Vacmaster 4 Gallon, 5 Peak HP with 2-Stage Industrial Motor Wet/Dry Floor Vacuum, VF408, Blue

I just got mine day before yesterday and have only had a little time to try it but that's all I needed to see just how much this thing can suck up! It has way more, several times more sucking power than my 1.5hp ShopVac and makes only a fraction of the noise the old shop vac does. Besides its super sucking power I cant believe how quiet it is! I was hoping to find one that wasn't as noisy as my old shop vac but have a lot more suction power and this is it. The first time I turned this on I had my TV on at normal volume and I expected not to be able to hear anything else but the vacuum. Surprise! I could still hear the TV and understand what they were saying without any problem at all!As for sucking power, this thing is like, WOW! I bet it could suckup and hold a bowling ball with the end of the hose. I'm a bachelor with a strong aversion to house cleaning. Add to that a bad lower back and a neck injury that makes doing anything quite painful. So needless to say, but I will any who, my place is a little more than say,, a disaster area. It would just about take a tornado to clean it up. With that in mind this vac is just what I needed. It's light weight and has such sucking power I only have to go across an area a couple of times for it to suck up rocks, sand, dirt, goat heads, stickers, and everything else that has built up over the years. My old shop vac couldn't suck up the same stuff this one did in a minute, even if I run my old one across the same area all day.My only complaint about this one is the wands that came with it. They are so flimsy! Granted, they are light weight, but they are also very crooked. When I stuck them together with the bow in each one going the opposite of the other it almost looks like a snake crawling across the floor. With the bow in each one turned the same way it makes a nice rainbow shape. Maybe not a complete rainbow, but enough to be very notice able. It would really help if they had a little larger inside diameter and a little thicker wall so that there was more to them. Also if they had a larger ID it wouldn't restrict the suction power like the ones it has does. But, other shop vac tubes that are stronger, longer, and don't have a bow in them, will fit and work with it's hose.I have a pretty good upright vac but the beater bar in the head of it likes to catch on a string in the carpet and unravel it wrapping it around the bar in the process. It does pretty good in large open area's, which I don't have cuz of too much stuff. And even though it has a hose and attachments, when using the hose the beater head keeps running and it makes all sorts of noise.I'm so glad that I decided to give this one a try! It has so much sucking power and is so quiet I can hardly believe it. I've never in my life seen or used such a strong vacuum that is so quiet! It probably even has enough suction power to run one of those small roller brush heads that work off of the air flow. Even if it doesn't it still has enough suck power to pull up all but the deepest dirt in the carpet. I highly recommend this vacuum for anybody looking for a new one. You might want to pick up a set of stronger & longer wands or tubes for the hose but it still does pretty good with the ones that come with it. This has to be the best vacuum anywhere for under $100. Besides, if you don't like it you can always send it back. But I'd bet that after you try it you wouldn't let anybody take it away from you for anything.So if you are looking for a good deal on a great vacuum you should give this one a shot. I bet you will be very happy with it.There's one other little thing and that's the bags for it. They are a bit expensive and a little hard to find other than on Amazon. So after using the one that came with it I'm going to try one of the blue wrap around paper filters that I use with my old shop vac. It doesn't have the plastic ring to hold it on but a good sized rubber band or small bungee cord should hold it on over the paper filter inside it.

I'm generally too lazy to write reviews, but thing thing is so good I feel obligated to do so. I'm a bit of a vacuum guy. I own canister vacs from Fein and Festool, as well as a number of more traditional "shop" type vacs.This little guy is relatively small and lightweight, especially considering how well it works. It's not convenient for me to run this side by side with the Fein and Festool, by my impression is that it's noticeably quieter than either. Suction seems to be equivalent. I don't use this to collect dust from power tools, it's just for clean up tasks around my home. It's great for vehicle cleaning as well as any other common vac tasks. Because it's supposed to be a HEPA vac, I used it last weekend to thoroughly clean my sons room as he is suffering badly from allergies. I ran the vac continuously for over an hour, and it showed no signs of getting too hot. His allergies immediately improved, though I can't give all the credit to the vac because we also washed and wiped every surface.It comes with a nice assortment of tools. My only wish is that the hose were about 2 feet longer.Considering the cost of the other vacs I own, this is about the best deal ever. Inlove mine and am trying to come up with an excuse to buy another.

This review is being written after 6 years of ownership. Pros: The versatility of this little shop vac can't be overstated. Its convenient size, better than expected power, and excellent maneuverability over most household surfaces make it a pleasure to use. Don't expect it to vacuum carpets like a traditional upright because that's not what it is made for. The included attachments are adequate for its intended use. It works best on smooth surfaces and picks up any loose debris that fits into the suction hose. In classic shop vac tradition it converts easily to pick up wet spills too. After 6 years it is still going strong. Cons: The small-ish dust bag fills up quickly but that's to be expected for its size. My only real complaint is the retractable cord. It worked great the first year or two but eventually stopped winding back into the machine. I like to fix things so I took it apart and found the plastic cord winder mechanism had broken. Probably should have ordered a new part but instead jury-rigged a quick fix that worked for a while. After it broke a second time we just got used to wrapping the cord instead of retracting it.

My last shop vac lasted fifteen years of off and on use. Will have to see how the Vacmaster holds up over the long term, but in the short time I have had it I am impressed with it. First, I was used to a howling monkey shop vac that was also a 5 hp machine, and in comparison this a much quieter experience, without sacrificing suction power. Suction is what I would expect from this hp rating. Only long term use will reveal how well made the motor is. For now though, it has plenty of power for my needs. Next is the filter and HEPA on the exhaust. I use my shop vac for simple dust collection and clean up in the workshop, and the Vacmaster is a considerable step up for me in keeping dust levels down as I work on metals or woods. I am frugal with filters, cleaning and reusing them, so the jury is still out as far as how long the filters will last, but as of now, I am very satisfied. The hose and attachments work just fine, and I appreciate the wheels on the vacuum as my last shop vac didn't have any. The retractable cord is a nice touch, and so is the large ON/OFF button. When the box from Amazon arrived, there was very minor assembly (carry handle has to be attached, and the wheels have to be installed), but in a few minutes I was able to put the vacuum to work.