Metro vac purchase

[Joe's detailing]

Thinking of adding this to my arsenal or detailing products ...
Shop vacs just don't have enough lift to remove sand from carpet fibers (DEEP DOWN)

http://www.autogeek.net/vacnbloporva.html

(It has a 95'' of water lift that is the primary term used to measure suction)

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Metro vac purchase

Looks good!
Don't forget to do a write up on it!

[MrCLRider]

Re: Metro vac purchase

so what type of suction does a rigid 6 hp have?? That seems like alot of lift from a 4 hpr max...I do envy it though, its nice and small..

[CharlesW]

Re: Metro vac purchase

Thinking of adding this to my arsenal or detailing products ...
Shop vacs just don't have enough lift to remove sand from carpet fibers (DEEP DOWN)

http://www.autogeek.net/vacnbloporva.html

(It has a 95'' of water lift that is the primary term used to measure suction)

Since I've had one of these for 5+ years, I thought I would throw out a few comments.

*The suction is unbelievable. It will lift the carpeted mats right off the floor. I'm no vacuum expert, but I think the smaller hose helps. My larger 5 hp vacuums have larger hoses and the overall suction might be as great or even more, but with the Metro, the suction is in a concentrated area.

*It is not quiet, but 4 peak hp probably shouldn't be expected to be quiet. It is not excessively noisy, but having it in the vehicle with you will make it more noticeable.

*The small size is very handy. you can just put it in the vehicle you are working on for easy access.

*The small size means the bag needs to be emptied fairly often. No big deal, but a nuisance. Mine came with a cloth bag and I purchased an extra so I can change and keep working. It will do several vehicles, but my larger vac will probably do a hundred before it needs to be emptied.

*I purchased the roll around dolly which was a three wheel unit at the time. The stability was about like a tricycle and I don't care for it at all. That might be why the dollies now have 4 wheels.

*It is not a "wet" vac and is intended only for dry pickup.

*The quality doesn't look all that great when you look inside the vac, but it's still working fine after 5+ years. Small thing, but the paint is not flaking off the steel body even though it has had some abuse.

*Mine was a gift and since they are a little pricey, I doubt that I would pay the price. Hey, maybe I'm a cheap skate, but a good 5 hp to 6.5 hp wet/dry vac is about 60% of the cost.

[3Fitty]

Re: Metro vac purchase

Thanks for the info Charles. I'm just wondering how it would compare to one of those 6.5hp wet/dry units? http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...411&lpage=none

I have a 3hp unit and the suction is mediocre (at best). In fact, my wife's Dyson offers much better suction than my wet/dry.

Let us know how it goes with this unit.

[CharlesW]

Re: Metro vac purchase

Thanks for the info Charles. I'm just wondering how it would compare to one of those 6.5hp wet/dry units? http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...411&lpage=none

I have a 3hp unit and the suction is mediocre (at best). In fact, my wife's Dyson offers much better suction than my wet/dry.

Let us know how it goes with this unit.

The vacuum you linked to seems to definitely be geared towards professional use.
IMO, it would be a better all round unit for an only vacuum.
The large dirt capacity has not been necessary for me as a hobby detailer. My 12 gallon tank probably could go years without being emptied.
My 4 gallon might even go that long.
For detailing, suction/pick-up power seems much more important than tank capacity. For woodworking or construction, that might not be true.
One thing I really like about my 5 hp, 12 gal. is the stability of it. It is short and squatty and can be pulled around by the hose with out worrying about tipping it over.

[Joe's detailing]

Re: Metro vac purchase

Thanks for the report Charles, it's been noted ..
I just need to figure out if it's worth the asking price....

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Metro vac purchase

I just recently upgraded to a rigid 6.0 hp. I had a 2.5hp. The difference is tremendous. The suction power is fantastic. I really like this unit a lot. It was half the price as the metro.

[MUGEN SI]

Re: Metro vac purchase

I have been using a Metro blower and it works great!