I have the Rigid 6.5hp /w 14' hose and 7' hose & three paper filters only problem I have is I need a small crevice tool to get into the tight spots. I have put a lot of hrs on this unit so far and it has done what I wanted it to do. I really can't compare to other brands I only worked with a B&D & Rigid shop vacs
Recommend a vary good quality soft vary long hose maybe one that swivels would be nice, you don’t want to play /w your hose you will go blind, it’s a waste of time and you want one that is soft and does not cause damage.
A rug tool is what to look at and it’s the only one I use, you want one that does not tear up the fabric, one that is not sharp at the edges, more suction you have the more the rug tool is pressing down.
Fabric seats needs a vary sooth tool and some times you want to take the vac to leather seats to the crevices and you don’t want damage.
Headliners don’t do it unless you know what you are doing, some headliners indent/crease easily.
Wheels you don’t small tires pain in the ^#%$
I don’t know about chrome plated vacuums, only thing I see is I won’t want a heavy vacuum.
You don’t want a vac that can scratch paint if it goes against it or falls on it. The less you think about your vac the better.
My vac comes /w a storage area but I never use it, it’s in storage.
Blowing out grilles and door jams, etc. best to use an air hose /w air nozzle but @160 pounds of pressure it still won’t remove everything, lint dust settles and cakes on, pressure can cause damage to vents.
Sometimes I use my 260 mph backpack blower just to blow out what ever lint is left and vac again.
Noise level you can make it less by putting sound car damping (duramate spelling?) mate on or in the vac and a noise filter. If you have a garage I would have the vac in an outside sound proof walls unit /w inside piping to bench and cars.
Small vac’s Vs big vac’s : only thing I see less time it takes the better. Say it takes you 45 min’s to vac maybe /w a better vac you can do it in 20 min’s (time is dramatized?) time is $
Don’t tell anyone about this but don’t suck up live cig butt like I did once the dang vac was blowing smoke like a military smoke gun
Doing extraction /w shop vac leaves the rug to wet which is acceptable to mold you can void this by using blower, turning car a/c defroster on and have the car running for a long long time to dry. Not the best thing to do. Heck for about 6 gee’s you can get an extractor and say you have one & do a better job, it will pay for it self.
I’m not a vac expert but I did stay at holiday inn once /w a good looking friend I’m best at Exterior!
