Vacuums

[willowcat11]

Just seeing what you guys are using out there for your vacuums. I currently have a 2.5hp Craftsman shop-vac that I have had for a while.

Do you guys prefer more HP? I've even heard that some vacuums have even better suction even though they have lower hp.

I'm just trying get a feel of what most people prefer for their detailing jobs. I'm not a high volume detailer at all. I'm just doing 1-2 cars a week for extra money.

Thank You!


Ray

[FinishingTouchA]

Use what you have if it works for you. HP doesn't make a huge difference, Water Lift is what matters. I have one that AG doesn't sell and it has 100 inches of Water lift but this one is good too Detailer's Pro Series 8 Gallon 2.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Auto Detailng Vacuum, car vacuum, auto vac, shop vacuum (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wet-dry-garage-vacuum.html)

[Eldorado2k]

This is my vacuum and I really like it. 6hp 14 gallon Ridgid. Using it with the 2.5" diameter hose is like booya! 💪🏽 Thing is strong!

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[willowcat11]

That's a really powerful looking setup there Eldorado2k! I like the Megs Sticker you popped up on there too!

[willowcat11]

FinishingtouchA, thank you for explaining the water lift thing, and for your suggestion of the DP vacuum! I also googled water lift, and found some really good information there, were it further explained the difference between that and HP ratings.

[Eldorado2k]

I had that sticker for the longest but never had a good place to put it. But on the vac it's like yea perfect spot😃

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[spiralout462]

The most horsepower you can afford. I like a small canister with a strong motor.

[expdetailing]

I highly recommend a Metro-Vac. They are powerful and quiet. Those 2.5 hp shop vacs are loud and high pitched. The hoses and attachments from Metro are high quality. Switching from a shop-vac, or its equivalent, is like switching from a PC to a Rupes.

[FinishingTouchA]

Interesting opinion about the metro-vac. My honest opinion is its way overpriced. It's a bag style and they are small so you need to buy bags constantly. It was just as loud as a shop vac with muffler and after it got heated up the hose would start to scream at you. The hose is a metal spring wrapped in vinyl and wears out quickly. On top of all that it's not a wet/dry vac.

[Dan K]

Use what you have if it works for you. HP doesn't make a huge difference, Water Lift is what matters. I have one that AG doesn't sell and it has 100 inches of Water lift but this one is good too Detailer's Pro Series 8 Gallon 2.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Auto Detailng Vacuum, car vacuum, auto vac, shop vacuum (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wet-dry-garage-vacuum.html)

I have had this DP vac since May 2014. I absolutely love it. Quiet, powerful, super durable hose, boars hair brush, 35 foot power cord... I would buy it again & again. With the current sale and discount it can be yours for $140. Get it!

[ViperGuy21]

I've got the DP vacuum(thanks again to Paul for the contest!)and love it! I always hated vacuuming but now it's so much better that I have a great vacuum. The long cord and hose really add to the ease of use too!

[Eldorado2k]

Those 2.5 hp shop vacs are loud and high pitched


The high pitched squeal is the 1 thing I strongly dislike about my vac. If I'm using the 2.5" hose w/2.5" attachments there's no squeal, but once I put on the adapter to hook up the 1.25" attachments, the thing screams like hell in between switching.. So what I usually end up doing is removing the brush and immediately putting the end of the hose to my chest to prevent it from screaming while I reach for the next attachment I want to use. It's pretty annoying.

Using the 10' Orange hose reduces the scream to almost nothing vs. the original hose, but you cannot connect the 2.5" attachments to the orange hose..

I've been told that my vac is surprisingly quiet for its size. It boasts about having "Scroll Noise Reduction" and I also bought the muffler/air diffuser.

According to Ridgid:

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But according to my iphone app it measures 89 decibels.

[Eldorado2k]

I have one that AG doesn't sell and it has 100 inches of Water lift[/url]


That must be 1 hell of a beast.. I hear what you say about hp mostly being hype, but I'm still curious how much hp your vacuum has? And how many gallons is the tank?

100 inches of water lift? Damn that's insane. Crushing it compared to my vac...

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[FinishingTouchA]

That must be 1 hell of a beast.. I hear what you say about hp mostly being hype, but I'm still curious how much hp your vacuum has? And how many gallons is the tank?

100 inches of water lift? Damn that's insane. Crushing it compared to my vac...


2 yes TWO Horsepower, 10 Gallon, 105" Water lift, 110 CFM. It's a beast to say the least.

[Eldorado2k]

What the hell. Lol.