Source: TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
Publication date: April 1, 2004
By Chris Kulczycki
Wet/dry vacuums don't cut, shape, drill, shoot, or sand. In fact, some people hardly consider them to be "tools" at all. Yet, we expect a lot from them when we have to clean up a jobsite, empty water from a sump-pump pit, or control dust and shavings from a random orbit sander. For a tool that seems to just sit there and tangle you up in its hose, a wet/dry vacuum sees hard action before being slammed back in the truck.
Test Criteria
I pull a wet/dry vac out of my truck so often that giving these units a workout was easy. I tested nine models over $200: the Bosch 3931, Craftsman 17050, Fein 9-55-13, Festool CT22, Hitachi RP30SA, Makita XSV10, Milwaukee 8912, Porter-Cable 7814, and the Shop-Vac 925-63-10. I ran them through both dry and wet pickup testing in jobsite conditions, and during timed shop tests. I compared their mobility, filter change, and cleanout, hoses, accessories, and extra features. I evaluated each unit's ability to swallow coarse and fine debris, move easily, and work with shop tools and sanders.
Power
Dry Pickup. After a month working the vacuums, it was clear they all can handle most tasks, but, when it comes to power, more is better. To get a sense of which tools would devour the most junk, I filled a bucket with nails, screws, washers, and bolts, and then sucked the contents up with each unit.
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