Please help a fool with a few vacuum questions.

[quebert]

I`m looking at getting a Rigid 4.5 gal. 5.0-Peak HP Pro Pack Wet Dry Vac, the one that looks like a tool box, any who. I`m a bit confused about the upgraded hoses they offer, and Googling isn`t turning up anything to help me figure it out. The vacuum has a 1 7/8" hose, and the inlet is 2 1/2" or that`s what I seem to understand from Rigid`s uber confusing wording. I read the user questions on Amazon and HomeDepot, and found the question I had asked, but of course I saw yes and no answered by different people, ugh lol. So I`m looking at these 2 hoses.

1 - 1/4 in car cleaning accessory kit (Rigid) it comes with a 2 1/2" converter so I`m assuming it will connect normally? Saw this asked on Amazon about a 1 7/8" Rigid vacuum with a yes and a no answer.

1-7/8" x 10 foot wet / dry vacuum hose extension / replacement set (Rigid) This would fit natively, but it doesn`t come with the car tools, and the main one I want apparently isn`t offered in a 1 7/8" size, at least not without buying something like the Mr Nozzel hose set. So my question is will the car kit one fit that vacuum? Homedepot sells the vac and both hoses and I`d like to go get one tomorrow so I could use it on a detail Monday morning. Last question, assuming the larger hose will fit with one of the included adapters, would I notice a big drop off in suction? I don`t know much about vacuums but I saw a few people on Youtube commented on how the larger hose on the smaller inlet lead to a noticeable drop in efficiency.


If anyone knows and cares to help me out here, thanks and stuff.

 

[ShawnF350]

I have the 4 gallon Ridgid vac.
The car kit is a 1 1/4" hose with the Rigid end to attach to the vac. The attachment end is for 1 1/4 tools.
The 10` 1 7/8" hose. (Nice flexible orange) has the same Rigid end. The attachment end is for 1 7/8" tools.
Your vacuum specs state a 1 7/8 house hose So both should work fine.
These hoses I don`t have or need adapters.
I don`t notice a drop in efficiency. BUT obviously more air flow with a larger hose.
I mostly use the 1 7/8 hose. The car kit is more for using the neat tools for upholstry and dash with the brushes.

 

[SGM2008]

That looks like a nice compact vac. Please post your thoughts on it`s performance, I`m in the market for a new one!

 

[Civicclutch]

I went with a prolux garage vac lite. I have not done a review yet as I’m still playing around with it to see what I like and don’t like about it but one thing I have come to like bout it is it can blow so when doing a deep cleaning on interior I can blow the extra cleaner out of cracks and crevices for a nice clean look. Especially those crazy vents full of dust and lint

Here’s a few pics of when I got it

Yes that’s a 30’ hose

and like 15 attachments


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[imstew]

I`ve finally got around to pulling a panty hose leg over the filter as a pre-filter. I have yet to decide if I like it. Has anyone else tried it?

 

[Billy Jack]

I do the same on my old Craftsman Shop Vac, using plus-size knee highs. It keeps the big stuff from clogging the pleats in the filter and is easily brushed off when you don`t feel like doing a complete filter cleaning. I feel it definitely extends the life of the paper filter.

Bill

 

[imstew]

Although I never had the courage to try, it is said that wearing panty hose will keep your legs warm in the winter. It`s also an OSHA violation in my trade, nothing that melts and then sticks to your skin.

 

[trashmanssd]

I went with a prolux garage vac lite. I have not done a review yet as I’m still playing around with it to see what I like and don’t like about it but one thing I have come to like bout it is it can blow so when doing a deep cleaning on interior I can blow the extra cleaner out of cracks and crevices for a nice clean look. Especially those crazy vents full of dust and lint

Here’s a few pics of when I got it

Yes that’s a 30’ hose

and like 15 attachments


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Any thoughts on this unit yet. I am getting close to pulling the trigger on either this or the Vacumaid or Hoover unit. Biggest advantage I see with the Prolux is wet and dry use, it makes it a little safer in a garage environment.

 

[Lonnie]

I have a Craftsmen (Sears) 6HP - 16 Gallon unit , Model No. 113.177611 that I bought on 2009 to replace an older Craftsmen shop vac that died. I bought it because Sears always stood behind their Craftsmen tools and if I did have problems, service and parts were readily available. I say "were", because of Sears recent financial business problems, their existence is in doubt, as the Craftsmen line has been sold to Stanely Tools. It is a good shop vac for the hobbyist and robust enough for the occasional use I put it through, even when using it for extended periods of time, like 3 hours of continuous use when vacuuming out a pet hair-laden vehicle. I use the better filter(Part No. 17907) just because it filters "finer particulates and dust" than the general filter (Part No. 17816) that came with the shop vac. I clean it quite frequently, just to maintain the efficiency of the suction in cleaning. I know they (Sears) sells paper bags you can place over these filters to keep out larger particles, but I think it inhibits/restricts the air flow, but for REALLY dirty vehicles, like those with a lot of leaf or lawn litter, it may be useful.
There are two tools that I feel are necessary with vacuuming: a stiff tooth brush and a small plastic-bristle hand brush. I use these as I vacuum carpets and fabrics seats. It`s a detailing trick that I think Dave Fermanni (a respected detailer and Autopian All-Star) suggested and while it is very hand-laborious, it is also VERY effective and thorough. It is surprising how much "hidden" debris and dust is removed from carpets and fabrics doing this, PLUS, it is much easier to remove dirty stains during the shampooing/scrubbing stage, as the larger dirt particles have been removed. This manual scrubbing-and-brushing may be necessary to repeat serveral times on carpets, but I feel it is time well spent, as imbedded dirt does not re-appear or cause that "browning" of carpets because it wicks into the fibers when it gets wet. This is especially true for those who do hand shampooing and microfiber towel wiping extraction to remove stains when they do not have a power carpet extractor. Another tool that some consider a "must have" is the use of pumice stones to remove pet hair. Yes there are `special brushes" designed for pet hair removal, but their effectiveness and usefulness is subjective compared to pumice stones. I use a textured-rubber Playtex glove that works for me because that is the tool I have on hand (no pun intended), but the pumice stone seems be the tool of choice for effective and efficient pet hair removal.

I also DO NOT use my shop vac as a wet carpet or fabric extractor for the simple reason it is not powerful enough to lift water and wet dirt out effectively from those automotive surfaces. While it may "work" for some, I am not of that opinion, and if you buy a wet-dry shop vac with that purpose in mind, I think you will be disappointed. Granted, a good extractor costing $600-700 (or more) is beyond the budget of most hobbyist, it is the correct tool to have if you want your vehicle interior to look REALLY clean like those posted in this forum and should be on your list of car-care cleaning tools to invest in.
I have a Bissel Green Machine Pro-Heat that I seldom use, as again, it is just too "underpowered" to effectively lift out wet dirt from automotive carpet. It works to some degree because the tools are more suited to extraction than the shop vac tools are, so to say that it is better than nothing is true to a point.

My point is that that there are methodologies to carpet and fabric vacuuming that can be augmented with other tools than those that came with the shop vac.