Hello all! I’m looking for a shop vac for attaching to a sander and circular saw (one at a time) for dust collection, and also for cleaning up the shop and the car. So it doesn’t need a very large capacity. I’d like it to be quiet-ish, if possible.
So far I’m looking at the 4 and 4.5 gallon Ridgids, both the roll-around and the lunchbox styles. They come in either 5 or 6 horsepower, which seems pretty powerful but you never know. They sell a muffler/diffuser that goes on the output, to reduce noise, and I’d probably try that.
Do any of you use these for dust collection or cleanup? What do you like about them, and what do not like?
Thanks!
Replies
The lunchbox styles are no good for woodworking. They are too small to move much air. Hard pass.
Ignore horsepower numbers. They are all lies.
For the large roll around, the Festool and Fein are worlds apart but very pricey. All the rest are about the same. Some use just a filter, some use a bag and filter. It's a little better with a bag, but more expense over time. If you can, compare the pleated filters. Bigger is better. Small filters clog fast.
I blew coffee out my nose at your comment re the HP numbers. If I recall my physics (after 55 years), 1 horsepower = 745 watts. I have a Rigid vac that is labelled 6.5 HP. According to my math, that would be 40.3 amps at 120 V. My 20 amp circuits must be really robust to handle that - or the label is marketing BS - take your choice.
Yep, another person said that too. :-/
I bought the Dewalt 9 gallon with bag. Very happy. Much much quieter than my 5 gal ShopVac which may have more suction but it is a horrible screamer.
No to the lunchbox vac in my opinion. Bought one for the kids when they moved into their new home because I thought it would be easy to store and very portable. It vacuums OK, but the wheel and hose configurations and design make it surprisingly awkward to use. In the shop, I'm very happy with my Flex 9 gallon. I found it on sale for less than $450 and its been a workhorse. Has a tool-activated feature and pairs well with the Oneida Dust Deputy. I made a trolley for the Deputy and wheel the combo from work station to work station as needed.
For your requirements have a look at ash vacuums. They tend to have better filters for the fine dust from sanders. They also tend to be more compact.
Not sure anything will do much to help with the circular saw.
My DeWalt 6.5" circ comes with a dust port on the blade guide. Maybe they're being optimistic!
I like my 5 amp, 7 gal Stanley. Yep, Stanley. It has a bag & filter in a metal body. Had it for years and it's no more or less loud than top-of-the-line vacs. I don't mind moving it around, the wheels have never failed. You don't have to use just Stanley bags, either. A couple of the generics fit.
It's a good machine, unless you're a brand-name snob.
Mikaol
Ridgid vacs are loud, even with the baffle. If you want quiet get a Bosch or Festool. Get a larger vac than you think you need. The baby ones aren't too useful.
5HP? Might be the stall current of the motor - looking at the specs, the Rigid draws 9A at 120V so about 1.3 HP real power. Most shop vacs are in this range (including the Festools)
If you don't mind changing bags then a second hand bagged vacuum cleaner is not a bad option. I use a central sucker but have an old vac for the router, sanders and chop saw where HPLV is more appropriate. I have a 500W (2/3HP) one which is more than adequate. Being a lazy bar steward, I'll be buying a few more from the op shops so each machine will have its own in time.
Some are loud , some are really loud and some absolutely scream! Ridged falls into the third category. I have a Dewalt,I think it's loud ,a dust collection system and that's loud a little screamer hand held thing that might be a Shop Vac I'm not sure, it was on sale at the Ace for for about $25. I bought a 5micron bag that goes over the filter for almost twice what I paid for the vacuum after I discovered that it was atomizing the fine dust back into the room through the exhaust. It is handy though being that small. I have big doors on each end of my shop. On a blustery day I open the shop up and I put that little thing in reverse and blow all the dust out of the shop! In spite of all that stuff, oh did I mention that I also have a filtration system? I still manage to accumulate a hell of a lot of dust! The more you spend the better you get, at least you can hope you do! You'll still have dust! Broom and a dust pan are pretty quiet though.The Ridged your talking about will do the things you mentioned you want it to do.
Hmm. And some people wonder at the "Why?" of the resurgence of the use of "Hand Tools" - a.k.a., "Shavings" vs. [whatever it is in the air and on every surface available you're complaining about].
I've been running a Fein for well over a decade. No complaints and it is quieter than other models.
I have both a Fein and a Festool.
My 20 year Fein finally gave up the ghost so I bought an new one.
The Fein is attached to my PM66 (with a dust deputy) and my Festool to the bandsaw.
I had a Jet 1200 cyclone and neither of the 2 vacs can hold a candle, but I was pushed for space and the Festool does double duty with my sander.
General dust collection is OK at best but much quieter than my Jet.
Would love the Oneida Supercell, but space and lack of and additional $2.5K made my decision easy ;)
I have both a Festool dust extractor and Rigid shop vac. They are very different tools . The Festool is very quiet (the sander is louder) and does an extraordinary job of dust extraction. The hose is narrow making it less useful for picking up large chips and other debris, particularly the stuff on car floor mats. The Rigid is LOUD, even with the baffler, but sucks up just about anything that will fit in the 2.5 inch hose. Hand power tool dust collection is poor given the jerry rigged connection you'll have to make to the small ports on a circ saw or sander. Consider a Festool CT 15 if noise and dust extraction are more important than cost and general clean up. The CT 15 is the Festool shop vac and costs about $350. Cheap for Festool. Buy the Rigid (or equivalent) if cost and general clean up are most important. Look to Rockler for some solutions for connecting your Rigid style shop vac. They have a "universal" connection hose and adapter system.
Have been in the same dilemma. Have a Jet 1hp dust collector, which pulls a LOT of air, far more than a vac; it is the solution of choice for machines like a table saw with multiple dust/air streams that diffuse dust collection. Am getting the Festool "cheap" CT15 for the random orbit sander, etc where I want air control and quiet, and worry less about volume.
If noise and filtering are important, get a dust extractor. I finally replaced a 30 year old Craftsman really only caught big debris, but not close to being HEPA with a new Makita. I wish I would have done much sooner. Key improvements: MUCH quieter, just as powerful, rolls much easier, longer hose and longer cord than previous. I researched reviews of current models including all the dust extractor models and decided Makita based on reviews and saved money compared to the Festool, Fein and Metabo options with very similar performance.
I’ve used several ridgid shopvacs including the lunchbox style and have settled on the stainless model. That one is very powerful but is really loud.
I use it with a dust deputy cyclone and use it for my handheld tools and it does a great job.
Thanks, everybody! That's very helpful. I'm looking at the Festool. (sigh)
I have two of the loud mouth Rigids and have converted one of them to a central vacuum configuration in the basement and with exhaust piped outside. Some of the racket goes outside as well. It helps with cleaning in my 150 year old farmhouse and any fine dust that goes through the filter goes outside. I am considering such a set-up for my shop situation as well.
For a sander, the 4.5 Gal Rigid is fine only if you have a good enough filter. I have used one on my random orbitals but I use it with a bag and the top of the line Rigid filter for dust capture. I would not use it for a circular saw unless you're talking about a trak saw with dust shrouding and collection port built in. I use a Rigid 16 Gal, 6.5HP vac for all other dust collection through a Dust Deputy cyclone. Tools include a DW735 planer, Jet 6" Jointer, Jet 14" bandsaw, router table with 3-1/2" Porter Cable, and Makita 10" sliding miter saw. I also keep a bag in it to maintain the highest airflow through the main filter. They are noisy, but I'm usually wearing ear protection anyway, and they do have a lifetime warranty (which I have used).
I have the Ridgid that I used to replace a burned out Shop-Vac brand. I am impressed with its suction. We also got a couple for a shop where I do volunteer work. On my home unit, I've added a Thien separator that I made to fit on the Rockler DustRight bin when the top collapsed and cracked. The noise, I think is irrelevant as I always have on hearing protectors and usually have it hooked up to various sanders, band saw, router, etc. I use a bag, but I don't think I've ever had to replace it in 5 years due to the pre-separator.
Late to the discussion, but I can't say enough good about my Fein Turbo 2. Quiet, powerful, and much less expensive than the comparable size Festool.
As far as the big box store shop vacs, their hp claims are not just lies but complete fabrications which defy engineering. See Jeremy take them apart at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM4SMQGMFz8
Nice video on hp. Thanks for sharing
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