quiet shop vac

[coppercone2]

So I realized that the Ridgid shop vac I have is actually a turbo fan in disguise. I literally don't use it without earmuffs (its the metal one).

Does anyone know of a quiet shop vac that's economical? The best I found were the fein-tools one at 66dB. But their 300/500$

Or maybe one that can be modded to be quiet effectively?

[todd_fuller]

Festool or any of the number of european brands. Be prepared to pay to save your hearing though.

[sokoloff]

I use this mod:

[coppercone2]

Its just wrong that a vacuum is louder then a fucking belt sander.

I am also thinking about gluing some stones under mine to make it less likely to tip over..

[Kleinstein]

Many of the shop / professional vacuum cleaners use very similar (maybe even identical) motors / fans  (many of them made by Starmix AFAIK).  So there is not that much difference in primary noise. The better ones use some extra noise absorbing materials at the outlet and inside the case.
Another point is that some allow for a speed reduction by electronics if you don't need to full power.

There are a few rather large ones with a much slower motor, but these are usually quite expensive and may not have the usual fine filters, but are more made to take up large volumes of something as wood chips. The lower pressure difference makes it difficult to use good filters.

[GreyWoolfe]

Isn't a quiet shop vac an oxymoron?  I, too, have a large Rigid shop vac.  I love it but it is quite loud.

[NiHaoMike]

One thing that helps a lot is to put the motor outside, but it's not going to be cheap.

[jh15]

I hear these things are sold to be louder is better, but necessarily so, like Harleys.

I have a sootmaster oil burner service vac that is very powerful, loud, but not as a shop vac.  I normally run it at at half power through a varic. Quiet but fully effective.

[coppercone2]

Are there cold equations relating to the shop vac form and rpm/pressure that makes all of em fairly similar? And dampe ing is the only possibility not better aerodynamic design?

[jhenderson0107]

Like Festool, the Fein vacs are comparatively quiet.  I have several of each in my shop.  Better quality vacs will specify their sound pressure level measured at 1m distance.  If not specified, it's loud.  Additionally, wear ear protection whenever possible. 

[coppercone2]

do they use different motor/aerodynamical designs or is the chassis dampened?

My vacuum is the metal type. I like metal because its robust etc. But I can glue dampening foam around it.

[ajb]

I've been thinking about this as well.  I kind of want one of those ducted fume extractors, but don't want to pay the hundreds of dollars they cost, so I was looking into a shopvac and probably a speed controller to build off of.  The Vacmaster brand units claim a relatively low noise figure--74dB, versus like 90+ for typical vacs or 66dB for the Fein vacuum.  It might be interesting to experiment with a few noise remediation techniques, like a more substantial muffler fitted to the outlet, or adding some weight to the lid for damping, or baffling the motor cooling vents.

[KL27x]

I have a Shop Vac and a Stanley. The Stanley is way quieter. With ear plugs in, it's hard to tell when it is even on.

The Shop Vac is about the same loudness as my belt sander. But my belt sander is pretty quiet.

[drussell]

For one thing, actual Shop-Vac brand vacuum's quality have sure gone downhill over the years.  One of the quietest wet-dry vacuums I've ever used was a very, very old Shop-Vac brand unit.  Like 50+ years old.  They obviously used a totally different style of fan in those days.  It was all metal like their higher end units today are, but it worked beautifully and was actually quiet.

My grandma's 1930s Electrolux is pretty quiet also but it doesn't perform like a shop vac. 

I should do a video on that Electrolux.  My aunt brought it back from the cabin this summer, since I had asked about whether it was still there, so that I could clean it up and do a bit of a refurb on it.  I'll bet the motor hasn't even been oiled for over 50 years. 

[NiHaoMike]

Dyson is pretty quiet as far as vacuum cleaners go but not even close to cheap. Of which, what's Dave's opinion on the Dyson he bought many years ago? Has he rebuilt/replaced the battery or did he replace the whole thing?

[KL27x]

For one thing, actual Shop-Vac brand vacuum's quality have sure gone downhill over the years.

Switch failure seems to be a common complaint. The power switch acted up within a month and lasted 4 or 5 years of faithful service after learning how to tickle it. Switch it on, then switch it off just a little bit; worked every time until it finally didn't. A special mix of stingy and lazy (as in too big to toss in the garbage can) got me to replace the switch.

But what I paid wasn't for a premium shop vac. It was just another cheap option. I'm sure back in the day, it was an actual premium brand.

[CatalinaWOW]

Poor mans dust collection isn't that expensive.  Get some PVC pipe and route it to a couple of key locations in your shop.  Get a sheet of MDF and make a box to go around your vacuum (preferably outside).  A harbor freight hole drill set will make receptacles for the hose, using scraps from the MDF sheet.  Dryer vent covers or other simple improvised cover for any unused outlets. 

Lots of little details to make all this easy to use, but it will do the job.  No matter what you do it will be much quieter.  A little thought and experimentation on how the sound from the motor gets out should let you knock off several more dB.  Should be able to do all this for less than $100 US assuming you already own the shop vac.

Some other things to think about.  Some bare copper wire out of your junkbox run through the PVC and connected to ground at a convenient point will reduce static buildup and chances of a dust explosion.  Think about dust and debris traps when you route the PVC.  Cleanout caps at a few points can be wise.

Another solution is a gift to SWMBO of a whole house vacuum system (with a port in your shop).  Not cheap, but might be well worth it.

[coppercone2]

I dont like dust collection systems. They can blow up i am pretty sure with plastic. I dont think thats good enough. I think you need grounded screens. I have seen serious hv from nonconductive flow, but thankfully from a nonflamable substance.

And also a mechanical problem in the motor scan spark, the grounded system is unfortunatly still flamable from other causes. I just use a small system to limit the amount of explosive potential energy present even if it faults

Or some stupid shit like a nail in a peice of wood being worked on a sander can spark...  easy to miss.

Also shop linked systems are annoying because if you use local cleanup you can seperate stuff, so you dont get mixtures of metal, plastic and different kinds of woods, for disposal purposes

[ntlord]

The answer is either Fein or Festool. They are hands down the quietest "shop vacs" on the market. But they aren't cheap--as you've found out. I own both, the Fein is a little more powerful and quieter than the festool (and a lot cheaper), but I still like the Festool better because all of the cords fit inside of it--and its integrations with other festool tools

[coppercone2]

Mm i got a reel cord in my garage.. i find i am satisfied with short cords on certain things like a vacuum. The reel has three outlets in a bar though so its kinda bulky..

[JonM]

I bought one of the smaller Shop-Vacs after moving about 18 months ago and the horrible latches between the top and the tank do not stay latched. It drives me crazy! I end up using the old Dyson upright that I also keep in the garage more often because it will not fall apart during operation. I'll check out the Fein and Festool vacuums at the local woodworking stores. Of course, there may be some sort of modification I can make to the Shop-Vac to keep it in one piece.
 

[norks]

Ridgid makes an affordable shop vac with noise reduction:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-14-Gal-6-0-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-with-Auto-Detail-Kit-WD1451/203820088

I have this one and I'm comfortable using it without hearing protection, and I think I'm fairly sensitive to noise levels. Now I wouldn't call it "quiet" and I'm sure those top dollar vacuums from fein, festool, etc. are quieter, but this model is priced in line with ordinary shop vacs. The noise reduction does a good job of knocking down the ear-piercing high frequencies that make you reach for hearing protection. It's got a lower frequency drone to it and the power seems unaffected. This is all provided you use the big 2.5" hose and attachments. If you use the 1-1/4" adapter for standard vac attachments the flow restriction makes it scream and you're back to ear plugs. (-the vacuum motor doesn't scream, the shrill noise comes from the point of restriction)

[6PTsocket]

Ridgid (Home Depot) and Craftsman (Sears) were made by Emerson, not sure about recently. Either place sold a muffler that just plugs into the exhaust port (blower side). It would work with any shop vac that uses 2 1/2"  hose. It does help to reduce the noise

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