Ridgid WD5500 Store-N-Go Shop Vac

*Est. $100

Tests show the 5-hp Ridgid WD5500 excels at dry pickup, but performs reasonably well for wet pickup too. The 21-foot hose can be separated into 7-foot and 14-foot sections, and its 1 7/8-inch diameter makes clogging unlikely. A top handle and low design make the Ridgid convenient to use even off the wall, and its lifetime warranty is a big plus.

Ridgid shop vacs use a different-diameter hose than most other brands, and some users report that this can make it difficult to find optional accessories and cleaning tools. Also, the Ridgid WD5000's five-gallon capacity may be too small for some situations, and tests show that this model's capacity for liquids is about two gallons less than for dry debris.

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Our Analysis

Reviews say the Ridgid WD5500 shop vacuum is the best wall-mounted shop vac in its price range, with excellent wet and dry pickup. Its top-mounted handle makes it double as a portable shop vac too, though it weighs 15 pounds, and reviews compare it favorably with other portable shop vacs of similar size and price. However, if you don't care about mounting it on the wall, the 4.5-gallon Ridgid Pro pack WD4550 (*est. $90) is designed for maximum portability and emits less dust.

Consumer Reports includes the wall-mounted Ridgid WD5500 Stor-N-Go shop vac in its comparison of 23 shop vacs, comparing it with six others in its size range, as well as 16 other models. This excellent review ranks and rates all 23 shop vacs based on objective tests, with separate ratings for ease of use, emissions in the exhaust, wet pickup, and dry pickup. For longer-term reports from owners of the Ridgid WD5500, we turned to the Home Depot website, where individual users review and rate this model. We also found a detailed review at the Garage Journal Board.

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

Consumer Reports includes the Ridgid WD5500 Stor-N-Go shop vac in its review of 23 consumer-brand shop vacs, comparing it primarily with six other consumer models of similar small size. Each of the shop vacuums is subjected to standard tests, so the performance ratings are relative to competitive models.

Review: Wet/Dry Vacuums, Editors of Consumer Reports, Mar. 2007

2. HomeDepot.com

At the time of this report, the wall-mounted Ridgid WD5500 Stor-N-Go shop vac appears to be an owner favorite with a near-perfect rating, but from only about ten owners so far. Reviews here praise this shop vac as powerful and "not too loud," appreciating the long hose and wall mounting.

Review: Ridgid WD5500 Stor 'N Go Review, Contributors to HomeDepot.com

3. GarageJournal.com

This brief review praises the Ridgid WD5500 wall-mounted shop vac for convenience and power, based on the author's personal experience with it. He notes that even with the 21-foot hose, it provides enough suction to vacuum pet hair from a car. He's also pleased that it mounts easily with four screws, and all mounting hardware is supplied with it.

Review: Ridgid WD5500 Shop Vac, Contributor to GarageJournal.com

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