Shop Vac

My old craftsman finally died. Bought it over 15 years ago.
Had the removable top so I could walk around with it ( on a cord ) and use it as a blower.
REALLY liked it.
Need a new one. Been reading reviews, looking at all kinds of them.
Any ideas or is everything just cheap crap right now?

I’ve been happy with my Rigid.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I’ve been happy with my Rigid.

pretty sure that’s the route i’d go if a need a new one!!!

15 years out of the Craftsman ? Hmmmmmmm…. wonder if they are any good ?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I’ve been happy with my Rigid.

same here

Rigid will be my next shop vac.

I should clarify – reading reviews online ( i know) two of them were 20 + year owners of Craftsman vacs and the new ones they bought broke within a year.
When I look at them I don’t see much difference than my old one but apparently the new ones that broke were both electrical related.
Small sample size to be sure but hey, never know what someone on here may know.

Rigid is what we go with for shop vacs. We probably have 100 on the shelves at work. They just work. They take abuse and keep working. We are a big demo company and the rigids get beat every day and just keep working. I bought a master force from menards a while back on a sale and that’s been a good unit as well.

I’ve had a Rigid for at least 15 years. Great unit. Has the detachable top to use as a blower. I blow out my second story gutters with it from the ground using more extensions and a pvc goose neck at the top.

Netguy – that’s one of the things i used my craftsman for ( they don’t make the detachable head unit anymore)
Netguy: I blow out my second story gutters with it from the ground using more extensions and a pvc goose neck at the top.

Bearcat, I believe you own or work in some kind of shop so if they are that reliable from a commercial standpoint I’m in.

I have looked carefully at the Rigids and may just pull the trigger on that.
Thanks guys

Umy wrote:

Netguy – that’s one of the things i used my craftsman for ( they don’t make the detachable head unit anymore)
Netguy: I blow out my second story gutters with it from the ground using more extensions and a pvc goose neck at the top.

Bearcat, I believe you own or work in some kind of shop so if they are that reliable from a commercial standpoint I’m in.

I have looked carefully at the Rigids and may just pull the trigger on that.
Thanks guys

You won’t regret a rigid shop vac. I prefer to have both the smaller size and larger size for different applications. I like to vac out our vehicles and do small clean ups with the small one. And I use the bigger one for everything from water spills, slurry clean up to job site clean ups. They will eat everything

We had a couple Rigids and a shop vac brand over the years at work. Shop vac didn’t last long but the Rigids did pretty good. Our one detailer actually wore down the angle attachment to nothing vacuuming vehicle carpets. They get used that much. We now have a Fien brand that has recommended by my boss’s bil who owns a construction company.

Biggest issue I’ve had with wet/dry vacs is that some of them are just SO DAMN LOUD. There is no rhyme or reason to this, a brand can have a 10 gallon model that’s nice and quiet and their 12 gallon model will scream like a jet engine.

Regardless of what you buy, make sure it’s easy to return. If it seems too loud, send it back.

Also buy the washable GoreTex filter cartridge. Awesome. Every vac works better when the filter is clean and these babies are the easiest thing to clean you can get. Wash them with the hose.

^^^^ Is the problem with my Craftsman going on 20 years old but damm that thing is so loud, I almost wish it would die.

My old Craftsman is at least 28 years old and it wont die. Im sure Ill be in the market soon.

Just got a Rigid a couple weeks ago. Used it once and it was much better than what I had before

Tom P. wrote:

^^^^ Is the problem with my Craftsman going on 20 years old but damm that thing is so loud, I almost wish it would die.

Before my current Craftsman 18 gallon (which is even quieter than the Shop Vac QSP quiet series that my dad has), I had a Genie and it was AWFUL. I mean, like heavy metal bands would complain that this thing was just too damn loud.

So I put the Genie in a garage sale. Now this next part of the story, well, I’m not proud of it, but the loud vac drove me to it.

The Genie vac from hell sat there all day with a $1 price tag on it. Working vac with all accessories.

A guy came, he had some sign on his truck, like Bob’s Handyman Service or something like that. He looked at and bought a used table saw that I also happened to be selling. To load it, he backed his pickup truck into the driveway and we put the saw in the back.

Okay, now I’m not proud of it, but he got in the truck to drive away, and that damn Genie shop vac was still sitting there at 3 PM on the last day of the sale and, well, I just snapped, okay? Before the guy could pull away, while he was waiting for some traffic to go by on the street, I may or may not have slipped that Genie vac with all accessories into the back of his truck beside the table saw.

Look at it this way, I gave the guy a free vac.

^^^^^^ now thats funny!!!!

Gotta add another vote for Rigid. I have two now and before I retired, we used to buy them for our commercial construction projects. I bet over the years I bought at least 30 of them. They are great units for the money and believe me, you’d be amazed what we’d put them through. Too bad it’s not the holiday season…you can get some great deals on them around christmas but you’ll have a hell of a mess if you wait that long!

Ridged and fill out the lifetime warranty info on line. My shop vac and all my Ridged tools and batteries are life time warranty. Already replaced 11 year old batteries. Just have to keep your account up to date with the new serial #’s.

…are these Rigid shop vacs that every single person above referenced the same as the popular Ridgid ones?

Sorry, I had to.

I’ll make another vote for a Ridgid Shop Vac. Mine eats everything I try to suck up. It’s fallen out of the trucks, been tipped, gets drug around by the cord, and was being ridden by my 4 year old and my nephew the other day while being whipped around by the hose. It just keeps rolling.

I have Ridgid and Craftsmans in the shop. The Craftsmans (2) hang on the hoists to vacuum cars in for Oil Changes. The Ridgid is on wheels and goes all over in the shop. Both work well.

X100 on the Rigid. I have a wall mounted one, 17 years old and no end in sight.

My 30 some year-old Craftsman is losing its mojo. Plus, I was tired of vacuuming the truck with a 6-gallon vac, 2 1/2” hose. I got the Ridged 3-gallon box shaped one that sets on a shelf. Just built 16 x 46 addition to the garage and vowed to eliminate stuff on the floor. It has the same 5hp peak as the 6 gallon. And honestly, I don’t remember the last time I dumped much over a gallon of dirt when I cleaned the filter after almost every use. Didn’t opt for the battery model as I have 2 De-Walt, nowhere near the power. But did buy the extra-long hose and accessory kit. Best vac I’ve ever owned. My buddy does woodworking. Think he bought a “new” Craftsman 3 years in a row before he switched. You’d think Jonny Morris bough Craftsman the way the quality has gone.

Another vote for the Ridgid vacs. We use them at work and I have a 16 gallon at home that gets used for everything. Love the car kit that came with it.
If you can hold out, HD may have a deal during their spring Black Friday event that is fast approaching.

I have the milwaukee 18v shop vac. It is a surprisingly powerful vacuum. If you already have the batteries I’d recommended it.

Just put my new 16 gallon Ridgid together and fired her up!
Time will tell how it lasts but happy enough so far ( anytime I get to use tools is happy time)

The M12 vac is a great size for sitting on a car’s seat and working on the floorboard.

Another vote for Ridgid, but I like most of there stuff.

I have a Ridgid shop vac that is between 15 to 20 years old. I always insert the dust bag in the cannister and take it out when it is used for a wet vac. The dust bag insert keeps dust particles out of the motor completely extending the life and elevating the suction, so it is like new every time the vac is turned on.