Rex Edgar Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Would like to hear from recent purchasers of shop vacuums. Today I went to LOWES and got hooked on the Shop-Vac 14 gallon with a semi transparent tank. Imagine my disappointment when I began to unpack the new unit and discovered that one of the hooks (presumably to wrap and store the cord) was broken and lying in the bottom of the box. I am now not sure if I want this model or another what are the members happy with? I have a dust collection system for the larger units and it has a 4" hose and adaptor. The 2 1/2" unit would be used for shop clean up and dedicated use for the router table and other tools that don't need the 4" capacity...Regards, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 I am very happy with my festool ct26 with the dust deputy combo. Years ago i had a 99$ ridgid shop vac and this is in another league. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I have 2 shop vacs, both Ridgid. I have an older 12 gallon version with detachable blower that I mostly use for my router table and to vacuum up things on the floor. I also have the newer and quite wonderfully powerful 4 gallon portable version. The 4 gallon version is fantastic and I use it with my orbit sanders for a finish very near if not the equal to what I have seen from festool when using the correct sand paper (can't use paper that covers up or reduces holes). Its probably slightly less effective, but it is the kind of thing where you would need to test your festool sander right next to your non festool sander in order to notice the difference and at a pretty small fraction of the price. This is the 4 gallon version I have: https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/4-gallon-portable-wet-dry-vac This is the 12 gallon: https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/12-gal-wet-dry-vac-with-detachable-blower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAmos Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I really like my Makita, nice and quite lots of suction. The only down side is it is a bit pricy and works best with bags, more money. I have been willing to deal with the cost due to the performance for me it the only thing to use for fine dust like sanding, even drywall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I've got 2 Rigid shop vacs and they both work great. I keep one in the basement, and one in the shop. They are a bit big and cumbersome, however they're great for shop cleanup combined with the Oneida Dust deputy. I've also got a Festool CT48 that I use for machine dust extraction and vacuuming off machines and such. To get the most out of a shop vac and to keep performance up, you're going to want to use bags. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 9 minutes ago, Tom Cancelleri said: To get the most out of a shop vac and to keep performance up, you're going to want to use bags. I'd say you should also consider one of the shop-vac oriented small cyclones......like a Dust Deputy or ClearVue mini CV06. I have 2 Dust Deputies - one on a general purpose shop vac that "gets around" and another one dedicated to some bench tools. I think they work fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I have 2 Ridgid shop vacs. One has been in service in the shop for 12 years. the other is a recent addition. I get the "convertible" model where the motor comes off. I went from this: To this: The vac sucks through the Dust Deputy, thru a Clean Stream filter and through a small container section of the box. I get a teaspoon or two of spoil in the filter area every 10 buckets or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Edgar Posted April 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 9 hours ago, shaneymack said: I am very happy with my festool ct26 with the dust deputy combo. Years ago i had a 99$ ridgid shop vac and this is in another league. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk From my research the "other league" is the financial one. Nearly $700.00 for a shop vacuum, Insanity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 37 minutes ago, Rex Edgar said: From my research the "other league" is the financial one. Nearly $700.00 for a shop vacuum, Insanity! They do work incredibly well tho! I have 2 and would never go back.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I am very happy with my festool ct26 with the dust deputy combo. Years ago i had a 99$ ridgid shop vac and this is in another league. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk From my research the "other league" is the financial one. Nearly $700.00 for a shop vacuum, Insanity! Less than 700$ ! That's a deal !! Its 870$ here... Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 1 hour ago, Rex Edgar said: From my research the "other league" is the financial one. Nearly $700.00 for a shop vacuum, Insanity! Thats why you buy a Ridgid shop vac and call it a day. The festool shop vac advertises 137 CFM. The 4 gallon ridgid I use advertises 103 and the 16 gallon they sell in stores for 120$ advertises 167 CFM. You can talk about how great festool is all day and having used them extensively I won't deny they are nice. But science is science and you stick a bigger motor on a vacuum and its eventually going to tell over any kind of better engineering. Not much reason to buy super expensive vacuum when a cheaper one will actually remove dust better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 44 minutes ago, minorhero said: Thats why you buy a Ridgid shop vac and call it a day. The festool shop vac advertises 137 CFM. The 4 gallon ridgid I use advertises 103 and the 16 gallon they sell in stores for 120$ advertises 167 CFM. You can talk about how great festool is all day and having used them extensively I won't deny they are nice. But science is science and you stick a bigger motor on a vacuum and its eventually going to tell over any kind of better engineering. Not much reason to buy super expensive vacuum when a cheaper one will actually remove dust better. I wouldnt trust those ratings, I also wouldnt say that a ridgid would remove dust better. You will never get the level of filtration on a cheap shop vac as you get on the Festool vacs or on any vacuums at that level. Also, the auto start, adjustable speed, antistatic hoses, compatibility with the festool tools are all great features that you dont get on the cheaper vacuums. IF this stuff is not important to someone then I agree, its silly to spend that kind of money. You could make the same case for cheap tools in every category though. Grizzly makes 3hp table saws that are a third of the price of a sawstop table saw, again that is apples to oranges comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Comparing the Ridgid and the Festool CT is really dumb. They do not serve the same purpose. It's like comparing a smoothing plane to a bandsaw. For what you need, get the Ridgid or similar. Get the Festool CT when you start getting Festool tools. For clarity, I have three means of dust collection in my shop. Shop Vac with a Rockler Cyclone. This is used with my planer, and for general shop cleanup. Harbor Freight DC: Jointer, Tablesaw, Drum sander Festool CT Used for all my Festool tools. Minor cleanup. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 1 hour ago, minorhero said: Thats why you buy a Ridgid shop vac and call it a day. The festool shop vac advertises 137 CFM. The 4 gallon ridgid I use advertises 103 and the 16 gallon they sell in stores for 120$ advertises 167 CFM. You can talk about how great festool is all day and having used them extensively I won't deny they are nice. But science is science and you stick a bigger motor on a vacuum and its eventually going to tell over any kind of better engineering. Not much reason to buy super expensive vacuum when a cheaper one will actually remove dust better. I was going to try and warn you in time but dems fighting words. I'm not a green punch drinker but i know the CT vac is pretty legit. For a shop vac sucking up debris I'd get what ever with a 2 1/2" hose but I'd defiantly put a Thein baffle or a cyclone before the unit. I don't think it can be stressed enough how much of a difference the chip separators make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Right, green kool-aid bashing can start an endless circular argument Rex's OP about a 14 gallon Lowe's Shop Vac makes any Festool, Fein, etc. comments misplaced and of little value. A discussion of how far the new Fein vacs have fallen from their bloodline vs. Festool's offerings would be another thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 31 minutes ago, gee-dub said: Rex's OP about a 14 gallon Lowe's Shop Vac makes any Festool, Fein, etc. comments misplaced and of little value. " I am now not sure if I want this model or another what are the members happy with? " This is what i was responding to and I do not think my opinion was misplaced. Untill you have "moderator" written under your name how about you just post and dont bother judging whether or not other peoples comments have value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Not everyone can, or wants, to spend the money on the green koolaid but, they are very good tools and work together very well! The OP asked for options and that is certainly one of them. In the end, it's his money and his shop and only he can decide the right vac for his shop. Many people use a shop vac only. Then, as they grow in the hobby, they add a dust deputy (or similar) to that. Eventually, if they stick with the hobby, they start adding dust collection to their larger tools and get tired of dragging the shop vac around and start looking for other options. When they reach this point, they're ready for the green koolaid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I needed a new shopvac about a year or so ago and I did quite a bit of research into them. In the $100 range the Craftsman XSP 12 gallon has the most suction power on the market. More than the Rigid, ShopVac, or even the XSP 16 gallon. It will hold 2 1/2" hoses butted together without any fittings. I got mine on sale for $80 and I love it. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.\ I have a dust deputy on mine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 2 minutes ago, shaneymack said: " I am now not sure if I want this model or another what are the members happy with? " This is what i was responding to and I do not think my opinion was misplaced. I agree with this. I will add that when I was searching for dust collection needs, I was flat out told that a CT is not a good candidate for a full time DC for 2.5" connections. This is what prompted my comment. A Shop Vac and a CT are simply different tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I will add this in terms of Rigid vs Festool vacuums. I've hooked both of them up to my dust deputy. The Rigid is a "5 hp" vacuum with 2.5" hoses and it doesn't collapse the home depot bucket under it. When I hooked the Festool CT48 to it, the bucket collapsed under the vacuum. Which reminds me, I need a metal bucket for my Dust Deputy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 24 minutes ago, shaneymack said: " I am now not sure if I want this model or another what are the members happy with? " This is what i was responding to and I do not think my opinion was misplaced. Untill you have "moderator" written under your name how about you just post and dont bother judging whether or not other peoples comments have value. Wow, my post reads a little harsh. Not intended, I should be more careful when replying from a phone and trying to be brief ?. My point is that someone looking at a $100 vac is probably not looking for something many orders of magnitude more expensive. It feels like offering a small slider as an alternative to someone trying to decide on a contractor saw. I didn't mean to sound so terse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Edgar Posted April 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I am sorry!!! I had no idea I was hitting a nerve!! I agree with the 'you get what you pay for' adage. When I visit a high end woodworking shop I intentially avoid the Festool display. I cannot justify the prices. I am certain that they are fine tools. As I look closer at the Shopvac ( I haven't returned it yet), I see where it is built for maximum profit (damn shareholders). The area for cord storage is what broke. They are two flimsy hooks that are not robust at all. I may look further into a better built unit. The one responder compared A Grizzly 3 HP table saw to a Sawstop 3 HP and at the risk of reigniting the brushfire, I would say that is a poor example as these (table saws) produce visible results. Geez this topic is as toxic as asking HD riders what oil they like. Reminds me of one of Steve Mcqueen's last films where he portrays a bounty hunter who laments the onrush of new products that are nowhere near the quality of earlier ones. I have seen this myself when replacing or buying another of a product that I am satisfied with and only a short time has passed between the two purchases and you can see and feel where some bean counter has skimped to save a dollar. Sorry for being long winded. 3 hours ago, shaneymack said: Less than 700$ ! That's a deal !! Its 870$ here... Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Maybe I'llm look into exporting them north. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 8 minutes ago, Rex Edgar said: Geez this topic is as toxic as asking HD riders what oil they like. Oh boy that's heated, i think this topic is a bit more mild tempered because at least both sides understand that there are advantages and disadvantages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 13 minutes ago, Rex Edgar said: Geez this topic is as toxic as asking HD riders what oil they like. Why does it matter... They just leak it out anyway... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Wood Mag is where I got the info for the Craftsman XSP. They did a side by side comparison of all the major brand under $120ish range a couple years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.