Got a new wet/dry vac

My old shopvac type unit has been on its last leg for a while now and the motor finally seized (i was almost ready to take it out back and shoot it).

I checked around and Consumer Reports rated them recently which made it an easier decision. Craftsman (some models) or Ridgid (at Home Depot) did well in the ratings. I ended up getting the #1 rated Craftsman 20 gallon but returned it after getting it home because it was just HUGE. I would need another garage bay to store the thing.

I ended up with this Craftsman 16 gallon instead which gives you a lot for the money in a more compact unit. I cleaned my chimney the other day and it worked awesome. Very quiet and very clean exhaust.

http://tinyurl.com/26h6hl

I got a new one, Ridgid, fairly recently as well.
The diameter of the hose is huge (for me) and the power is high, so you have to be careful it doesn't suck stuff like tools and such that you don't want it to.
The blower is some kind of scroll design or whatever, and it is quiet.
Another nice thing like yours is that you can get another hose and put it out the window when you clean the chimney so that you won't get any dust in the house.
I have noticed that all the extras, like filters hoses etc, are expensive.

i never thought of the hose out the window idea! so simple it never dawned on me. i may be doing some sheetrock soon so i'll have to remember that.

yeah, the accessories are expensive which is why i'm glad mine came with a lot of attachments to get me by (including a spare filter). i'd like a HEPA filter but they are $30. the nice thing about the Ridgids is most of the better ones come with a triple layer filter which does an awesome job without needing to upgrade.

Great timing with this tread, i'm in the market. Gonna ask for it for X-mas (i'm a cheap-o)

i'll post the list of Consumer Reports top picks when i get home.
the irony of the list is that the famous ShopVac brand is at the bottom on pretty much all counts.

Congrats. I got one of the Rigid brand vacs a few years ago. It works pretty nice, the head unit separates to make an electric leaf blower which has some value. One thing I didn't like is that it uses a 'cartridge' style filter - basically an overblown car air cleaner filter maybe 6" in diameter and 10" long. The things are pretty pricey and clog up really fast if you are doing any work with sawdust, drywall, etc. You can clean them, but, still...big mess and big price.

I wound up cutting a hole in the side of the vac so I can plug the hose into that and put a big paper bag filter on the inside. That thing will suck drywall dust for hours, now.

I did burn up a motor on my Shop-Vac. Called them up and they sent me a new one for 40 bucks

Also, I bought one of those cleanable air filters for 30 bucks. Had it for years and it works great.

Btw, I did burn up the original by sucking up drywall dust without a filter, with the discharge hung out the window. Worked like that for a long time before it cooked.

You bring up a good point, Sandor - most of the vacs force some of the suction air over the motor for cooling. If you are running without a filter, you are forcing that dirty air through the motor which can have detrimental effects. So it is always best to run a filter. Then you also get the urban legends of the guys who tried to suck up gasoline spills and blew the vac up.

Ummmm,

thats a good one for Mythbusters.

yeah, thats how i fried mine. no filter - fine dust/ash going through it.
the whine the motor made just got worse and worse until one day it whined no more
RIP

ok, here is the Consumer reports top 2 from each size category:

Large:
Craftsman 17762 (20 gallon) $110
Ridgid Pro Utility Vac WD1850 (16 gallon) $150

Medium:
Ridgid WD1450 (14 gallon) $100
Ridgid WD1245 (12 gallon) $70 (rated poor in emissions though)

Small:
Craftsman 17742 (9 gallon) $60
Ridgid Stor-N-Go Cleaning Station WD5500 (5 gallon) $100

I use this one to keep the hearth clean. $2 at a garage sale. Note ear protectors.

If you put panty hose over the filter it wil save you from having to clean out the filter so much becuase less crud gets in the folds... kind of a pre-filter.

-Kevin