Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00

*Est. $120

Tests rate the sound level on the Shop-Vac 962-18-00 at about 74.5 decibels, relatively quiet for a budget wet-dry vacuum. This Shop-Vac's eight-foot hose is a foot longer than those on most inexpensive wet-dry vacuums, which owners sometimes say feels too short. The Shop-Vac 962-18-00 does convert to a blower, and it has a four-year warranty -- longer than many Shop-Vac brand models.

Owners say the suction power on the Shop-Vac 962-18-00 is fine, but the similarly priced Ridgid WD1450 (*est. $120) is better overall, with a longer warranty. The 18-foot cord on Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 is shorter than the standard 20-foot cords on most competing budget shop vacs.

Our Analysis

Reviewers place the 18-gallon Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 toward the bottom of the pack among consumer-brand shop vacs, although it earns praise for its relatively quiet performance. Similarly sized Craftsman and Ridgid shop vacs rank higher in reviews, with the quieter 16-gallon Ridgid WD1850 (*est. $170) emitting less dust and carrying a lifetime warranty.

We found the most credible review for the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 wet-dry vacuum in Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide, where it's tested along with seven other shop vacs in various price ranges. Consumer Reports tests a smaller 12-gallon version of the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro in an even larger and more recent report, but compares it only with other consumer-brand shop vacs. We also found useful ratings of the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 from owners posting to the Home Depot and Ace Hardware websites.

Our Sources

1. Taunton's 2005 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe

Editors at Taunton Press, publisher of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding magazines, include the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 in this comparison review of eight models. (Shop vacs aren't covered in the more recent Taunton Tool Guides.) Tests here find the Shop-Vac quieter but more expensive than the Craftsman shop vac editors choose as best budget choice. In a survey of more than 6,000 readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding, however, users rank the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 higher than the Craftsman, but below the even quieter Ridgid WD1665.

Review: Shop Vacuums, Roland Johnson, plus editors and readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding, Jan. 2005

2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

Consumer Reports doesn't specifically test the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 963-18-00, but it does evaluate a smaller 12-gallon version in its review of 23 budget shop vacs. Because the two have similar features, these ratings look relevant to the performance of the larger 18-gallon Shop-Vac wet-dry vacuum.

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

3. Amazon.com

The Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 wet-dry vacuum gets mixed reviews from owners posting to Amazon.com, but only a few owners have rated it so far. Still, its average rating is well below that of most shop vacs sold here at Amazon.com.

Review: Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 Review, Contributors to Amazon.com

4. Ace Hardware.com

At the time of this report, only one review of the Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 962-18-00 is posted here, from an owner quite unhappy that this model broke down after only two months of use.

Review: Shop-Vac Ultra Pro 9621800 Review, Contributors to Ace Hardware.com