crazy expensive...I bought mine used from a fellow moving to Europe who only used it in his little apartment.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Father has a Ridgid that has been used a ton at the office/warehouses he owns. It has been through hell and back with wet & dry and still works like a champ.

I was gifted a used 5HP/12Gallon Contractor Series Wet/Dry Shop Vac. It works quite well for me, better than I expected. No complaints, plenty of suction.

Whatever you choose, get one with a 2.5" hose... You can always reduce down if you need to but anything smaller isn't going to have a motor worth a squat...

 

[Toolfool]

I've had the Ridgid WD1450 for a few years and it is not bad, but it still can't outsuck my 28 year old Craftsman vac that will inhale chunks of concrete and 8p nails.

 

[Slkay944]

Stiihl, metabo then fein. I have all 3 and they are much better than my shop-vac and craftsman vacuums, dumped both of those for these and could not be happier. The metabo and fein are mostly used ,for dust collection with power tools since they have built in outlets. Stihl is my favorite, would not hesitate to recommend it.

 

[Djstorm100]

Picked up the Ridgid WD1450 yesterday from HD. Works great and happy with it. It's alot quieter than the shop vac and how the power to **** up water, dirt on the garage floor and metal chips out of the chip pan.

My Dad is already trying to take it over (my machine shop is at his house) with their bathroom remodel..he already took one of my shop vacs..lol

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

Glad to hear you will enjoy the Ridgid, I have several with my company. I think they are the best value out there. When combined with a bag, the do a great job of not bypassing the fines.

 

[stonesfan68]

I wouldn't consider any vac with a 1-1/4" hose as much of a shop vac, 2-1/2" is a must have. Ridgid or Shop Vac (the brand) would be my first choices.

I have had the same experience. I have the ShopVac with the small hose it it really doesn’t take much to clog the hose and have suction go to nothing. I’ve stopped using it except for dust and sawdust clean up. It works great on my miter saw.

The Rigid I have has the 2.5” hose and it is very powerful and not easily clogged.

I’ve also learned about getting the right filter for the job. I went through a couple of filters sucking up drywall dust until I bought a fine filter bag.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Bought this in 1985, so it is 33 years young. Use it for auto, outdoor stove, general shop, usually 2 to 3 bags per year. Keep the foam filter clean and in good shape.

 

[Regzilla]

After a lot of looking, I got a Shop Vac Model: 5872500.
Its 5 gallons, no wheels, but got a good size hose. I got it a few years ago with extra attachments for about $90 total.

This thing works real well, but my complaint is the amount of time I spent finding a good one for me, and the fact that they have several models that initially look the same, but upon investigating are not. I spent the time looking, because, I don't have extra cash to waste in just trying random stuff.

I use it for general cleaning and hooking up to my sanders.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

I have a Shop Vac with the big hose. It works well. You can get liner bags for it, yellow drywall liner bags, and that thing will just keep sucking until the bag is full, no filter clog to worry about.

Worth the money to me.

Sounds like the one I've got. It works very well. It may be slightly louder than the Rigid that my father picked up recently but it ***** just as well, if not better.

-Brian

 

[four.cycle]

Believe it or not....

I'm on my third Craftsman (in 25 years), and if they still built them the same way I'd buy another.
Mine is an older "convertible" type - the motor comes off and can be used as a blower. I don't believe the current models offer that feature.

I literally ran the first two to death. This one is on its third impeller, but I don't consider that the fault of the product - the failure was more likely due to my unabated abuse.

I use it as a vacuum. I use it to empty out hot-tubs. I use it to clean raingutters (works great!) ***** up anything I point it at that will fit into the end of the 2-1/4" diameter hose.
Only thing I do not like about it is that they changed the design of the filter element that uses a Mickey-Mouse plastic nut to hold it in place. I took care of that with a real steel nut from the hardware store.
Still runnin' the piss out of it.

 

[ishiboo]

Top rated shop vac on a budget is the Ridgid WD1450. You can spend an awful lot more but that one seems to be the best bang for the buck. Personally I have never spent more than $25 for a shop vac, I have three of them and they all work OK. One 'Shop-Vac' brand (older than dirt), one Ridgid (Black Friday deal) and one Vacmaster (K-mart clearance).

I would say that the WD1851 16 gallon is the way to go:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100081216-_-100638360-_-N

Picked one up during the holidays but have yet to use it. 205 CFM vs the 1450's 168.

"Peak HP" seems to be the way they are rated... The 1851 at 6.5 puts out like 25% more CFM than the similarly rated Shop Vacs I've looked at.

(Caveat: While it has the HIGHEST rating, I have yet to use it since purchasing it a month ago!)

 

[AKCJ]

Just got a Fein. It's definitely better quality than the typical shop vac. More expensive also. And it's quiet.
One feature I wanted was the auto start with power tools. Turn on the chop saw (or whatever) and the vac comes on/off automatically.
You can also order a plug in that does the same thing.

 

[charger0926]

Mastercraft if you need a industrial type vac

Big $$$$$ For these but really well built