Top 5 compared
The best wet/dry vacs
A flooded basement, drywall dust or a car full of beach sand, sucked up without wrecking the house vacuum.
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The top 5 at a glance
Often called a shop vac, a wet/dry vac is a tough drum with a wide hose that swallows water, sawdust and wet leaves, the jobs a household vacuum isn’t built for. Big drums on casters suit the garage and the workshop; small ones store in a closet and ride along in the car for cleaning seats and spills.
Two figures on the box need reading with care. The gallons are the drum’s volume, not necessarily what it collects, and peak horsepower is a lab measure of the motor that makers say it doesn’t reach in actual use. Every one here also doubles as a blower, handy for clearing a workbench or the garage floor.
What matters
- A wide hose for workshop debris, a narrow one for car footwells.
- A tank drain, if it’ll be emptying water often.
- A cord long enough to reach across the garage.
- Somewhere on the vac to store the hose and attachments.
#1DEWALT DXV12P 12-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac
$100–$150
A big poly drum on four wheels with a 5.5 peak HP motor, a 20 ft cord and a drain at the bottom, so a flooded basement can be emptied into a floor drain instead of lifted and tipped. The washable cartridge filter handles fine dust and water alike.
What owners say: Owners talk about the suction first, one claiming it would pull a softball through a garden hose, and they like how the big rear wheels and casters roll around the garage. Several are surprised by how quietly it runs.
A closer look: Open the drain over a floor drain or out on the driveway and the water runs out without lifting a full drum. Rinse the cartridge filter after a wet job and let it dry before vacuuming dust again, and fit the disposable bag from the box for fine drywall dust.
- Built-in tank drain
- Washable cartridge filter
- Disposable bag for fine dust
- Doubles as a blower
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: Basements, garages and big cleanups
- Tank
- 12 gal
- Motor (peak HP)
- 5.5 peak HP
- Hose
- 2-1/2 in x 7 ft
- Cord
- 20 ft
- Weight
- 23.2 lb
#2DEWALT DXV06P 6-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac
$100–$150
Half the size of DEWALT’s 12-gallon but built the same way: a 4 peak HP motor, a tank drain, rubber casters and a blower port, and at 14.8 lb it’s easy to carry by its handle down the basement stairs or out to the car.
What owners say: Drywall debris and small basement floods are the jobs owners mention most, and they like how quiet it is and how smoothly it rolls; a few had the hose attachment give out after a year or so.
Heads up: Fit the cartridge filter before switching on, as the listing says: without it the motor can cut out partway through a job.
A closer look: Two extension wands and the floor, utility and crevice nozzles live in a mesh bag on the vac, so the attachments stay together on the garage shelf. The 10 ft cord runs out quickly in a big room, so keep a heavy-duty extension cord with it.
- Mesh bag holds attachments
- Built-in tank drain
- Rubber casters
- Doubles as a blower
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: Small floods, light enough to carry
- Tank
- 6 gal
- Motor (peak HP)
- 4 peak HP
- Hose
- 1-7/8 in x 7 ft
- Cord
- 10 ft
- Weight
- 14.8 lb
#3CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 16-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac
$100–$150
Built for floods, renovations and a garage full of sawdust: a 16-gallon drum, CRAFTSMAN’s most powerful 6.5 peak HP motor and a wide 2-1/2 in hose that flexes 180 degrees at each end instead of kinking. An oversized drain lets the water out, and the rear port turns it into a leaf blower.
What owners say: It picks up everything from fine dust to big messes, owners say, and some report a dozen years of hard use; others had one fail within a few dozen jobs, and they split on whether it’s bulky and loud.
A closer look: The hose, cord and wands store on the drum, which matters with something this size in a crowded garage. A full tank of water is heavy, so empty it through the drain rather than tipping it, and the Qwik Lock filter twists off without tools for a quick clean outside between jobs.
- Hose flexes 180° each end
- Oversized drain
- Doubles as a leaf blower
- Tool-free twist-off filter
- Onboard hose and cord storage
Best for: Remodels, sawdust and leaf blowing
- Tank
- 16 gal
- Motor (peak HP)
- 6.5 peak HP
- Hose
- 2-1/2 in x 7 ft
- Cord
- 20.5 ft
- Weight
- 26 lb
#4STANLEY SL18116P 6-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac
$50–$75
A 6-gallon drum and a 4 peak HP motor on four swivel casters, with filters for both jobs in the box: foam for water, a reusable cloth filter and a bag for dry dirt. The narrow 1-1/4 in hose and three extension wands reach into car footwells and under seats.
What owners say: Owners use it to detail the car, one getting through five vehicles in a session, and find it strong on heavy dirt without taking over the garage; some had it give out after about six months.
Heads up: It ships with the casters off to keep the box small, so fit them to the base before the first use.
A closer look: Use the foam filter for water and the reusable cloth filter, held by its clamp ring, for dry dirt, with the bag inside it for fine dust. The cord and hose wrap around the top handle and sides, so it tucks into a closet corner between jobs.
- Foam filter for water
- Reusable cloth filter for dirt
- Three extension wands
- Four swivel casters
Best for: Car detailing and the house
- Tank
- 6 gal
- Motor (peak HP)
- 4 peak HP
- Hose
- 1-1/4 in x 6 ft
- Cord
- 10 ft
- Weight
- 13.4 lb
#5Armor All AA255W 2.5-Gallon Wet/Dry Utility Vac
$75–$100
Small enough for a closet shelf or the trunk at 11 lb, yet it still converts to a blower and comes with 13 accessories, among them a car nozzle, a squeegee floor brush and two detail brushes. The hose, cord and nozzles all stow on the body.
What owners say: Owners call it more powerful than its size suggests and like finding every brush and tip they need in the box, though a few say it struggles with fine dust.
A closer look: The car nozzle does seats and floor mats, and the detail brush gets into vents and cup holders. Fit the blower adapter to clear leaves off the windshield or dust out of a garage corner, and empty the small tank after each spill rather than leaving water in it.
- 13 accessories included
- Converts to a blower
- Car nozzle, two detail brushes
- Squeegee floor brush
- Onboard hose and tool storage
Best for: Apartments and small spills
- Tank
- 2.5 gal
- Motor (peak HP)
- 2 peak HP
- Hose
- 1-1/4 in x 6 ft
- Cord
- 12 ft
- Weight
- 11 lb
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1DEWALT 12 gal | #2DEWALT 6 gal | #3CRAFTSMAN 16 gal | #4STANLEY 6 gal | #5Armor All 2.5 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Biggest tank | Best budget | Best compact | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.9 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 | $75–$100 |
| Tank | 12 gal | 6 gal | 16 gal | 6 gal | 2.5 gal |
| Motor (peak HP) | 5.5 peak HP | 4 peak HP | 6.5 peak HP | 4 peak HP | 2 peak HP |
| Hose | 2-1/2 in x 7 ft | 1-7/8 in x 7 ft | 2-1/2 in x 7 ft | 1-1/4 in x 6 ft | 1-1/4 in x 6 ft |
| Cord | 20 ft | 10 ft | 20.5 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft |
| Weight | 23.2 lb | 14.8 lb | 26 lb | 13.4 lb | 11 lb |
| Best for | Basements, garages and big cleanups | Small floods, light enough to carry | Remodels, sawdust and leaf blowing | Car detailing and the house | Apartments and small spills |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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