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Shop Vacs Reviews
Updated September 2007
We found the best review of shop vacs for general cleanup at Consumer Reports magazine, where editors test 23 wet-dry vacuums ranging in size from 2 to 20 gallons; ratings are based on rigorous objective tests. A recent review at Popular Mechanics provides more details on some of the same shop vacs, but tests just six models. Only one of these is a "tool-triggered" shop vac that makes it convenient to collect dust from woodworking tools. We found the best review of these quieter, more expensive shop vacs at Fine Homebuilding, where editors test and rate five vacuums. Earlier shop-vac reviews at other woodworking publications test even more models. In addition to these comparison reviews, we found in-depth reviews of specific shop-vacs, both in woodworking publications and at the websites of individual woodworkers. We also studied owner-written reviews published at Amazon.com, Home Depot.com, Sears.com and several other sites. These owner-written reviews often include details missing from the big comparison tests, along with a longer-term perspective on durability. For heavy-duty workshop use, reviews favor pro-level brands like Fein, Festool, Nilfisk Alto-Wap, Bosch and Porter-Cable. Most of these shop vacs are much quieter than than less expensive consumer brands like Ridgid, Shop-Vac and Craftsman. The professional shop vacs are also built for longer hours of use, and designed for tool-triggered dust collection from a power tool connected to the shop-vac hose. When you plug a tool (like a sander) into the outlet on the shop vac, the shop vac turns on whenever you start the tool. Among less expensive wet-dry vacuums for general household use, reviews give Ridgid shop vacs top marks for power
and relatively clean exhaust air, with Craftsman and Shop-Vac models coming
in second or third in most tests. While the majority of wet-dry vacuums have
adequate suction, some have more problems with emissions than others. In some
cases this can be corrected by using a fine-dust
bag or filter, but on some models the lid just doesn't
fit tightly enough. Reviews
note, for example, that the Craftsman 17066 (*est. $110) has more problems
with emissions than the Craftsman 17762 (*est. $110), while the
Ridgid WD1850
(*est. $150) has fewer. New this
year is the cordless
Roomba Dirt Dog
(*est. $130)
. It's made by the company known for its robotic vacuum
cleaners, but the Dirt Dog isn't actually a shop
vac. Rather, it's a sweeper, brushing debris into its little tank. Early reviews say it does well on sawdust
but not bits of wire or anything damp. Owners say
it's a great addition for keeping
a workshop or garage floor swept, especially since its
four-inch height lets it scoot easily under cars
and workbenches. However, reviews emphasize that it's not a substitute for
a real shop vac since it can’t handle anything wet, and can’t suck up larger
debris.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our Reviewers like the Fein, Festool, and Nifilsk /Alto Wap tool-triggered shop vacs for their durability, quiet operation and mobility. Among budget brands for general workshop and household use, reviews favor Ridgid shop vacs, and their lifetime warranty is also a plus, but the big Craftsman 17066 also gets good reviews. Advertisement
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© 2008. ConsumerSearch, Inc. A service from 
, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
