RIDGID 16 Gal. 6.5-Peak HP Motor-On-Bottom Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Fine Dust Filter, Hose and Accessories

*** REVIEW UPDATE MAR 2020 ***For the second time now this shop vas has quit working after about 6 months of use. When it DOES work it is an AWESOME shop tool. I am now forced to question the reliability of the design as the nearly the same failure has happened TWICE. I was cleaning up my garage using this vacuum to pick up light sawdust and oak leaves. When I shut the vacuum down to relocate it, it refused to turn back on. I didn’t notice any odors coming from the vacuum. It wasn’t making any odd noises. I just turned it off, moved the plug to another outlet and tried to turn it back on. The vacuum was unresponsive.FORTUNATELY, this time the folks at RIDGID customer service were responsive and quickly emailed me a prepaid shipping label to send the power base back for replacement. While they were happy and helpful, the fact that I am going to be without a shop vacuum for a week or so is inconvenient.I had read online that there is an issue with carbon buildup between the motor’s rotor and stator that causes excessive internal friction. It sounds plausible, but I can’t confirm that. IF that is true, RIDGID needs to reevaluate their motor design.I wish I could give this shop vac a 5-star rating because when it does work it is AWESOME. The reliability of the unit just doesn’t warrant it IMHO.On the plus side, the collection bucket did fit MUCH more securely on the first replacement shop vac.5 stars for the vacuum when it works and RIDGID’s customer service. 1 star for reliability. Overall star rating 34 bars for the general quality of the design. 1 bar for motor issues. 2 quality bars overallIf RIDGID fixes this issue, I would recommend this shop vac and give it 5 stars and 4 bars. *** REVIEW UPDATE AUG 2019 *** This shop vacuum has hard failed after 6 months of LIGHT use. The specific hardware issue: I was using the shop vacuum to clean up a small amount of wood shavings from around my drill press. Prior to the shop vac failing it produced a “hot electrical equipment” smell. I immediately turned it off. The vacuum would not turn back on after waiting for more than an hour. 24 hours later it still does not turn on. I called the RIDGID customer support hotline to get assistance with a warranty repair because the product number (MOB16000) on the unit and in the owner’s manual does NOT match with any available options on the RIDGID warranty website. Neither does the Home Depot website model number MOB1600. HOWEVER, it appears to be physically the same unit at the RIDGID 1650RV0, except in Home Depot Orange. While the 1650RV0 is on the RIDGID PRODUCT website, it ALSO is NOT on the RIDGID WARRANTY website dropdown. I called customer support three (3) times to get assistance with providing the correct product number for this claim and was passed back and forth between the wet-dry vacuum division and general Ridgid customer service and one time got disconnected. No one could help me. I was VERY FRUSTRATED. Two RIDGID customer service representatives tried to claim this was NOT a RIDGID product. It’s two days later now and I finally heard from the customer service representative for RIDGID to tell me they have decided to treat this as a warranty claim. Now I just have to ship the motor assembly back to them, fortunately with a pre-paid FedEx shipper number. My original review had a 5-star rating (see below). While it worked, it WAS a great shop vac. However, because of this warranty run around with RIDGID, I am downgrading my review to two stars. Regardless of the outcome, it should NOT be this hard to file a repair claim on an item with an advertised LIFETIME warranty. *** ORIGINAL FEB 2019 REVIEW***: A powerful and quiet shop vacuum. I have had this RIDGID 16 Gal. 6.5 Peak HP Motor-On-Bottom Wet Dry Vac for about a week and am quite impressed. I had been complaining that my old Craftsman vacuum sucked-but-not-in-a good-way for a while. This is a welcome upgrade. This is a professional grade wet/dry vacuum and is intended to be sturdy and powerful. If you’re a “weekend warrior” or DIY hobbyist, you may not need this much of a vacuum. However, I find that I like having the extra capability and am willing to deal with what that implies. Check my pros and cons below to see what I mean. Assembly was straight forward. The instructions are easy to follow and no special skills are required. I DID notice that the clip on the back side of the power unit of my vacuum that holds the collection bucket in place does NOT engage the tab on the bucket. The locking mechanism engages fully, so the bucket stays in place, but it is ONLY the locking mechanism that is holding it on. I don’t dare pick up the vacuum by the handle on the lid for fear of damaging the locking mechanism. Fortunately, the vacuum wheels easily enough that I can roll it about anywhere I need to take it, even up stairs or over uneven flooring. I may run a couple round head machine screws into the clip so that the tab is engaged properly, however, I am not sure if that will make the bucket a pain to remove or not. Pros: -The general fit and finish (aside from the above) seems to be good. -The motor pulls a strong suction. -The vacuum is quiet for what it is. I’m not sure if the “muffler” included helps or not, but the device is noticeably quieter than my old vacuum. -The large diameter hose and attachments should pick up fairly large bits of debris with ease. -The access door to drop in out sized garbage (water bottles, etc.) is a handy feature, though not one I will likely make a lot of use of. -The vacuum rolls easily thanks to the large diameter rear wheels and swiveling casters on the front. – It does NOT tip over when pulling it along with the hose thanks to the power unit being in the base. -The attachment storage net does a decent job of keeping nozzles in place and handy for use when needed. Time will tell how well the elastic holds up. -The water emptying port on the bottom is a great feature my old vacuum lacked. -The power cord is nice and long at 20 feet. Cons: -The hose could be a little longer. 10 feet maybe instead of 8, but that’s a pretty minor nit pick. -The power cord storage hook is really just somewhere to hang the looped up cord. To secure the cord, I loop it around the muffler and around the hook because I have not installed the metal moving handle (I store my vac under my workbench). Otherwise, I’d loop the cord around the metal handle. Again, a fairly minor point. -Older folks or petite persons may find the large debris bucket difficult to empty. If this is you, a smaller shop vacuum designed for homeowners may better meet your needs. Again, this vacuum is intended for pros. General observations: -It is BIG (well it IS a 16 Gallon vacuum, so”¦yeah. Remember my comment about this being “pro grade”?). If one lets it get overly full or if one picks up a lot of water the vacuum could be difficult to move / pick up. Not a design fault, just something to keep in mind.

Strong suction and adding and removing attachments is easier than earlier models.

The good:Great suction and low center of gravity with the motor on bottom design.Reasonably quiet for a powerful vacuum.The not so good:Needs additional accessories (filter bags, longer hose, etc.) to be fully utilized.Made in Mexico.

This vac really sucks

Great vac. Love the motor on bottom. Better balance with weight down low. Easier to empty. Super powerful yet relatively quiet. Easy maneuverability with handle and large rear wheels. The hinged top flap/door for larger items makes it double as a trash can while you work. Best vac I’ve ever owned. But not perfect. I’d suggest an upgrade to the “pro” hose as it’s a far better hose. Also, onboard tool storage, like it is for most all shop vacs, is pretty mediocre.

Nice design, Stable, good suction. Perfect addition to my woodworking shop.

Just my ridgid shop vac. It works great on dirt and water. I would recommended Shop-Vac to anyone

Shipping was great and this vacuum is the best I have ever used. The suction is unreal! I did order an extra 20ft. hose to add on. It works so good I plan on using it as my regular house vacuum. I ordered the Hepa filter which is fully washable to vacuum up drywall dust. If you need a powerfull vacu

This Ridged 16 gallon wet/dry vac is awesome!!Very easy to assemble, the wheels in the front make it easily to pull/push/or just let it follow you while your working with it! There is a spot for all the attachments as well, and very strong suction..Perfect for my garage and basement!Awesome product, the mesh basket holder that attaches is genius work!Good job guys! Everyone needs one of these.Highly recommend this product..

Works great!