Rated 5 out of 5 by DIYmikey Great bang for your buck ! !
I was at my neighborhood home improvement store to get a few things to repair some nail pops we had on our walls. Then the idea hit me about how I was going to clean up the inevitable dust that will come from plastering and sanding.
It was then I decided I had better get an industrial type wet / dry vacuum. I had no intention of using our home vacuum system. My store had a few different types but for some reason I was drawn to the Rigid models. After a few questions, I settled on the 9 US gallon model. . . it was about $100 cdn.
It wasn't long after I started using it that I knew I made the right decision. The suction it produced was great ! And being it is a wet / dry vac, it's made of plastic so it's light weight...easy to move around. So if you have to carry it places (up/down stairs, longer distances other than to and from the garage, it's easy to manage with it. Seeing as I was using it mainly to suck up plaster dust, I bought a sanding handle with hose so that it will remove the dust as I sand....worked like a charm.
But here's the best part....when using it for fine dust, Rigid recommends using a dust bag (comes supplied with 2), and the air filter (also supplied). So here's where I was impressed. When I finished the job, I decided to see how full the bag was. Turns out it's got a ways to go before it needs to be replaced. But I was amazed at how CLEAN the inside of the bucket was (all the dust was contained in the dirtbag). The waste bucket portion was completely clean ! ! !
Today it just happened that I was back in the same store I bought the vacuum, just browsing, and I saw that the store had the whole series of attachments, replacement parts, and add-ons to go with the Rigid line of wet / dry's they sold. And I saw that they also had replacement air filters. They had 3 levels of air filtration. But the cool thing is the one that comes with it, was sufficient enough to do the job I needed to do, AND keep the waste bucket clean (a sign that no hazardous dust particles escaped out the exhaust). Now I don't know how long the filter will hold out, but what I CAN say is don't buy the expensive $52 cdn hepa air filter just yet. Wait until the supplied one starts to fail, THEN go get it.
Also keep in mind guys, that one cannot just use it for sanding, but also for vacuuming the garage floor. I detail cars in the summer, so I cannot have a dirty, gritty, dusty floor when I'm buffing and rubbing compound into the paint. Because any movement around in there inevitably stirs up this detrimental stuff that can scratch your paint during the buffing or polishing stage. Or how about vacuuming the car. The type of dirt that accumulates in ones car mats make it in my mind, too dirty to use your home vacuum. So a wet / dry vac comes in real handy.
In closing I can say I highly recommend the Rigid wet / dry vacs, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my friends or family. I have complete confidence in this product.
My only gripe....and there is ONLY 1, is that I don't like how loose the lid sits on top of the bucket because the plastic retaining clips don't hold tight around the bucket rim and are not that strong, AND the lid is a very loose fit over the top of the bucket rim itself. ****I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU DO NOT LIFT IT USING THE HANDLE WHEN IT IS NOT TURNED ON***!!!!! Otherwise you run the risk of having it off the ground, the bucket is full of dust or heavy with water, and goes crashing to the floor....and well....you now have an even BIGGER mess to clean up ! ! ! When the unit is on, the vacuum motor provides a tight enough seal to keep the upper and lower portions together. But when the motor is not running, grasp it buy placing your hands so that your fingers can hook under the rim of the bucket...and you'll be fine :))
Thanks Rigid, for producing a quality product. And now that I have complete confidence in your product, I'm going to purchase your modular tool box with the collapsible tow handle, and pair it with an upper accessory box that clips on top of the lower tool chest. I just got some new tools (hammerdrill / impact driver, as well as my existing tools), so now I need a quality case to carry it all in ;)
Cheers guys n gals !
Mike
September 10, 2016
Rated 1 out of 5 by DoctorDIY Engineering and design MAJOR flaw!!!
So, I just bought this 9 gal vac and "TRIED" using it for about 5 minutes and it is now boxed up and going back to Home Depot. What clown designed the blower to exhaust air in the same direction and at a 90 degree angle as the area about to be cleaned. I had some sawdust and a few leaves that had blown into my garage. Of course as I approached the area to be cleaned, the blowing air moved ALL of the target debris away and under my workbench, shelving units etc. This HAS to be one of the dumbest designs of any power tool I have EVER purchased!!! The person responsible for engineering this piece of frustrating junk, desperately needs to come to my garage and chase leaves and sawdust around without any success whatsoever!!! DUHHH!!!
September 5, 2016
Rated 3 out of 5 by Omskivar average
Just bought it, and disappointed out of the box. Way noisier than the similar machine I replaced, and I can't seem to find a muffler being sold as an accessory. Web search turns up nothing. Hose is relatively short and inflexible, and the snap-on hooks on the hose and extension tubes catch the power cord as you drag it around. Motor unit doesnt make a tight seal when you settle it into the collection bowl and lock it in. I'm sure this will be adequate for it's intended use but it's not as good as the similar machine it replaced.
September 5, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by DrRoger Excellent purchase
The 9-gallon wet/dry vac has plenty of suction. It is far superior to my 6-gallon Shop Vac that I own for 20 years.
August 19, 2016
Rated 4 out of 5 by Bob38 Nice vac
A nice vacuum, though I'd like a more flexible hose. The connection between the hose and the wand tends to loosen during use. Had to buy attachments as it came with a "utility" head and one for liquids. I haven't been able to find an attachment to hopk to my Dewalt table saw dust port. The available one is too small in diameter.
August 15, 2016
Rated 3 out of 5 by SahuaritaDon Good suction but poor storage design
Rigid thought they were being clever when they put recessed accessory holders on the top of the caster extensions but this is just clumsy when you move the unit around. What I could use which they did not do is a nifty way to store the cord and hose. They say to wrap them around the motor but there are no holders there and it was obviously an afterthought. The motor body is curved and the cord and hose just fall off. I also thought the purchase should include a crevice tool; every other vacuum I ever purchased had a crevice tool.
July 2, 2016
Rated 4 out of 5 by bdej Good Vac
This product came slightly damaged. The wheels were a bit chalked up and the tubing didn't fit too snug. But overall it will be good for my intended usage. Suction is average on carpet floors but will be fine for any car or work area like its intended use is for.
June 30, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by JimD It has all I need in a VAC
This replaces a Ridgid Vac that we,ve been using about 10 years. It finally died , It was used solely for cleaning up aluminum oxide abrasive. I've had other brands that didn't last even 1 year. Hope this will last as long as the one it replaces.
June 28, 2016
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