Deciding between 2 vacs. . .

D

Dane Guy

New member
UPDATE: I finally chose a vac! Who thought picking a vac could be so exciting! :D



Here's what it came down to:



Ridgid 4050 4 Gallon 5.0 HP (Home Depot $69):



Pluses:

1. Tons of great reviews from everyone on this board and many other boards.

2. Lifetime warranty!

3. Great suction.



Minuses:



1. 1 7/8" hose?? :nixweiss

2. Didn't like the quality of the hose. Have to spend $30 for Pro hose.

3. No car type attachments. Have to spend $20 for car kit and HD didn't have them!



Shop-Vac Heavy Duty Portable 5 Gallon 5.5 HP (Lowes $69):



Pluses:

1. Has car attachments (claw and crevice).

2. Hose is more maneuverable.

3. A good amount of favorable reviews here and on other boards.

4. Great suction.



Minuses:

1. Only 5 year warranty.



I bought both and tested them last night. As far as suction goes there isn't really much difference. The Shop-Vac maybe had a little more. . . maybe. They're both excellent vacs.



It really came down to whether I wanted to spend $50 more to get the same stuff and a lifetime warranty. I decided that I would rather spend that money on more car stuff! :D



Anyway, here are some pics of my very first interior detail. Unfortunately, it has been raining and I didn't get to wash the exterior.































Not bad for a 2004, eh? :2thumbs:











































OLD POST

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I've got it narrowed down to these 2 vacs based on all of the great information I've found on this board:



The Ridgid WD4050



Shop-Vac 5-Gallon 5.5-Peak HP Heavy-Duty Portable Wet/Dry Vac



I thought I was pretty set on the Ridgid but found some complaints about the hose and accessories at Home Depot reviews. I can't find many reviews of the Shop-Vac.



For anyone who owns one or has tried both do you have any complaints about either? Are they both easy to hang on a wall? Do I need to buy anything for either before they are ready to tackle a car? Do they both suck :o equally?



Thanks all! :bow
 
They are both great vacs, and both will last for many years if properly maintained. You can get all sorts of attachments for either one. But the Shop Vac only has a 5 year warranty, call Rigid and see what the warranty is for their vac. I believe Rigid has a better warranty. I use Rigid, but would have picked a Shop Vac just as easily.
 
Well actually no I do not have the WD4050. I have the WD1665 and WD1246. Both have served me well and continue to do so. I do have an older dark red color 1 gal. portable Shop-Vac I bought some 15 years ago and it too is still working like brand new.
 
I got the shop vac one and didn't like it, to me it felt like it didn't have enough suction power. I return and got the w4550 with a pro hose and claw attachment.
 
jesselyons2002 said:
I got the shop vac one and didn't like it, to me it felt like it didn't have enough suction power. I return and got the w4550 with a pro hose and claw attachment.
Click to expand...



Do you mean the WD4050?
 
not sure of the part number this home depot SKU the link is fine...

I just realized you might needed something smaller...

but it has a blower too.

a re the 16 gal way bigger?
 
jesselyons2002 said:
I got the shop vac one and didn't like it, to me it felt like it didn't have enough suction power. I return and got the w4550 with a pro hose and claw attachment.
Click to expand...



How do they compare as far as noise goes?



One difference I noticed:

The Shop-Vac comes with a claw and crevice tool. The Ridgid does not and so that adds another $17 to the price. Although Ridgid make a car accessory kit it's only for the 1 1/4 hoses.
 
I went to Home Depot and Lowe's. I was planning on buying both and then deciding which one I liked better. I bought the one at Lowe's but the Ridgid at HD didn't carry the attachments :nixweiss What's up with that. So, I didn't even bother getting it. Maybe I'll try another HD.
 
tdekany said:
The 4050 is what I have (2 of them) Very good vacuum. I don't care for the other one.
Click to expand...



Do you just use the attachment that came with it or did you buy the extra ones? I may go get one later tonight to try it out even though they don't have the attachments.



Do you have to do anything when you switch between dry and wet? With this Shop-Vac I have to remove the filter which seems like a pain in the butt.
 
Dane Guy said:
Do you just use the attachment that came with it or did you buy the extra ones? I may go get one later tonight to try it out even though they don't have the attachments.



Do you have to do anything when you switch between dry and wet? With this Shop-Vac I have to remove the filter which seems like a pain in the butt.
Click to expand...



yes I just use it as it came.



You always have to remove the filter.
 
I picked up the Ridgid vac tonight. I can't really tell the difference in suction power between the two . . .:think:
 
I just bought a Shop Vac 5.5 ph and 5 gallon with a blower from Big Lots. It was

55$, which I thought was not a bad price. After using it I was very impressed with it. Super strong suction and blower!
 
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