Shop Vac vacuum cleaner

Everyone :
No doubt you,ve noticed that this forum is filled with new threads, many started by me. I'm hoping this will breathe new life into it. This thread is an opportunity to share thoughts on Shop Vac brand vacuum cleaners. Below is my contribution.
To be sure I had sufficient suction, I bought the most powerful Shop Vac Lowes had, a 6.5 HP monster with a 16 gallon capacity and a motor portion that detaches to function as a leaf-blower. The vacuum is plastic, wheeled and short and squat enough so it doesn't tip over. More rugged models cost more.
Mine came with a 2 1/2" wide hose, a size that prevents clogging, should you vacuum up a large rag or something. I've since bought a heavy-duty hose that is 12' long and narrower.
Accessories add a lot to the cost. So far, I've bought an adapter for fitting 1 1/4 " tools to the larger hoses, a large claw tool ideal for cars, a narrow car tool made by Ridgid for their vacuums ( found it at Home Depot ), a flexible crevice tool from a vacuum store, a turbo brush and a kit of mini-tools for detailing. Unfortunately, the mini-tools restricted the air so much that my original wide hose buckled. The mini-tool kit proved to be more cute than practical also.
The paper filters clog up fast. Twice, I've gotten away with blowing them out with compressed air. Normally, I replace them at a cost of $10 or more.
I may try using old nylon stocking material as an outer filter to keep the paper pleated filter clean longer.
Using this unit without a bag makes it easy to retrieve anything valuable that gets sucked up by accident. Bags are available for use in the home, where you want to avoid blowing dust into the air.
Shop Vacs come in many sizes, power levels and configurations. They are not extremely noisy but a pro who uses one often should wear ear protection. My unit is too bulky to be practical for routine household vacuuming. Be sure to lift it only by the lower set of handles, or the top can come off.
The important thing here is that I got what I wanted, powerful suction, especially when the filter is kept clean. This unit pulls far better than the large coin-operated vacuums at car washes and gas stations. The most handy tools are the claw and the car tool by Ridgid, combined with the following brushes : natural bristle paint brush for dusting, grout brush for seat mount areas and stiff scrub-type brush for carpets and mats. The turbo brush attachment is good for trunk interiors and SUV cargo areas.
All Shop Vac products appear to be U.S.A made and that means a lot to me.

Doug



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2007 03:49AM by Doug Delmont.