# Quietest Shop Vac



## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I am looking to put together a shop vac plus dust deputy combination like others have done. I was thinking of using the Ridgid WD1450. I would really like to find the quietest one possible.

So, are any of the shop vacs quieter than others? I know the Festool and Fein are very quiet but not in my consideration.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Quiet is relative. I suspect they are all loud. I have the WD1450 and it is certainly much quieter than a 30+ year old vac I had before. That old one was loud even with hearing protection on.

My belief is the WD1450 is about as quiet as that size unit is likely to be. I doubt anything is quiet enough that I would NOT wear hearing protection. I find any sort of work to be less tiring if I use hearing protection.

My shop is a converted, attached garage and my wife has not complained about it bothering her. And believe me, it doesn't take much to bother her. If she can hear it, it is too loud.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

Mine is quieter than the others…because it sits outside next to my DC.

It takes a little getting used to. Seems that our notion of how well a vac is sucking is dependent upon the big noise it makes. I keep thinking mine has less suction when I first turn it on (with the remote), and then I put my hand on the end and remember it is just because of the quietness…it could still suck the hide off a rhino.

I mounted mine outside, and ran 2.5 inch PVC electrical conduit into the shop and into the rafters. I have two of the Rockler slinky hoses end to end to make a really long expandable hose coming off a central point. I put a length of 4" PVC drain pipe horizontal up high just barely within arm's reach for the slinky hose to "rest" in when not in use.

To use it I just pull the slinky out of it's cocoon and hit the button on the remote that is attached to the business end of the hose. Sucks great, and doesn't get in my way. When I'm done I just put my hand over the end of the hose, creating a natural tendency for the hose to want to suck itself back into it's holder. Then hit the switch and tuck the rest in there. All gone.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

I also own a Ridgid WD1450 which in my opinion it's not a noisy vac, it is even quieter since I installed the special Ridgid muffler that I had to buy separately .
I got this vac after seeing it work at my buddy's shop, I was amazed how quiet it was while providing a powerful suction, it now is attached to a small Dust Deputy which looks like a perfect match for this vac.


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## JBrow (Nov 18, 2015)

Redoak49,

Since you are equipping the new shop vac with a dust deputy (which works great keep the filter clean by the way), placing the equipment on a mobile platform is something to consider. If you end up going in this direction, the shop vac could be placed in an enclosure mounted to the platform. Some sound deadening insulation could be added, further reducing the noise level. UltraSonic acoustical panels (1" x 12" x 12") are available at HomeDepot.com. There are several YouTube videos showing what others have done to sound the shop vac, including at least one equipped with the dust deputy.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sound+proofing+a+shop+vac

If you opt for a sound proof enclosure, other requirements like suction, filtration, size, etc., can drive the purchase decision rather than noise level. I suspect all shop vacs will be loud.


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

I sure like the idea of a rolling cart with sound insulation, and thus yet another usable horizontal surface in the shop!!!

I wanted to toss out that I selected the Ridgid WD1680. It has a slightly larger canister at 16 gal. vs 14 gal., and a removable motor that becomes a blower in that mode. I think the specs of the vac performance are essentially identical. The two units are very close to the same price, with the difference depending on sales.

I judge my WD1680 to have noise level that is "moderate", for a shop vac. I had a very old craftsman that was louder and pulled in less.

In my view, none of these things are going to be quiet on they own, unless they have some sort of sound-deadening surround. In addition to the running motor, there is a lot of fast-moving air through a somewhat restricted, and corrugated, hose diameter. There is inherent noise with that, regardless of the motor and exhaust characteristics.

I think these Ridgid vacs offer really good value, and performance and warranty.
.


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## alittleoff (Nov 27, 2014)

My rigid 16 gal. Is the quietest I've ever owned. It really suprised me how much suction it has and the noise level is not bad.
Gerald


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## mandatory66 (Jul 26, 2012)

I don't have a Dust Deputy but I have 3 vac's,2 Rigids & a Festool 26. The Festool is by far the quietest Vac I have ever owned. I know that some guy's have their Festool vacs hooked up to a Dust Deputy. I would try to find a local dealer to try one and listen. They are expensive but I am glad I spent the money.


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## gdcarpenter (Mar 20, 2016)

Sorry the Fein is not in the running, by far the quietest shop vac I have ever owned.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Yeah, I pointed out in the start of the thread that I am not considering the Fein or Festool. Both are great machines and very quiet but the price is 3 to 6 times that of a Ridgid. Given that I want to use it with a dust deputy on power tools, the noise level is much less important.

I really like the Ridgid and the comments are quite positive.


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## davegutz (Oct 16, 2012)

I have both a Ridgid WD14500 and Fein Turbo 1 in my shop. The Fein is quieter than the Ridgid. It is dedicated to a grinder. It is quieter than the grinder. The Ridgid gets rotated between the planer, TS and router depending. It too is quieter than any of those tools. I was impressed how quiet the Ridgid is. I wondered if it still had suction and it did!

I got them both for about the same price. The Fein was reconditioned bought off ebay. I have about 7 years of hobbiest usage on both. I'd buy either one of them again. The Ridgid has slightly more claimed capacity for your collector use.

claimed capacity:
Ridgid 179 cfm
Fein 151 cfm


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I had a ShopVac attached to my Dust Deputy … burned it up about 5 years ago. Replaced it with a Ridgid 12 gallon (can't remember the model number), and have been happy with it ever since.

Two things about the Ridgid:
1) The muffler they sell does make a slight difference in the noise level … anything helps.
2) They sell a HEPA filter for it … a little pricey, but IMHO it is really worth the extra $$$.


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