What is a shop vac?

[Ian Gills]

My basement is getting dusty and mucky with all the work I am doing down there.

I do not want to use our ordinary household vaccuum cleaner.

Is a Shopvac something I need? What are they?

[jadnashua]

Any fairly large bucket type vacuum could be called a shop vac. They usually have a larger hose than a household vac, and many of them can vacuum up water. They usually have a filter for the motor, but the waste often is not deposited into a bag.

[Artie]

I would go one step farther, and say the waste is never deposited into a bag. But thats part of the utility. You just unsnap the side catches, lift the top off, and dump the debris into a convenient receptacle.

[Scuba_Dave]

It's a Vac that's used in a shop
Silly English......

I have a dry vac for wood chips/dust
And a combo unit that can vacuum up water

[jimbo]

Since we tend to tell it like it is over here, a shop vac is simply a vacuum used in the shop! Each manufacturer gets to make up the details of how THEY want to make it. And of course "ShopVac" is a registered trade mark, so only that one company gets to use that exact word. Everyone else has to call it a "shop vacuum". I'm sure your homies would find a much more colorful name for it, but we like to keep it short and sweet!

[Cookie]

Could be a wife too.

[frenchie]

I would go one step farther, and say the waste is never deposited into a bag. But thats part of the utility. You just unsnap the side catches, lift the top off, and dump the debris into a convenient receptacle.

That'd be one step too far. I use the (optional) filter bags anytime I'm vacuuming drywall or plaster dust - otherwise, the fine dust just blows out the back, totally useless.

[Gary Swart]

A shop vacuum is really a valuable tool for cleaning up construction areas that may have screws, nails, bits of wire, large amounts of sawdust and other debris. A household carpet cleaning vac usually has a dust collection bag that is relatively small and prone to rupture with the sharp metal objects. The small hose would also be quite prone to clogging. Then of course there is the problem of water. A wet/dry shop machine will handle gallons of water, just be sure you empty any debris you have in the tank first Some have a filter that needs to come out before sucking up water. Do you need one? I'd sure think so.

[Cass]

Here is one found at the big box store for about $70.00 on up...

[Artie]

I use the (optional) filter bags anytime I'm vacuuming drywall or plaster dust - otherwise, the fine dust just blows out the back, totally useless.

Thats good to know. I didn't know they existed. I purchased one of the "hepa"-style filters, and it accomplished the same thing. (Prevented drywall dust blow-by, that is.)

[frenchie]

I still use a filter. But the bags make your filter last a lot longer before clogging. I'd go through a few filters a day, otherwise.

Also make emptying the vac, a LOT less messy.



Ian - yes, you need a shopvac. And I'm not saying that only because you're begging for someone to say it...

You already own a sawzall, am I right? Without a shopvac, your tool collection is out of balance. The mess-making power embodied in a sawzall, require cleanup power to match.

[jadnashua]

Depends...

Some of them can hold 16gallons or more, so it will hold a lot of crud before you have to empty it. The hose is generally bigger so you can pick up bigger stuff. They're typically noisy. If you have a lot of sawdust, or similar stuff, it is quicker than sweeping, and gets more of the small dust. Otherwise, it's just one more thing you have to find a place for...