Whats a good shop vac?

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My 20 year old Shop Vac brand vac finally is dead. I was looking at new vacs and im not sure which band to get? I was looking at another shop vac brand but i see alot of bad reviews on them. The rigid vacs look nice. What does anyone think? Get a shop vac, rigid, craftsman, ......  ThanksShane
Reply:We just bought the Rigid 6.5 hp shop vac. Best warranty around. The vac has a handy cart built in, the attachments are carried in a very nice Rigid Bag that fits between the cart handle, it has one of the best filters out there (& its cleanable), it has a quick atch hose that is strudy enuf to tug the vac around in case you do not use the cart handle., it also has a muffler for quiet sound while running. And oh yeah will suck the car right out of a car, pick up larger debri, and suck up a fly from 5 feet away.It also has a better price than the 6.25 hp Shop Vac, a far better warranty, and very good reviews.TomCo-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:You and I should have bought 2 or 3 shop vacs 20 years ago when they good ones and saved the extras in the unopened box until needed. I looking for one also. My older craftsman still works but its kinda growling at me.Tough as nails and damn near as smart
Reply:Kind of silly how the vacuum manufacturers rate their products with Peak-Horse-Power.  At 120 volts a 6.5 hp motor would draw just over 40 amps if I did my match  correctly.For more info on PHP you can look at:http://www.ristenbatt.com/smpower.mv#PHPI sometimes wish you could get a non corrugated type suction hose. Sure would make it less likely to clog up with metal shavings and the like. Also the newer cleanable with water filters so far seem to work better and last a lot longer.
Reply:Not really a ShopVac, but I use a 2 HP Dust Collection vac.  Mine is from Grizzly, but it's identical to the Harbor Freight unit (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=97869).  Actually, it appears that they have now changed the bottom bag from a cloth bag to a plastic throw away bag.  I have a 50 foot collapsible hose that I use with it.  Of course, you can also hook it up to saws, sanders, etc.  Unlike a ShopVac, you CANNOT use it for wet areas.  I like it because it's very quiet compared to other vacs.Oh, yea, if you use one of these for dust collection, you must use a grounding wire between the vac and the machine, and wrap it around the hose in order to prevent dust explosions!America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:Originally Posted by OMSKind of silly how the vacuum manufacturers rate their products with Peak-Horse-Power.  At 120 volts a 6.5 hp motor would draw just over 40 amps if I did my match  correctly.
Reply:Not trying to hijack the thread,but speaking of HP, ya notice they now rate small gas engines by torque because someone finally challenged them in court and won. I think it was finally going to reach the point you could drop a lawn tractor engine in a fullsize P/U and not lose any power according to their HP ratings LOL!!!!                    MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Originally Posted by OMSI sometimes wish you could get a non corrugated type suction hose. Sure would make it less likely to clog up with metal shavings and the like. Also the newer cleanable with water filters so far seem to work better and last a lot longer.
Reply:i just bought a craftsman 12 gallon, works great, got it for 50 on black friday
Reply:For your basic shop vac (i.e., a tank, a power head, a hose, a wand and accessories) the best method of comparison today is, in my opinion, rated amperage, price, and features/accessories.  They are all basically the same animal with slight variations in paint jobs, tank shapes, logos, and accessories, and they will probably all have about the same failure rate since they all use the same motor manufacturer for the motor/turbine.The various models trade off blocked vacuum against CFM  by selecting the particular motor/turbine model for their product.  Blocked vacuum may feel impressive to the potential buyer who puts his/her hand over the hose, but it is a relatively meaningless spec.since you normally do not use the vacuum in a blocked state and a blocked vacuum is, by definition, not picking up any crap off the floor.  A somewhat more meaningful spec is the airflow through a standard orifice that represents "typical" usage.  But you probably won't find that data on the outside of the box.  You might, however, get that spec from the manufacturer.The "peak horsepower" ratings are (almost) pure fantasy and should be ignored.  They lie, or at least, attempt to deceive on the box or in the manal.  Since almost all shop vacs today us Lamb/Ametek vacuum motor/turbine assemblies (among which there are hundreds of types and ratings for designers to choose from), and since virtually all shop vacs operate off nominal 115 VAC power, the amperage is a reasonably good indication of the power expended in moving air (and dirt).  Since they mostly use Ametek motor/turbines, their efficiencies are probably fairly equal, so the output power  (pressure X CFM) can be easily compared by looking at the current rating on the box (assuming they are not being deceptive).  Input power in watts = (rated amps X rated volts) (approximately).  Output power (in CFM X Pressure X a constant) can be assumed to be fairly closely related to input watts for most shop vacs with basically similar designs using basically similar motor/turbines from Ametek/Lamb.For constant power input, a two-stage turbine will provide greater maximum suction, but (probably) lower CFM.  Which is most important for you is a function of what your typical usage is.  Of course, you can only find out the number of stages in the turbine by taking the power head apart and looking at the turbine casing or checking the model number with Ametek/Lamb.My recommendation would be to look at the price, the amperage, the features, the accessories included or available, and the warranty, and to ignore the "Peak Horsepower" rating.  Unless their design department is grossly incompetent, they will all be about the same efficiency and therefore output power (moving air) will be directly related to input amperage.The rest of the product is mostly molded plastic.  There's not much to distinguish one from another.  I would not pay a premium for a brand-name product.awrightLast edited by awright; 12-08-2008 at 04:48 AM.
Reply:Shop Vac is still made here in Williamsport, PA.  I know they produce other brand names.  Not sure if they do the Ridgid brand though.I figure if you got 20 years from the original Shop Vac, why change brands?  Good life expectancy in my mind.I attempt to buy "Made in USA" products.  Getting harder to do.
Reply:What's a good shop vac?  The one found in a dumpster after a construction job.  Why do I say that?  You didn't pay anything for it ( maybe a filter, big whoop ) - so investment is minimal.When it dies, you haul it back to one of the many landfill customer service centers and hope for another one.I've found 2 that way, 6hp and a 6.5 hp, ran the legs of them.  They work better than the 3hp one I PAID for.  ( I would hope, they're 'double the power'.
Reply:As awright mentioned, the 'peak HP' numbers are BS.For the money, the 'higher-end' Craftsman wet-dry vacs seem to work OK.  Like the 16 gallon 6.5 hp (Hah!) detachable blower/motor/vac-head unit, or whatever the current model is.  Usually about $100, give-or-take, with a semi-sale price.  It's loud though.  But it does suck, in a good way.  And the Gore-tex wet-dry filter is about the best $30 or so (when I bought it) I think I spent for/on the vac.  Better filtration than the plain paper filters, can be used wet or dry, can be rinsed off with a water hose and then (gently) blown off with an air blow-gun (don't shred the thing with 100 psi air out of a blow gun!).  It lasts and lasts.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:My plastic 16 gallon Craftsman lasted for about 12 years, no complaints. My now 6 year old 15 gallon stainless steel tank Shop-Vac works fine also. Can’t complain about the performance of either for the price paid for each.Do like the Shop-Vac’s two 6" rear and one front caster wheel configuration, nice push handle and screw type locking suction hose to tank connection. Seems all units are dependent on the filter to operate satisfactorily. If I was in the market for one I’d check the price of replacements filters and apply that information to my decisionmaking.
Reply:Last year I had the pleasure of watching my old POS shop vac go up in faming glory.   I was removing a couple of cubic yards of sand from the inside of my Jeeps when the vacuum motor started making noises.   I said to myself “What the heck…let it go”.  As I continued with the chore of sand removal; fifteen minutes later the vacuum was fully engulfed in blue electrical flames.  Its violent fiery death was satisfying my hatred for the machine.   I was chanting burn, baby burn….  The wife wandered out of the house and asked me, “What the hell I was doing?” in an alarming voice.       My response was, “Dear, I am waiting for the flames to die down so I can fix it”!  Yeah right….
Reply:I have a Ridgid, have had it for about 9 years.O/A Set-Up Radnor Gauges WH26FC  Welding Torch CA25       Cutting Attachment 0 TipThat is it for now...More to come later...
Reply:Originally Posted by Chevy-ArtI have a Ridgid, have had it for about 9 years.
Reply:I have a Shop Vac, it does everything I need. I have another, cheaper Shop Vac, I keep in the back yard, ben in the rain, head rolling around the yard, in the dirt...it keeps going.Wow...this was alot of information... Originally Posted by awrightFor your basic shop vac (i.e., a tank, a power head, a hose, a wand and accessories) the best method of comparison today is, in my opinion, rated amperage, price, and features/accessories.  They are all basically the same animal with slight variations in paint jobs, tank shapes, logos, and accessories, and they will probably all have about the same failure rate since they all use the same motor manufacturer for the motor/turbine.The various models trade off blocked vacuum against CFM  by selecting the particular motor/turbine model for their product.  Blocked vacuum may feel impressive to the potential buyer who puts his/her hand over the hose, but it is a relatively meaningless spec.since you normally do not use the vacuum in a blocked state and a blocked vacuum is, by definition, not picking up any crap off the floor.  A somewhat more meaningful spec is the airflow through a standard orifice that represents "typical" usage.  But you probably won't find that data on the outside of the box.  You might, however, get that spec from the manufacturer.The "peak horsepower" ratings are (almost) pure fantasy and should be ignored.  They lie, or at least, attempt to deceive on the box or in the manal.  Since almost all shop vacs today us Lamb/Ametek vacuum motor/turbine assemblies (among which there are hundreds of types and ratings for designers to choose from), and since virtually all shop vacs operate off nominal 115 VAC power, the amperage is a reasonably good indication of the power expended in moving air (and dirt).  Since they mostly use Ametek motor/turbines, their efficiencies are probably fairly equal, so the output power  (pressure X CFM) can be easily compared by looking at the current rating on the box (assuming they are not being deceptive).  Input power in watts = (rated amps X rated volts) (approximately).  Output power (in CFM X Pressure X a constant) can be assumed to be fairly closely related to input watts for most shop vacs with basically similar designs using basically similar motor/turbines from Ametek/Lamb.For constant power input, a two-stage turbine will provide greater maximum suction, but (probably) lower CFM.  Which is most important for you is a function of what your typical usage is.  Of course, you can only find out the number of stages in the turbine by taking the power head apart and looking at the turbine casing or checking the model number with Ametek/Lamb.My recommendation would be to look at the price, the amperage, the features, the accessories included or available, and the warranty, and to ignore the "Peak Horsepower" rating.  Unless their design department is grossly incompetent, they will all be about the same efficiency and therefore output power (moving air) will be directly related to input amperage.The rest of the product is mostly molded plastic.  There's not much to distinguish one from another.  I would not pay a premium for a brand-name product.awright