abjonesiii Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Wow this one is random but i was just cleaning up a bit an wondered... Why don't people use Shop-Vac's as a house vacuum? I have a $3,000 Rainbow and my $250 Shop Vac has twice the suction power. ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 No idea at all... If some folks even knew... Some years ago for whatever reason the normal "domestic" vacuum cleaner was on the fritz. I offered my shop-vac to a former girlfriend. After about an hour of cleaning she came to me and says "Why the ~!#$% have you been hiding this from me? This is the best cleaning tool EVER!" I went and bought a new shop-vac shortly after that. Of course she laid claim to the new one and I got my original back but I was OK with that. Whatever it takes to keep Momma happy is what I always say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Got to luv these off topic threads... I'd say that probably the design compromises are oriented towards the potential client. Home vacuums are about obsessively filtering out the smallest particles (like hepa filters), being relatively silent, useable on many different surfaces (loads of attachments), and not to forget looking “oh, so pretty”. Shop Vacs are about sucking power and durability. I have a central vac... it’s kinda like a permanently installed shop vac with a finer filter… works for me. ROb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Many years ago I lived in a rental house equipped with a central vacuum system. I have to say that the system sucked like no other... But in a good way...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abjonesiii Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Got to luv these off topic threads... ROb Off topic pretty much sums my thought patterns. Oh look a butterfly............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 It sounds like Rainbows work better on wallets than floors! Sorry, I couldn't resist. -Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Got to luv these off topic threads... ROb Off topic pretty much sums my thought patterns. Oh look a butterfly............. How many ADHD kids does it take to change a light bulb? OH... Let's go ride bikes... I'm allowed to make that joke because I have an ADHD kid and KNOW what it's like to be a parent to one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 That so funny, i've been using a shop Vac as a house Vac for years...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abjonesiii Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 It sounds like Rainbows work better on wallets than floors! Sorry, I couldn't resist. -Glenn Yeah and the National Rainbow Salesmen of the Year living like a block away from me doesn't help matters. Nor does my Wife's accounting practice being next door to a Rainbow showroom.. So yeah I'm screwed. Seriously though the next time that guy comes to my house wanting to through some freak'n dirt on the carpet I'm going to the garage and getting the shop-vac. Fire that puppy up and be like "What?". Then I'll reverse the motor (because it can!) and shoot tennis balls at him as he runs for the Lincoln Continental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I'm just happy that at least one person (other than me) has figured out the whole "Rainbow vacuum" thing. Before Rainbow it was Kirby. Don't get me wrong here. Both Rainbow and Kirby are both VERY capable machines but just nowhere worth what was (and is) being charged for them. They're really not a "scam" at all. A big part of the reason that they cost what they do is paying multiple levels of commission by virtue of their marketing structure. I think the same might be said for the Oreck vacuums. By the way I own one of the Oreck vacuums. I bought it after an extended road trip and it just struck me that the single most used vacuum in hotels (at the time) were Orecks. I still have the Oreck and it works well on the rare occasions that I actually use it. Yea... I'm a slob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Wow this one is random but i was just cleaning up a bit an wondered... Why don't people use Shop-Vac's as a house vacuum? I have a $3,000 Rainbow and my $250 Shop Vac has twice the suction power. ??? $3000! Oh my! I didn't realize Rainbows were that expensive. Filter Queens are also real pricey but not sure how much these days. They were $1200 25 years ago. We have one but need a few parts and need to get fresh filter material. Still works pretty good though. The outlaws got it for us form the local Filter Queen distributor for I think $500. Demo model I think. After college I was close to becoming a Filter Queen salesman but at the local distributor there were just way too pushy for my tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 We had (still have, but in storage) an old upright Hoover. Lots of metal, and it worked pretty well. It's just gotten too hard to find the belts for them. The rubber has dried out on most, so they barely lasted long enough to go through the house once. Bought an inexpensive Shark at Walmart, almost ALL plastice... But it works really well for us. Surprisingly so, in fact. I was really happy with how well it works, and my wife like it a lot more than the old Hoover. The Shark is a lot narrower than the old Hover, but it's a lot easier for my wife to handle and it doesn't really tak much longer to clean the whole house. The only really expensive thing we have (other than guitars and audio gear) is a set of SaladMaster stainless pots and pans... They are about 40 yrs old. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I bought my mother one of these Hoover 2 piece systems last Christmas (her hobby is cleaning house). She loves it. She always had Kirbys and says that she loves this one much more. It really feels like a quality product. The touch and feel remind me of the way a new Mercedes or Lexus feels, they use plastic but it feels like really high quality and durable. She just loves it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PB8EEM/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/180-1799372-6296220?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=09PN6P0M6ES5RR9FNYZ9&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B001PB8EJ2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Shop Vacs biggest issue is FILTERING. Try vacumming your garage on a late sunny afternoon, and set the canister out in the sun so you can see the light through the ejecting dust from the vac exhaust[:#] You don't want to use a Shop Vac in the house, generally speaking, unless it's post construction cleanup on an unfinished home interior, etc.... While some of these above "boutique" vacs do cost more (because yes, there are commissions and dealers to pay to sell them), some of these vacs are very good. Rainbows make great filters because the dust stays in the water. Seems simple, but harder to implement in an electrical device :-) They DO work very well. But the "King" of boutique vacs over the years was the Electrolux. Electroluxes are like Klipsch Heritage: A working person can afford one used, and it might well last longer than you will. I have two such machines - a canister from 1967, and a late model upright, and I dare say they are as good as any vacs ever made. A bit of a tale of a "move-in" to a dwelling.... When my wife and I got married, we were in need of a more appropriate home.....and luck would have it found a place through my wife's work. An old retired gentleman had a home for rent that had been a bit neglected by a single "grand-nephew", although the place had been gone over fairly well. But the living room carpet was a PROJECT. The place WAS a good deal, and a person we knew so we expected a good "owner/tenant" relationship. We discussed the living room carpet, and decided to live with it for the time being, us not being able to just pay for the project at move in, and the owner giving us such a deal as to not expect a full remodel :-). So I hit that carpet with the Lux gear. We sucked five full bags out of that carpet, then two rounds with the carpet shampooer (moist foam, but not a full water stemer method). We got that carpet pretty clean. And of course we maintained it with that Lux gear until this last fall, when we completely remodeled that room at our expense. When we pulled that old carpet, we expected it would be a bit dirty below there. If you had seen the five plus full bags of dirt we pulled from that carpet at move in you would have guaranteed that dirt would be present at the subfloor. No sir. That subfloor was CLEAN. Those repeated vacuums, plus the regular care over the years brought all the dirt through the carpet. I know all this because I am acquainted with an old Lux salesman of over 40 years, who furnished Lux vacs to several families and businesses around here over the years. Yes they are more expensive, because they are made well, and people got paid well to sell them. But I will accept - even encourage - that it was better to pay a higher price for a truly quality unit, where maker and seller got paid well, versus the big-box mentailty of today, where you get a marginal unit sold by people who make very little. Electrolux to me are like Heritage Klipsch and Mac tube gear: I would rather own one of these used than a new anything else. I have a 1967 "Super J" canister and a early 2000s upright and they work like no other. I can even do my own service work on them in many cases - simple and "modular" so I can swap out brush bars with ease. If one of these fail I will buy another like them. I actually like the stuff they were building about 10 years ago, and would buy one of that age and refurb it to new spec for another 30 years of service. It's sooooo nice to buy something once and not have to do it again for years......if ever[] While that old "Electrolux way" of selling vacs door-to-door is a method that doesn't play well today, the quality they had was never out of style in my book....one of a few old classic brands I still appreciate now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 We had (still have, but in storage) an old upright Hoover. Lots of metal, and it worked pretty well. It's just gotten too hard to find the belts for them. The rubber has dried out on most, so they barely lasted long enough to go through the house once. Bought an inexpensive Shark at Walmart, almost ALL plastice... But it works really well for us. Surprisingly so, in fact. I was really happy with how well it works, and my wife like it a lot more than the old Hoover. The Shark is a lot narrower than the old Hover, but it's a lot easier for my wife to handle and it doesn't really tak much longer to clean the whole house. The only really expensive thing we have (other than guitars and audio gear) is a set of SaladMaster stainless pots and pans... They are about 40 yrs old. Bruce The Shark is the best vac we've ever had, regardless of price, and we have had or used just about all of em.We had Electrolux as kids(oldie but goodie), then the Kirby that waxes your car, then the Rainbow that...well I never liked it, Dyson? absurd for price and quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 There's some pretty neat filters for shop vacs though.... In the "don't try this at home" category...... I have a big shop vac... sucks a phenomenal amount, like a bazillion cubic feet per second.... and it sez on the side and instructions that it can clean up spilled messes in the shop..... as in liquid.... as in water.... Heh!, Heh!! So... I brings the beast inside, pulls the top cover and pours in about a gallon of water, and 2 drops of dishwashing soap (surface reactant.....), and turns it on for about 30 minutes...... Thar' she sat, mateys!.... runnin' hard!! Turned it off and opened the top. Voila!! The water had turned to a weird mud!!! Now about once a month I have done this and the dust level in the house has dropped way down. I use 1200 HEPA's in the handler, and they are staying much cleaner now and I only have to replace them every 90 days. So.... I sez to myself, "Self?... Why not use this bad boy to clean up the house and pour about a quart of water and a drop or two of Dawn, couple drops of "stink pretty"?. Yessirree!!! Never looked back..... The Hoover is in the closet as a back-up..... [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Electrolux to me are like Heritage Klipsch and Mac tube gear: I would rather own one of these used than a new anything else. I have a 1967 "Super J" canister and a early 2000s upright and they work like no other. I can even do my own service work on them in many cases - simple and "modular" so I can swap out brush bars with ease. If one of these fail I will buy another like them. I actually like the stuff they were building about 10 years ago, and would buy one of that age and refurb it to new spec for another 30 years of service. It's sooooo nice to buy something once and not have to do it again for years......if ever While that old "Electrolux way" of selling vacs door-to-door is a method that doesn't play well today, the quality they had was never out of style in my book....one of a few old classic brands I still appreciate now. My mom used to have an Electrolux similar to the one in the attached pic. Sounded like a turbine running in your house and you should really have hearing protection while using it. Lots of metal... you knew it would last forever. Somehow it got out of the house and gone when we transitioned mom to a care facility. It worked great.Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edit - what was supposed to happened.... #$^*&@ possessed laptop) Shop Vacs biggest issue is FILTERING. Try vacumming your garage on a late sunny afternoon, and set the canister out in the sun so you can see the light through the ejecting dust from the vac exhaust You don't want to use a Shop Vac in the house, generally speaking, unless it's post construction cleanup on an unfinished home interior, etc.... I tend to use the drywall bags for in the hose and small things. Does that help enough with the dust to make inside use practical? Would the Shop Vac do better on dust with some water in the tank? Hearing protection seems to be required for any sustained ShopVac use. Ours has detachable motor so converts to blower which is real handy. Filter Queens claim to have been initially created to filter air and then decided with all that suction, why don't we add a vacuum. They do seem to be pretty sturdy and well built. My mother out law I still think uses here 40+ year old model until recently maybe and has one about 25 years old like ours. An added bonuse of the Filter Queen is that they are relatively quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Filter Queens are another good machine. Nothing bad to say about those whatsoever. I haven't looked at the ShopVac filter setups recently. If it's "HEPA" you know it's good, and even the older Luxes and FQ's might not be full HEPA spec but they're really close. The trick is to ensure clean air at the exhaust if you want to use it indoors. I see ShopVacs as outdoor wet or dry, and a rare use inside for a specific job but usually I use the indoor machines indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Electrolux to me are like Heritage Klipsch and Mac tube gear: I would rather own one of these used than a new anything else. I have a 1967 "Super J" canister and a early 2000s upright and they work like no other. I can even do my own service work on them in many cases - simple and "modular" so I can swap out brush bars with ease. If one of these fail I will buy another like them. I actually like the stuff they were building about 10 years ago, and would buy one of that age and refurb it to new spec for another 30 years of service. It's sooooo nice to buy something once and not have to do it again for years......if ever While that old "Electrolux way" of selling vacs door-to-door is a method that doesn't play well today, the quality they had was never out of style in my book....one of a few old classic brands I still appreciate now. My mom used to have an Electrolux similar to the one in the attached pic. Sounded like a turbine running in your house and you should really have hearing protection while using it. Lots of metal... you knew it would last forever. Somehow it got out of the house and gone when we transitioned mom to a care facility. It worked great.Bruce That's a late 40's/50's era machine, and quite good for it's time. The later versions went to the power heads - with only minor changes and exceptions the late 60's through the 90's was basically unchanged. Bulletproof, easily serviceable, has all the adjustments and attachments and were very clean at the exhaust. If I replace any of my machines they will be later versions of what I have now (and they are due, as they are 45 and 20 years old respectively). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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