Wet/dry vacuum review. Ridgid, Shop Vac, Craftsman

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I already have two shop vacs, a small Stihl shop vac for general cleaning in the car and garage and a larger Dustless Technologies Hepa vac for lead paint and other fine debris.

I’ve been wanting a larger, moderately priced vacuum for sucking up water and general messes that may be too much for the Stihl. I picked up these three and compared them to see which one I like best.

A note on suction:
All these vacuums seem to have good suction, with some variation from my casual testing. My “test” indicated sticking my hand over the end of the hose.

Frankly, any of these vacuums provide more than enough suction for my needs, and actually too much for some jobs. So, I didn’t do any tests to see how fast they pick up debris or water.

Since any of these will meet my needs, I’m comparing them on noise, build quality and the quality/quantity of attachments.

A note on noise:
I’m not claiming this is a scientific test, so I would encourage the GJ members who always claim “that’s not scientific enough” to save their breath and complain somewhere else. I’m only providing this info to try to show some kind of quantifiable difference in the sounds volumes.

I used an app for my phone to measure the decibels under similar conditions. I plopped each vac into the middle of an in-progress project in my basement, then measured the decibels from seven feet away. I even went as far as to make sure the hose was pointed the same way on each vac because I found pointing the hose end at the phone would increase the db reading.I even introduced some variables, such as switching the positions of the vacuums and the difference in dB ratings stayed pretty similar.

What my experience with these vacuums shows is that there’s more than just pure decibels to consider. For example, the Craftsman produces nearly as many decibels as the Shop Vac in my “testing,” but the noise produced by the Craftsman seems far less grating to me. The Ridgid WD1450 is 4-6 dB lower than the Craftsman and Shop Vac, which is significant, but the type of sound produced also seems more tolerable.

Here's where I did the sound testing:
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A note on calling this a “review”:
I’m only judging these vacuums on noise, the attachments they come with and build quality. Those are by far the most important qualities to me. I can’t comment on the long-term durability since this is only an initial review.

I’m sure there are other models people would recommend, but I searched through what was available locally and these are the ones I picked to try out.

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Ridgid WD1636 16 gallon purchased at Home Depot for $40 on Black Friday
(no pics of this model because I forgot to take them)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-16-Gal-5-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-WD1636/204351678#.Up4pieLvZOI
COO: Mexico
Approximate decibels:93- 95
Warranty: Ridgid claims this has a “lifetime” warranty against manufacturing defects.
Pros:
-Cheap
-Big

Cons:
-Really low-quality hose. It’s cheap, stiff and plasticky. Definitely the worst hose of any vacs I’ve owned or used.
-Short hose. I’d like longer than seven feet.
-Really loud.
-Very poor assortment of attachments. Cheap paper filter and only one adapter.
-Jet-like exhaust port. A really powerful jet of exhaust goes straight out the back of the vac and will easily blow around anything in its path. You can buy a diffuser for $13.

Other thoughts:

This is a de-contented model specifically made for Black Friday sales and I was not impressed. By the time you buy other attachments and a better hose you’ll have spent enough that you could have just bought a better quality and better equipped vac in the first place.

If all you want is cheap and big, and don’t care as much about noise or attachments, it’s probably not a terrible choice.

====================

Shop Vac 5876200 12 gallon purchased at Menards for $79.99 after MIR (regularly $129.99)

http://www.shopvac.com/wet-dry-vacs/vac-details.aspx?vacId=399&vacSKU=587-62-00
COO: “Made in the USA with foreign and domestic components”
Approximate decibels: 90-91
Warranty: Four years in home use
Pros:
-Really nice selection of attachments, by far the best of this group. Good non-paper filter that can be used for dry or limited wet pickup.
-Nice quality hose. It’s 10 feet long and much more supple and flexible than the cheap Ridgid’s hose. It’s still more soft and flexible than the Craftsman or WD1450 Ridgid.
-Somewhat diffused exhaust. There are two smaller ports that diffuse the exhaust back and somewhat down, but it will still blow stuff around.
-The cart and big wheels could make transporting this vac easier than other models.

Cons:
-Loud. Shop Vac rates their vacuums on a scale with words like “quiet” and “super quiet.” This vacuum is rated “super quiet,” but on first blush I thought this vac was really loud and the noise is very grating. The interesting thing about this vacuum is that most of the noise seems to come from the exhaust. Other vacs became louder as you partially plug the intake, but the Shop Vac because significantly quieter. If they did a little sound control on the exhaust it might be a big improvement.
-Heavy because of the stainless steel tank
-Cheap feeling on/off switch
-Head to tank connection seems the loosest of the three.

Other thoughts:

On paper I thought this would be a sure winner. Quality attachments, a long hose and claimed “super quiet” performance looked like just what I wanted. I was disappointed when I plugged it in and heard how loud it is.

If I didn’t care about noise as much, I’d choose this vac.

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Craftsman 12006 12 gallon purchased on sale for $66.29 at Sears
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-xsp-12-gallon-5.5-peak-hp-wet-dry/p-00912006000P
COO: China. Craftsman vacs used to be made in Mexico, but the new models they released recently all appear to be Chinese. By comparing some details, it appears the new models may be made by Vacmaster.
Approximate decibels: 88-89
Warranty: One year
Pros:
-Good selection of attachments, but not as good as the Shop Vac.
-Decent on noise. The noise produced by this vacuum seemed significantly more tolerable than the cheap Ridgid or Shop Vac, even though it was only a couple decibels lower.
-Least expensive of the well-equipped vacs. It seems like a bargain.
-Power switch and head-to-tank connection seemed fine.

Cons:
-Hose is only seven feet long, but it’s less stiff and more useable than the cheap Ridgid’s hose. It’s on par with the WD1450 Ridgid and not as nice as the Shop Vac.
-COO is China, if that matters to you.
-Single jet exhaust port. A diffuser is available.

Other thoughts:

Unlike the cheap Ridgid, this isn’t a de-contented model. It’s just one of Sears’ normal models that’s on sale for the holiday season. For an extra $20 I could step up to a 16 gallon model that’s otherwise very similar to this model.

For the price, I’m pretty impressed with this vacuum. It seems to offer a lot of value.

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Ridgid D1450 14 gallon purchased at Home Depot for $89 (regular price is $99)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100081216?storeId=10051#.Up662uJVNNI
COO: Mexico
Approximate decibels: 85-87
Warranty: Ridgid claims this has a “lifetime” warranty against manufacturing defects.
Pros:
-It produces the quietest, least grating sound.
-Second largest tank after the cheap Ridgid.
-Decent selection of attachments and a decent filter.
-Power switch and head-to-tank connection seemed fine.

Cons:

-Seven foot hose is shorter than I’d like, but it’s not nearly as stiff and difficult to use as the cheap Ridgid.
-Most expensive.
-Single jet exhaust port. A diffuser is available.

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Conclusions:
None of these seem to be bad vacuums, in my opinion, except for the Black Friday special Ridgid. I think the choice comes down the the specifics you personally want in your vacuum. For me, a vac that’s moderately quiet will be easier for me to use and I’ll be more likely to use it.

Here’s how I would rank these specific models:
1st
- Ridgid WD1450. It’s the most expensive and it has a short hose, but in the long term the quiet(ish) performance is what I’m looking for.
2nd - Craftsman. This is a really close second. It’s really well priced, well equipped and pretty quiet. If it had a longer hose it might very well be my top choice.
3rd - Shop Vac. Great selection of attachments but hampered by what I consider grating, annoying noise. If you want to use this in an environment where some extra noise doesn’t matter, then this is the clear winner based on its attachments and long hose.
4th - Cheap Black Friday Ridgid. It’s cheap for a reason. It’s loud and poorly equipped, but it is big and really affordable. If that’s what you want, this is the vac for you.

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Nice review, thanks for taking the time to do some testing.

I've had two of the higher-end Craftsman wet/dry, vacuum/blower style of shop vac and fortunately, they really suck. One is 15 years old and has seen extensive use with woodworking, garage duty, leaf blowing, wet spills, getting kicked, falling off a truck, etc. By all rights it should have died long ago, yet it just keeps going. It does have a bad on/off switch but it failed in the on position, so it's not a big deal. The newer one is just 5 years old and going strong.

I don't know if the newest Craftsman vacs are really comparable to the older ones, but based on my experience I'd buy another if the need arose.
 
Thank you for the review. I have this Shop Vac model bought from Lowe's many years ago. The hose is rather cheap like the hose on the Ridgid. Otherwise, though, it seems to work pretty well as a vacuum. It sucks up liquids very well and made quick work of all the drywall and construction mess from this summer when I replaced the windows in our house.

It usually sees only occasional use (a few times a month) and I think I only paid 40 bucks or something for it. Good value for the dollar I think.

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Suction is not the best measure of how well a vacuum will clean. Suction is rating the raw power of the motor to create a sealed, negative pressure environment.

The best gauge of how well a vac will pick up is CFM (cubic feet of air per minute). Essentially, nothing will be picked up in a raw suction situation, air must be moving to move debris. Some vacuums capable of incredible suction have very low CRM (ie: Dyson).

In your case, the vacuums in question break down like this:

Shop Vac: 390 CFM
Ridgid WD1450: 167 CFM
Ridgid WD1851: 203 CFM
Craftsman: Not Rate by Sears

Based solely on cleaning capability, I would go with the Shop Vac based on these numbers.
 
Originally Posted By: SF0059
Suction is not the best measure of how well a vacuum will clean. Suction is rating the raw power of the motor to create a sealed, negative pressure environment.

The best gauge of how well a vac will pick up is CFM (cubic feet of air per minute). Essentially, nothing will be picked up in a raw suction situation, air must be moving to move debris. Some vacuums capable of incredible suction have very low CRM (ie: Dyson).

In your case, the vacuums in question break down like this:

Shop Vac: 390 CFM
Ridgid WD1450: 167 CFM
Ridgid WD1851: 203 CFM
Craftsman: Not Rate by Sears

Based solely on cleaning capability, I would go with the Shop Vac based on these numbers.


Yes, I had also looked up these numbers while researching these vacs. But do we know if they're tested under exactly the same conditions so a side-by-side comparison is truly valid? Or is it like the horsepower specs where they can be grossly inflated and not always a valid comparison between units.

The annoying roar of the Shop Vac and some of its lower build quality still make it not the top choice for me. For my needs, it may not be the best.

Interestingly, when I was checking the suction by covering part of the hose end, the Shop Vac felt the weakest. Now, the shop vac isn't fully assembled, so there are a couple small holes on the side that may be compromising the suction. The Craftsman felt the strongest and the WD1450 felt similar to the Craftsman.
 
Update-
I think the CFM on the Shop Vac website is a typo. I think they accidentally put the air watts spec (390) in the CFM box. I think the actual CFM is around 200, much closer to the competitor's vacs.

If you look at all the similar vacs Shop Vac sells, they're only rated around 200 cfm, but they have 350 to 390 air watts.

For example, here's the 16 gallon version of the Shop Vac I bought with the same motor. It's only rated at 210 CFM but 390 air watts. So, again, I think they punched the air watts number into the wrong box.
http://www.shopvac.com/wet-dry-vacs/vac-details.aspx?vacId=400&vacSKU=587-66-00

Another example,
This vac is nearly identical to the one I bought and again uses the same motor. It even has the same size tank. It's only 200 CFM.
http://www.shopvac.com/wet-dry-vacs/vac-details.aspx?vacId=355&vacSKU=586-62-11

I seriously doubt the 12 gallon version I bought flows nearly twice as much as the same vacuum with a 16 gallon tank or a nearly identical vacuum with the same size tank and motor.
 
I've had, at one time or another models from all the brands mentioned. 4 years ago I bought a Ridgid and it has been the best vacuum I have ever owned. Quiet for what it is, never clogs, easy to clean, and great suction. I had a drywall guy do some work at a rental house I own and he had a Ridgid vac and after seeing how well his worked, I bought mine and have been well pleased with it.
 
Great review, thanks for posting. I have a few different Wet/Dry Vacs, as I've had a couple of different construction projects going at the same time and it's just easier to leave one at the site. That Ridgid D1450 definitely gets my vote as the best value out there. Nothing beats my Fein 6HP Vac--crazy low noise, and the auto-start is invaluable if you're using it for dust collection, but it was also 3 times the price of the Ridgid.

I can definitely attest to the long-term durability of the Ridgid. If it died tomorrow, I'd be embarrassed to try to cash in on the life-time warranty as I feel like I got my money's worth on it long ago.
 
So are you going to be returning the ones you didn't like as much as the first place finisher?
 
Originally Posted By: SF0059

In your case, the vacuums in question break down like this:

Shop Vac: 390 CFM
Ridgid WD1450: 167 CFM
Ridgid WD1851: 203 CFM
Craftsman: Not Rate by Sears


Another note, the WD1851 was not included. I don't know where you got that from. The cheap Black Friday Ridgid is the WD1636, not the WD1851. The WD1851 is considerably more expensive than any of the tested vacs.

The cheap WD1636 does not list a CFM rating on the HD website. But the WD1636 has a weaker motor (5 hp vs. the 6 hp claimed by the WD1450), so I would be surprised if it flows more CFM than the other tested vacs.
 
Thanks for the write-up stephen! Nice work.

Several months ago I created a thread about my old Craftsman vac that went Toes Up after about 28 years: Motor bushings melted because the oil had dried up. After some research, I had narrowed it down to the HD 14 ga. model for about $99. I also own one of the little original Feins...great vac. Phenomenal suction and very, very quiet. Didn't want to use it for the nasty, dirty work the Craftsman was relagated to.

Lo & behold, I was at a city-wide garage sale of sorts and discovered a HD Rigid 14ga. vac for......$15! Looked new. Brought it home, disassembled it to check for excess dirt and it looked new! Took it to HD, bought a Gore-tex filter for it, a new drain plug and I was in business. Already have 2-1/2" hose I use for dust collection...much better than the rigid, in-flexible hose that wasn't included. The Fein hose also fits but restricts the CFM a bit.

So I lucked into a new shop vac for cheap that's not too noisy, has better suction than the old Craftsman and I didn't have to pay retail for. A win/win all around.
 
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