Shop Vac

[Dave Novak]

One of the many items I sent my son off to college with was my shop vac. I already miss it, but I'd love some thought regarding the best replacement. I still have my Festool CT-33, but to date I only use it attached to tools and generally treat it like a baby. Would you be looking to buy one of the festool cleaning sets and making the 33 a dual purpose machine? Or spend roughly the same amount of money on a shop vac? I believe I've read in another thread that the festool isn't an ideal shop vac, but I can't find it now. Thanks!

[Benjamin Dahl]

Hey Dave, I don't have the festool so I can't comment on it as a shop vac, however since you do treat it as a baby I'd say to get another shop vac that you can use without worry of beating it up. I have been happy with my rigid and it has lasted several years so far. I am not at home so I am not 100% certain, but my model is probably the 14 gallon pro (or an earlier model like it, orange body).
Ben

[Prashun Patel]

A good Rigid shopvac is a great workhorse. You can't go wrong.

If you want another ferrari, though, you can get one of the Fein Turbos. They're wicked quiet but have a wicked price tag.

[Bill Franklin]

If the price isn't too high, I find the Fein II to be great for the normal shop vac tasks and things inside the house, and I leave my CT22 attached the the tools. As already stated, Rigid is also a good choice.

Bill

[Michael Boyle]

This is another vote for a Ridgid Shop Vac. I purchased one of the Stainless Steel models and it is excellent. Very little noise and really good suction. The other great feature was that it was on sale at my Home Depot so the cost was reasonable as well

[Brad Evans]

Have been using my Fein II w/HEPA filter in my shop for 8 years. Quiet, powerful, nice accessories, and decent price.

Also have a Festool, but if I ever need to buy another vac, it will be another Fein II.

[Jim Knishka]

Boy, that's a well equiped student! I bought the smallest Festool cleaning kit when I bought my 33. Like it but it's for the standard size hose. While I have no qualms about using it in the shop or maybe the car I don't plan to use it for the down and dirty garage stuff etc; that's where the old one went. One note, the plastic attachments aren't the brittle plastic that all my other shop vacs came with - it has some forgiveness so when the day comes that I feel my foot coming down on a tube I don't think it will crack unless I put my full weight down. Plus with the Systainer I may actually be able to find an attachment!

[Steven Wilson]

Dave, pick up the Univeral Cleaning Kit. It comes with a larger hose (36mm), a decent selection of attachments, and it all fits in a Systainer. I haven't used my shopvac since I bought the Festool.

[Dave Novak]

Thanks for all the input. Seems like I got votes for the Rigid, the Fein, and the universal kit for the 33, so I'm still a little undecided. Leaning toward the Rigid however. Thanks again!

[Cary Falk]

I got a Ridgid during the after Thankgiving sale for $25. I think they have it on sale every year. It's the best $25 I have ever spent. I am think of buying another this year.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Regardless of which one you choose, get a CleanStream filter for it.

Doc

[Charlie Plesums]

I have a Ridgid (great bargain) and a small Fein for use with tools. My shop is small so the Ridgid got demoted, only to save space (not for lack of performance). Even though the Fein is small, I use my dust collector to quickly empty it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I got a Ridgid during the after Thankgiving sale for $25. I think they have it on sale every year. It's the best $25 I have ever spent. I am think of buying another this year.

Yep - I've got three of them
It's almost become a family tradition to stand in the pre-6:00am line @ HD for a $29.00 vac.
I bought the third one last year simply because we were @ HD, they had them on sale as usual and the ones they had came with a free 2nd filter.
Filters run ~ $15.00

[Bob Marino]

Dave,

No need to baby that Festool vac at all, but many other vacs would suit you well also for shop clean-up. The Fein is great, but $25.00 for a Ridgid - go for it. But one thing I would strongly suggest is to make sure that whatever vcac you choose, get one with excellent filtration.

Bob