3 Gallon 5.0 Peak HP NXT Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Filter, Expandable Locking Hose, Accessories and Pro Gear Attachment

What I like about this RIDGID 3-gallon 5.0 peak h.p. vacuum is that everything has a storage area. The cord which is 15 feet has a tether that allows the cord to be wound or gathered up to keep it neat. The Dry dust cover is for light debris and can be covered with a bag to allow more and continued use. The wet part of the system recommends using a foam collector. Although it states 3-gallon capacity I do not recommend a full 3 gallon. The vacuum will sound differently, which is a sign that it is nearing the full mark. Empty and then continue removing water. A 15-minute use is recommended, then allowing the motor to rest 3 to 5 minutes, this will extend the life of the unit. The unit also can be used as a blower. Simply connect the hose at the opposite end and allow the air to blow the area to clean. I rated this item 4 of 5 stars because it is cumbersome to use, wheels would allow the unit to be easier used. Overall, there are many tools and connections that make this a good unit to have. The stack able system is well designed for compact storage on other pieces of the set. Do not try to vacuum from the top of the cases as it will pull off and could injure you. Also 20 lbs. are recommended. In the base to help with movement. Also, to keep from tipping over.

This is the greatest little shop vac. It's more compact than other shop vacs I have owned, easy to carry around. It plugs in, does not run on a battery. The suction power is great and with the included attachments you can really get into those hard to reach crevices. The hose easily clips and turns in and out of two ports so that you can either use it to suck up dirt or as a blower for leaves, etc. There is also a rigid dust pan function so that you can easily suck up piles from the floor by running the vac along it. The cord and attachments and hose all tuck away to make this a very compact and efficient machine. It's great that you can switch between wet and dry just by making sure you change the filter if it's a very wet job. The vac is easy to empty, two clips on either side that you unclip and open it up. All in all a great vac!

This 3 gallon portable vac is very well designed and includes the adaptor plate which allows it to be used with the 2.0 Ridgid pro gear system. I added a few pictures of how it mounts. The kit includes a proprietary flexible retracting hose capable of expanding to roughly 7 feet and the hose stores in the side compartment behind a protective cover. There are two accessories included, a car nozzle and a brush attachment, there are no wands, etc. included, however the mounting bracket does have the ability to store them onboard. A fine dust filter is included, which is an upgrade from the typical general paper filter. The unit will accept bags, and my suggestion is to use them, they save the filter and make clean up much easier. I do not have a proper meter to test noise levels, but I found it relatively comfortable to stand next to the unit while it runs. As far as suction, I hooked this to my miter saw and it did a very good job or reducing the sawdust in my shop, the unit itself has a nifty feature where you can sweep sawdust right into the vacuum using the attached dustpan type feature. I added a pic of that for reference. The carry handle is very sturdy, however, I would not suggest lifting the unit by the handle if you do attach it to the toolbox on the 2.0 system, and it will not be able to handle that for long. In general, this is a great jobsite vacuum improved by developing the 2.0 system mounting sled, this will not replace your larger shop vat, but it will help keep the area clean during a project or for attaching as dust collector for power tools, right now this upgraded unit is the same price as the previous version, so consider buying it with the increased value.

This tool box looking vacuum is rugged plastic that is fairly well designed. But I was disappointed with the power. I compared this vac to the Ridgid cordless, DeWalt corded/cordless, and a regular household Eureka vac (might mite). I used a vacuum gauge to compare each of the vacs. The cordless vacs (DeWalt & Ridgid) were expectedly low on the scale. This corded Ridgid was a bit better, but was significantly less than a 10 year old household Eureka vac (see pics). You would think that a newly released product like the Ridgid NXT would be better. I would give this vac a “C” grade for overall value and performance.

Thos is a really nice vacuum. I really like how everything is stored on board. The attachments are under a cover, the the stacking tray can store the extension tube, it does not come with one. I have a older 5 gallon model and they are the same specifications as this three gallon one, as far as power size. One major feature for me is that you can sweep right into the bottom on the proper side and it sucks it up. Which is hreat for drywall dust. I like the fact it stacks on my other boxes.

I have a huge shop vac which I honestly wasn't using enough to justify the space it took up. Switching over to this Ridgid vac has been a solid move as not only take up significantly less space, it also has more power which equals more suction. The unit is super potable coming in at 12 inches tall, by 19 inches wide and 10 inches deep. The power cord is approx 15 ft long. The hose is 2 feet long when compressed and extends to 5.5 feet long when fully extended. The floor sweep feature is a game changer and intuitive. Instead of having to make a pile and then grab the hose to suck up all your debris, you can sweep directly towards the vacuum and it will take care of the mess. One thing I can't stand is when attachments are floating around or sticking out getting caught on everything. This vacuum tackles all of those issues by keeping everything stowed inside various compartments, when everything is put up, you just have a perfect box with no protrusions. Again, this makes storing the vacuum simple as well as prevents attachments from falling off and getting lost during transport. Now I don't have the Ridgid pro gear boxes to fully test the attachability of the vacuum to other models, but I found the pro gear attachment cool as it allows you to carry two extra wands on the attachment base. Another neat feature of the pro gear attachment is that it still allows you to use the sweep feature without having to remove the unit from the base, but I did notice that the suction power was decreased slightly as the bottom of the unit doesn't make a good seal with the floor as it would when just using the vacuum without the base. (this seems to be because the pro gear attachment has little feet which raises the whole unit off the floor slightly).

Over the years I've become sensitized to certain exotic woods and solvents. Dust collection isn't just for making sanding more efficient. I wanted a smaller dust collector that would be easier to use with my jig saw, hand power planer, track saw and perhaps even my band saw. Being able to store it on a shelf out of the way would be a plus. The Ridgid HD0300PG is about the same size as a rectangular tool box or tackle box. This 5 HP 3 Gallon Wet/Dry NXT model is corded (cordless is also available) and comes with a drop-in Pro Gear attachment tray for those with the Pro Gear Tool Dolly System. The Pro Gear tray also serves as storage for optional extension wands. This HD0300PG Kit comes with the Pro Gear tray, a 2' to 6' foot expandable 1 7/8" hose (I like the locking tab feature), a Blue Qwik Lock Filter (Fine Dust), a Crevice Tool and a Dust Brushing Tool. The Crevice and Dust Brushing Tool have their own storage compartment. The Hose Storage on the inlet end is unique. It plugs into an upside down dust tray formed into the bottom of the vacuum. Turn the vacuum on (I like the oversized switch) and it creates a powered dust pan. Sweep debris into it with a broom like a dust pan--but without the bending over to pick up the dust pan. Clever. There are five different flavors of Qwik Lock Filter Ridgid sells for this and similar wet dry models. This kit comes with the VF3500 Fine Dust (Blue) Filter. Of interest is the optional VF3700 Black Foam WET Filter. (It is OK to fill up the Dust Bin up to 2" with liquids without having to switch to the WET Filter.) For small woodworking projects and shop cleaning projects I ordered VF3501 compatible DRY Poly/Paper Dust Bags. They are used in addition to the Qwik Lock Filter. Fill them up and throw them away. Simple and no mess. I also ordered a 15' long Ridgid locking tab 1 7/8" hose. I already have a hose nozzle size change assortment. If you don't have that, get it. You'll eventually need it late some Saturday night after everything is closed. This replaces two much older wet dry vacs I've had for years. I can't emphasize how much nicer everything is. All the Ridgid components are injection molded and fit tightly without hassle. The latches work easily. My old "sock and rubber band" filters are a joke compared to the Ridgid Qwik Lock Filters. The onboard storage for the tools and clever dual use hose storage/powered dust pan are cool. Even the storage compartment lid for the 15' power cord acts as a diffuser/noise dampener for the air exhaust. All in all a 5 star product.

I was sold on this vacuum even before I turned it on. Several features hopped right out to me as very favorable compared to other vacuums I have owned for my shop. First off, light weight and it attaches easily to my Ridgid pack out unit. You just know whatever you are going out to do is going to need at least a little clean up. Second it is all self contained in a neat little package. Nothing is going to be falling off as you move from site to site. Even the power cord is in its own little drawer. Next is the sweep and vac system. Just put it on thee floor, turn it on and sweep your piles into it. My wife wants it for the house, but this one is mine. It’s suction it as good as any vacuum I have used in this size, maybe even a bit better. I did buy disposable bags to help keep the filter clean, but you don’t have to have them.

Very impressive! This is, by far, the most powerful wet/dry vacuum I have ever used. We initially wanted a better method of cleaning up bird seed debris beneath our feeders. We had been doing it manually with just a broom and dustpan, but this new vacuum is certainly the way to go. It was a very quick and easy solution to an odious task. The unit is lightweight enough to be carried around from chore to chore. It comes with brush and crevice attachments that are housed within the unit. I would like the hose to be a bit longer, but I believe that a hose extension can be purchased separately. All in all, we are very pleased with this product!

What a clever and functional wet dry vacuum. This totally self contained carry all has multiple useful features. From a cord minder to exhaust and intake air lines to self storage for attachments to a clip on base that provides double duty. The base will connect to storage rack and can be used as a sweep and pick up collection unit. There is a fine particle filter included. There are additional tools that mount on the base for optional use. This is truly an all in one unit.