shopvac difference

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ballfan4141

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is their a really big difference between their 2.5 hp and their 6.5 or 7 hp to actual spend more to get the bigger one? anyone use the claw attachment?
 
Yes. I know it does not sound like much but let's look at it this way. A 250hp 4 cylinder or a 650 to 700hp V8. I know that is extreme, but when it comes to vacuums you want all the suction you can get. Stuff like sand and pet hair are a PITA to get out. Go big or go home! LOL.
 
HP is a great stat for engines and misleading to say the least in vacuums. The 2 most important variables are water lift and cubic feet per minute. You want a machine that excels in both. Check out my review of the PF51 that I posted here and watch the videos..that should give you an idea. I compared the PF51 to my 5.5 HP Shop Vac in the videos.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/35123-pf51-wet-dry-vac-review.html
 
Wow. Very good info. I know it is like pressure washers where you don't want to loook at psi but at a combo of psi and gpm. I based my info on the two cheap 2.5hp units I have had that could not do squat and compared it to my higher HP unit from the same brand which performed much better.
 
As far as HP, it means very very little when it comes to vacuums. ALWAYS look for the AMP rating on the unit, you will probably have to break into the packaging to find it near the UL listing stamp on the unit (often near the power cord).

No 110v appliance can pull more than about 1650 watts continuously from a 15 amp source; that's equal to 2.2hp. Under load, inductive motors often pull >2x their continuous rating. Obviously, no 6 hp vac is ever going to pull 40 amps from your wall (which is what would be required to ever achieve 6 hp). I really don't understand the ridiculous HP marketing strategy; the I/C engine companies (Briggs) got sued for similar misrepresentation and lost very recently.

Motor aside, the fan design in the unit is going to largely dictate how well the vacuum performs. Purchase a recommended brand and you can generally count on decent engineering and performance.
 
Last year I was looking for a small wet/dry vac I could easily travel with. I picked up the 2.5 hp one from Lowes. I still use it but am going to be upgrading as it just doesn't have the suction that a higher power vacuum offers. I now wish I had just spent the extra money and got a good one right off the bat.

Spend the money on a good one the first time around and you won't be looking to upgrade in the future.
 
I was using a black friday special before I upgraded to my 6.5 hp ridgid. It's definitely worth the time youll save.
 
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