Heard of this vacuum?

richy

richy

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I've been researching vacuums. I want to stay under $200. I have read where CFM is more important than inches of water lift. I also called a few local vacuum repair places and they said WL is more important than CFM. The main thing I want it to do is to pull as much water out of carpets as possible. I think that lends itself to WL although I think the diameter of the hose is an important factor as well. It gets confusing. Anyway, this first unit is leading the way in terms of specs. The thing is, I have never heard of it. Has anyone here? The company is in Texas. It has 114 CFM and 100" of Water Lift. Great specs indeed! $19 to ship to Detroit. $119 on sale right now:

Powr-flite PF-51 (LINK REMOVED TO COMPETITOR PRODUCT, AG CARRIES VACS AND EXTRACTOR)

The other option is this one:

50" of Water Lift
169 CFM
RIDGID Professional 14-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac - WD1450


or this one:
50" of Water Lift (I emailed Ridgid and asked them)
RIDGID 16 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac - WD1851

The 1851 has almost twice as much CFM as the Powr Flite one but 1/2 the water lift. I am really unclear as to which unit would be better. The other thing to consider of course is the Ridgid is a local purchase, lifetime warranty which makes a big difference. The size of the tank is not a big deal for me.
 
hey rick i thought i read that those metro vac and blo could pull 90 ft.does that sound correct?
 
I am thinking its time for a new one for me also, personal use only but I am just as picky so I will be interested in what others chime in with.
 
The big question is what is more important CFM or WL? The other issue of course is that dealing with HD is easy and any problems would be easy to rectify. I do want to know which one would be the better unit however.
 
Hmm, not sure what happened here? I either forgot to add the link for the first machine or it got removed? It is a Powr-flite PF-51. HERE is the link. This is a wet vac and does not compete against AG products, so there is no reason whatsoever the link should be removed.
 
Short answer: water lift matters more.

Long answer:
CFM is measured at no load. It is the maximum amount of air the vacuum can possibly move. Imagine vacuuming up a large pile of sawdust. The vacuum with more CFM will "reach out" more than a comparable vac.

Water lift is measured at maximum load. The hose is attached to the top of a vertical tube and the bottom is in a bucket of water (diameter of tube does not matter). The water lift is how high the water goes under this scenario; it is the maximum pressure differential the vacuum can achieve.

Now, when extracting water from carpets, you are putting a load on the vacuum (fairly high). The greater pressure difference said vacuum can create between the air outside the wet carpet and the inlet to the hose, the more water will be pulled off the carpet fibers. This is why carpet extractors do not measure performance in CFM's, but inches of water lift instead. Make sense?
 
To add: I would go with the power-flite. It's a more professional-oriented brand.
 
Aerogt hit the nail on the head. Water lift is the more important one if it comes down to a choice between the two, in this instance.

I like to think of water lift as the torque, that is the grunt required to suck it out of your carpet. What's the calculated product of torque? Horsepower of course. The ability to do work over time. That would parallel CFM here, as higher CFM ratings will keep the material moving over longer and larger hose lengths. With the 10-12 ft. hoses most detailers use, CFM becomes a secondary issue.
 
aerogt01 said:
Short answer: water lift matters more.

Long answer:
CFM is measured at no load. It is the maximum amount of air the vacuum can possibly move. Imagine vacuuming up a large pile of sawdust. The vacuum with more CFM will "reach out" more than a comparable vac.

Water lift is measured at maximum load. The hose is attached to the top of a vertical tube and the bottom is in a bucket of water (diameter of tube does not matter). The water lift is how high the water goes under this scenario; it is the maximum pressure differential the vacuum can achieve.

Now, when extracting water from carpets, you are putting a load on the vacuum (fairly high). The greater pressure difference said vacuum can create between the air outside the wet carpet and the inlet to the hose, the more water will be pulled off the carpet fibers. This is why carpet extractors do not measure performance in CFM's, but inches of water lift instead. Make sense?
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aerogt01 said:
To add: I would go with the power-flite. It's a more professional-oriented brand.
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CCC4me said:
Aerogt hit the nail on the head. Water lift is the more important one if it comes down to a choice between the two, in this instance.

I like to think of water lift as the torque, that is the grunt required to suck it out of your carpet. What's the calculated product of torque? Horsepower of course. The ability to do work over time. That would parallel CFM here, as higher CFM ratings will keep the material moving over longer and larger hose lengths. With the 10-12 ft. hoses most detailers use, CFM becomes a secondary issue.
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Boys, thank you very much!! It was damned near impossible to find an answer that was relative to detailing and removing water from carpets in particular. (Most of what I found was with home central vac systems). Thanks, I am going to go with the PF one.
 
richy said:
Boys, thank you very much!! It was damned near impossible to find an answer that was relative to detailing and removing water from carpets in particular. (Most of what I found was with home central vac systems). Thanks, I am going to go with the PF one.
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And maybe a review to follow?? :)
 
john b said:
let us know how you like it.
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VW 91 said:
And maybe a review to follow?? :)
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I will. I scoured the internet looking for one and couldn't find any. If this vacuum is as good as I think it will be, they need to get more info out there about it. I have no problem recommending something that works for me and I am always honest about the shortcomings too.
 
UPDATE: I ordered the PF today. I'm hopeful it will arrive on Friday. I will definitely be posting a review when I've had a chance to play with it. Thanks for the interest.
 
TL type S said:
Any good word to share yet?
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UPS tracking # says it arrives in Detroit tomorrow afternoon. I am working afternoons so I'll either get it Wed or Thurs. I have another package coming too so I just want to make one trip over if possible. I can't go Fri morn as I have another car to start. I will be using the vac on that car however.
 
richy said:
UPS tracking # says it arrives in Detroit tomorrow afternoon. I am working afternoons so I'll either get it Wed or Thurs. I have another package coming too so I just want to make one trip over if possible. I can't go Fri morn as I have another car to start. I will be using the vac on that car however.
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Thank you for the heads up.

The more I read about this vac the more I want it.I am like a fat kid in a candy store waiting on your review..lol No offense to Fat/thick, people.
 
Richy I'm gonna stop that thing here in Detroit and try it out! ;)


BTW, this is a great thread, answered a very important question many people overlook when searching for a vacuum!!
 
TL type S said:
Thank you for the heads up.

The more I read about this vac the more I want it.I am like a fat kid in a candy store waiting on your review..lol No offense to Fat/thick, people.
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<chomp, chomp> None taken <chomp, chomp> LOL


jlb85 said:
Richy I'm gonna stop that thing here in Detroit and try it out! ;)
Bring a dirty car and some cold beer and let's have at it!!

BTW, this is a great thread, answered a very important question many people overlook when searching for a vacuum!!
Click to expand...
Thank you. Other than personal recommendations from people, the actual facts are slim and contrary to one another too. It gets confusing. It would be helpful if there was a mathematical ratio of CFM over WL or some such thing to give a measurable and tangible way to fairly compare the specs. I will try to be as objective and descriptive as possible with my description of this unit.
 
I have had some experience with various systems. There is no one fits all approach here. My Ridgid full sized eat dry and wet stuff up like a beast. I also have the bissell pro heat that does wonders on carpet. And a might vac blower that does better than anything else for getting into small crevices.
 
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