****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This does make a difference in sound and dust and/or water being spit out... If nothing else I feel better having that extra bit of safety.My Shop-Vac brand only has a 1-1/4 exhaust port while a 2-1/2" seems to be standard now. I won't need the adapter as the muffler will fit directly into the vacuum.This diffuser fits just like factor with no loss of power from vacuum.Works great .The 1st part with the red latch does not fit my Craftsman but I don't know what it is for anyway, maybe just an extension? The exhaust filter piece fits well and does stop the blow back when the hole is left open. I normally just use a sticking hose with a zip tie to filter the exhaust but there is no way to attach one on my unit. This piece fits nice and snug but it doesn't such neat as well a when it was open. It will pick up the material but I can feel the difference. My only gripe is, why the hell are vacuum accessories so much $$? This kinda thing makes me crazy!One thing they don't tell us when I bought this was it comes with an adaptor to fit both sizes of Ridgid vacuums, the 2 1/2 and the new 2 inch, I bought one for all my vacuums , they are awesome, it cuts down on the Blow out on the exhaust and way helps on the Loud noise on the exhaust also, I have 5 different types of Ridgid Vacuums and it works Great on all of them, I posed 4 of my types of vacuums, I think I have 8 Ridgid Vacuums, and I have this Diffuser on all of them... I wouldn't have a Vacuum with out one. Also it dosen't slow down on the suction of the vacuum at all..I should have purchased this item sooner! What a difference this little attachment makes. The noise is less then half, and reduces dust by 99% when the filter is kept clean. Worth every penny!I bought this product for my new DeWALT 12 gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac.Pros;Follow the enclosed directions and you’ll find that you can remove the adapter and it will fit fine in a 2” exhaust opening.Easy to take apart and clean.Helps keep the dust from blowing out of the exhaust.I would say my uncalibrated DB meter on my iPhone showed about a 5 dB difference in noise with and without the diffuser measure at 10 feet.Due to my hearing aids, I have to wear the ear muff type of hearing protection so I actually hear very little sound. When using ear plug type of hearing protection I hear a lot more noise.Cons;On my vac this sits above the tool bag which causes a little obstruction to get to the tools. In my case, I was removing the tool caddie as I was sucking up old bark and dirt so I didn’t want to get inside of it.Good diffuser, Okay for a muffler.Diffuser - Performs great. Vastly cuts down on the jet engine propelled air chute at the back of the vacuum keeping you from turning your shop into a dust tornado everytime you use it.Muffler Aspect - Doesn't really make the vacuum quieter. But definitely cuts down on some annoying frequencies due to the air redirection. There is a noticeable difference, but not much of one. Think of smashing a plate vs. A bass drum. Both loud, but one doesn't cut your ear drums in half.Keep in mind sound interpretation has infinite variables. Type of Vacuum, Environment, Even temperature/humidity if you really want to get technical.Price - When shopping I round up, so mentally to me something that's $15+tax is $20. To me $20 for something like this.. Basically a piece of formed plastic with a foam insert is... on the high side. There are numerous YouTube videos on how to make it homemade. But at the end of the day I rather spend the $20, know it fits, throw it on, and carry on. Rather than spend a few hours in the shop making one, and then modifying it, etc...Thickness ? Lol. Its 1/8th plastic just like the rest of the vacuum.To sum up; if you're buying it for a diffuser you will not be disappointed. If you buy it solely for trying to quiet your vacuum down, it does work - but you may be unhappy with the results. I consider it a diffuser, with the minor frequency reduction a bonus because it does make the sound more tolerable.If you watch a few YouTube videos and know what to expect you'll probably be satisfied with the purchase. Everyone agrees its a good diffuser, opinions on sound seem varied as there are too many different variables, and especially on YouTube every recorders mic is different and everyone is listening through different speakers.I'd buy it again.Fits Ridged shop vac! Although I have to say the noise isn't really cut down that much pretty negligible so I would pass if buying this simply to reduce the noise. If however you like the extra filtration on the exhaust side then this is fine as there is a sponge filter in the muffler.Read some of the reviews before buying. People are confused with sound muffins. This item will diffuse and reduce the sound of air exhaust but not the motor sound. To kill the motor sound you would have to put the shop vac in an insulated box. This is a great product as it reduces the sound of air exhaust which is still alot. Mull over it guys but this is an honest review.Diffuses the air blowing out the rear of the shop vac a lot better than not having a diffuser at all. Should keep the vac exhaust air from stirring up the dust around me as I wheel the vac around. It does little to reduce the noise of the vacuum though, so can't give it anymore stars because it's advertised to help with noise as well.I have a 4 gallon Ridgid wet/dry vacuum. The muffler fit perfectly without the need of the supplied adapter. I was only looking to break the the flow of air, the slight decrease in noise was a bonus.
