Slalom4me

I am looking for a compact portable wet/dry vacuum with real power,
not a dust buster. Something that travels well, yet still does the work.

I have come across two from Ridgid that appear to fit the bill and
I am leaning toward the Pro Pack. There are also two from Shop-Vac
but one seems under-powered and the other has more power but it is
a small floor model.

I haven't shopped the prices extensively, the ones below are just
from random hits.

Does anyone one have experience with these units, general comments
about Ridgid's product quality these days and/or suggestions about
other units to consider?

.

Aardwolf

I have a Ridgid wet/dry shop vac, from Home Depot. It is well built IMO. The engine has a lifetime warrenty. One of the contractors working here brought the same one I have and is on his third free motor. He uses it every day, the one in my shop has had no trouble for years but I use it far less. I got the model without the posi lock connectors and would not make that choice again. Hope this helps!

John Shiels

I like #2 which loked to be a good size. I have a few Ridgid's now which have been good. Positive lock on hose it good my old one is a PITA. Washable filters work great.

Slalom4me

Thank you Aardwolf and John Shiels.

Nice to know that the Ridgid brand still stands for a company that
backs up its products. I'll be sure to hold out for the positive
locking hose.

.

John Shiels

home depot owns ridgid i have been told

anotherone

dont know the size but I have a large rigid wet dry that also converts to a blower. Its about 7 to 10yrs old and gets moderate use. I use it frequently to blow out garage and never had a problem. The true review would be would I buy it again ; yes! Almost forgot, I always blow the car dry with it.

Bill Hetzel

I have 2 Ridgid's a 2.5hp, 6gal for the track (it's still takes up too much room in the trailer) and a 5.25hp, 16 gal in the shop. Both are over 5 years old and still going strong.

One really small one that has huge power is the one that Grott's Garage (spelling) sells. I don't remember the model number but it's probably the only one in the catalog. It has a lot of power, I've used one to pull all the air out of tires before putting nitrogen in.

TRACKMAN2

didn't think id ever have to give this kind of advice here but ,,,, being a contractor i know everthing there is to know about making messes...the little pro pack square thinngy really rocks..my guys love it... it one of the few things that home depot sells that really works,,, for dry use the filter bags and just keep the stock filter for wet....:and it stores well in a corner you can stack stuff on top of it and use it for a step ((ofcourse not officially recomended))

Slalom4me

After checking to make sure that the RIDGID Pro Pack has the locking
hose feature, I bought one yesterday.

In addition to locking in place, I was pleased to find that the hose is
made from a very pliable 'silicon-like' substance. I was prepared for
it to be like most other v-hoses - hard plastic that has memory (curls
in one direction and resists movement in others).

A RIDGID rep happened to be working on the display when I arrived.
I asked whether there were any performances differences to justify
the significantly higher price (30% more $CDN) of the Pro Pack versus
the WD4050 model or if RIDGID was just pricing up the convenience
of the Pro Pack's toolbox shape - he said both units perform the same.

Interestingly, he also said that the Pro Pack is considered a 'consumer'
vac rather than a contractor-grade tool. He also pointed out that
while the lifetime warranty covers the motor, it does not cover wear
& tear items - like the on/off switch.

Thanks for the tips about filter usage.

.

Vette Ed

who makes a cordless portable unit?

Slalom4me

I saw one from DeWalt while I was shopping and I came across
another one on their site when I looked up info about the first
one

Heavy-Duty 18V Cordless 1/2 Gallon Wet/Dry Portable Vac - DC515K

Heavy-Duty 2 Gallon Cordless or Corded Wet/Dry Vac - DC500

Fairly or unfairly, I barely gave the 515K a passing glance. I wanted
more power than several corded units provide, I couldn't imagine a
cordless unit being able to make me happy. However, it may well
suit someone else's needs. Different horses for different courses and
all that ...

.

Slalom4me

A post to follow up with some complimentary remarks about
the Ridgid Pro Pack Wet/Dry vacuum. After 6 mo of use it still
ranks as one of my more satisfying tool purchases.

This unit has great power. It is easy to move around and its
compact rectangular design makes it simple to tuck into corners
and store things on top of it when in transit or not in use.

I particularly like the large (1-7/8") silicon-like flexible hose.

.

Aardwolf

Glad it's been treating you well. I wish my brake duct hose lasted as long as the tubing on my vac.