Hello all,

I would like to discuss on my favorite type of vacuum, that being a wet/dry vacuum. I'm not sure if this'll belong here but this is my two cents.

I've been a kid that's always had wet/dry vacuums. It's been a passion of mine for a VERY long time, and still is. I've seen all of the brands and have tested/used pretty much the big name companies like RIDGID and Shop-Vac. Now, I feel like the quality of a good wet/dry vacuum is very hard to find in the current world. For me, some things that are good selling points for an awesome "shop-vac" are these listed below:

1. Good suction (CFM/Airflow, and water lift)

2. Nice array of attachments (Extension wands and the typical nozzles)

3. Good build quality (Tight lid to bucket seal, strong latches, sturdy tank)

4. Easy to carry

5. Blower port

Now, all of these are easy to find with most wet dry vacuums. Since a lot of things are made in China, I find it hard to find a well built vacuum without having to spend the extra cash. Wet dry vacuums come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Sizes can range from the smallest of 1 gallon all the way to 55 gallon. For me, I find the sweet spot for a good sized wet dry vacuum is 12-16 gallon. Prices also have a huge range as well. They range from $30-$1000+ if you get the top of the line models. When I buy a wet dry vac, I find the maximum of $250 dollars be a good amount for the vacuum and extra hoses.

The first thing that hits me is the quality of vacuums. Since a lot of things are made in China, finding something that's going to last at least 10+ years is going to be a challenge. For a referance, my grandpa bought a RIDGID WD1851 vacuum about 35 years ago, and it's seen the test of time. It's been out in the rain, sun, gets used for nasty jobs and the thing has never quit! I also have a vacuum that was made by Craftsman that's from the 1980's, and that also works. Things built from 30 years ago and older are built better than what things are built from 10 years ago. I had vacuums that would last maybe 1-5 years because they're not as well built. I find that the brand called Shop-Vac have okish build quality, with from what I think, DeWalt being on the top of my list. I've had multiple models from Shop-Vac that weren't well built, resulting in motor burnouts or switch breaking. My dad also own a RIDGID WD1450 that we've had for ten years and he had to replace the switch only once, which was aftermarket branded. My grandpa and his WD1851, not a SINGLE thing has been replace. Everyting from the hose to the brush are all original.

Another thing that plays a part of build quality of wet dry vacs is the brand. For example, Walmart's HART brand do have nice vacuums but the quality of HART vacs aren't the best in the market. As prices increase, so should the quality. Now, this isn't always the case. Comparing a RIDGID WD1851 to their NXT HD1800 have a difference in quality. It comes to show that a lot of vacuums aren't just built as well. From what I believe, I think that DeWalt is the king to true quality. Now, why do I say this? Well, a YT channel called Project Farms did a review/comparison between the big names of wet dry vacs. While he said that the Craftsman model was the best overall value, I would highly disagree. I own the 12 gallon version of that vacuum and I DO NOT like the build on it. I saw that DeWalt was clearly the king. It had a tighter lid to bucket fit, which was and is a winner in my book.

Another thing that I find extremely important is CFM. With some applications that require the maximum power will require maximum CFM. Smaller vacuums with a smaller sized hose are going to have less CFM. Bigger vacuums that draw more amps and also have a bigger hose are going to have the higher CFM count, which some vacuums will reach close to 200 CFM, which is a lot for a wet dry vac. I would usually go for a RIDGID wet dry vac because from what I've thought, they have high CFM number for a well priced vacuum, however, my opinion has changed, which will be described shortly. Something that will reduce CFM highly is a long hose. Most vacuums include a 7-8 foot hose. If a vacuum has a hose of 10+ feet, that's more likely going to reduce CFM, which will limit the usability of the vacuum

Attachments are a key factor that I find a good selling point. With wet dry vacuums that reach into the high price range of $200+, a good array of attachments are key. Most vacuums include 2 extension wands, a wet nozzle, dry nozzle, and a crevis/car nozzle, with a hose included. I think that a brush should be included in all brands of wet dry vac, no matter the budget. Some companies won't usually do this because they want to keep production costs down on their selected models.

Now, the final thing that I find important to any wet dry vac is noise. There's a bunch of models that are usually in the 80dbs range, with some being higher than that. There's even models that have a high pitch noise to them, which are the ones that I don't like. My quietist vacuum would probably be my 12 gallon Craftsman. While the noise is loud, the pitch isn't so high to the point. However, there's one vacuum that I think will be dominant in the noise category. Not to long ago, DeWalt released a 12 gallon vacuum under their stealth sonic range. From reading reviews, this vacuums runs at an all time high of only 70dbs. For me, this is a game changer because I've grown up to with having sensitive hearing and had to use vacuums with headphone because I didn't like the noise. For others who also have sensitive hearing, I find this a major game changer.

Well, I think that I've finally came to end of this discussion. I hope that this might help someone and w if I think of anymore information, I'll try my best to edit this post. You're more than welcome to DM me if you have other questions.