shop vac best practices

[highup]

When I bought the vacuum I put the noise suppressor / muffler thingy on it and it does seem to work. I wonder if I can hook a vacuum gauge up to the vacuum cleaner and see if there's any difference in suction. It's a restriction, just like adding the bag is I just don't have a clue how much.
That plus how much harder it works the motor to have these restrictions.

 

[MSLI]

It didn't fill up the bag completely so I'm not sure how long you're supposed to use these before swapping them out.

I’ve been getting appx. 3 ea. 75 yard apartments per 20 gallon Craftsman shop vac. Using the bags and filter combo. It’s actually difficult prying and manipulating the full bag out and around the intake pipe.

Highup you would make, scratch that, you are an Engineer at heart.

 

[Chuck Coffer]

When I bought the vacuum I put the noise suppressor / muffler thingy on it and it does seem to work. I wonder if I can hook a vacuum gauge up to the vacuum cleaner and see if there's any difference in suction. It's a restriction, just like adding the bag is I just don't have a clue how much.
That plus how much harder it works the motor to have these restrictions.

The bag keeps the filter from getting clogged so it's actually an overall improvement in suction because of the amount of surface are you're using to filter the air moving through the assembly. Maybe not the second you flip it on, but that isn't a valuable metric.

 

[JPfloor]

True HEPA would be when you place all this stuff outside and run long hose inside.

I've never used or even touched a Hepa vac but I gotta ask... If you put everything outside does it really need to be HEPA at that point? I thought all that super filtration was just when you're forced to work in an enclosed environment?

 

[highup]

I’ve been getting appx. 3 ea. 75 yard apartments per 20 gallon Craftsman shop vac. Using the bags and filter combo. It’s actually difficult prying and manipulating the full bag out and around the intake pipe.

Highup you would make, scratch that, you are an Engineer at heart.

Yes, at heart.
Chuck just pointed out something I didn't think about..... the restriction factor of a dirty main filter if a bag isn't used.
I'll accept engineer in training for 60 years.
.....I'm pretty sure my first five weren't very productive.

 

[highup]

I've never used or even touched a Hepa vac but I gotta ask... If you put everything outside does it really need to be HEPA at that point? I thought all that super filtration was just when you're forced to work in an enclosed environment?

But what about the wildlife, clean air and water? ......always thinking about yourself.
I've always been impressed by how well my vac filters while inside a house. It's all I use. I've never used a standard vacuum at work. It's one more thing to haul.

 

[JPfloor]

But what about the wildlife, clean air and water? ......

True enough! In NYC the squirls are already wearing respirators...

 

[kwfloors]

More suction needs more exhaust, that's why the craftsman vacs aren't what they used too be. They changed the filtering.

 

[highup]

More suction needs more exhaust, that's why the craftsman vacs aren't what they used too be. They changed the filtering.

It's been my go to vac of choice since '87. I have my own version of the seamerdown and use my 16 gallon vac to do it. So I run it severely restricted when doing seams. One would think 10 or 20 minute periods of abuse would kill a motor relatively fast. It doesn't and that's why I've used them. I think I'm on my 5th Craftsman in all those years, excluding one that toasted itself in less than a year.
You can source new brushes for the motor. The brushes use an 1/8 female spade connector.
I doubt there's anything different on a Ridged. Both are made by Emerson and color is the only difference I see.

 

[C.J.]

Shop vac was getting pretty heavy so I knew the bag was full. So full the filter stayed put when I pulled the top off. Now that’s what I call getting my moneys worth out of a bag. Best part is I still had good suction before I decided to change the bag and filter

 

[highup]

That's pretty cool.
You're mostly using it for sawdust?

 

[C.J.]

I use it a lot for sawdust but somebody used it for something else and filled the damn bag. Now that’s where a dust deputy would come in real handy.

I really like the idea of the Mullet but not necessarily the price tag. Looks like it was designed to be attached to your shop vac so you can wheel them around together as one unit.

https://www.amazon.com/Mullet-Tools...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[JPfloor]

I use it a lot for sawdust but somebody used it for something else and filled the damn bag. Now that’s where a dust deputy would come in real handy.

I really like the idea of the Mullet but not necessarily the price tag. Looks like it was designed to be attached to your shop vac so you can wheel them around together as one unit.

https://www.amazon.com/Mullet-Tools...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Looks like a great design, appears very sturdy but that hole for emptying it seems a bit small…

Oh wait….You could use a shop vac to clean it out….LOL

 

[C.J.]

Looks like a great design, appears very sturdy but that hole for emptying it seems a bit small…

Oh wait….You could use a shop vac to clean it out….LOL

Yeah, you would have to lift the thing high enough to dump it into whatever and then hold it and jiggle it for a minute while all that crap comes out the hole. Doesn’t sound like that big of a deal but those things get heavy when they’re full.

 

[driftinwoods]

Hey howdy y'all.

Dustless Technologies makes cloth like bags you can use over. I have a seamstress put a zipper in them for ease of emptying.. They capture particles down to .5 microns or better if you use their vacs that have pre filters. They have some great stuff for drywall dust too.

https://dustlesstools.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Wunderbag-Un...&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583795279571782&th=1

 

[driftinwoods]

Just fixed the ole Rigid vac with a new switch and plug. Good ole Ace Hardware. I tell ya this vac is like one of their first out which replaced an old Craftsman. Runs like a champ and I abuse the heck out of it, and she says do it again harder pls. hehe She must be 30 years old.

 

[kwfloors]

I had to put a new plug on mine, new filter and good to go.