If you saw our recent buying guide for the best Wet/Dry Vacuums under $200, you might notice that we featured a few of the Ridgid models. They cropped up in our list so often for a few reasons, the main one having more to do with just having a lot of options on the market. Ridgid provides a lil’ somethin’ for every budget, it seems. Well, today we’re looking at our winner in the “Best Bang For Your Buck” category. In terms of capacity, performance, and price tag, the WD1450 Ridgid 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac fits smack in the middle of the Ridgid lineup that we looked at. Priced at just under $100, what kind of features and performance can your hard-earned money get you? Glad you asked…
Noteworthy Features
- 6 HP motor: The motor is one of the most powerful you’ll find in the sub-$100 price range and helps make the Ridgid WD1450 an incredible value.
- 14-gallon canister: Like all wet/dry shop vacuums, how much you can hold depends on several factors. Are you using a bag or not? How much space does the filter take up? Regardless of those answer, the capacity is always somewhat lower than the canister volume itself. That said, 14 gallons is just a little less than the big boys at 16 gallons, but a full 5 gallons ahead of the 9-gallon models. It’s a nice middle ground to get the price point down some.
- Blower: Almost every wet/dry shop vacuum gives you the option of attaching your hose to the exhaust and using it as a low-power blower. You’ll find it on this Ridgid model.
- Four 360° rotating casters: These roll pretty well and allow for tight turns on any hard surface. Like all shop vacuums, these casters have a hard time rolling over even the smallest of obstacles, like an extension cord.
- Hose management: The hose management on this model is excellent. While it might not be obvious at first, the hose snaps into the outer two accessory slots, creating a loop over the top of the motor nicely.
- Cord management: The cord wraps around the top handle and is fairly effective. I’d like to see Ridgid make the outer tabs another inch longer or so to better contain it.
- Accessory storage: Accessory storage is very good – each of the accessories that come with the vacuum has a specific location. Rolling around the shop, everything stays in place. Personally, I prefer the storage slots and points over a hanging bag to put everything in, but that’s just my opinion.
- Drain spigot: This probably seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised by how often this feature gets left out of a wet/vac design.
Included Accessories
- Fine dust filter
- Utility nozzle
- Wet nozzle
- Car nozzle
- 2 extension wands
The accessories that come with the Ridgid 14-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac are a pretty standard plastic variety. The extension wands are thick enough to endure several years of use if they’re not abused. You cover the wet/dry pickup basics with a standard floor nozzle, wet nozzle, and car nozzle.
Ridgid includes a 3-layer fine dust filter for trapping small dust particles. Finding replacement filters is easy, as Ridgid has a variety of options, from foam filters to 5-layer HEPA filters. Just keep in mind that you can put a HEPA filter on it, but it’s not a HEPA-rated system. Some of those particles may escape the canister.
Does it Suck? We Hope So!
The Ridgid 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac features a 6 hp motor that generates 256 Air Watts and 168 CFM. That CFM figure is pretty solid at any price point. In fact, it’s one of the highest we saw in the group.
Editor’s Note: There’s some discrepancy in the CFM value. Ridgid’s website lists 179 CFM while Home Depot’s website lists 168 CFM.
The other side of the equation is suction power, often listed as water lift. Ridgid doesn’t publish the information, so we devised a test of our own to see how much weight it can pull. It’s similar in scope to a water lift test but evens out the playing field since so many different hose sizes and diameters are out there.
The Ridgid 14-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac comes in with 4.05 pounds of pull force – right there with a big group all in the same range. In both its price and size classes, it’s right on par with its peers. You have to move up to the 16-gallon size to see major improvement.
Price and Value
There’s a reason we give this one the “Most Bang for Your Buck” title. Its combination of high CFM and solid suction power give it excellent suction capabilities for just $189.00. You simply get more performance for the dollar than other brands can offer right now.
The Bottom Line
The Ridgid 14-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac strikes an excellent balance between price and performance. If you’re looking to spend no more than $100 or so, this model gives you better suction power and CFM than the competition. You can find a better fit and finish out there, but you’ll pay quite a bit more or drop performance to get it.
Ridgid 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Features
- 6.0 Peak HP Motor provides powerful suction to handle tough jobsite clean-up
- Scroll Noise Reduction is a patented feature that provides quiet operation by precisely controlling the flow of air through the vac
- 4 Swivel Casters provide easy 360° mobility
- Quick Release on-board accessory holder offers storage space for 5 accessories plus the hose
- 2-Piece Drum provides improved, more rugged construction to meet the higher demands found on the job site
- 3-layer Fine Dust Filter captures fine dust particles such as drywall dust
- 7′ Dual-Flex Locking Hose resists collapsing and adds 180˚ flexibility at both hose ends. Hose locks onto vac for uninterrupted cleaning
- Large Carry Handle allows easy lifting of vac into a service vehicle
- Long 20’ Cord wraps neatly around carry handle
- Powerful exhaust airstream can be directed through the vac hose to blow debris from garages, decks, and sidewalks
Ridgid 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Specs
- Model Number: WD1450
- Drum Size: 14 Gal
- Peak HP: 6 Hp
- Air Watts: 256
- Voltage: 120
- CFM: 179
- Amps: 11
- Cord Length: 20′
- U.L. Listed: Yes
- Replacement Filters: VF3502, VF5000, VF6000, VF7000
- Accessory Size: 2-1/2″
- Shipping Weight: 26 lbs.
- Net Weight: 22 lbs.
- MSRP: $189.00
