vacuum

[rightaway]

looking to buy a new vacuum. I have a black and decker 2.5 hp 10 gallon. I like the small size but it doesn't have the power. what's out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg

 

[Mike lambert]

I have a garage vac pro, it was pricey but has been used everyday for 3 years. Buy the best you can and look at inches of lift. Had a metro before for 4 years, also a very good machine.

 

[rightaway]

is there a big difference between the 2 machines?

 

[GearHead_1]

If this is for you garage and portability is not your primary concern these Ridgids from Home Depot are good vacuums. I've purchased 2 of them. They're reasonably quiet (much more so than the 2 Craftsman's I've had), and quite powerful (6.5 HP). They make several that are significantly smaller but of course the HP drops as the size goes down. They come with a bunch of accessories and a place to store them.

I don't like the hoses that come on most shop vacs, too fat, too stiff. I would recommend one of these from Mr. Nozzle or something along these lines. I stumbled across a hose recently but can't remember where I found it. It was made for just the purpose of vacuuming vehicles, it was fabric covered and looked like it was worth checking out.

 

[rightaway]

what is a good hp for a vacuum? 2.5 wasn't cutting it

 

[GearHead_1]

what is a good hp for a vacuum? 2.5 wasn't cutting it

I don't know the answer to that. As a rule the more HP the vacuum has the more suction it has.

 

[jtford95]

I used a 5 hp 12 gallon for a long time with the 2 and a half in. Hose. Then went to the 5 hr 4 gallon with the small hose. Like both but like the bigger hose better. To me it gets the job done a little faster.