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Shop Vacs
- Best shop vac for most users Ridgid WD1450 *Est. $115
- Best workshop vacuum Bosch AirSweep 3931A *Est. $525
- Budget/portable shop vac Shop-Vac AllAround 971-01-00 *Est. $65
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- 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.
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 Guide
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.org
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
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
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