I’m shopping for a small shop vac for collecting dust from a track saw and ROS, and also for cleaning up the shop and the car. I don’t believe I need much capacity, so I’m looking at the 4 and 4.5 gallon models from Ridgid. It looks like HD sells four models, the 5 and 6 hp roll-around types, and the 4 and 4.5 gallon suitcase types (both 5 hp). I’d prefer them not to be screaming loud, though I know a muffler is available.
Anybody have experience with these? What did you like and not like?
I’m not sure about the smaller Ridgid Shop Vacs, but my bud has one we were using while working on a project. It is one of the larger ones (maybe 16 gal) and I thought it was pretty loud overall compared to others I have used of the same size.
Skip the loud ridgid vacs with the short hoses and cords. They’re not made for what you want. You need something like the Festool CT15, it’s quiet, has a long cord, a long appropriately sized hose, and can have a corded miter saw plugged into it and activate it when switched on. It’s also HEPA filtered and will hold more sawdust than an eight gallon Ridgid. They run about $350 and are worth every single nickel.