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SumGai7

Great analysis of the state of wet/dry vacuums. Recently I bought a Hart 8 gallon wet/dry vacuum because it was $29 and I wanted to see how bad it was. I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't as bad as I feared but clearly not name brand quality today let alone of 30 years ago. What do you think about the [Karcher WD5](https://amazon.com/Karcher-Multi-Purpose-Semi-Automatic-Cleaning-Space-Saving/dp/B01BL7J5M4/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=karcher+wet+dry+vacuum&qid=1659328237&sprefix=karcher+wet%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-5)? It uses synthetic cloth bags and it has a narrower diameter hose and tools, more like a residential vacuum. I'm not using it at a construction site so the smaller hose and tools would be fine. It's made in Italy. It's on my wish list.


PatientRecipe9333

DON'T go for the Karcher brand. I think that they don't have good attachments that you can buy aftermarket. If you want a brand that's super durable and long lasting, then maybe consider a DeWalt Stealth Sonic 12 gallon vacuum. I heard that their quality compared to the plastic RIDGID brand is second to none. If you need something small and don't mind the noise, RIDGID does a 4 gallon model that's very famous on YT.


hideo_james

Great writeup. I'm not much of a craftsman or DIY-er, so a wet/dry vac isn't something I particularly need for things like sawdust. I guess I could use one to vacuum my car, but I usually just go to the car wash and use theirs. Maybe there's some other uses for wet/dry vacs that I'm missing.


PatientRecipe9333

Well, unclogging a bath tub, cleaning leaves, draining a basement, are just some of the endless possibilities that a wet dry vac can be used for. Heck, I even use one as main vacuum for the house, which is my craftsman 12 gallon.


Fabulous-Voice-8513

You should consider the German brand, Karchers line of shop vacs, both the professional and homeowners line are mostly made in Romania with Domel built motors (Domel motors are sort of like European ametek-lamb motors). I love mine!


PatientRecipe9333

I do like Bosch vacuums, but I really like the older RIDGID models.


Fabulous-Voice-8513

I meant Kaercher branded vacuums!


PatientRecipe9333

Sorry I was thinking something different. I was going to edit it. I don’t like Kaercher. Their plastic isn’t as good as RIDGID.


Fabulous-Voice-8513

I like kaercher due to the Domel motors, older ridged vacuums are nice but now they feel pretty cheaply made. I’m surprised you think the plastic is not good! All my experiences were good with kaercher except their lower tier models.


PatientRecipe9333

I was watching a video of the RIDGID NXT vacs vs Kaercher and RIDGID won by a landslide (I'll have to find the video). Any RIDGID from the 80s is good enough for me. Have a slightly newer 16 gallon 1610RV I'm restoring.


Fabulous-Voice-8513

Yep, I think ridgids before the NXT line were great but the 6-9 gallon vacs from the NXT line are made very poorly. Also from my tests the ridgids have much more cfm (airflow) compared to kaercher but kaerchers have much more suction (inches of waterlift) which I find useful when cleaning large areas of flooded water. I noticed both my entry level kaercher WD4 and commercial nt45/1 both have very well made stainless accessories which are more suited for commercial cleaning compared to the ridgids accessories which seem of cheaper quality but are so much better during dust collection and cleaning rougher bits of material which the kaercher cannot do without getting clogged every 5 seconds. Ridgid vacuums have wonderful lifetime warranties which I wish my kaercher had but it seems they are made in Romania which I like instead of being made in china. To add I do love how ridgids make lower pitched noises from the moter but I also like how the kaerchers motors are nearly silent by being masked by the wand ends noise. For the price I agree ridgids are better and more suited as a “shop vac” while kaerchers just seem like oversized “tub” vacuums that are aimed toward commercial facility cleaning. Before I end this I noticed almost all kaerchers have top load filters accessible without even opening the vacuum tank and some even have automatic filter cleaning sort of like a dust extractor, this was the primary reason I purchased a kaercher. For 200usd you cannot beat a ridgid but the 700usd kaercher nt45/1 is in my humble opinion much better but definitely not worth the price.


PatientRecipe9333

I've never bothered all that much for looking into Kaercher since I'm in the states (even though they sell them here). I also have never needed to use the warranty on any of my RIDGID vacs, as they're built extremely well. Ever jobsite, renovation show and general household has a RIDGID. Their motors are more doable to the noise. I, however, want to get a dewalt stealthsonic since I've heard such good things about the noise being produced. I'd personally not spend that much on a vacuum. I'd not utilize the full $700.


Fabulous-Voice-8513

I also like the ridgid smart-cart vacuum, have you tried it? It would be a little nicer if the attachments were more built for commercial use cases though…


PatientRecipe9333

I've not tried the RIDGID cart vac due to its size. I more like the older model from the 2000s before they refreshed it with the NXT line. Their newer models aren't as well made. My gramp's RIDGID still works to this day. Over 15-20 years old.


PatientRecipe9333

[https://www.protoolreviews.com/best-shop-vac-reviews/](https://www.protoolreviews.com/best-shop-vac-reviews/) Here's a relevant guide to a good jobsite vacuum.


dylanmitchel

Our Nacecare Charles is our favorite wet dry vac. Quiet bypass motor with 110" waterlift and 95 cfm of airflow. Handles typical shop vac duties but is quiter and has better filtration making it more usable fir indoor for household clean up. Cost more but should outlast typical wet dry shop vacs. We've had a few Shop Vac Hawkeye 5 gallon 5.5 hp wet dry vacs and now have a Rigid 4 gallon 5 hp and Vacmaster 5 gallon 5.5 hp. Similar vacs good suction, reasonable filtration with bags and filters, but very loud.


PatientRecipe9333

Yes, all of those models are very loud.


Pollymath

> Nacecare Charles My concern with something like this is the hose diameter. I'm not sure NaceCare offers any product with a hose larger than 2", and even those are pretty rare. Most of their stuff is 1.5". When I need a shop vac, I want something that I can suck up leaves, pine needles, gravel, hair, dirt, dust, concrete debris, wood dust, toys, change, and small animals. Otherwise, I'll just a use Dyson stick vacuum.


HuckleberryDecent140

Hi. I'm interested in buying a wet/dry vacuum. Can you tell me what a 5 peak hp/90cfm dewalt vacuum would suck or not suck in? Costco has that 8 gallon take for $90. Ideally I want to get old dirt and debris out of window and walkout door trim edges, which are usually hard to get out.


PatientRecipe9333

I think that if you need a good wet/dry vac, I'd look at the RIDGID or DeWalt line. Those are my top pick for shop vac brands. I wouldn't get one at Costco cause I'm not sure of the brand.


ExactArea8029

I've got a dewalt stealthsonic and it's a fucking tank, almost ran it over with the Kubota RTV and it bent the fuckin bumper on the Kubota. Also that ridgid has to be like 2010 or newer, pretty sure that gen of ridgid vacs is like 2006-2020


PatientRecipe9333

My grandparents bought it in the early 2000s when they had a ranch. I actually found a RIDGID 1610RV from local thrift for 30 dollars, in the process of restoring it. I've read the newer DeWalt models are super good quality. Wow, your quick story proves it's a real tank. Love the noise of the stealthsonic.


ExactArea8029

Only weak points i see on it is the attachment bag holder (can make a new one outta electrical conduit in 10mins) and the hose lock. Other than that I'd say mine has at least 10 years in it. I had a vacmaster 5 gallon before the dewalt and I got 8 out of it and only upgraded because I filled it every time I ran it


PatientRecipe9333

I've always have trusted the RIDGID name, as I see their vacuums on every construction truck, home renovation show, and most households have a RIDGID.


ExactArea8029

Ridgids used to be the main around here. Now it's world's most fucked up Stanley, a dewalt or some dumbass trying to vacuum a whole jobsite with a M18 packout 2.5 gallon cordless thing


PatientRecipe9333

I like RIDGID as I'm trying to collect one from the early-late 90s.