# shop vac



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

OK I am going to upgrade from my 40$ junk shop vac to a good one and was thinking about getting a rigid 14 gallon shop vac and was wondering if anyone on here had used one and how well it worked for them. I will mostly use this to clean up the floor but also to collect dust from rigid spindle and belt sander , hand help sander and router table which all use 2.5 inch dust ports and are on the other side of the shop than my dust collector and I don't want to have to buy all the flex hose or have it all over the floor and in the way so for these tools a shop vac sounds like the solution. Is there another shop vac that is better than the rigid. The most I want to spend is 130.


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

always heard good things on the ridgid vac's, though locally anyways sometimes you can find a deal on CL.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I have a smaller ridgid that has treated me very well, my only complaint with SV's though is the very disposable filters cost almost as much as a new SV!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

That's crazy that they cost that much. Any good ways to increase the life of one

Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Separator on a bucket...

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

I have a couple of Ridgid shop vacs. Yeah, two.

Every time that I empty the shop vac I use the other to clean the filter. On the Ridgid OEM filters you can probably clean the filters a dozen times.

I have replaced my two filters with Clearstream filters. These are the high efficiency, fine particle filters. 

The cleaning process takes less than 5 minutes per filter. Just use the crevice tool and suck the dust out of the folds of the filter. I've been doing this for over 10 years and I'm still on the same Clearstream filters.


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## jcal (Jul 25, 2009)

I have 2 Rigid shop vacs and I'm happy with them. You can get great deals on them if you're willing to wait - usually around Christmas time. I just added the Vortex separator from Rockler for $70 and it works very well. Almost nothing gets to the shop vac itself. The Vortex holds 5 gallons.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I have a Ridgid 12 Gallon shop vac, mine came with a HEPA filter in the package (a promo from a few years back). I pull through a shop built Thien Separator on a 20 gallon trash can. It works great... 

It IS loud mind you, but all wet / dry vacs are...

One thing I seriously dislike about this vac is the inability to use pre-filter dust bags due to the design of my unit. But then again, I CAN use mine as a blower so it's a trade off...


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## RobTrunfel (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm a big fan of the Ridgid 1450


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

ok since it sounds like a good shop vac i think i am going to home depo tonight to pick one up.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Get a HF 20% off coupon and see if they'll honor it... Some do!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

thanks i will have to try that


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## Joe Garfield (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm on my second Ridgid 12gal vac - first one got absorbed by my mom and sister. Actually, I was trying to get the 9gal 3.5hp for the replacement but they were out of stock. Think it was on sale for around $50. The 12gal is pretty big - if it's dedicated to the shop you'll be fine, but it's a pain in the butt to drag around the house.

I want to turn mine into dust collection too, so keep us posted on your project.


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

ya ill let you know how well it works as a small dc


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

So I went to get it and they were out so the sale lady upgraded me to a better shop vac for free and it works great it is a 16 gallon with 6.5 horse instead of 6 and 2 galling more. She saved me 25. I just got done cleaning the floor of my shop with it and am realy impressed with the power and how quiet it is.

Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Woodworkingkid said:


> So I went to get it and they were out so the sale lady upgraded me to a better shop vac for free and it works great it is a 16 gallon with 6.5 horse instead of 6 and 2 galling more. She saved me 25. I love it I just got done cleaning the floor of my shop with it and am realy impressed with the power and how quiet it is.
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


6.5 hp??? Is it 3phase? lol

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## cellophane (Oct 6, 2009)

I read somewhere that you can cover your filter with a pair of nylons and it will help reduce the amount of fine particulate that gets to the filter. Just replace the nylons every so often.


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

on home depo's website it said "The RIDGID 16-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac features a 6.5 peak HP motor" i think that the hp must be a lot less and that ridgid just said it was 6.5 or somthing


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## drwise (Aug 4, 2011)

I have a Rigid as well and it has worked well over the years. I'm glad to hear they now have models that are quieter as mine is really loud. It's time to change the filter again and that brings me to another question.....anyone out there use a dust separater externally to their shop vac? I've been looking at Oneida, but just heard that Clear Vue has come out with a shop vac system. I'm tired of cleaning and changing filters.


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

I just happened to acquire a used but nearly new 12/5 Ridgid vac, with a brand new blue filter still in the box. The thing absolutely kills my old shop vac brand vac. Not a bad deal walked away with it with all Ac's, and a fancy floor sweeper attachment from craftsman, and a psi long ranger d/c remote setup for 30 bucks. Hell the Ridgid vac feels like it has more suction than my 650 (lol) HF d/c does.


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## drwise (Aug 4, 2011)

I have a Rigid shop vac and I was sick of constantly cleaning the filters. Got a Clear Vue Mini CV06 and it works great! Just about all of the dust and trash from remodeling the bathroom ends up in a bucket instead of my vac. Can't wait to use it at the end of next winter when all of the salt and dirt ends up in the garage. Here is the link if anyone is interested (they were on sale!): http://www.clearvuecyclones.com


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