I have a shop vac that I use for cleaning the saws mostly but can't stand how bulky it is. It hangs around on the floor and doesn't really fit anywhere. What are some recommendations for shop vacs that fit on a shelf. Idc if I have to empty every time

I don’t know if I am asking too much of a small vacuum, but here is what I would like it to be able to do. I have a bigger one (14 gallon RIDGID) that I find kind of a pain for smaller jobs.

I would like it to be easy to bring up and down stairs. Although capable of wet use, I would mainly use it for DIY clean up. In that regard, can a smaller one hookup to tools (such as jig saw, sander, maybe even a table saw?)? Obviously, I would also use it for car clean out.

I was thinking of something around 5 gallons. Saw good things about a RIDGID and Vacmaster VF408 or the Beast. Thoughts?

Thanks!

I am looking to get my first shop vac to use for general stuff around the house. I have an unfinished basement in a new house that needs some cleaning (nothing crazy).

I have been eyeing 6 hp ones at Home Depot, but then I saw a Craftsman 3.5 hp vacuum on sale at Lowe's. What hp of vacuum do I really need for cleaning around the basement, garage and cars?

Hello all! I do remodeling for a living, and due to life being a pain, I have downsized my work vehicle dramatically.

I’m thinking about getting a stick vacuum, as they are small and easy to store in my truck than an actual vacuum. I had a pack out vac (that gave out) and that would have been a little big for my rig.

So any recommendations on stick vacs or a really small shop vac? I do vacuum floors a decent amount so I’d like something I can vacuum an entire room floor with. My pack out vac would have been a pain to do so with.

I do run Milwaukee, but it seems their stick vac isn’t the greatest from the reviews I’ve seen.

I’m currently considering DEWALT’s or Ryobi’s? But I’m unsure of their strength to pick up small debris that’s a little heavier than normal pet hair or dog food.

I just don’t want to spend $150-$200 on a vacuum for it to suck at sucking.

Thank you!

The Dewalt vac is $109 compared to the ridgid. My tools are mostly dewalt and it would be nice to stay consistent, but would go ridgid if it were a much better vacuum. I’m a DIYer who’s tired of lugging my bigger shop vac and hose around the house for small project clean ups, so I really like this form factor. Open to other suggestions!

Thought i would share my little powerhouse. Been through at least 5 different model vacs from various brands... At 155cfm, this 10 gal stainless steel vac is a beast. Very loud though even with diffuser although this amount of noise is not a concern for me. Super portable.

I added a hose holder from a previous vac, rubber castors, and replaced cord with a thicker longer one.

I also have the craftsman version which has a bigger switch. Happy working!

Hi everyone, Im trying to find the right shop vac to vacuum up some diatomaceous earth. I need something with the right filter for safety and that isn't blowing out a ton of air out of the back port as it'll blow the diatomaceous earth around the room. Don't want to spend more than 200. Thank you!

Hi everyone, Crossposting from r/tools. I have a small workshop and am looking for a shop vac that maximizes power while minimizing footprint. I have a bucket dust separator, so I don’t need a lot of volume in the actual vacuum, and since I have limited space, would prefer as small a footprint as possible. I know a shop vac isn’t a replacement for a dedicated dust collector, but space and budget mean I am limited to a shop vac setup for the time being. I have a big 14 gallon, 5.5hp craftsman I got for cheap; but any small vacuum I look at (3 gal, for example) seem way too weak for effectively working on my contractor table saw. Any leads? Alternatively, can I get away with something less powerful? It’s hard to find CFM values online.

Extra points if it’s quiet but that’s a secondary concern.

I’m looking for a small portable shop vac, 5 gallons or less. Just something easy I can use and move around and maybe hook to a tool if needed. I’m tired of using the big one I have for small jobs. Corded or cordless, what do you guys recommend.

Thanks.

Edit... after seeing some of these think I’m leaning more towards cordless.

Hey all, I currently own a large 16 gallon Ridgid shop vac that I keep in my garage for large projects but I am looking to purchase something smaller for cleaning the cars out and small projects around the house.

I am currently looking at the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Packout vac as I am already on the Milwaukee system and have a bunch of batteries.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-PACKOUT-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-2-5-Gal-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-Vacuum-Only-0970-20/313725452

Or sticking with corded and going with the 4.5 gallon from Ridgid.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-4-5-Gallon-5-0-Peak-HP-ProPack-Wet-Dry-Shop-Vacuum-with-Fine-Dust-Filter-Expandable-Locking-Hose-and-Accessories-WD4522/100638389

I see a lot of mixed reviews on the Milwaukee but it would be nice to have it cordless but am I going to lose and ton of suction by not going corded?

Does anyone have any thoughts or other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

My 10 year old harbor freight 30$ shop vac died and I’m looking for a nice recommendation. I’m a home user and use it to clean out the cars, Traeger grill, and other stuff around the house. What’s the best value shop vac for the home user

Hey guys I just wanted some advice on choosing a shop vac. I recently bought a pressure washer to use on our cars and now realize I don’t have a nice shop vac (just a small harbor freight 1gal that does work pretty good). I’d like to not have to go to any of the local auto car washes anymore to use their vacuums to clean the dirt and spilled French fries my dog and twerps leave under my truck seats. I know it’s probably unrealistic to expect the super suction like those at the newer car washes, but what’s the closest I can get and keep in the garage?

Do I want high horsepower? Does that always mean higher suction? Does size of the canister matter? Is the Rigid 12gal with 5.0peak hp gonna be stronger than the 4gal same hp? I buy most my stuff off marketplace when I find good deals, unless the price of new is good, so just wondering what I should be looking for :) Thanks in advance

We are moving to a new build in a couple of months. I have seen suggestions to buy a good shop vac. I see too many options. Which model will be useful and suggestions on price/shop. Thanks

https://www.shopvac.com/collections/wet-dry-vacs

Is a Shop Vac, whether the branded one or like a DeWalt or Craftsman one, worth it? I’ve been considering getting one as just a utility vacuum, do clean up some messy stuff and clean out the car from time to time. I’m not concerned really about the quality of the filtration, as it’ll probably mainly be used outside. I’m just wondering if it’s something that would be useful. Would like to stay under $150, as far as brand, I’d like to hear your thoughts. My dad has had the Shop Vac branded ones for years and he’s always liked them, but I’m not opposed to any brand.

I’m not looking for anything crazy, just something that’s good for the money. And something that can be hooked up to my miter saw

I've been doing some reading and see some complaints about suction on cordless models. But those complaints are also mixed in with 5 star reviews that say it's the best shop vac ever. So it's hard to know what to believe.

I have Ryobi 18v, Bosch 18v and Milwaukee M12 batteries already. Yeah I know it's a lot of ecosystems but I'm okay with that.

Any feedback on any of those lines and if they have a shop vac that performs well?

Does anyone have any recommendations on a smaller (maybe 4 gallon?) wet/dry vac? I bought an off brand one from a big box store and it died pretty quick. What are y’all suckin’ with?

I have a 18l Ryobi wet and dry and an ozito 30l vacuum. I use them mostly for woodworking so fine dust, small pieces of wood, stone chips, soil/sand and last dredges or water from the hot tub. Ryobi is a little small for my applications, Ozito was ok but it is dead now...

I am considering being a little more spendy and get myself a little better shop Vac this time. I walked in to Godfrey's today and they had some Pullman vacs, never heard about them so not sure. I am kinda weighing between what is available in NZ markets, we don't get the products lineup in YouTube reviews.

Brands I am looking at

• Pullman

• Karcher

• Bosch

• Stihl

• Dewalt

Unless bags are cheap, I'll be running these vacs without bags. So, washable filters is preferred. Any personal experience or insights welcome :)

Hello all!

Before I became a homeowner the in-laws gifted us an Armor All 2.5 Gallon 2 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac that has a measly 53 CFM and 47.4 IN water lift.

I’ve never been overly impressed with this unit from the beginning. There’s no collection bag. The top housing of the unit doesn’t seal well to the collection tank (therefore it’s not preforming to specifications). It’s nearly impossible to find a wet filter for this unit. It’s made by Cleva Hong Kong Limited which is or was being sued by Emerson Electric Company for patient infringement. Emerson Electric from what I understand manufacturers vacuums for Ridgid, Craftsman, etc.

Well, being a new homeowner I’ve had many expenses lately with one-time purchases so I’ve tried to use this Armor All wet/dry vacuum for as long as I could. I recently demolished a cinder block dividing wall (non load bearing) in the basement which had a sole purpose of holding coal to heat this late 1800’s home at one time. Since it’s negative space, I removed it. I’m left with quite a bit of small material after demolition. A lot of this fine material remains even after sweeping. Yet the Armor All wet/dry vacuum even struggles with this, among other tasks I’m noticing.

I’m frustrated with this unit and can now justify upgrading. While being frustrated, I may be going to the opposite extreme. I’ve potentially settled on 3 options below. However, from what I’m reading the size of these units below may be ‘overkill’ however I wouldn’t know as I don’t have much experience with different sizes of shop vacs.

I do not have a garage (but plan to have a detached one built within 1-2 years). For now, it would remain in the basement for storage where I have a decent amount of space. It’s where I keep a Yeti Tundra 45, a lawn roller (empty), top dressing rolling lawn spreader and an Ego lawnmower (only during the winter, I baby it). I don’t enjoy moving these heavy items to and from the basement but it’s not physically an issue. I do currently have gravel parking so if I decide to use it to vacuum our vehicles, it will be a challenge with a vacuum with wheels but again, that will change in the future.

I don’t know what the future uses will be with the new shop vac. This far, 7 months into homeownership I’ve used it as a dust collection for sanding our wooden deck, removing stale water from a water softener brine tank, cleaning air ducts vents, cleaning refrigerator coils and up until now, cleaning the cinder block demolition.

I’m interested in:

• RIDGID 14 Gallon 6.0 Peak HP NXT Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum

• DeWalt 16 Gal. 6.5 HP Poly Wet/Dry Vac

• Craftsman 16 gal Corded Wet/Dry Vacuum 12 amps 120 V 6.5 HP

Based on the above information, are these sizes a great option for me or should I look at something smaller and if so, what size?

Thanks for your help!