Customer Reviews

Shop-Vac 971-05-00 2-Gallon 3 HP Wet/Dry Vacuum

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have Pergo / tile flooring and have been searching for a floor cleaner that would pick up the pet hairs, crumbs, dirt and dust that accumulate very quickly in my home. This item is wonderful because it is powerful, lightweight and fast. It beats using the attachments to an upright because you don't have to haul around a heavy machine.

My house is definitely cleaner and I find that housecleaning takes less time since I have had this little machine. I move through the house quickly, switching from the floor cleaning accessory to the duster in seconds making cleaning the floor, furniture, ceiling fans, windows sills etc. a snap. I use it in every room in my house and the car and can definitely recommend this machine as a worthwhile investment!

Short and sweet: This little vac DOES deliver the power it claims to without taking up the space. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who likes the POWER of full size shop vacs without the bulk of one.

The attachments are NOT on board, but I just toss mine in with the other cleaning supplies. The canister itself is rugged and small enough to carry without it being cumbersome. I couldn't rate this equipment any higher. Even if I had the space for a larger vac, it wouldn't be needed unless I had a huge space to care for/clean. This takes care of a 3 bedroom home with 2 ferrets, 2 cats and 2 dogs (FUR!!), my workshop (glass dust) and my car. I love, love, LOVE IT and you will, too!!

I purchased my Shop Vac All-Around in 2002. Agree with other reviewers that it is a GREAT little vacuum -- I've owned Hoover, Dirt Devil, Vorwerk, Oreck, etc. -- this one beats them all, hands down. The drawback is when something goes wrong. As one reviewer mentioned, the on/off switches are not the greatest -- mine has always been finicky and finally went out. I called Shop Vac to find an authorized service center, only to be told they discontinued/closed their service centers in August 2005! And, since the warranty is only 3 yrs on the All-Arounds, mine is out of warranty. I have a choice of either purchasing a new motor -- yes, you have to purchase the whole motor unit -- for $46.29 -- OR purchasing a new one altogether. Obviously, at approx $60 for a new one, it makes better sense to just buy a new one. I find it rather frustrating they no longer have service centers and, unless they've improved the on/off switch, I might end up having to purchase a new one every few years!!

So . . . my rating for ease of use and capabilities of the unit itself would definitely be a 5 -- however, poor on/off switch, having to replace entire motor unit because of a poor switch, lack of authorized service centers brings my overall rating down to a 3.

I have never met a vacuum cleaner I could cozy up to. They are too heavy or they repeatedly fall over, or attachments are not easy to change quickly. When my last vacuum died as I was putting my house on the market I had to scramble to find a replacement that would not require a major investment as in Electrolux or other major high end vac. I saw my son whisking around his house doing a quick mid holiday vacuuming while I was visiting. He recommended the 7-amp Shop-Vac that he was using. I immediately ordered it from Amazon and was rescued. It is light weight AND has good suction. Easy to pick up to do the stairs. Attachments go on and off without effort. Cord is nice and long. Doesn't require much storage space. I will probably not invest in an expensive vac for my next house as I thought I would. This Shp-Vac is serving my needs just fine. Since vacuuming is my most hated house chore, I wouldn't say I am feeling "cozy" about it, but I have not had thoughts of throwing it out the front door!

Note: it is not perfect, does fall over from time to time. The ball mechanism inside falls out of place necessitating shutting off and restarting. Still the best vac I have met, and I have kissed alot of frogs. For the comparatively small price, it does a big job.

What can I say, it works well. My only complaint is that the on/off switch is a bit of a pain. It can be hard to turn on sometimes, hence 4 stars instead of 5.

Recently, we purchased our second shop vac all around 7 amp machine. Quite frankly, it is an impressive unit. It is lightweight, has good suction, the attachments are easy to work with, and it has a long enough cord to do the job.

We have Golden Retrievers and a tile floor. This necessitates a daily vaccuuming; if you've ever owned them, you know what I mean. This unit is easy to use and needs very little storage space, so it is a really good solution to our hairy little problem.

One drawback--the switch, as was mentioned by another reviewer, is the reason I needed to purchase another one. We have an entire unit with all of the attachments in perfect shape at four years old, and one faulty switch. There is no local service center--unless you live in Pennsylvania, and close to Williamsport. But, it was worth the $66.19 anyway. I am frustrated about the switch, but I originally bought the old unit for 39.95 at Costco.

One possible future advantage is it appears that they may have improved the switch--only time will tell.

Does the job. Easy to use, sturdy, and powerfull. Great for use everywhere, not just the shop. This is my house vacuum as well.

I am not the kind to write a review..but this vacuum prompted me to write one to help out those who are wondering which one to buy.

This one is a powerful, no nonsense vacuum. If you have hardwood floors, you can either spend a bunch of money on some fancy vacuum or buy this one, which I bet is amongst the most powerful and versatile vacs.

Ive owned a Hoover bagged upright and a stick vac before this. This one replaces both in one shot. This vac is extremly portable and easily lets me take care of floors, crevices, dusting etc without much hassle. I can get under my couch, all those annoying nooks in the kitchen, underneath the table etc very easily with out having to lug a whole vacuum. The cord is long enough to allow me clean my whole house using a single outlet. This wasnt the case even for my full upright.

Now on to the minor negatives

1) The on/off switch is a bit cumbersome, esp for kids to operate.
2) I wish that the cord were retractable
3) I would have to get the air turbine nozzle for cleaning my carpet and that costs about $30. Considering that it is about 60% of the cost of my vacuum , it does skew my cost-benefit analysis a bit.

Overall I would have this vacuum for this price than any thing else, the minor incoveniences notwithstanding. So I give it 5 stars.

I purchased this product 5 years ago and re ordered this one for a back up in case when, if ever, the old one breaks down. It is the best and longest lasting vacuum I have owned for hard surface floors and at the lowest price I have ever paid. It is also light weight and can be carried around while I vacuum my entire 1800 sq foot home.

I have- drumroll- three Shop vacs! This size for the house, gets all sorts of Crud I don't want in my Dyson because you can hose it out with cleaners; think pets, mud, that vat of cake mix that went splat all over the white kitchen. And emergency water extraction from carpets 'till the pros come, four thousand smashed bits of Crayolas, ect.They really DO suck up broken glass and don't underestimate how well. Much safer.
A big one for the shop and studio- different dirt. A big one for outside... My life is so much unbeleivably easier. I had to clean up after Katrina Flood in New Orleans with out one and really saw how great these are; vacuuming up muddy water beats whatever else. I'm spoiled! Love all of these! And so glad to have my stable again.
This little one is great though, does it all and fits someplace relatively easy. Like in an attic if you're in a flood prone place...