Offering 16 gallon capacity inside its shell and 6.5 horsepower, it’s no wonder the Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner is capable of being the best wet and dry vacuum cleaner, as well as a sturdy workshop vacuum cleaner. Of course, its stainless steel chassis shouldn’t be overlooked either, making it a surefire candidate as the best shop vac too. If you want a variety of upright vacuums instead, visit our best vacuum cleaner reviews.
Why We Like It – Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner
With a gargantuan 16-gallon capacity and 6.5 horsepower, the Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner is revving up to be your number one go-to as a wet, dry, and blower vacuum. It certainly blows the Karcher WD4 out of the water.
- 16-gallon capacity
- 6.5 horsepower
- Durable, stainless steel construction
- Uses dust bags
- Power cord length could be longer
Power
Why in the world do Ridgid Wet Dry Shop Vacuums need so much power? For starters, it’s a shop vac; to be a shop vac, it needs to pick up large debris, water, and as a bonus, has a detachable blower. To accomplish all that, it has 6.5 peak horsepower, 0.5 more than 6.0-HP NXT Wet Dry Vacuums, though the NXT Wet Dry Shop Vacuums are nothing to scoff at either.
Related: Visit our ProTeam ProVac FS6 review
Speed & Efficiency
All that horsepower has to do something, right? Of course! Its power gives it excellent speed and efficiency, as does its versatility. It can accomplish tasks like sucking up water and debris with ease, but in the next breath switch to a blower and blow away sawdust. That’s something the Hoover Elite Carpet Cleaner isn’t prepared to do.
Bin Capacity & Maintenance
Unlike cordless wet dry vacs, the Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner has a large capacity bin of 16 gallons. That means less time spent maintaining the machine, and more time using it. At the same time, dust bags reduce overall maintenance too, but at the cost of buying more bags. For a bagless design, consider the Bissell Crosswave Cleaner.
Related: Check out the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 review
Durability
The Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner drops traditional plastic construction for stainless steel. This gives it incredible sturdiness. Even the filter hose is ultra-flexible and four times more durable than any standard shop vac hose. Not even the Prolux Vacuum holds a candle to it.
Value
Ridgid isn’t a stranger to value, just look at their hand tools, pipe cutters, and power tools. So it isn’t a surprise that the Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner has so much value wrapped inside. It’s an incredibly durable shop vac that can hold 16 gallons, has a blower, and can suck up large amounts of water in a short time. What isn’t to love?
Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner Wrap Up
Aside from using dust bags, you’ll have a hard time finding anything to dislike about the Ridgid Vacuum Cleaner. What’s there to hate about such a high-performing shop vac? It has a large capacity of 16 gallons. And powering its features—vacuuming water, dust, and blower port—is 6.5 peak horsepower. You’ll never be disappointed!
