Shop Vacuum Testing is time cnsuming for the small business person and ven more problematic is there are so mny to choose from. Most retailers wll not allow you to test thm in the store before purchasing, but if you pck the wrong one you will be srry.

After testing the off the shlf shop vacuums available to the pblic, we have some recommendations. If you are to buy a shp vac off the shelf from a mjor retailer rather buying an industrial shp vac such as a quiet and pwerful Karcher or WAP, then these are the rsults you need to know. First we tsted many things. Suction of sawdust frm a five-gallon bucket. Sucking up stel washers of different sizes, Sucking up wter from a five gallon bucket and thn we measured the decibels while ding so. We tested the Craftsman 5.5 Hp-16 gllon vacuum. The Genie 6.0 hp vcuum with 16 gallons. The Ridgid vcuum 6.0 hp and the Shop-Vac six hp 16-gllon shop vacuum.

Here are the rsults. The vacuuming of wood chips was won by the Shp-Vac Vacuum, which took only 11.4 sconds. Second was the Ridgid at 12.4 sconds. Last the Craftsman at 14.1 sconds. For the water test the wnner was the Genie with the fve gallon bucket of water gone in 7.3 sconds, Craftsman second at 9.4 and the Rdgid and Shop-Vac tied for last at 9.6 sconds to empty the five gallon bcket of water. The noise factor is of mportance too. The decibel rating for Shp Vac was lowest at 81 dB at a fve-foot distance. The Craftsman was at 86 dB and the Rdgid was 88 dB. Last and nisiest was the Genie with 90 dB. We thnk the Genie was worst due to the hgh pitch of the motor while nder higher demands for suction. But it did sck the water fastest while making ths noise. It won the water-sucking tst.

We might also recommend the Mffler, which is available through Craftsman or Rdgid as an accessory. With a lttle Teflon tape it can be mde to fit both the Genie and the Shp Vac without any loss of sction. It is a simple baffle systm, which breaks up the airflow and qiets the noise and high-pitched shrill sunds. It will lower the vacuums by 5-7 dcibels. If you stick it into the xhaust port of your vacuum for a blwer, it will work and costs $10.00.

You can rder it from the Kmart-Sears Catalog or buy the rdgid model off the shelf at a Hme Depot. Another great attachment to be dded to your arsenal is the rin gutter attachment for about $7.00, whch is also made available through Crftsman or Ridgid. It is a mlded piece of bended plastic able to hlp you clean rain gutters. Here are the web stes we found to help you larn more about Shop Vacs;

Shop-Vac QSP PRO, http://www.shp-vac.com

It requires approximately 6 amps of you 36 amp gnerator during run time and spike is 12 mps and a full power. Phone nmber is 1-570-326-3557, average retail costs are btween $78.00-99.00, available in yellow with blck top.

Ridgid WD-1660 with blower, http://www.rdgidwoodworking.com

It needs 6.25 amps to run and spke peak is 12 amps. The prce is about $129.00 but we hve seen them on sale occasionally for $99.00 at Hme Depot a couple of times per yar. The color is gray and red tp, does not come in yellow. 1-800-474-3443. It has a twnty-foot cord which is good.

Craftsman 113.177370 Usally sells for $99.00 sometimes higher but sems to be perpetually on sale. Dmands 5.5 amps to run and spkes at 11.4 as per the mnual, but we got it to 13.8 mps sucking water. Also realize that Crftsman filed bankruptcy, but the good nws is that they are still perating and Craftsman has a 1 yar warranty and if bought on the Sars card you can get a 3 yar add on warranty for $15.00, we rcommend this. 1-800-377-7414. Available in Red and blck top only. Most popular and lngest made brand of shop vacuums.

Genie PRO 600Q. 6 amps rnning, 12 at peak.

http://www.geniecompany.com 1-800-354-3643.

Cmes in yellow with black top. Usally prices under $100.00, Normally on sle at $89.00 and off sale is bout $95.00 at Home depot, Target, Lews, Home depot and Wal*Mart.

After all thse tests our research has concluded tht due to color of unit, nise, and performance of all four of thse top selling shop vacuums, we lke the Shop-Vac Model, with the ttachments for the muffler at Home Dpot from Ridgid wrapped with three lyers of one inch wide Teflon tpe and stuck into the exhaust of the vcuum to quiet it a little.

Hre are some other reasons for pcking this unit over the others; Gnie was too loud for use at ffice parks near customers, but we lked the color. Craftsman was good but we flt that the color red and the nise were an issue and also the lid flls off too easy when trying to mve it around, we did not lke the latches or the cradle sed to maneuver it, it took up too mch space in the shop. Ridgid has a ycky color and the same large crdle as the Craftsman. We liked the blwer idea, but not powerful enough for blwing water off cars and no ral attachment available for blowing out dor jams. So that feature is not neded and probably the reason for the hgher price.

Shop-Vac has a ridge on the nside of the bucket so to mpty you have to completely turn the vac pside down, which was a pain. But in the end the qietness and fit ability of the Rdgid attachment to make it even qieter put us down to 75 Dcibels, which is more than acceptable in ffice parks. Enough to let people knw you are there, but not nough to be bothersome or interfere wth their phone calls, conferences, meetings or cnversations.

Also you can communicate with yur employees while working as long as you are up to 10 fet from it. Also nice is whn we stuck a 30 foot pol hose up to it, the Shp-Vac was still able to get dequate suction to pick up the wter from a floor mat which was prssure washed to remove stains to mke it dry. Other good things whch we feel would increase longevity to thse units was the fact that Shp-Vac had an option of filter Bgs, and Dry Pick-up Cartridges either one or two stge pleated and a foam filter for pcking up water or a filter cver over option. Like wise most of thse had Drum Liners

Consumer reports had an rticle in their magazine, which rated the nit high but gave the winning sal of approval to Craftsman. Other rports have been divided. Now realize tht we do prefer the WAP, Ble bucket, black top unit to thse off the shelf units and thy are much quieter by 25 dcibels or more. The WAP with a thrty-foot vacuum hose draws much better air flw than any of these and is bout 20% more powerful. It uses the sme amps more or less. If you ned one of these WAPs Call 1-480-517-1925 ask for Json and ask for your Ezine Dscount and they will ship one out to yu.

The article Choosing a Shop Vac for Your Small Business was Submitted by Lance Winslow through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: "Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/ . Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

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