Dry Vacuums Reviews

I have had my Alto Aero II for over two years now and have used it extensively, and it is still going strong even though I have probably over worked it by continually using a worn out cartridge filter. Because filters are rather expensive compared to Shop Vac brand I recommend this- always use the bag filters with your vacume, you can actually use Shop Vac brand bags, (at 1/3 the cost of Alto bags, and every hardware store carries them), this will make your cartridge last longer as well as making the whole process of cleaning a lot easier. For parts call Alto USA @ 800-237-2368, or American Cleanway @ 510-483-7394. I also use a Shop Vac which is actually just as quiet and performs just as well. The difference is that the Alto has better tools, nice detailing, and an electrical outlet for a sander or other tool for dustless working.

It's a great vac! Lots of power and very quite. Like the other review finding bags and filters is complicated. Amazon has the bags (not that there customer support folks seem to know that fact) but no filters. Amazon referred me to the Alto Corporation and they will direct you to a local distributor. My representative in Elgin, Il was very helpful--Lorchem Technology 847.468.8800.

Alto USA:
Phone: 1-800-237-2368
Fax: 1-800-720-2226
Email: wapusa@ix.netcom.com

This is a great vac, strong, quiet, etc...., but don't buy one unless you find a source for the bags and filters. The bags are expensive as well. It doesn't come with many tools & the hose end doesn't fit other brands of attachments. Too bad the company that makes it doesn't understand the importance of supporting a great product with the items needed to use it! When I run out of bags it will get listed on e-bay!

This thing is great, noticeably less dusty. Took a chance and it fits perfectly on my Rigid Vac.

Sears should just bite the bullet and ship their shop vacs with this filter. The difference in dust blown back out of the vacuum is incredible when you install this filter. Plus, it is so much easier to clean off. If you use your shop vac to clean up fine particles (like saw dust) this filter is an incredible bargain.

Since most Rigid tools are made by the same company as Craftsman I thought I'd give this filter a shot. Fits my Rigid vac perfectly and works like a charm. Much better than the paper filter.

This is a great product that not only saves you money in bags but can be cleaned by just tapping it against a solid object to knock out the dust. One additional feature that this product bring to the table is its ability to keep its shape and not vibrate off of the vacuum. Unlike the bags (and rubber bands) that collapse inward and work down the frame, this guy stays put.

I HAVE A SHOP VAC ON-DEMAND VAC THAT CAME WITH A CARTRIDGE FILTER FROM SHOP-VAC. THE FILTER DEFORMED THE FILTER CAGE, DUE TO THE TWIST-ON BOTTOM, THIS CREATED A GAP IN THE TOP OF THE FILTER, CAUSING DUST TO ESCAPE. I THEN WENT TO MY LOCAL HARDWARE STORE TO LOOK FOR AN ALTERNATIVE FILTER. I FOUND THE CLEAN STREAM. THE FILTER SLIDES RIGHT OVER THE FILTER CAGE AND SEALS TIGHT TO THE MOTOR HOUSING. NO MORE DUST IN THE AIR. PERFECT FOR GOING FROM DRY DEBRIS TO WET SPILLS. THE FILTER CLEANS EASILY, AND DOES NOT RETAIN THAT AWFULL ODOR LIKE THE MANUFACTURERS CARTRIDGE FILTER. THE CLEAN STREAM IS ALSO MORE DURABLE. THIS IS THE ONLY FILTER I WILL EVER BUY AGAIN.

I used my new shop-vac to vacuum my basement floor in order to paint. After only a few minutes the entire basement was a fog of dust. Due to my allergies, I had to leave and was considering using a dust mask etc.. I bought this Cleanstream filter and tried it again. NO dust! Plus it works with water which the paper filters do not. Great product! Forget those paper filter bags etc..

Goodbye to dustcloths, brooms, dustpans! I use the wand with brush attachment for cobwebs/tables/windowsills, switch to the T-attachment for furniture, then wrap up with the floor attachment which works equally well for wood/tile floors and oriental rugs. Some people might find the backpack model cumbersome, but in my mind it beats lugging a canister around and having to move it every 5 feet (especially for steps!) I would not recommend it for wall-to-wall carpeting (we have wood floors so no problem there) or garage cleaning (that's what a 'real' shopvac is for.) For everything else, though, this device is wonderful... good power/noise ratio and power/weight ratio. One minor complaint is that the T-handle doesn't have an integrated dirt-loosening brush; I swapped it out with a more effective version from an old upright.

The Shop-Vac 285-00-10 Industrial Duty Back Pack Vacuum is the best vacuum I've ever owned and used. I've had canisters and uprights and even a small shop vacuum (which wasn't bad either) but my back pack vacuum tops them all. My experiences with Hoover and Kirby have always ended up with a vacuum "gone down." My small shop vac outdid these two brands and now my Back Pack vacuum has picked up where my small Shop Vac left off. I have five daughters, all with long hair, and picking up the hair from carpeting has always killed my other vacuums. I noticed the janitors in my work place using back pack vacuums and I saw the great results they got cleaning our offices, so I finally searched for one on the internet and was happy to find one reasonably priced. It does a fantastic job and I will never regret buying it. It is worh every penny.

i have travelled far and wide and one thing i do not want by my side is a vac i wish to put one on my back but here in stupid england you have to push and shove, if i had one on my back id walk through town and never look back, they would be stopping me in the street, were did you get that, not a chance not one to be had .had to bye a boreing d-so-. next time i need one i will fly to USA and be sure to make an impact they wont believe there eyes a vac that go,s on the back i wish.

I had been searching for this filter, and could not find it. But then I found you. Thank you for stocking things we need. It fits perfectly, and is of good lquality.

I am very happy with the way the order was processed.
Thank You

I like the old separate foam wet filter and paper cylinder for dry pickup, simply because cleanup of the foam filter was so easy and you could get all the gunk out of it. I have used my shop-vac to empty a small manmade water feature with a pond in the backyard. The seaweed groaties washed out of the old foam wet pick up filter completely.
With the new materials being used for filters on various equipment, the new multitask (wet/dry) filter is alot more durable but still harder to clean than the simple foam filter.
There is also the extra expense. This type filter costs more initially.
Oh well, the cost of progress, I guess.
All in All, I still think Shop-Vac makes the best shop / wet-dry / worksite vacuum on the market.
John Row

In view of better value for money, I chose this Commercial Vac. I'm thoroughly impressed... I use it as a Home vac and it saved me the miseries that the other home brands normally come with. I guess What's good for a professional is good for home use as well... it has amazing power and is very easy to use. maintenance of the product is cheap and simple.

This Shop-Vac is wonderful! It came with many accessories, and this vacuum is really powerful. I am replastering the walls in my house, and with the shop-vac running in the room, the dust level has been considerably lowered. As for the wet-vac, our basement flooded recently, and we removed about 60 gallons of water in no time. An excellent product, and easy to use. Definitely one of the best home improvement purchases we have made.

Recently, when we had two heavy rain days in a row - my basement pump quit working & the water rushed into the my book storage rooms. I have an online bookstore with over 30,000 books in storage. This would have been a nightmare had it not been for the Shop-Vac 962. Not only did it vac up the water - it did is so fast that my books were saved from being damaged. Thank you!!

The manufacturer calls the filter FLEECE - it is not what americans call FLEECE - we refer to the material as "GORE-TEX" in america, but it got messed up in translation from German to English, and FLEECE was printed in the literature. You are getting a GORE-TEX filter with this unit and will be pleasantly surprised.

The SQ-10 is extremely versitile, powerful, and --quiet--. It's suitable for a library reading room. It really is that quiet.

It's also capable of mil-spec performance with the optional genuine HEPA filter (be careful not to buy all the hepa imitators on the market - most of them are junk anyways)

The hose can be automatically grounded for ESD protection if anti-static hose is used -- this is NOT the factory default, but the ground strap is built into the unit at the hose inlet so if you do buy an esd hose, you're all set - this prevents the vac from sparking inside heavy contamination areas due to movement of material through the hose. This is required for datacenter use - and most vacs neglect it in the design.

This MODEL (the drywaller) is intended strictly for drywall installers or people who need to inhale lots of fine powder. The filter can be brushed while it's in use through the top of the unit to clean drywall dust off. This is done with a brush connected to a plunger that penetrates the case.

While this is a great feature for drywall installers - most people will be better served buying bags and using the standard model without the brush.

With 120CFM of airflow and over 100" of H20 lift, it is suitable for almost any use and features a 2-stage fan - very uncommon to find as most cheap units opt for single stage fans which do not work well with liquid pickup.

The vac also features a convenience outlet that is switched on with the unit - for use with power tools that produce dust - it's suitable for sanders and the like, but not high current tools like a skillsaw since your tool shares the power cord with the vac motor. An electrician can re-wire the outlet to be always on if desired. A high quality terminal block is under the hood for this purpose.

German ergonomics are enforced with no sharp edges, stainless steel parts, and a low center of gravity to prevent tip-overs - it's low and squat with high quality wheels that track over cords, hoses, dirt, rocks, plywood, bascially any off-road vac course you can dream up. If you've ever had a cheap vac tip over when the 1" castors hit an extension cord on the floor and then shut off, you know how fustrating tipovers can be.

The only disadvantage is that YOU must tip it over to empty liquids - the 15 and 20 gallon size models feature drain ports and use the same quiet motor as this unit. They are more suited to liquid use for that reason. With 70 lbs of water in it - it's very hard to tip over and drain.

Also note that this is a METRIC unit - the hose is compatible with US 1-1/2" accessories, but not the more common 1-1/4" accessories. It is also compatible with the LINDHAUS power brush for carpets, but purchase the METRIC version.

With old-wolrd german craftsmanship, this vac will last a lifetime if taken care of. It should replace 10+ of the hardware store variety, and do a better job cleaning.

I purchased the Alto Drywall Vacuum with Auto Start from Amazon three months ago as a replacement for my old Shop-Vac brand machine when I couldn't stand the noise of the old vacuum any longer. The Alto machine is primarily for use in my small garage shop, but it has proved to be far more versatile than I expected.

The Alto is very well made, quiet, and powerful with a first rate fit and finish. The only accessories that come with it are a hose, two metal extension tubes and a solidly made metal floor tool with a brush insert, but the metal end of the vacuum hose is a perfect fit with the attachments made for the German Miele vacuum cleaner.

The Alto is too large and heavy for every day household use, but the combination of the Alto Vacuum and the Miele attachments results in an excellent quite shop vacuum that can be used as a very versatile, supper heavy-duty, domestic vacuum to clean the cars, the house, and other finished interior spaces when heavy duty vacuuming is needed.

This machine is much more expensive than the other shop vacuums that are available. However, it is a much better made and far quieter machine than any of the other shop vacuums, and it is far more vacuum cleaner for the money than the Miele. So far I am very pleased with the Alto machine and have no regrets about spending the extra money to get it rather than a less expensive machine.

This is the ONLY Vac for me! It is incredibly quiet and the filter bag captures ALL of the drywall or dirt you can put through it.

I use these along with a HEPA cartridge filter. This is a great combination to eliminate the fine dust health hazard. I use my Shop Vac with my router, biscuit joiner, table saw, and miter saw to collect chips and dust. With this bag the HEPA filter stays very clean and should last a long time.

These filter bags are excellent if you need to vacuum fine particles such as dry wall dust. While they are not inexpensive, they will prevent what you are vacuuming from being blown out of the exhaust outlet They are a little difficult to install but if you carefully fllow the instructions printed on the bag, you shouldn't have any problems.

Great little versatile vacuum. Powerful enough to pick-up most stuff from your floors. Comes with many attachments. I use it on my hardwood floors, ceramic tiles as well as the couches.I can do a surface vacumming of your carpets but you still need something more powerful to deep clean it.
Its small weight and size makes it good also for the car.

I was distraught when my little 1-gallon shop-vac died recently. My roommate and I had used it for about 10 years as our primary vacumm--lightweight, easy to carry around the house, and it sucked up all the dirt and dog hair my pooch could bring in. The one-gallon vac is no longer available, so I bought this one. This vac is much improved over the old one--quieter, slightly larger capacity, has wheels and a longer hose, and we can now use the disposable bags or still just use the "bucket". All in all, they've taken a great product and made it even better. If it lasts as long as the old one, I'll be even happier!

Easy to use. Really picks up the dirt. Haven't used it for water yet. Attachments work great.