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What Do You Use for a Shop Vac?

mculver

mculver

Well Known Member
Looking for recommendations on a QUIET shop vac. Oddly, no threads that I can find in the archives.

Currently I use an air-tool attachment (one of those with the cloth bag). Love the fact that it fits into tight corners, and that it takes up virtually no space. However I also realize that it's not efficient.

So looking for low noise and easy to store. Space is a huge problem for me.
 
Shop vac

I have a vac I purchased at Home Depot 5 to 6 years ago. I've had unsolicitated comments from visitors as to how quiet it operates. The main thing is it has great suction.
 
I'm using a Sears Craftsman 16-gallon shop vac. It may not be the smallest one out there, and I never even thought about the noise, but my shop vac is one of my most valued tools. It follows me around the shop and I always have it handy. I have double hoses duct-taped together, and the longer length is something I wouldn't be without! It's so nice to have it handy, and immediately clean up from drill shavings, filing metal, sanding fiberglass, the top of the workbench, or whatever you're doing. Not to mention the interior of the plane.

I guess my point is, I wondered where to store it, too. But I never do, or I would always be dragging it back out. So it's now just out. All the time.
 
ELECTROLUX canister. They never wear out. I installed two lengths of shop vac plastic hose. Works great around the A/C and is quiet at a short distance say in the other room. Size 22" long. 8" tall. 8" wide not including the hose of course.
 
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mculver said:
So looking for low noise and easy to store. Space is a huge problem for me.
Click to expand...

It's not low noise but the Sears wall mounted vac is pretty convenient in a garage. I've covered almost every square foot of garage ceiling and walls for my build. The vac I plug into a remote control on/off device so I don't have to walk back and forth to it all the time.
 
Muffler

I'm using a standard 5 gallon vac from Sears. They have a muffler you can put on the exhaust. It does drop the noise down to an acceptable level.

Brian
 
I have a Rigid shopvac from home depot... it's pretty quiet. But huge.

I saw home depot makes a vac that sits into one of their paint buckets. No idea how loud it is though.
 
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I have 6 shop vacs in different locations. The Sears is the loudest, by far. Wont use it without hearing protection. The Rigid from HD is pretty good. If you really want quiet, get a Fein, but they are very expensive.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
You mentioned space is important.I put my shopvac on the other side of my shop and then plumbed the [obviously] suction side with 2" pvc to the shop then making 4 drops through the celing around the shop where I then connect the flexible hose creating a poor mans central vac system. I am lucky since I had a 200 amp breaker panel laying around when I put my building shop on the back of my car garage so I put in a seperate receptical to plug in the vac so I use the breaker to turn it on.For the 3 other drops that are'nt being used I put 2"pvc caps on them so all you do is move the flexible hose to the closest drop. I hope some of these ideas will give you something You can use.Another plus is I dont hear it run.
 
Another

Another expen$ive but great one is Festool. They are listed at 62dB on low. I have never owned on, but used them in others woodworking shops. Quiet, great suction, HEPA, auto start with tool use (plug tool into vacuum). I can't find it on their website, but I think I remember you don't have to do anything special to change between wet or dry, and the vac will auto shut off when water is full.

They do this "systainer" thing where they have all their tools in standard containers that stack and attach to the vacuum, etc.
 
We use a Fein shop vac. It is so quiet that we can use it in the house to vacuum the carpeting and it doesn't scare the cat. Quietest one I have ever heard.
 
shop vac

If you have an unfinished basement or garage closet,attic, plumb the plastic lines and or flex lines around the house put in a whole house vac including your work area. All the noise gets vented outside, plenty of suction 30 foot of hose, an on off switch at the handle and most important the wife is happy.
 
FEIN = Quality

Fein tools are a refreshing change from the cheap brand name takeover products from the orient we are fed from Home Depot, Sears and the like.
Not cheap but you won't be sorry, very nice stuff and the vacuum is both powerful and quiet.
Tim
VAF dues paid!
 
Yeah but what about the hose...

I have a circa 1982 Craftsman 16 gal.

I have considered replacing it but the hoses on the new vacs (many brands) are corrugated plastic like drain pipe and ALMOST as flexible as drain pipe. I have fooled with those before and it drives me batty when the hose is so stiff it turns the cannister on its side every time you try to use it. :mad:

A few years ago, my wire wound vacuum hose finally failed to the point I could not repair it any more. After much searching, I did find a corrugated hose from Ridgid that was made from a very flexible rubber-like resin. Almost as good as the original wire wound fabric hose.

It cost a lot. More that the old shop vac was worth and nearly as much as a new vac with ****y hose. But hey, it still works well and I like it. :)
 
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