So I'm starting a thread because I haven't seen one that discusses it, but I wanted to find out who makes the most powerful vacuum and why. Right now I have the Metro Vac N' Blo and it works pretty well but I'm convinced there is better out there. I'm looking into the Rigid 16 Gallon 6.5 HP shop vac. I'm looking at vacuums not by their horsepower but how they are measured eaither by water lift or CFM. The metro has a 90 or 95 inch water lift i forget exactly, and they don't say their CFM, but Rigid has 210 CFM and doesn't mention water lift. So anyone that can comment on this, or say what their favorite vacuums are would greatly appreciate it. Also, if you would like to include your stats for the vac that would be awesome.
The Rigid 4050 ($100 CDN ) - has about 57" of lift. The Cobex ( $500 and available from Michaels ) has 97" of lift. I've been using one for about 15 years. The basic Alto 8 has around 90" as well. The nice thing about the Cobex, Alto and Rigid, is that they are plastic housings and will not rust. I suck up some nasty wet stuff with my Cobex and its still got the original filter in it! Well worth the $. Buy it once, buy it for life. You probably won't find one with much more power than yours. Most extractors run about 120" of lift but its because they are using a two stage vacuum system.
I've got an old (2001 or so) Ridgid that does an excellent job. The only downside is the hose - Ridgid often uses a non-standard diameter hose. This can make finding replacements difficult, as the standard ones won't fit.
The Cobex does as well but I just slide the hose into the large opening and duct tape the crap out of it. Works like a charm! This allows me to purchase long lengths of a very pliable hose I like.
Here's an update Cobex 315 - 87 IOL, 75db, 22 lbs avail here Procare M60 - 91 IOL, 62db, 20 lbs avail here Alto/Wap Attix8 - 90 IOL, 60db, 23 lbs avail here
All the Powr Flite wet/dry vacuums have at least 100 inches of water lift and 114 cfm. Very good vacuums.
The Metro Vac n' Blo has 95". If you aren't satisfied with the lift, try cleaning out the bag or changing the paper bag. For floors, I find that using that dusting tool with the long plastic fibers works amazing.
I'm still a newbie to all the fancy gear that is out there. When I first started detailing I initially wanted something small that I could pack up with me (I originally thought most of my detailing would be mobile). So I went to Lowe's and found myself a small shop vac that works awesome. It was cheap right around $30 and it's sucking power for dirty and water is awesome. I detailed a boat a few weeks back that had probably 2 gallons of water in a compartment that I had to suck out. Made quick work of it. Only flaw is the small bucket size, but works well other than that. It's also plastic so it won't rust. Just thought I'd share my opinion for those of you looking for a cheap model to get you by. Again this isn't to compare to the nice machines mentioned above. http://www.lowes.com/pd_215726-20097-9300211_4294810318_4294937087?productId=1060265&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_Shop%2BVacuums%2B_4294810318_4294937087_?newSearch=true$ddkey=http:LowesIframeTransport
+1. Just discovered this a few months ago. you can dry brush the carpet and vaccuum at the same time.
I bought a Vacmaster wall mount shop vac and it has 81" of lift. It has several attachments and 21' of hose. Very powerful and I'm in love with it.
It states that CFM are more important when the opening size gets larger as in the case of central vacs. Would be interesting to get the numbers on some of the vacs we use. Hmmm.....
I like the on/off switch at the the end of the hose. It looks similar to the Kobalt wall mounted vac at Lowe's. I was going to buy it but could not get an answer from the company about whether you could purchase extension hoses that still keep the on/off switch at the end of the hose.