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Thread Number: 75301
/ Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
Advice on Wet/Dry Shop vacs |
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Post# 991408 4/19/2018 at 13:16 (2,190 days old) by bajaespuma  (Connecticut) |
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 I'm looking for an really powerful shop vac to replace the Hoover 6744 that I inherited from my Father 25 years ago. The motor still works but most of the plastic parts have either broken or require replacement and I'm getting tired of hunting them down and paying for them. Any advice will, as usual, be tolerated.
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Post# 991418 , Reply# 1 4/19/2018 at 15:12 (2,190 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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For our machine shop we only buy Rigid brand. The performance and longevity have been quite amazing. Our oldest vacuum is about 12 years old and there are days it runs for hours when we are machining phenolics and we use it as a dust collector. The rest of the time it handles slop work of machine and sump cleanout. We don't treat any of ours as full wet vacs though. The only complaint I have with Rigid is that you really can't get parts for them, had one a motor failed in and had to trash the whole thing.
I have a Stihl SE122 Wet/Dry vacuum at home and that is an amazing piece of equipment, but it was likely quite expensive (was a gift). It is so nice that if I were to do drywall work I'd go buy a Rigid so at to not trash the Stihl. I mostly use it as a canister vacuum for general housecleaning. I likely wouldn't consider a Craftsman anymore, I don't find anything from that brand worth consideration. ShopVac brand is another that is cost cut to the point of being worthless | ||
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Post# 991756 , Reply# 2 4/22/2018 at 09:57 (2,187 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Thanks for the info John The Stihl models look too pretty to subject to the stuff it would need to suck up in my basement.
I went HD to look at the Rigid and I'm probably going to go with the 12 gal model. It occurred to me while I was looking at it that it would only cost twice what I'd have to pay for another filter for my old Hoover. | ||
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Post# 991757 , Reply# 3 4/22/2018 at 10:17 (2,187 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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We're hard on shop vacs. Very hard. Here's what I've found: 1) Current Shop-Vac® is worthless trash, purposely built to fail quickly. They do an extra thing with the switch which will cause a spot-weld to loosen. Seriously. To be avoided! 2) Old Shop-Vac® is worth the money. 3) Rigid is still good and their HEPA filter works quite well. 4) Anyone who buys Craftsman today gets what they deserve. 5) Old Craftsman is good stuff.
If I were you, I'd stick with the Hoover, pick up necessary plastic parts. You'll get enormously better service for less money. | ||
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Post# 991825 , Reply# 4 4/22/2018 at 22:17 (2,187 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I bought an all plastic big 16 gallon 12 amp Shop-Vac in '97 and it's noisy and cheap. But it's never failed, so to speak. A few years later when I needed another to collect saw dust, I got a 16 gallon Rigid with a stainless can. The Rigid is much more quiet and just as powerful. 6.5 HP with "Scroll noise suppression" or some such. I like it a lot more than the Shop-Vac. It's got far better wheels and a nice handle with a bag for accessories. With the house came a very old Invincible dry shop-vac. It's more like a big canister vacuum cleaner, with big grocery cart style spoked wheels and a cloth dust bag. It still runs, has a cast aluminum base that probably would polish up nice someday. Probably at least 50 years old now.
I don't know if Rigid still sells the stainless model, but it's still probably a better unit than Shop-Vac. | ||
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Post# 991839 , Reply# 5 4/23/2018 at 01:55 (2,186 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula) |
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Someday I'll buy a Rigid only to vac the concrete patio and the laundry room. | ||
| Post# 991893 , Reply# 6 4/23/2018 at 15:17 (2,186 days old) by johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
RIDGID
I'll endorse Ridgid as well.
I've got a small 4.5gal, and it's fantastic. It's too "squatty" to work well as a wet vac, and too powerful because it sucks and blows liquid out the motor exhaust. But if you get a taller Ridgid model, they're great. They have the biggest hose diameter I know. Their filters work great, and are easy to affix. Their motors are powerful, and still made by Emerson today. Decent warranties. | ||
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Post# 991914 , Reply# 8 4/23/2018 at 18:41 (2,186 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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| Post# 992372 , Reply# 10 4/28/2018 at 12:54 (2,181 days old) by Xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania ) | ||
I’m still using this 1980s Sears Craftsman 8 gallon vac.
Got it for $2 from a friends mom a few years back
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